diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index 1d1f0a0c..b3baa777 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -336,6 +336,12 @@ const _all_defaults = KW[
     _axis_defaults_byletter
 ]
 
+# to be able to reset font sizes to initial values
+const _initial_fontsizes = Dict(:titlefont  => _subplot_defaults[:titlefont].pointsize,
+                                :legendfont => _subplot_defaults[:legendfont].pointsize,
+                                :tickfont   => _axis_defaults[:tickfont].pointsize,
+                                :guidefont  => _axis_defaults[:guidefont].pointsize)
+
 const _all_args = sort(collect(union(map(keys, _all_defaults)...)))
 
 RecipesBase.is_key_supported(k::Symbol) = is_attr_supported(k)
@@ -522,7 +528,6 @@ function default(d::KW, k::Symbol)
 end
 
 
-
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # if arg is a valid color value, then set d[csym] and return true
diff --git a/src/components.jl b/src/components.jl
index 9db2f04b..2962f184 100644
--- a/src/components.jl
+++ b/src/components.jl
@@ -297,12 +297,33 @@ function scalefontsize(k::Symbol, factor::Number)
     f.pointsize = round(Int, factor * f.pointsize)
     default(k, f)
 end
+
+"""
+    scalefontsizes(factor::Number)
+
+Scales all **current** font sizes by `factor`. For example `scalefontsizes(1.1)` increases all current font sizes by 10%. To reset to initial sizes, use `scalefontsizes()`
+"""
 function scalefontsizes(factor::Number)
     for k in (:titlefont, :guidefont, :tickfont, :legendfont)
         scalefontsize(k, factor)
     end
 end
 
+"""
+    scalefontsizes()
+
+Resets font sizes to initial default values.
+"""
+function scalefontsizes()
+  for k in (:titlefont, :guidefont, :tickfont, :legendfont)
+      f = default(k)
+      if k in keys(_initial_fontsizes)
+        factor = f.pointsize / _initial_fontsizes[k]
+        scalefontsize(k, 1.0/factor)
+      end
+  end
+end
+
 "Wrap a string with font info"
 immutable PlotText
   str::AbstractString