How to Use Format Painter in Excel

Welcome to this Excel tutorial on how to use Format Painter in Excel. As an essential tool in Microsoft Excel, Format Painter is designed to help you quickly copy formatting properties such as font, color, and style from one cell or range of cells to another. This feature is especially useful when you need to format a large set of data, and applying individual formatting to each cell would be time-consuming and tedious. This tutorial will show you how to use Format Painter to streamline your formatting tasks and save time spent on formatting.

Step 1: Select the Cell With the Formatting You Wish to Copy

The first step in using Format Painter is to select the cell, or range of cells, that you want to copy the formatting from. Once you have selected the cell and its formatting properties, you can move on to the next step of the process.

Step 2: Click the Format Painter Button

With the cell or cells selected, navigate to the ‘Home’ tab in your Ribbon, and locate the ‘Format Painter’ button under the Clipboard group. Click on the button.

Step 3: Select the Cells to Apply the Formatting To

After clicking the Format Painter button, your cursor will change to a paintbrush icon, indicating that you are ready to copy the formatting. Click on the cell or range of cells you wish to apply the formatting to. You can select multiple cells or ranges of cells by clicking and dragging your mouse pointer over them.

Step 4: Format Painter Options

When you click the Format Painter button, Excel lets you copy and apply different types of formatting. If you double-click on the button, you can use the Format Painter tool to apply the formatting to multiple cells by locking Format Painter.

Step 5: Apply the Formatting

Finally, with the formatting options selected, click on the cell, or range of cells you wish to apply the formatting to. The formatting will be copied from the original cell or cells and applied to the new selection. You can also use the Format Painter shortcut key ‘Ctrl + Shift + C’ to copy formatting properties and ‘Ctrl + Shift + V’ to paste formatting properties to a new range of cells.

Conclusion

Using the Format Painter tool in Excel can help you save time and streamline your formatting tasks. This feature is particularly useful when working with large data sets or when you need to apply the same formatting to multiple cells quickly. By following these five easy steps, you can easily leverage this tool to enhance your spreadsheet formatting and editing abilities.

Tips for Using Format Painter in Excel

Here are some additional tips to help you master the use of the Format Painter tool in Excel:

Apply Formatting Multiple Times

If you want to apply formatting to multiple cells, you can double-click on the Format Painter button. Excel will then lock the tool until you turn it off by clicking on the Format Painter button again, or by pressing the ‘Esc’ key.

Using Format Painter on Non-Adjacent Cells

If you need to apply formatting to non-adjacent cells, you can use a keyboard shortcut. With the source cell selected, press and hold the ‘Ctrl’ key and click on the cells you wish to apply the formatting to. Then press the ‘Ctrl’ and ‘C’ keys to copy the format, select the range of cells where you want to apply the format, and press ‘Ctrl’ and ‘V’ keys.

Copying Formats with Drag and Drop

You can also use drag-and-drop to apply formatting properties. Select the cell or range of cells that you wish to copy formatting from and press the ‘Ctrl’ and ‘C’ keys to copy the formatting. Next, select the cell or range of cells that you wish to copy the formatting to, then right-click and choose ‘Paste Special’. Select ‘Format’ and click ‘OK.’

Formatting Shortcuts vs. Format Painter Tool

While you can use formatting shortcuts like the ‘Ctrl + B’ for bold, ‘Ctrl + I’ for italic, there are times where using the Format Painter tool is more effective. Say, you have a listing of products and you want to apply bold and italic formatting to the first column, and then just italic to the second column, and bold to the third column. Using formatting shortcuts one at a time could quickly become tedious, whereas the Format Painter tool can accomplish these formatting tasks in seconds.

Final Thoughts

The Format Painter tool is a powerful tool that can help you quickly apply formatting to your Excel worksheets. It’s one of those tools that you may not use every day but when you do need it, it can be a real time-saver. With the above tips and tricks, you can efficiently use the Format Painter tool with ease.

FAQs

Here are the most common questions related to using the Format Painter in Excel:

Can I use Format Painter to copy only a specific type of formatting, such as color?

Yes, you can. After selecting the cell or cells with the formatting you want to copy, click the Format Painter button. Then, simply click on the cell or cells where you want to apply the formatting. The selected cells will only receive the color formatting you copied.

Can I apply the Format Painter to a whole row or column at once?

Yes, you can. Select the cell with the formatting you wish to use, click the Format Painter button, and then click on the row or column you want to format. Excel automatically applies the formatting to all cells in that row or column.

What happens if I accidentally click on a wrong cell with Format Painter enabled?

To remove the copied formatting, you can press the ‘Esc’ key or click the Format Painter button twice. Alternatively, you can click the ‘Undo’ button to reverse the changes.

Can I use Format Painter with conditional formatting?

Yes, you can. Select the cell with the conditional formatting you wish to copy, click Format Painter, and choose the cell or cells where you want to apply the conditional formatting.

Can I use Format Painter on a blank cell?

No, you can’t. The Format Painter tool only works with cells that already have formatting applied to them.