Format Painter in PowerPoint for the Web

What if you want to add new PowerPoint shapes with the same formatting as existing ones? To some effect, you can duplicate slide objects in PowerPoint. You select a shape and press the Ctrl + D keyboard shortcut if you are using Windows. Mac users will use the similar Cmd + D keyboard shortcut. However, such duplication copies everything: the shape, its text content, and its format attributes, such as all fills, outlines, and effects, as can be seen in the sample shown on upper half in Figure 1, below. However, you may only want to use those fill, outline, and effect attributes for other shapes you create. In other words, you do not want to copy the shape itself or the text it contains. Such a sample can be seen in the lower half of Figure 1.

Figure 1: Duplicate vs. Format Painter

As in our example shown in Figure 1, above, let us imagine that you have a rounded rectangle that is colored blue, has a darker blue outline and contains a reflection effect. Now, you draw a diamond shape on your slide, and it has completely different attributes. How can you make sure that it matches the attributes of the rounded rectangle? You can spend some time and apply those attributes to the diamond shape manually, but if you need to do that for ten or fifteen more shapes, that may result in a few hours of repetitive work. Fortunately, the Format Painter command can rescue you from this monotonous task very easily. So, what does the Format Painter command do? Here are some answers:

• Format Painter copies attributes from one shape to other shapes on the same slide, the same presentation, or across presentations.
• Format Painter works beyond the shapes on any other slide object. You can use it to copy the look of text placeholders, tables, pictures, charts, etc.

Follow these steps to use the Format Painter in PowerPoint for the Web:

1. Select the shape whose attributes you want to copy, as shown in Figure 2, below.
2. 
   Figure 2: Select shape to copy attributes
2. Now, access the Home tab of the Ribbon, and click the Format Painter button, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 3, below. You can also press the Ctrl + Shift + C keyboard shortcut to copy object attributes.
3. 
   Figure 3: Format Painter button


PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts

Do you want more keyboard shortcuts?

Explore our PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts and Sequences Ebook that is updated for all PowerPoint versions.

3. Clicking the Format Painter button will change the cursor to a paintbrush icon, as shown in Figure 4, below. Do note that the cursor will also change if you use the Ctrl + Shift + C keyboard shortcut.
4. 
   Figure 4: Cursor changes to a paintbrush
4. Now, click on the shape to which you want all attributes of the original shape to be copied, as shown in Figure 5, below.
5. 
   Figure 5: Shape attributes changed

Format Painter with Multiple Shapes

If you have more than one shape on the slide and you want to apply the same attributes to all the shapes, what do you do? You cannot double-click the Format Painter button to make it sticky within PowerPoint for the Web, like you can do within desktop versions of PowerPoint.

If you are working on a computer that has a desktop version of PowerPoint installed, click the Editing button on the top-right, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 6, below. Doing so opens a drop-down menu. Within this menu, click the Edit Open in Desktop App option, as shown highlighted in green within Figure 6.


Figure 6: Open in Desktop App

Doing so will launch your PowerPoint desktop app on Windows or Mac. You can change the shape within the desktop application by following the steps shown in these linked tutorials:

Change One Shape to Another in PowerPoint 365 for Windows
Change One Shape to Another in PowerPoint 365 for Mac

Once you have used Format Painter in the desktop version of PowerPoint, close the presentation and get back to the browser-based PowerPoint for the Web. You might see an All done window, like what you see in Figure 7, below. Click the Continue here button, highlighted in green within Figure 7.


Figure 7: Continue editing the presentation

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Open in Desktop App Missing?

The Open in Desktop App option is only available if you are using a web browser to open your presentation in PowerPoint for the Web, and you have a desktop version of PowerPoint installed on the same computer. Also, this option is not available if you are using PowerPoint for the Web on a phone or tablet.
5. Save your presentation often.