Word's Format Painter

Word's Format Painter is an often overlooked tool. Even those who take advantage of it don't always understand it.

The Format Painter will copy formatting from specific portions of your document and apply it to other portions of your document with a few clicks.

To use the Format Painter, follow these steps:

1. Select a portion of your document containing the formatting you would like to apply

2. Click the Format Painter button (It is positioned on the Standard Toolbar and looks like a paint brush)

3. Select the portion of your document where you would like to apply the formatting.

Word will apply the formatting to your document. The Format Painter is then deactivated, so if you select another part of your document, the formatting will not be applied again.

If you would like to apply the formatting to several portions of your document, double click the Format Painter button after selecting the portion of your document containing the formats you would like to apply. Then, individually select the portions of your document where you'd like to apply the text. When you're done, click the Format Painter button to deactivate it.