Format Painter Function

Question

I am using Office 2016 Professional Plus edition

I am unable to use the format painter in word when trying to apply background color to table cells. For example,, I select the cell with the desired formatting then double click the format painter and try applying it to other cells in the table and nothing happens, in spite of the fact the cursor is showing a paint brush image. I even try selecting the cell then clicking the mouse (or alt-cntr-V) to no avail.

Any ideas of what could be the problem?

Thanks

Answer 1

In my experience, the Format Painter works with text formatting as well as with the formatting of text boxes and shapes, not with tables.

I am not sure if this is an old bug or a new one, but you should definitely report it to Microsoft via Help > Feedback in Word.

Answer 2

Hello,

For me, this only works for text formatting (unlike Excel)

Answer 3

It seems that you are experiencing issues with the Format Painter in Word 2016 when trying to apply background color to table cells. Here are a few things you can try to troubleshoot this problem:

1. Check for Updates: Ensure that your Office 2016 is up to date. Sometimes, bugs are fixed in newer updates.
2. Restart Word: Close and reopen Word to see if that resolves the issue.
3. Use the Ribbon: Instead of using the Format Painter, try applying the background color directly from the Ribbon. Select the cell, go to the "Table Tools" layout, and choose the background color from the "Shading" dropdown.
4. Check for Corruption: If the document is corrupted, it may affect the functionality of features like the Format Painter. Try creating a new document and see if the issue persists there.
5. Try Safe Mode: Open Word in Safe Mode (hold down the Ctrl key while starting Word) to see if any add-ins are causing the issue.

If none of these steps work, it may be beneficial to report the problem to Microsoft through the Help menu, as it could be a bug that needs addressing.

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References:

• New Office update is changing table borders - Microsoft Q&A
• Block Text Issue in Word - Microsoft Q&A