pasting text with source formatting in word

In this case, Word will if necessary create, and in any case modify the style in the receiving document. Sub-case 2.1: Style Body Text has never been used in your receiving document.That's all it keeps: the direct formatting, not the style, unless you also copied a paragraph mark, which is the next case.Ĭase 2: You copied text, including a paragraph mark. This option is called 'Keep Source Formatting'. Text appears in the style of the paragraph into which the text is inserted. Word completely ignores anything to do with the source style. Assume that we're copying text in style 'Body Text'.Ĭase 1: You copied text, but not a paragraph mark. Click the arrow on the button to see the list of options.Ĭhoosing this option can give one of several possible results. If you have ticked 'Show Paste Options buttons', the Paste Options button appears when you paste text. This page goes through each of those options and explains what each one does. If you're pasting straight text, you'll see the options shown in Figure 1. The options change depending on what you're pasting.

If you click the little arrow, you get several options. You can ignore it, or you can click the little arrow beside the picture of the clipboard. It's supposed to be a picture of an old-fashioned clipboard. You won't be the first person to think that the picture is of a shirt and tie, with writing on the shirt pocket. If you tick Show Paste Options buttons, then each time you paste, a little picture will appear. What happens if you tick Show Paste Options buttons? This page describes the behaviour of the four options on the Paste Options button. If you tick that option, when you paste (using ctrl-v or Edit > Paste), you see a little clipboard thingy, which contains a drop down menu.Īs I observe it, Word interprets the various options in the little clipboard thingy in different ways depending on the circumstances. In Tools > Options > Edit you can tick Show Paste Options buttons to give you even more control. You get more control if you choose Edit > Paste Special. In all versions of Microsoft Word, you can paste copied text using ctrl-v or Edit > Paste. Unless you have a specific need and know exactly what formatting to expect, my vote is to give it a miss. It gives inconsistent results depending on the history of your document. In Tools > Options > Edit you can tick 'Show Paste Options buttons' to see a clipboard thingy with a drop down list every time you paste text. Quick Reference: How the Paste Options button works in Word 20

Pasting text with source formatting in word