diff --git a/resources/qml/Settings/SettingItem.qml b/resources/qml/Settings/SettingItem.qml
index 1e69704995..5e37288f4a 100644
--- a/resources/qml/Settings/SettingItem.qml
+++ b/resources/qml/Settings/SettingItem.qml
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ Item {
         return tooltip
     }
 
-    MouseArea 
+    MouseArea
     {
         id: mouse;
 
@@ -114,7 +114,8 @@ Item {
             elide: Text.ElideMiddle;
 
             color: UM.Theme.getColor("setting_control_text");
-            font: UM.Theme.getFont("default");
+            // emphasize the setting if it has a value in the user or quality profile
+            font: base.stackLevel != undefined && base.stackLevel <= 1 ? UM.Theme.getFont("default_italic") : UM.Theme.getFont("default")
         }
 
         Row
diff --git a/resources/themes/cura/theme.json b/resources/themes/cura/theme.json
index 5bc5e99765..053e5e3d84 100644
--- a/resources/themes/cura/theme.json
+++ b/resources/themes/cura/theme.json
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@
             "bold": true,
             "family": "Open Sans"
         },
+        "default_italic": {
+            "size": 1.15,
+            "italic": true,
+            "family": "Open Sans"
+        },
         "small": {
             "size": 1.0,
             "bold": true,