Excel Format Painter

Excel Format Painter (Table of Contents)

• Format Painter in Excel
• Where is the Format painter option found in Excel?
• How to Use the Format Painter in Excel?

Format Painter in Excel

Format Painter in Excel is used to change the format of string or cell content with the same format of previously copied format. For example, if you want to change the format of a cell which has font size as 11 and font type in CALIBRI (Body) to font size 12 and font type as TIMES NEW ROMAN, then we will go the cell whose format we want to paint in other cells, click on Format Painter option located in Home menu ribbon under Clipboard section. This copies the format of the selected cell. And to paste if, click on the cell whose format we need to change.

Where is the Format painter option found in Excel?

Follow below steps:

• Go to the HOME tab.
• There is Format Painter option available under Clipboard section in the left side corner as you can see in the below screenshot.

How to Use the Format Painter in Excel?

Let’s understand the working of excel format painter with some examples.

Example #1

We have given some data:

We have done some formatting in the first column as shown above and now we want to apply the same formatting in other data.

For this follow below steps:

• Select the entire data of the column A for which you want to copy and click on Format Painter option as shown in below screenshot.

• It will copy the entire formatting of column A and will convert the cursor into a paintbrush.
• Then select the range of cells or columns where you want to apply the same formatting like below screenshot.

Example #2

Now take another example.

As we can see in the above screenshot, there is some formatting on dataset 1 from range cell A17:C22. The same formatting we want to apply on dataset 2 from cell range A25:C30.

• Select the entire data from A17:C22 and click on Format Painter.

• It will copy the formatting and then select the entire dataset on which you want to apply. The result is shown below:

Example #3

Let’s take another example.

We want to apply the same formatting like column A into column B. Apply the same process as select column A and click on Format Painter.

The result is shown below:

Shortcut key of Format Painter feature:

There is a shortcut key of Format Painter, Press keys ALT + H + F + P. Follow below steps:

• Select the range of cells or cell from which you want to copy the formatting and press this shortcut key.
• Now you can apply this formatting to multiple cells or multiple times.

Things to Remember about Format Painter in Excel

• Format painter only copies the formatting of the cell or range of cells. It doesn’t change the value in the cell.
• With Format painter option, you can change cell color, cell alignment, number formatting, border etc.
• You can also use Format painter option with conditional formatting feature.
• When you want to use format painter option on non-adjacent cells, then you need to double click on Format Painter.

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to Format Painter in Excel. Here we discuss how to use the Format Painter in Excel along with practical examples and downloadable excel template. You can also go through our other suggested articles –

1. Using Auto Format feature in Excel
2. Guidelines for Excel Data Formatting
3. Cheat Sheet of Excel Formulas
4. What is Address Function in Excel
5. How to Use VBA Format in Excel?