The Format Painter

The Format Painter enables you to copy the font or paragraph formatting of selected text and apply it to other text. This can save time and effort when applying the same formatting in multiple places throughout a document.

Tip

• Another way to apply the same formatting in various places throughout a document is with styles. I begin my discussion of Word's styles feature on the next page.

To use the Format Painter

1.	Select the text whose formatting you want to copy (Figure 5). Figure 5. Select the text with the formatting you want to copy.
2.	Click the Format Painter button on the Standard toolbar. The Format Painter button becomes selected and the mouse pointer turns into an I-beam pointer with a plus sign beside it (Figure 6). Figure 6. When you click the Format Painter button, the mouse pointer turns into a Format Painter pointer.
3.	Use the mouse pointer to select the text to which you want to copy the formatting (Figure 7). When you release the mouse button, the formatting is applied (Figure 8) and the mouse pointer returns to normal. Figure 7. Use the Format Painter pointer to select the text you want to apply the formatting to. Figure 8. When you release the mouse button, the formatting is applied.

Tips

• To copy paragraph formatting, be sure to select the entire paragraph in step 1, including the paragraph formatting mark (¶) at the end of the paragraph. I tell you about formatting marks in Chapter 2.

• To copy the same formatting to more than one selection, double-click the Format Painter button. The mouse pointer remains a Format Painter pointer (Figure 6) until you press or click the Format Painter button again.