Categories
Microsoft Word

Copy and Paste Formatting

Sometimes, you might find that you have text formatted exactly as you want it in one location, and you want to copy that formatting to text elsewhere in your document. To accomplish this, you can either create a style or use the Format Painter tool.

For example, you’ve formatted a word after some intensive work in the Font dialog box. Now you need to apply the same formatting to other words in the document. You can do this easily in any of three ways:

  1. Using Format Painter
    Use Ctrl+Shift+C to copy formatting from the text and press Ctrl+Shift+V to apply copied formatting to selected text.
  2. Using Repeat Command
    Press Ctrl+Y to repeat your last action.
  3. By Creating a Character Style

Format Painter

Format Painter

Select the word you’ve formatted, double-click the Format Painter button on the Home > Clipboard (it’s the button with the paintbrush icon), and then drag over each of the words you want to format, in turn. Press Escape (or click the Format Painter button again) when you’ve finished.

Repeat Command to Apply Previous Formatting

Select the text to which you want to apply the repeated formatting. On the Quick Access Toolbar, click the Repeat button ↺ or press Ctrl+Y to repeat the previous formatting command.

Character Style

Create a character style from the formatted word. Select the word and:

  1. Click the small arrow in the bottom-right corner to open the Styles dialog box.
  2. Click New Style button to open the Create New Style from Formatting.
  3. Type the name for the new style and select Character for Style type.
  4. Click OK to create style.

You can then apply the style to selected text from the Styles list.