Word Tips: Using the Format Painter

Lesson 8: Using the Format Painter

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Using the Format Painter

Word’s Format Painter can definitely be a timesaver. It lets you copy formatting like color, font style, and size, and then apply it to other sections of text. It’s an easy way to give your document a clean, consistent look.

Check out the video below to learn more about using the Format Painter.

Steps

  1. Open the Word document you want to format. Then select the text that has the formatting you want to copy.
  2. Click on the Home tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen.
  3. Look for the Format Painter button (in the Clipboard section) and click on it.
  4. Your cursor will have a paintbrush next to it. Click on the text where you want to apply the formatting.
  5. The new formatting will be applied to the selected text.
  6. If you want to apply the same formatting to multiple lines of text, double-click the Format Painter button to lock it.
  7. Click on the text you want to format. The selected text will now have the copied formatting.
  8. When you are finished, click the Format Painter button again to turn it off.

You can now quickly copy and apply formatting using this little tool. Rather than trying to format each piece of text individually, you can use the Format Painter instead.

In Lesson 9, we’ll show you a simple way to clear all formatting in your Word doc. 

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