--- title: Larilyn's Tip of the Week:   Microsoft Office - Format Painter description: How to use the format painter to get things looking the way you want them to in all Microsoft Office applications! image: https://www.inmotionnet.com/hubfs/office.webp --- [Skip to content](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-office-format-painter#main-content) [Contact us](https://www.inmotionnet.com/contact) ![](https://www.inmotionnet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/InMotionLogoNEW_RGB%20copy.png?width=600&height=350&name=InMotionLogoNEW_RGB%20copy.png) - [Home](https://www.inmotionnet.com/) - [Contact](https://www.inmotionnet.com/contact) - Client Tools Show submenu for Client Tools - [Client Portal](https://na.myconnectwise.net/v4_6_release/services/system_io/CustomerPortal/Portal.html?company=inmotionnets) - [Payment Portal](https://inmtn.connectboosterportal.com/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Home](https://www.inmotionnet.com/) - [Contact](https://www.inmotionnet.com/contact) - Client Tools Show submenu for Client Tools - [Client Portal](https://na.myconnectwise.net/v4_6_release/services/system_io/CustomerPortal/Portal.html?company=inmotionnets) - [Payment Portal](https://inmtn.connectboosterportal.com/) - [Contact us](https://www.inmotionnet.com/contact) Aug 1, 2024 4:30:00 AM # Larilyn's Tip of the Week:   Microsoft Office - Format Painter [Larilyn Holt](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/author/larilyn-holt) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-office-format-painter) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-office-format-painter) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-office-format-painter) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-office-format-painter) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-office-format-painter) Today's tip is for Microsoft Office in general - not just Word, or only Excel. ![office](https://www.inmotionnet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/office.webp?width=453&height=255&name=office.webp) Today's tip that I'm going to share can be used across Microsoft Office programs.  It's one that I rely on quite heavily - in some applications more than others, but you may use it differently than I do! Let's talk about the Format Painter tool,  I went years without even knowing what it was or did, but once I learned about it - I haven't looked back. ![Happy relaxed young woman sitting in her kitchen with a laptop in front of her stretching her arms above her head and looking out of the window with a smile-1](https://www.inmotionnet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Happy%20relaxed%20young%20woman%20sitting%20in%20her%20kitchen%20with%20a%20laptop%20in%20front%20of%20her%20stretching%20her%20arms%20above%20her%20head%20and%20looking%20out%20of%20the%20window%20with%20a%20smile-1.jpeg?width=434&height=289&name=Happy%20relaxed%20young%20woman%20sitting%20in%20her%20kitchen%20with%20a%20laptop%20in%20front%20of%20her%20stretching%20her%20arms%20above%20her%20head%20and%20looking%20out%20of%20the%20window%20with%20a%20smile-1.jpeg) What the format painter does is that no matter what  application you're in, you can select something (a word, a headline, a cell) that you have formatted - whether it be the font, or the color, or the size, etc.  And you can apply the same formatting to another section of the file simply by clicking/highlighting the other area.  And voila!  Without having to go through all the same steps, it is formatted exactly the same - it is simply painted for you. So, let me walk you through an example step by step. Let's say you are working in Excel.  You have a list you're working on, and you want the headers of each column to stand out.  Different font, different size, etc.  So you spend time in the first column making the header looking exactly the way that you want it. ![step 1](https://www.inmotionnet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/step%201.jpg?width=621&height=273&name=step%201.jpg) You can see that I've made the first rows header bigger, red, and a different font.  Now, you want the other headers to look the same!  So, you highlight the first header. ![step 2](https://www.inmotionnet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/step%202.png?width=530&height=279&name=step%202.png) Then you will click on the Format Painter tool - the paintbrush in the Clipboard section of the tool bar. ![step 3](https://www.inmotionnet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/step%203.jpg?width=558&height=280&name=step%203.jpg) And then you will highlight the other headers that you want to apply the formatting to. ![step 4](https://www.inmotionnet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/step%204.png?width=556&height=258&name=step%204.png) Once you release the mouse, it all just gets painted with the same formatting! ![step 5](https://www.inmotionnet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/step%205.png?width=580&height=277&name=step%205.png) And then you can adjust any sizing of the rows or what not to make it look pretty. ![step 6](https://www.inmotionnet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/step%206.jpg?width=572&height=158&name=step%206.jpg) And there you have it!   Like I said, you can use this across Microsoft.  You can use it in Word for headers in a paper, or in PowerPoint to format all the slides with the same style.  