Copying formats with word's format painter

Format painting

Format painting lets you copy and paste entire sets of formatting specifications and can save you a lot of time in the long run, especially for media-rich documents that contain many different styles. Without them, you’ll have to reset the format each time you start a new area, which is quite tedious.

I recommend that you create each set of format specifications when you first create the document. Then, write the rest of the document out normally, saving often as you go, of course. When all of the text is complete, you can start your painting process. Select one set of formats and paint all applicable passages throughout the document. Then select the next set and do the same. Going one-by-one prevents you from having to change the layout every single time.