diff --git a/src/Mod/Draft/Resources/ui/TaskShapeString.ui b/src/Mod/Draft/Resources/ui/TaskShapeString.ui
index ab99f0264e..75ae57f9bf 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Draft/Resources/ui/TaskShapeString.ui
+++ b/src/Mod/Draft/Resources/ui/TaskShapeString.ui
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ Uncheck to use working plane coordinate system</string>
           </property>
          </widget>
         </item>
-       <item row="0" column="1">
+        <item row="0" column="1">
          <widget class="QLineEdit" name="leText">
           <property name="toolTip">
            <string>Text to be made into ShapeString</string>
@@ -166,12 +166,19 @@ Uncheck to use working plane coordinate system</string>
         <item row="1" column="1">
          <widget class="Gui::FileChooser" name="fcFontFile">
           <property name="filter">
-           <string>Font files (*.ttf *.otf *.pfb *.TTF *.OTF *.PFB)</string>
+           <string>Font files (*.ttc *.ttf *.otf *.pfb *.TTC *.TTF *.OTF *.PFB)</string>
           </property>
          </widget>
         </item>
        </layout>
       </item>
+      <item row="2" column="0">
+       <spacer name="verticalSpacer_1">
+        <property name="orientation">
+         <enum>Qt::Vertical</enum>
+        </property>
+       </spacer>
+      </item>
      </layout>
     </widget>
    </item>
diff --git a/src/Mod/Draft/draftobjects/shapestring.py b/src/Mod/Draft/draftobjects/shapestring.py
index c855e3c86e..991e3bdc89 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Draft/draftobjects/shapestring.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Draft/draftobjects/shapestring.py
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ class ShapeString(DraftObject):
             if not os.path.isfile(font_file):
                 _err(obj.Label + ": " + translate("draft", "Specified font file is not a file"))
                 return
-            if not os.path.splitext(font_file)[1].upper() in (".TTF", ".OTF", ".PFB"):
+            if not os.path.splitext(font_file)[1].lower() in (".ttc", ".ttf", ".otf", ".pfb"):
                 _err(obj.Label + ": " + translate("draft", "Specified font type is not supported"))
                 return
 
diff --git a/src/Mod/Draft/draftutils/params.py b/src/Mod/Draft/draftutils/params.py
index a13d628881..9fd89b5df1 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Draft/draftutils/params.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Draft/draftutils/params.py
@@ -391,15 +391,44 @@ def _param_from_PrefFontBox(widget):
     return path, entry, value
 
 
+def _get_shape_string_font_file():
+    """Try to get the file name of a sans serif font (TTC or TTF) from the OS."""
+    # https://forum.freecad.org/viewtopic.php?t=96770
+    # Windows font: "arial"
+    # Mac fonts: "geneva" and "helvetica"
+    # Linux fonts: "dejavusans" and "freesans"
+    favorite_names = ("arial", "geneva", "helvetica", "dejavusans", "freesans")
+    font_file_sans = None   # Font with name containing "sans". 1st fallback.
+    font_file_alpha = None  # Font with name starting with a letter. 2nd fallback.
+    # Reverse the order of the paths so that user related paths come last:
+    for path in QtCore.QStandardPaths.standardLocations(QtCore.QStandardPaths.FontsLocation)[::-1]:
+        # We don't use os.path.join as dir_path has forward slashes even on Windows.
+        for (dir_path, dir_names, file_names) in os.walk(path):
+            for file_name in file_names:
+                base_name, ext = [s.lower() for s in os.path.splitext(file_name)]
+                if not ext in (".ttc", ".ttf"):
+                    continue
+                if base_name in favorite_names:
+                    return dir_path + "/" + file_name
+                if font_file_sans is None and "sans" in base_name:
+                    font_file_sans = dir_path + "/" + file_name
+                if font_file_alpha is None and base_name[0].isalpha():
+                    font_file_alpha = dir_path + "/" + file_name
+    if font_file_sans is not None:
+        return font_file_sans
+    if font_file_alpha is not None:
+        return font_file_alpha
+    return ""
+
+
 def _get_param_dictionary():
 
     # print("Creating preferences dictionary...")
 
     param_dict = {}
 
-    hatch_pattern_file = os.path.join(
-        App.getResourceDir().replace("\\", "/"), "Mod/TechDraw/PAT/FCPAT.pat"
-    )
+    hatch_pattern_file = App.getResourceDir().replace("\\", "/").rstrip("/") \
+            + "/Mod/TechDraw/PAT/FCPAT.pat"
 
     # Draft parameters that are not in the preferences:
     param_dict["Mod/Draft"] = {
@@ -437,7 +466,7 @@ def _get_param_dictionary():
         "ScaleCopy":                   ("bool",      False),
         "ScaleRelative":               ("bool",      False),
         "ScaleUniform":                ("bool",      False),
-        "ShapeStringFontFile":         ("string",    ""),
+        "ShapeStringFontFile":         ("string",    _get_shape_string_font_file()),
         "ShapeStringHeight":           ("float",     10.0),
         "ShapeStringText":             ("string",    translate("draft", "Default")),
         "snapModes":                   ("string",    "100000000000000"),