You can use it in Outlook to format certain parts of your email.  The world is your oyster, and you can paint it all the same if you'd like! [Microsoft 365](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/microsoft-365), [BusinessApps](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/businessapps), [DigitalEfficiency](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/digitalefficiency), [Microsoft365](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/microsoft365) ## Related posts [![](https://www.inmotionnet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Attractive%20young%20woman%20sitting%20on%20a%20modern%20staircase%20waiting%20and%20relaxing.jpeg?height=200&name=Attractive%20young%20woman%20sitting%20on%20a%20modern%20staircase%20waiting%20and%20relaxing.jpeg)](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-office-format-painter-part-2) [Microsoft 365](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/microsoft-365), [BusinessApps](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/businessapps), [DigitalEfficiency](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/digitalefficiency), [Microsoft365](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/microsoft365) ## [Larilyn's Tip of the Week:   Microsoft Office - Format Painter Part 2](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-office-format-painter-part-2) [Larilyn Holt](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/author/larilyn-holt) Jan 16, 2025 4:30:00 AM A few months ago, I told you about a tip that is for Microsoft Office in general - not just Word,... [Read more](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-office-format-painter-part-2) [![](https://www.inmotionnet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/metal-4976224_1280-1.jpg?height=200&name=metal-4976224_1280-1.jpg)](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-word-change-auto-formatting) [Microsoft 365](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/microsoft-365), [Microsoft Word](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/microsoft-word), [BusinessApps](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/businessapps), [DigitalEfficiency](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/digitalefficiency), [Microsoft365](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/microsoft365) ## [Larilyn's Tip of the Week: Microsoft Word - Change Auto-Formatting](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-word-change-auto-formatting) [Larilyn Holt](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/author/larilyn-holt) Feb 14, 2025 4:30:00 AM You know what really grinds my gears? [Read more](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-word-change-auto-formatting) [![](https://www.inmotionnet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shalone-cason-UHXQXcQqSoM-unsplash.jpg?height=200&name=shalone-cason-UHXQXcQqSoM-unsplash.jpg)](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-word-filler-text) [Microsoft 365](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/microsoft-365), [Microsoft Word](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/microsoft-word), [BusinessApps](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/businessapps), [DigitalEfficiency](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/digitalefficiency), [Microsoft365](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/tag/microsoft365) ## [Larilyn's Tip of the Week: Microsoft Word - Filler Text](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-word-filler-text) [Larilyn Holt](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/author/larilyn-holt) Feb 28, 2025 4:30:00 AM I have a confession. [Read more](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-word-filler-text) [![](https://www.inmotionnet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/InMotionLogoNEW_RGB%20copy.png?width=600&height=350&name=InMotionLogoNEW_RGB%20copy.png)](https://inmotionnet.com) 24930 Washington Ave Unit #157 Murrieta, CA  92564 (951) 894-8809 This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. - [Home](https://www.inmotionnet.com) - [Blog](https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog) - [Contact](https://www.inmotionnet.com/contact) - Client Tools - [Client Portal](https://na.myconnectwise.net/v4_6_release/services/system_io/CustomerPortal/Portal.html?company=inmotionnets) - [Payment Portal](https://inmtn.connectboosterportal.com/) - [Privacy](https://www.inmotionnet.com/privacy-policy) - [Terms](https://www.inmotionnet.com/terms-of-service) --- [linkedin-in icon](https://www.linkedin.com/company/in-motion-networks-corporation/) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/InMotionNet/) [facebook-f icon](https://www.facebook.com/inmotionnet/) Copyright © 2026, In Motion Networks Corporation ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Larilyn Holt", "url" : "https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/author/larilyn-holt" }, "dateModified" : "2024-08-01T11:30:00.402Z", "datePublished" : "2024-08-01T11:30:00.000Z", "headline" : "Larilyn's Tip of the Week:   Microsoft Office - Format Painter", "image" : [ "https://www.inmotionnet.com/hubfs/office.webp" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.inmotionnet.com/blog/larilyns-tip-of-the-week-microsoft-office-format-painter", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.inmotionnet.com/hubfs/InMotionLogoNEW_RGB%20copy.png" }, "name" : "In Motion Networks" } } ```