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Format Painter in Excel: Save Time and Effort

Excel Format Painter for Quick Editing

You can copy and apply formatting from one section of a document to another using the Format Painter tool, which is present in Microsoft Office programs, Excel. This covers characteristics like borders, paragraph alignment, font style, size, and color.

Here's how to use the Format Painter:

 A. To duplicate the formatting once

  1. Choose the item or text that has the suitable formatting.
  2.  As shown in above image on the Home tab, under the Clipboard group, click the Format Painter button. An icon for a paintbrush is going to replace the cursor.
  3. To add formatting to a text or object, click or drag over it. After applying the formatting, Format Painter will automatically close.

B. To duplicate and use formatting multiple times

  1. Choose the text or item that has the formatting you want.
  2. Double-click the Format Painter button in the Clipboard group on the Home tab. A paintbrush icon will appear in place of the cursor.
  3. To apply the formatting, click or drag over the text or objects. Format Painter will continue to function.
  4. Press Esc or click the button once again to exit Format Painter.

C. Use the right-click menu

Another way to use the Format Painter is by right-clicking on the cell with the formatting you want to copy, selecting "Format Painter," and then clicking on the cell you want to apply the formatting to.

D. Apply formatting to non-adjacent cells 

To apply the copied formatting to non-adjacent cells, double-click on the Format Painter button and then select the cells you want to format with a single click.

E. Use the "Painting" mode

When the Format Painter tool is active, you can click and drag your mouse to quickly apply formatting to multiple cells. This is especially useful for applying borders or shading to a range of cells.

By using these tips and shortcuts, you can work more efficiently in Excel when using the Format Painter tool to copy formatting across your spreadsheets.

This blog contains some basic format information, about new features explained in the link below.  

https://olivaa.odoo.com/blog/excel-5/excel-tools-and-shortcuts-for-optimal-performance-76