Formatting Issues

How to Preserve Colored Text When Pasting from Microsoft Word

WPS Editor Oct 1, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to retain specific text color formatting when copying content from Microsoft Word into other applications or documents.

How to Preserve Colored Text When Pasting from Microsoft Word

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Copying colored text from a Microsoft Word document and pasting it into an email, Outlook, or another Word document.
Observed behavior: Paragraph formatting and bold text are successfully retained, but colored text unexpectedly changes to black.

Before you start

Ensure that your destination application (such as your email client) is set to compose in HTML or Rich Text format, as pasting into a Plain Text environment will automatically strip all colors and formatting.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Paste Special or Keep Source Formatting Manually

Manually select the correct paste option at the destination to ensure the text retains its original color and style attributes.

By default, some applications try to merge the formatting of the pasted text with the style of the destination document. Using the 'Keep Source Formatting' or 'Paste Special' feature forces the clipboard to retain the exact colors from your original Word document.

Copy the text

Highlight the colored text in your Microsoft Word document and press Ctrl+C to copy it.

Access Paste Options

Right-click the area in your destination document or email where you want to insert the text.

Select Keep Source Formatting

From the context menu, look for the 'Paste Options' icons and click on 'Keep Source Formatting' (usually represented by an icon with a paintbrush or an 'A' with original colors).

Alternative: Use Paste Special

If you are pasting into an application that supports it, click the Paste dropdown on the ribbon, select 'Paste Special', choose 'Formatted Text (RTF)', and click OK.

Use Paste Special or Keep Source Formatting Manually

Solution 2

Change Default Paste Settings in Word Options

Configure Word to automatically retain source formatting every time you paste between documents or from other programs.

Solution 3

Save Frequently Used Colored Text as AutoText

If you frequently paste the exact same colored paragraphs, save them as an AutoText entry to permanently retain their formatting without manually adjusting paste settings.

Seamlessly Manage Formatting

Easily Retain Text Colors and Formatting with WPS Writer

WPS Writer offers an intuitive way to manage your copied text, ensuring all colors, fonts, and styles are perfectly preserved when pasting across documents without complex configurations.

1. Copy your text: Open your document in WPS Writer, highlight your colored text, and press Ctrl+C.
2. Open destination document: Navigate to the email client or secondary document where you want to insert the text.
3. Use Keep Source Formatting: Right-click the destination area and select 'Keep Source Formatting' from the convenient Paste Options menu.
4. Set as Default: To make this automatic in WPS Writer, navigate to Menu > Options > Edit, and change your default paste settings to always keep source formatting.

100% format compatibility with Microsoft Word documents (.docx)Easily customizable default paste settings for seamless cross-app copyingLightweight, fast, and completely free to useFamiliar ribbon interface requires no learning curve

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my text color change to black when pasting into an email?

This usually happens if your email client is set to compose messages in 'Plain Text' format, which strips all colors and styles. It can also occur if your default paste setting in the email client is configured to 'Keep Text Only' or 'Merge Formatting'. Switching your email format to HTML or Rich Text will resolve this.

What does Paste Special (RTF) actually do?

Paste Special using Formatted Text (RTF) instructs your clipboard to insert the text while retaining all of its rich text attributes—like font color, size, and bolding—instead of discarding them to adapt to the destination document's default style.

How do I change the default paste formatting specifically in Outlook?

In Microsoft Outlook, you can change your default paste behavior by navigating to File > Options > Mail > Editor Options > Advanced. Under the 'Cut, copy, and paste' section, set the dropdowns to 'Keep Source Formatting', exactly as you would in Microsoft Word.

Document & File Issues