Content and look are two things
Ctrl+C copies text and colour. Sometimes you want only the look — bold, fill colour, borders — and leave the text different.
Sheets has format painter. A brush icon on the bar. In Excel a brush on the Home tab too.
A double-click on the brush = mode “I paint more cells”. Esc ends it. One click = one target area.
準備are a sample
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Sheet
Grades. Select A1:B1. Bold (Ctrl+B). Fill colour light blue (icon next to B on the bar). -
Click A1. This is the sample cell.
コピー format onto another row
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Click A1 (the sample).
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Click Paint format (the brush). The cursor has a brush with it.
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Drag or click A7:B7 (a new empty row under the data). The format applies. The text stays empty or whatever was there.
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Esc, if the brush did not disappear.
Paste format only — Ctrl+Shift+V
An alternative without a brush:
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A1:B1 bold blue. Select them. Ctrl+C.
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Click A10. Ctrl+Shift+V (Mac: Cmd+Shift+V). Menu Paste format only.
In Excel: right-click → Paste special → Formats.
Ordinary Ctrl+V pastes the text from A1 Subject too. You want format, not content. Ctrl+Shift+V or the brush.
Pocket money — the same headings
On Pocket select A1:D1 bold grey. Drag the brush onto empty sheet Survey row 1 — so it has the same heading style. Into A1:D1 on Survey type different text (Snack, Votes…).
🏫 Grade average
One sheet, two columns: subject and grade. At the bottom a sum and an average.💰 Pocket money
Rows = days, columns = income / spend / left.📊 Class survey
One question, answers in one column, later a chart.🏆 Mini dashboard
Three numbers at the top and one chart. Numbers as a link, not copied by hand.Now you 💪
- Heading
GradesA1:B1 is bold with a fill colour. - You applied the same format to another row without copying the text
Subject. - You can use the brush and Paste format only.
- On
Pocketthe headings look as calm as on the grades. - After the brush Esc or another click without paint mode.
Check: You copy format in one stroke. You do not have to colour every cell again.
What to take from this lesson
- コピーing format ≠ copying content.
- The brush from a sample cell onto a target range.
- Ctrl+Shift+V = format only in Sheets.
- The same heading style on all sheets = clarity.
- Esc ends brush mode.
© 2026 Ing. Martin Polak / AlgoRhino · コンテンツ利用規約