Excel Functions for Private Equity: Format Painter

What is Format Painter?

The Format Painter feature of excel allows you to copy the formatting of a cell to one or multiple other cells within the spreadsheet. When referencing formatting, this can refer to the number format of the cell (general, percentage, currency, etc.), font size, color, or characteristics (Italicized, bold, etc.), or even the cell’s fill or border settings.

Format Painter vs. Copy and Paste

When it comes to transferring formatting from one cell to another, we have two options to perform this task. The first, and easiest, is the Format Painter feature. You can easily copy the entire formatting of a cell by implementing this feature. Another option we have when transferring formatting is the copy and paste feature. You can select the cell, copy it, and then select paste special  formatting and excel will copy the formatting over to the newly selected cell or range of cells.

How is it Used in Real Estate?

Here at Top Shelf Models, we prefer to use Format Painter when building our models from scratch for quicker results. Copying formatting exactly can be tough, especially when working with large sets of data such as unit mixes or construction budgets. With Format Painter, one can easily copy formatting exactly and transfer it in under 3 clicks. 

Example

Using format painter is quite simple and copying formatting can be done in a matter of clicks. To start, locate the format painter icon within your spreadsheet. This is typically in the top left corner as an orange-outlined paintbrush that we can see in the above image.

Next, select your cell that you would like to copy the formatting of. Here we have selected cell D4, which is formatted as a percentage value with a red fill and italicized font. Now that we have our cell selected, we click our format painter, and you’ll see the mouse change to a paintbrush icon.

To transfer our format over to E4, we simply click the cell once.

To transfer formatting to a larger range of cells, simply double click the format painter button.

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About the Author

Eric Bergin is the founder of TSM. He realized that there was a need for real estate financial models that were more than just generic templates. He wanted to create a personalized product for his customers that would ensure success for them and their company. Please reach out to him if you have any questions regarding discounted cashflows or if he can help you with your modeling needs.