Copying and pasting text is one of those things everybody who uses a computer needs to know, but even though copy/paste is one of the simplest functions you will learn, it can bring with it one big hassle: special formatting.
You know what we mean: you copy something from a webpage into an email message or and that it retains its font, size, color, and other features, when all you want is just the text.
There are actually a couple ways to copy and paste text without the formatting. Many folks copy the text in question, paste it into a blank TextEdit document, and then copy the plain text from there and paste it into your target document.
That’s a perfectly acceptable way to go about things, but it’s a little unwieldy and time consuming. Plus, if you’re pasting a really large amount of text, say in the neighborhood of dozens or even hundreds of pages, you’re going to want a better way.
To open a list of keyboard shortcuts in Google Docs, press Ctrl + / (Windows, Chrome OS) or ⌘ + / (Mac). You can also use menu access keys. Open any application menu using the keyboard, then type the underlined letter for the item you'd like to select. An example of how the original document’s formatting (left) is retained when you paste into something else, like a Mail message (right). There are actually a couple ways to copy and paste text without the formatting.
Luckily there is a better way. Just copy your text into the clipboard and then press Command+Option+Shift+V on your keyboard.
When you paste your unformatted text, you will then need to go through and reformat to your preferences.
The keyboard combination should work on the majority of Mac apps whether you’re pasting into email, a note, and so forth. It won’t however, work as intended on a Microsoft Word document. Word appropriates the Command+Option+Shift+V shortcut for its own purposes. Instead, you will have to use Command+Control+V.
When you do, a Paste Special dialog will appear asking how you want to paste your text. Just choose “Unformatted Text” and click “OK”.
Hopefully this will help you understand your options when pasting text from one place to another. While sometimes you may want to hang onto the formatting, other times stripping it all out is preferable.
Just remember, Command+Option+Shift+V will do the job almost every time except with notable exceptions like Word. If the keyboard shortcut doesn’t work and you can’t figure it out, then you can always resort to the TextEdit method.
![]()
You probably copy and paste multiple times per day. And while it’s an extremely handy function, one of its biggest annoyances is bringing along special formatting. Grab some text from the web, and you’ll often find that it keeps its original style when pasted in your document.
We’ll show how to copy and paste without formatting using several easy tricks. Mac text editor for java.
1. Paste Without Formatting Using Shortcuts
If you need to paste plain text often, you should know the dedicated methods for doing so. Thankfully, there are efficient methods available in the form of app and keyboard shortcuts.
On Windows, while it’s not universal, many apps support the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + V to paste without formatting. These include Chrome, Firefox, and Evernote.
To paste as plain text on a Mac, you can use the somewhat cumbersome shortcut Option + Cmd + Shift + V to paste without formatting. This is a system-wide shortcut, so unlike Windows, it should work everywhere.
2. How to Paste Without Formatting in Microsoft Office
There’s one major exception to these shortcuts: Microsoft Office. You’ll probably want to paste plain text into your documents most of the time, making this a bit of a pain. Thankfully, there is a Word shortcut to paste without formatting.
The basic method is to paste text into your Word document as normal. Once you’ve done so, look for the little tooltip that appears near the text.
Click on it (or hit Ctrl to use keyboard shortcuts) and you’ll have three options:
If you don’t like the above keyboard shortcuts or don’t want to use your mouse to select the tooltip, there’s another Word shortcut to paste without formatting. Use Ctrl + Alt + V or (Cmd + Alt + V on a Mac) to open the Paste Special window. Here, select Unformatted Text to paste in plain text.
Finally, if you’d like, you can set the default paste option in Word to always paste in plain text. Head to File > Options and select the Advanced tab on the left. Here, look under the Cut, copy, and paste header for default pasting settings. You can change your preference for various forms of pasting; Pasting from other programs will take care of text copied from your browser or other apps.
