How to Copy and Paste Text Styles on a Mac

Copy and paste formatting to save time

What to Know

  • Position the cursor in the text with the formatting you want to copy. Go to Format > Style > Copy Style.
  • Then, highlight the text to which you want to apply the style and select Format > Style > Paste Style.
  • To paste only text (no formatting): Copy the text, place the cursor where you want the text, then select Edit > Paste and Match Style.

This article explains how to copy a text style in macOS. If you don't copy and paste the text style, you're only copying the text. You might end up with different types of styles and formatting in the same email, which doesn't usually look good.

How to Copy and Paste Text Styles in macOS Mail

To copy a text style and apply it to other text while you're writing an email message:

  1. Position the cursor in the text that has the formatting you want to copy.

    The cursor positioned at a style
  2. Go to Format > Style > Copy Style from the menu.

    The Mac Mail Format menu with Style and Copy Style highlighted

    Alternatively, press Option+Command+C on your keyboard.

  3. To paste the style, first highlight the text you want to apply the formatting to.

    Highlighted text in an email
  4. Select Format > Style > Paste Style from the menu to change the formatting of the text you've highlighted.

    Paste Style command in Mail

    The keyboard shortcut is Option+Command+V.

  5. The highlighted text changes to match the formatting you copied.

    Pasted formatting in Apple Mail

How to Paste Just the Text (Without Formatting) in macOS Mail

To paste text into an email so that its formatting matches the text around it:

  1. Copy the text that you want to paste to another place in the email message by highlighting it and selecting Copy under the Edit menu or pressing Command+C on your keyboard.

  2. Position the cursor where you want to paste the text.

  3. In the Edit menu, select Paste and Match Style.

    Paste and Match Style in Mail

    The keyboard command is Option+Shift+Command+V.

  4. The unformatted text appears where you placed the cursor.

    Pasted text with matched formatting
  5. To move text instead of copying it, follow these steps but select Cut (Command+X) instead of Copy.

Was this page helpful?