Retaining destination document page size and margins when pasting text

Sadly this really does not work (and was tried) - see original question. I have, however, managed to work around by importing the document.

Thanks for trying; I guess it's just software being software!

If the pasted selection includes a section break or the final paragraph of the source document, its formatting will be transferred to the target document. You must copy the text excluding the final paragraph mark and any section breaks.

I am trying to copy text from a Word document to paste into another. The donor text is in A4 with appropriate margins, the destination document is in a custom size, with different margins. I need to retain formatting in the donor document - mainly italics - but wish to "squeeze" everything into the destination document size and margins. Whatever past option I choose (and merge formatting would see the most obvious) the pasted matter comes in at the page size and margins of the donor.

That will only be happening if the range you're copying spans a Section Break. The solution is to not copy any Section breaks. Unfortunately, this will as many copy/paste operations.

Hi Borrel1804, 

It’s great to hear that you’ve found a workaround by importing the document — thank you for sharing that! I sincerely apologize that the earlier suggestions didn’t resolve the issue, and I truly appreciate your persistence in finding a solution. 

Your experience could be incredibly helpful to others facing similar challenges, so I’d like to summarize this thread for future reference: 

Issue Description: 

Pasting formatted text from one Word document into another with different page size and margins caused layout inconsistencies. Standard paste options didn’t adapt the content to the destination layout as expected. 

Assessment: 

Merge Formatting and Keep Text Only were tested but didn’t resolve the issue. The pasted content retained the source document’s layout settings. 

Resolution (Workaround): 

User successfully resolved the issue by importing the document into the destination file, which allowed the content to conform to the new layout while preserving formatting. 

Your effort to troubleshoot and share your workaround is truly appreciated. If you found this discussion helpful, giving it a vote will help others in the community discover it more easily. 

Thanks again for your patience and for contributing to the Microsoft Community! 

Warm regards, 
Rin-L MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hi Borrel1804, 

Thank you for your question — and please don’t worry, this is a very common and understandable challenge when working with Word documents that have different layouts. You're definitely not alone, and I’m happy to help! 

From what you described, it sounds like you're trying to retain inline formatting (like italics) from the source document, but want the pasted content to conform to the page size and margins of the destination document — without bringing over the layout settings from the original. 

1. Use "Merge Formatting" or "Keep Text Only"

After pasting (Ctrl + V), click the Paste Options icon that appears: 

• Merge Formatting (M): 
  This keeps inline formatting like italics and bold, but adopts the font, margins, and styles of the destination document.
• Keep Text Only (T): 
  This removes all formatting, but you can manually reapply italics. This is useful if the source and destination styles conflict.

To set this as the Default Paste Behavior: 

• Go to File > Options > Advanced
• Under Cut, copy, and paste, set: 
  • Pasting between documents → Merge Formatting
  • Pasting from other programs → Merge Formatting
  • Pasting between documents when style definitions conflict → Use Destination Styles 
• Ensure “Show Paste Options button” is checked 

1. Handling Section Breaks and Page Layout

If the issue still persists after using paste options, it’s possible that the source document contains hidden section breaks that carry over unwanted page size and margin settings. 

• **Show hidden characters:**Press Ctrl + Shift + 8 to view paragraph and section break marks.
• Avoid copying section breaks: Select only the text, not the section break markers.
• Copy in sections: Instead of copying everything at once, select and copy individual paragraphs.

1. Use Styles (Recommended)

• Instead of manually applying italics (Ctrl + I), apply the built-in "Emphasis" style to the text you want to appear italicized. 
  • You can find it in the Styles pane or apply it via the Hometab.

• Copy and paste using the "Merge Formatting" option.

The text will retain its style structure but adopt the formatting of the destination document. 

Thank you again for reaching out to the Microsoft Community. If you have any further questions or need clarification on any step, feel free to reply — I’m here to help! 

Warm regards, 
Rin-L MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist