# Changing global font size to 11.5 pts

I'd like to set the main font in my document to 11.5 points. I realize this is not possible using one of the preset options for the article document class, so I tried to follow the instructions here. Here's my MWE:

\documentclass[11pt, a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{fontspec}
\usepackage{blindtext}

\setmainfont{Times New Roman}
\fontsize{13pt}{13pt}\selectfont

\begin{document}
\blindtext
\end{document}


However, setting the fontsize as shown does not change the size for my main font.

How can I get my main, default font to be 11.5 points?

• the fontsize you show selects 13pt but begin document does \normalsize so you do not see any text at 13pt. You could use that within the document though. Aug 18 '21 at 16:06

You can use the fontsize package.

\documentclass[a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{fontspec}
\usepackage[fontsize=11.5bp]{fontsize}
\usepackage{blindtext}

\setmainfont{Times New Roman}

\begin{document}
\blindtext
\end{document}


The (uncompressed) PDF file has

%PDF-1.5
%<E4><F0><ED><F8>
6 0 obj
<</Length 3622>>
stream
q 1 0 0 1 72 769.89 cm 0 G 0 g 0 g 0 G BT /F1 11.5 Tf 63.078 -65.753 Td[...

• How do I install fontsize package on Ubuntu? It says file 'fontsize.sty' not found... Aug 20 '21 at 9:24
• @user32882 You need an up-to-date TeX Live. Ubuntu installs an older one, you can install the “vanilla” TeX Live, see tug.org/texlive Aug 20 '21 at 9:34

You can copy the definition of \normalsize from the class and change (I assume you want 11.5bp here)

\documentclass[11pt, a4paper]{article}

\makeatletter
\renewcommand\normalsize{%
%   \@setfontsize\normalsize\@xipt{13.6}%
\@setfontsize\normalsize{11.5bp}{13.6}% I assume you want 11.5 postscript points
\abovedisplayskip 11\p@ \@plus3\p@ \@minus6\p@
\abovedisplayshortskip \z@ \@plus3\p@
\belowdisplayshortskip 6.5\p@ \@plus3.5\p@ \@minus3\p@
\belowdisplayskip \abovedisplayskip
\let\@listi\@listI}
\normalsize
\MakeRobust\normalsize
\let\@normalsize\normalsize
\makeatother

\usepackage{fontspec}
\usepackage{blindtext}

\setmainfont{Times New Roman}

\begin{document}
\showthe\font
\blindtext
\end{document}


This produces

> \TU/TimesNewRoman(0)/m/n/11.54312 .


instead of the original

> \TU/TimesNewRoman(0)/m/n/10.95 .

• or you could use 12pt option with no change which makes > \TU/TimesNewRoman(0)/m/n/12 . the difference is less than .46pt which really isn't very much. Aug 18 '21 at 16:04