Copy then paste into word - format issue

[Deeds]

I use Office 2003. When I copy text from one document (typically an email)
and paste it to a Word document, how can I change the format to what I
usually use? Here's the scenerio:

What I typically use is the text is to the left all the way with font 13
Times New Roman.

When I paste text, I can't make it the way I want it without backspacing
each individual line all the way to the left. There has to be an easier way.
The text may be centered when I pasted it. I've tried using the format area
and choosing 'normal' but that doesn't work. The text is still centered.

 

[Graham Mayor]

Edit > paste special > unformatted text - then see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/CleanWebText.htm

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Robert M. Franz [RMF]]

Hello Deeds

I use Office 2003. When I copy text from one document (typically an email)
and paste it to a Word document, how can I change the format to what I
usually use? [..]

you should get a small icon after pasting the text which you can click
into and select whether the formatting of the source or of the
destination should be applied.

HTH
Robert

 

[Peter T. Daniels]

Whoever posted the centered text centered it by typing spaces, not a
smart way to do it. (Turn on Non-printing Characters to see them, Ctrl-
Shift-8.) An easy way to get rid of them is to simply Find/Replace
(Ctrl-H): type two spaces in the Find box and one space in the Replace
With box; click Replace All until it reports 0 Changes.

If you want your paragraph to flow like a normal paragraph (and not
have its lines end where the typer broke them), then do Find/Replace
on the paragraph mark (type ^p in the Find box) or the line-end mark
(the backward-L arrow mark; type ^l [small L] in the Find box). In the
Replace box type nothing (if there's already a space at the end of
each line) or one space, and click Replace All.

For these operations, select the text concerned so you don't mess up
the rest of the document.

 

[Graham Mayor]

Whoever posted the centered text centered it by typing spaces, not a
smart way to do it. (Turn on Non-printing Characters to see them,
Ctrl- Shift-8.) An easy way to get rid of them is to simply
Find/Replace (Ctrl-H): type two spaces in the Find box and one space
in the Replace With box; click Replace All until it reports 0 Changes.

An even quicker way is to select the text then CTRL+E (centre) then CTRL+L
(left align), which will remove all the leading white space.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[DeanH]

In addition to Robert's comments, if you don't see the small icon as
described, go to Tools, Options, Edit, check the Show Paste Options Buttons.
Hope this helps
DeanH

Hello Deeds

I use Office 2003. When I copy text from one document (typically an email)
and paste it to a Word document, how can I change the format to what I
usually use? [..]

you should get a small icon after pasting the text which you can click
into and select whether the formatting of the source or of the
destination should be applied.

HTH
Robert
--
/"\ ASCII Ribbon Campaign | MSFT |
\ / | MVP | Scientific Reports
X Against HTML | for | with Word?
/ \ in e-mail & news | Word | http://www.masteringword.eu/

 

[Peter T. Daniels]

An even quicker way is to select the text then CTRL+E (centre) then CTRL+L
(left align), which will remove all the leading white space.

!!

Even if they're typed spaces?

 

[Graham Mayor]

!!

Even if they're typed spaces?

Typed spaces or tabs
Try it!

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Beth Melton]

!!

Even if they're typed spaces?

As Graham noted, yes! It trims all leading white space (spaces and tabs)
along with any trailing white space. It's a very cool little trick and one I
use quite often when tasked with cleaning up documents and templates from
clients.

~Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

 

[Peter T. Daniels]

Typed spaces or tabs
Try it!

Can't until I get my Windows back from its self-created malfunction!

Is this trick mentioned anywhere in the documentation?
(Help,aftermarket, etc.)

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I believe it's mentioned in the
http://sbarnhill.mvps.org/WordFAQs/CleanWebText.htm article. Not my own
discovery, of course. Seems like it might first have been documented in a
WOW forum or the like, but at any rate someone mentioned it in the NGs, and
it spread like wildfire!

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Greg Maxey]

I use Office 2003. When I copy text from one document (typically an email)
and paste it to a Word document, how can I change the format to what I
usually use? Here's the scenerio:

What I typically use is the text is to the left all the way with font 13
Times New Roman.

When I paste text, I can't make it the way I want it without backspacing
each individual line all the way to the left. There has to be an easier way.
The text may be centered when I pasted it. I've tried using the format area
and choosing 'normal' but that doesn't work. The text is still centered.

Deeds,

I agree with Graham. His suggestion is not only quicker and smarter,
it is correct. Attempting to eliminate leading white space in left
aligned paragraphs using find and replace to find two spaces and
replace with one is not only a waste of time and steps, it leaves a
single leading space and can also have the unintentional result of
deleting spaces in other places in your document.

If you already have a large document containing sevarl left aligned
paragraphs with leading white space you can use the following macro to
clean it up. It removes leading spaces and tab characters from left
aligned paragraphs while leaving center aligned paragraphs alone:

Sub AnotherNailMeetsTheHammer()
Dim oPar As Paragraph
For Each oPar In ActiveDocument.Paragraphs
MsgBox Asc(oPar.Range.Characters.First)
Do While Asc(oPar.Range.Characters.First) = 32 Or Asc
(oPar.Range.Characters.First) = 9
oPar.Range.Characters.First.Delete
Loop
Next oPar
End Sub

Good luck.

 

[Peter T. Daniels]

Among those lucky enough to have discovered the NGs!

 

[Greg Maxey]

Suzanne,

Yes it is. I would have thought that any aspiring Word MVP would take to
the time to read through the Word MVP FAQs for a correct answers to post
rather than try to build a better mouse trap. Especially a trap that
doesn't work. (Sigh).