
We'll start with a simple worksheet that has unformatted cells (see Figure 2). Ctrl + Alt + V T Steps to Format Painter Using Keyboard Shortcut First, go to the cell or range of cells, whose formatting you want to copy and paste and press the Ctrl + C keys to copy the cells.
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In this first example, we'll show you how to use the Format Painter to apply formatting to a single cell. Now that you know what the Format Painter is and how it works, let's look at a few examples of how you can use it in Excel.Įxample 1: Apply formatting to a single cell You can't use it to copy formatting from one worksheet to another. The Format Painter only works within a worksheet.For example, if the source cell has a background color, the Format Painter will apply that color to the destination cell even if you don't want it. The Format Painter copies all the formatting from the source cell or range, even if you don't want to apply all of it.It doesn't copy cell values, formulas, or other cell contents. The Format Painter only copies formatting.There are a few things you should keep in mind when using the Format Painter in Excel: Things to keep in mind when using the Format Painter To turn off the Format Painter, press the Esc key on your keyboard. To keep the Format Painter active, press and hold the Ctrl key while you click the Format Painter button or press Ctrl+Shift+C twice. You can use this shortcut whether the Format Painter button is visible on the ribbon or not. Simply press Ctrl+Shift+C to copy the formatting, and then press Ctrl+Shift+V to paste the formatting. There's a keyboard shortcut you can use to activate the Format Painter in Excel. To turn off the Format Painter, simply click the button again or press the Esc key on your keyboard. This way, you can apply the same formatting to multiple cells or ranges without having to reselect the source cell or range each time. You can also double-click the Format Painter button to keep the Format Painter active. The formatting will be applied immediately. In the Clipboard group, you'll see the Format Painter button, which looks like a paintbrush (see Figure 1).Ĭlick the Format Painter button, and then select the cell or range where you want to apply the formatting. Then, click the Home tab on the Excel ribbon. To use the Format Painter, first select the cell or range that has the formatting you want to copy. If you want to apply the same formatting to another cell, you can use the Format Painter to do so. For example, let's say you have a cell with bold, red text. The Format Painter is a built-in Excel feature that allows you to quickly copy formatting from one cell or range and apply it to another. In this article, we'll show you how to use the Format Painter shortcut to save time when formatting your Excel worksheets. Fortunately, there's a handy shortcut called the Format Painter that can help you quickly apply formatting in Excel. Applying font colors, cell colors, number formats, and other formatting options can take up a lot of your time. So in the example, we can see that the yellow background, left alignment, and currency formatting has been copied to cells D3:D5.If you work with Microsoft Excel on a regular basis, you know how time-consuming it can be to format cells and ranges.


The formatting that has been copied will include number formatting, alignment, font, border, and patterns. When you let go of the left mouse button, you will see that the formatting from cell A3 has been copied to the selected range (D3:D5).
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This is done by selecting cell D3 with the left mouse button and then dragging down (while holding the left mouse button) until the full range has been selected. In this example, we have selected cells D3 to D5. Now, select the cells that you wish to apply the copied format to. Then select the Home tab in the toolbar at the top of the screen and click on the Format Painter button in the Clipboard group.Ĭell A3 should become highlighted with a green dashed border around it and you will see the following message appear in the status bar at the bottom of the Excel window: "Use the mouse to apply the copied format to another object". In this example, we have selected cell A3. Let's look at an example of how to use the Format Painter in Excel 2016.įirst, select the cell that has the formatting that you wish to copy. It is a quick and easy way to apply your existing formatting without having to manually set up the the number formatting, alignment, font, border, and patterns for the cells. The Format Painter allows you to copy formatting from a cell (or group of cells) to another section of the Excel spreadsheet.
