Format painter

This format painter function is very useful. If you select a range of cells, columns, rows or a whole sheet and click on format painter, the format of the selected area will be copied. When you click anywhere else the formatting will be pasted..

This is the same as selecting paste special and only selecting format.

The format painter button is found in the home menu, see below.

Example:

In the below screen we have a list with certain formatting in column A and no formatting in column B

If we want the same formatting do be done in column B, we select the range from A1 to A6, and click on format painter. Your selection will then show that is being copied, just select the new range, and then then the formatting will change to the same.

Please note, that this onlt copies formatting, that is why the value in A3 was not pastes to B3, just the formatting. To copy the value as well, use paste special.

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