diff --git a/crates/doc/src/text.rs b/crates/doc/src/text.rs
index d2abfed9..24d7e088 100644
--- a/crates/doc/src/text.rs
+++ b/crates/doc/src/text.rs
@@ -253,10 +253,17 @@ pub struct TextStyle {
     pub style_id: Option<String>,
 }
 
+/// The font new text starts in. A build can name another (`FIGCRAFT_DEFAULT_FONT="Noto Sans Thai"`,
+/// for a distribution whose users mostly write a script Inter lacks); empty means Inter.
+pub const DEFAULT_FONT: &str = match option_env!("FIGCRAFT_DEFAULT_FONT") {
+    Some(family) if !family.is_empty() => family,
+    _ => "Inter",
+};
+
 impl Default for TextStyle {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
-            font_family: "Inter".into(),
+            font_family: DEFAULT_FONT.into(),
             font_style: "Regular".into(),
             font_size: 12.0,
             line_height: LineHeight::Auto,
@@ -790,6 +797,18 @@ mod case_tests {
         assert!(!valid_feature_tag("lig") && !valid_feature_tag("ligatures") && !valid_feature_tag("li\u{e9}"));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn new_text_starts_in_the_builds_default_font() {
+        // Inter, unless the build names another with `FIGCRAFT_DEFAULT_FONT` (empty means Inter).
+        let named = option_env!("FIGCRAFT_DEFAULT_FONT").filter(|f| !f.is_empty());
+        assert_eq!(DEFAULT_FONT, named.unwrap_or("Inter"));
+        let st = TextStyle::default();
+        assert_eq!(st.font_family, DEFAULT_FONT);
+        // The family is always written, so a saved file keeps it in a build with another default.
+        let saved = serde_json::to_value(&st).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(saved["font_family"], DEFAULT_FONT);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn variations_are_backward_compatible_and_imply_weight() {
         // Files written before variable fonts load with no custom axes, and stay byte-identical.
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/text_behaviour_tests.rs b/crates/engine/src/text_behaviour_tests.rs
index f15817e8..92a43306 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/text_behaviour_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/text_behaviour_tests.rs
@@ -288,3 +288,25 @@ fn a_drag_with_the_text_tool_makes_a_fixed_size_box() {
     let (b3, _) = text_tool((100.0, 100.0), (180.0, 101.0), "A");
     assert_eq!((b3.width(), b3.height()), (80.0, line.height()));
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn new_text_starts_in_the_builds_default_font() {
+    // `text.create` without a fontFamily and a click with the Text tool both start in
+    // `figcraft_doc::DEFAULT_FONT` (Inter, unless the build names another with
+    // `FIGCRAFT_DEFAULT_FONT`), and the family is written with the text.
+    use crate::tools::{PointerEvent, PointerKind, ToolId};
+    let mut s = Session::new();
+    let made = text(&mut s, "Text", json!({}));
+    s.set_tool(ToolId::Text);
+    s.pointer(&PointerEvent::at(PointerKind::Down, 300.0, 300.0, 1.0)).unwrap();
+    s.pointer(&PointerEvent::at(PointerKind::Up, 300.0, 300.0, 1.0)).unwrap();
+    crate::textedit::insert(&mut s, "Tool").unwrap();
+    let typed = s.ds().unwrap().text_edit.as_ref().unwrap().id;
+    assert_ne!(made, typed);
+    let doc = s.doc().unwrap();
+    for t in [made, typed] {
+        let td = doc.node(t).unwrap().kind.text().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(td.style.font_family, figcraft_doc::DEFAULT_FONT);
+        assert_eq!(serde_json::to_value(td).unwrap()["style"]["font_family"], figcraft_doc::DEFAULT_FONT);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/docs/releasing.md b/docs/releasing.md
index 3dbc0fbf..8ad7e614 100644
--- a/docs/releasing.md
+++ b/docs/releasing.md
@@ -68,6 +68,22 @@ FIGCRAFT_DEFAULT_SERVER=wss://design.example.org/ cargo build --release -p figcr
 The release workflow leaves it unset. The public server's terms are in
 [`online-sharing-terms.md`](online-sharing-terms.md).
 
+## The default font
+
+New text starts in Inter (`figcraft_doc::DEFAULT_FONT`). A distribution whose users mostly write a
+script Inter lacks (Thai, say) can name another family with `FIGCRAFT_DEFAULT_FONT` when building;
+unset or empty means Inter. Pick a family the build embeds from craft-fonts (the web build has no
+other fonts) or one its users have installed:
+
+```sh
+FIGCRAFT_DEFAULT_FONT="Noto Sans Thai" cargo build --release -p figcraft
+```
+
+Files record each text's family, so the variable only changes what new text starts in: a file
+saved by one build keeps its fonts in a build with another default. Like any other family, it
+renders only where it is available (embedded or installed); elsewhere the text falls back to the
+faces that are. The release workflow leaves it unset.
+
 ## What gets built
 
 | Platform | Artifacts | Built on |