How can you quickly apply the format of one cell to another cell?

Using the Format Painter is an efficient way to apply the formatting from one cell to another in Excel. When you select a cell that has the desired formatting and then click on the Format Painter tool, it allows you to "paint" that formatting onto another cell. This is particularly useful for maintaining consistency in your spreadsheet without needing to manually adjust each formatting option, such as font type, size, color, borders, and fill color.

Once you activate the Format Painter, your cursor changes to include a paintbrush icon, indicating that you can now click on another cell or range of cells to transfer that formatting instantly. This tool streamlines the process, especially when formatting multiple cells in the same way, saving time and reducing the risk of errors in manual formatting adjustments.

In contrast, copy and paste will not necessarily transfer formatting alone unless you specifically select 'Paste Special' with formatting options, which is less straightforward. Conditional formatting involves setting rules that apply formatting based on the values in the cells, rather than directly copying formatting. Lastly, Format as Table is used to transform a range of data into a formatted table structure, which is different from simply copying the formatting of a single cell to another.