Using Format Painter in PowerPoint

Have you ever found yourself applying the same formatting to different elements of your PowerPoints? Having to continually format each individual element can be incredibly time-consuming.

Thankfully, there’s a tool in PowerPoint that solves this problem called Format Painter.

You’ll easily be able to duplicate the format of elements in your presentation. Use the same formatting for other elements with Format Painter and PowerPoint.

What Is Format Painter in PowerPoint?

Format Painter is a tool that duplicates the formatting of an existing slide’s content. This copying can apply to various elements on your slides, including:

• Font size
• Font type
• Line spacing
• Shape fill
• Shape outline
• And any other formatting option

Format Painter in PowerPoint can even copy intricate designs such as 3D elements, image frames, and background colors.

Why Is Format Painter Helpful?

Format Painter can be an invaluable tool in your workflow. It helps you work more efficiently, as you no longer have to format individual elements. Even if you only need to change one formatting option for an element throughout a presentation, this can take considerable time. Using Format Painter, you can format any element with just a few clicks.

Why Do I Need Consistent Formatting?

To make a presentation look professional, you need a cohesive design. Without it, your presentation may appear disjointed, confusing your audience. Repetition is one of the cornerstones of design, helping to tie your content together and tell a consistent story.

Format Painter makes this formatting process quick and easy, allowing you more time to focus on the actual content of your presentation rather than the formatting and design.

What Are the Advantages of Using Format Painter?

Before we go over how to use Format Painter, let’s look at its main advantages:

1. You save time. Copying and pasting font color and size can be incredibly time-consuming. Format Painter allows you to copy styling with just a few clicks.
2. You create a coherent design. Your design needs to be repetitive to a certain degree. Format Painter gives you the tool to create this cohesive design.
3. Focus on your presentation. While formatting is important, your main focus should be on creating content that resonates with your audience. The time saved with Format Painter allows you to do this.

Where Is the Format Painter in PowerPoint?

Format Painter is located in the top left corner on the Home tab, to the right of the Paste option. To activate Format Painter, highlight any element on your slide that you want to copy the formatting from.

Now that we understand what Format Painter is, why we want to use it, and where it’s located, let’s take a closer look at how to use Format Painter in PowerPoint with practical examples.

How to Use Format Painter in PowerPoint

One of the most common uses of Format Painter is to copy and paste the formatting of your text. This tool makes it easy to copy a single formatted text style across all your slides.

To illustrate how to use Format Painter, we’ll be using a premium template from Envato Elements called Streamo.

Streamo features over thirty clean and modern slides, making it perfect for business presentations, look book slides, and project pitches.

1. Highlight the Formatted Text

First, find the text from which you want to copy the formatting and highlight it. Then, click on the Format button in the top left corner of PowerPoint in the Home tab. Once clicked, your cursor will turn into a paintbrush, indicating you are ready to copy the formatting.

2. Paste the Formatting

Now, highlight the text you want to format with the copied style. This can be done across any slide in your presentation.

3. Exit Out of Format Painter

After formatting all the desired text, exit out of Format Painter by pressing the Escape key on your keyboard.

How to Use Format Painter on Your Shapes

Next, let’s see how to use Format Painter to copy formatting for shapes. We will continue using the Streamo template.

1. Highlight the Shape

Similar to the previous example, highlight the shape from which you want to copy the formatting. Then, click the Format button to activate Format Painter.

2. Paste the Shape Formatting

Now, simply click on the other shapes to apply the formatting. For example, if you want to change multiple circle shapes on your slide to the same color, just click on each shape, and they will change accordingly.

Finally, exit out of Format Painter by pressing the Escape key.

Save Time With Format Painter & Professional Templates

By using Format Painter with PowerPoint, you can design your slides in no time! You’ll no longer have to format each individual element manually.

If you need high-quality templates for your next presentation, consider exploring Envato Elements and GraphicRiver, which both offer an array of premium PowerPoint templates.

Start using the Format Painter now and enhance your PowerPoint presentations!