When I copy and paste text into my word processor, why does the font change?

When you cut or copy text that has font attributes, some of the font properties are copied along with the text. When you paste the text into Word or WordPerfect, the word processor will attempt to match the font used in the original document instead of using the font you selected.

To apply the font you selected to pasted text, you can either change the font of the text after you paste it, or do a special paste that inserts only the text and not the font attributes.

Word 2007

In Word 2007, to paste without font attributes:

1. On the Home tab, click to expand the Paste icon, and then select Paste Special... .
   
   
2. Select Unformatted Text, and then click OK.

Word 2003, 2004, or 2008, or WordPerfect for Windows

In Word 2003, 2004, or 2008, or WordPerfect for Windows, to paste without font attributes:

1. From the Edit menu, select Paste Special... .

   Note: If you do not see Paste Special on the Edit menu in Microsoft Word, expand the menu with the double arrows at the bottom; see In Microsoft Office 2000, XP, and 2003, how do I expand my drop-down menus?

2. Select Paste, and then select Unformatted Text. Click OK.

In WordPerfect, you can also paste unformatted text by right-clicking in the document and selecting Paste without Font/Attributes.

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