3. How to Always Paste Without Formatting on Mac
Have a Mac and want to paste without formatting every time? You can set up a simple override in System Preferences to customize your Mac’s keyboard6 Apps to Customize Your Mac's Keyboard Behavior6 Apps to Customize Your Mac's Keyboard BehaviorThese Mac keyboard apps will take your productivity to the next level. Here are some great keyboard apps for faster typing, navigation, and more.Read More and avoid the finger gymnastics that the default shortcut requires.
Head to Apple menu > System Preferences and select Keyboard. Switch to the Shortcuts tab, then choose App Shortcuts from the list on the left. You’ll then need to click the Plus icon below the box to create a new shortcut.
In the Application field, select All Applications, since you want to copy without formatting everywhere on your Mac. Enter Paste and Match Style for the Menu Title box, followed by Cmd + V in the Keyboard shortcut box.
Click Add and you’re all set. Now the default Cmd + V shortcut should always paste without formatting. Because of menu names, it might not work in every single app, but should take care of most.
Paste With Formatting Shortcut
Just keep in mind that after doing this, you’ll need to use Edit > Paste if you ever want to actually paste with formatting.
4. Paste as Plain Text Everywhere on Windows
If you’re a Windows user jealous of the above workaround for Mac users, don’t despair. There’s a tiny Windows tool, called PureText, that gives you a new shortcut to always paste without formatting.
Even better, the tool is available on the Microsoft Store for easy installation and automatic updates. After you install it, right-click its icon in your System Tray and choose Options to configure a few settings.
By default, the combo PureText uses to paste without formatting is Win + V. If you’d prefer to use something else, you can set a different shortcut here. Other than this, make sure you have Paste the converted text into the currently selected window checked, which makes the shortcut paste for you instead of only converting.
You’ll likely want to disable Play a sound, as there’s really no reason to hear this annoying sound every time you paste. Make sure Automatically run PureText when Windows starts is selected so you don’t have to think about it, and you’re all set.
Paste Without Formatting Pc
It’s a simple utility, but it makes the action of pasting without formatting incredibly easy.
5. Copy Without Formatting Using a Text Editor
This is a clunky method that we include just so you’re aware of it. In most cases, you’ll likely find one of the above options more convenient.
Pasting without formatting is only an issue when you paste into an app that supports special text styles. Thus, one classic way to copy and paste without formatting is to simply paste the text into Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac) first.
![]()
(Mac users: TextEdit uses rich text by default, so you’ll need to press Cmd + Shift + T to convert the document to plain text after pasting. You can set TextEdit to use plain text files all the time by going to TextEdit > Preferences and checking the Plain text box.)
These programs are basic text editors, so they don’t work with various fonts and rich text like bold and italics. Simply copy the text you want, then paste it into Notepad or TextEdit. It will appear as plain text there; copy this and paste it to the final destination.
It’s not the most efficient way to paste without formatting, but it doesn’t require you to download any software and works reliably. To make this a bit faster, you can instead paste into another plain text box, like your browser’s address bar.
Paste Without Formatting Every Time
We’ve looked at the best ways to copy and paste without formatting on both Windows and Mac. Whether you use the system-wide solutions or opt for built-in shortcuts, you can easily choose when to paste in plain text. This saves time and helps you strip out useless formatting in one step.
For more on copying and pasting, check out our overview of the revamped Windows 10 clipboardThe New Windows 10 Clipboard: Everything You Need for Copy PastingThe New Windows 10 Clipboard: Everything You Need for Copy PastingThe Windows Clipboard has always been basic. No more, as the latest update has improved it to meet all your copy-paste needs.Read More and the basics of copying and pasting on MacHow to Copy and Paste on a MacHow to Copy and Paste on a MacOur look at how to copy and paste on Mac gives you everything you need to manage your clipboard like a pro.Read More.
Mac Keystroke For Paste Text Without Formatting A Business
Explore more about: Clipboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, Mac Tricks, Microsoft Office Tips, Notepad, Productivity Tricks, Text Editor, Windows Tricks.
Mac Keystroke For Paste Text Without Formatting A Hard
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |