There are endless ways to format cells, graphics and data in Excel. You can change the font, the color, add borders and shading and so on. Once you've created a format that you like, there's no need to repeat all those steps if you want to apply that same format to other cells or graphics. Instead, Excel has a neat tool that allows you to quickly and easily copy the formatting from one item (such as a cell or a text box) to another. It's called the Format Painter, and it just might be the best toolbar button that you've never used.

The Format Painter is especially useful whenever you need to extend your worksheet to accommodate new data and you want the format of the new cells to match the original cells.

 

1. Click the cell whose formatting you want to copy;
2. Click the Format Painter tool;
3. Select the cell or range of cells where you want to copy the formatting.

The Format Painter can also be used to copy the formatting of one object, such as a text box or cell comment, to another. Simply select the first object, click Format Painter tool and then click the object you want to copy the formatting to.

If you want to copy the formatting to multiple objects, first double-click the Format Painter tool, click each object to apply formatting and then click the Format Painter tool again to turn it off.