Judy, an administrative assistant to the sales manager, sends you an e-mail requesting some help on a current project. The sales manager has created three separate workbooks in which she stores sales data. Judy needs to create a new workbook with worksheets that summarize the data from the three workbooks; she asks if there is any way to summarize the data in the three workbooks without spending hours to do it manually.
Judy sends you another e-mail thanking you for your tip and asks if there is any quick way that she can copy the format of a given source area but not its contents. You tell Judy to use the ____ keyboard shortcut.

Judy mentioned wanting to copy the formatting of a specific area without its contents. While Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V are commonly used for copying and pasting, they unfortunately copy both the format and content.

There are two main ways to achieve Judy's desired outcome:

1. Paste Special (Ctrl+Shift+V):

This keyboard shortcut opens the Paste Special dialog box, offering various options for pasting copied content. Judy can select "Formatting only" to apply the source area's formatting to her target area without transferring any data.

2. Format Painter:

Another helpful technique is the Format Painter tool. Simply select the area with the desired formatting, click the Format Painter button (often found on the Home tab), and then click the target area where you want to apply the formatting. This method applies the format directly without opening additional dialog boxes.

Both methods effectively help Judy copy the format without the content. Choosing between them depends on personal preference and workflow efficiency.

Additional Tips:

In some applications, the Paste Special options might be accessed differently. Consult the software's help documentation for specific instructions.

If formatting involves complex styles or multiple selections, using the Format Painter might be quicker.

For repetitive formatting tasks, consider exploring macro recording functionality or custom keyboard shortcuts if your software allows it.

I hope this expanded response provides Judy with the necessary information to effectively copy formatting in her project.