How to import, export and copy Word styles to another document

Key points of this article

When you only need a few styles, use the style manager to selectively copy them, which will not cover the entire set of settings in the target document.
To share a format for multiple documents, save the source document as a template (.dotx), and then attach the template to the target document.
Format Painter is suitable for temporary application of one or two paragraphs, and no reusable style definition will be added to the target document.
Check whether there are styles with the same name on both sides before transferring, and check the title level and table of contents after transferring to avoid accidental changes to the layout.
Text in PDF usually does not have style information. You must first obtain editable text, organize the hierarchy in Word, and then transfer it.

When working on long documents, we often encounter this situation: the company already has a formatted template, or the title, body, and citation format of another paper have been adjusted, but the new document still has the default style. Manually adjusting paragraphs is time-consuming and prone to inconsistent font sizes and paragraph spacing. Many people search for "How to copy Word styles to another document", but they actually want to move the entire format that has been adjusted.

This article specifically talks about the transfer of styles: how to copy the styles in one document to another document, how to save the entire set of styles as a template file and then import it elsewhere, and how to give the style files to colleagues for use. It does not talk about how to modify the default template of Word, but only talks about the specific transfer operation.

What you can do after reading this is: decide which method to use, use the style manager to select the required styles and copy them, package a complete set of styles into a template, and check whether any styles are accidentally overwritten after the transfer.

How to transfer styles to another document? One sentence conclusion

When you only need a few styles, use the style manager to selectively copy them; when you need a set of common formats, save them as a template first and then attach them to the target document. Format Painter is only suitable for temporary application and will not leave reusable styles in the target document.

your situation	Recommended practices	reason
Only a few styles such as title and text are needed	Style manager selective copy	Only the required styles are taken away, and other settings of the target document are basically unaffected.
A complete set of company or school formats for multiple documents	Save as template (.dotx) and append to target document	One set of styles is managed uniformly and can be used repeatedly in the future.
Only one or two paragraphs should use the same format	Format Painter	The operation is fast, but the target document will not add reusable styles.
Give it to colleagues to use directly	Export template file and send	The other party can open a new document without copying it one by one.
The source file is PDF	First get the editable text and organize the hierarchy in Word	Text in PDF usually does not have style definitions

Before you start: Confirm these points first

Whether the title in the source document actually uses the style. The titles of many documents are just ordinary paragraphs that are manually bolded and enlarged, without applying styles such as "Heading 1". Copying the style will have no effect in this case. Put the cursor on the title and see if the style name box displays "Title 1" or "Text".
Whether there is already a style with the same name in the target document. When there is "Title 1" on both sides, the transfer may replace the original definition in the target document, and the arranged content will change accordingly. Save a backup before transferring.
Whether the saved file type is correct. Regular .docx documents and template files serve different purposes, and templates should be saved in .dotx format. If you save it as a normal document, it won't be found when you attach it.
Whether the document restricts editing. If editing restrictions are set on the document, the style may not be modified or imported, and editing permissions must be obtained first.
Whether the source file is editable text. Scans or PDFs typically do not contain Word style information. You can first use an OCR or PDF editor to obtain editable text, and then manually organize the title and text levels in Word before transferring the styles.

Steps to copy styles to another document using Style Manager

Word's style manager can selectively copy styles between two open documents. The entrance and interface are slightly different depending on the version, but the basic process is the same.

Open the source document and the target document at the same time and confirm that neither file is read-only.
Open the Style Manager in the source document, usually in the Manage options of the Styles pane.
Select the source document and the target document respectively in the dialog box, and confirm that the directions of the left and right sides are not reversed.
Hold down the Ctrl or Shift key and select the styles to be copied, such as "Title 1", "Title 2" and "Text".
Click Copy to move the selected style from the source document to the target document. If the software prompts whether to overwrite the style with the same name, first look at the differences between the two sides before making a decision.
Return to the target document, open the Styles pane, search for the name of the style you just copied, and confirm that it appears.
Select a paragraph in the target document, apply the corresponding style, and check whether the font, font size, and paragraph spacing are consistent with the source document.

Export the entire set of styles as a template and then import it into other documents

The so-called "style file" is this template file in most cases. When the same set of formats needs to be used repeatedly, templates are more appropriate than copying them one by one.

Export (save as template): First organize the styles, page settings, headers and footers in the source document, and then save it as a Word template (.dotx). It is recommended to indicate the purpose of the file name, such as "Essay Format Template" or "Company Report Template", so that it can be easily found later.
Import (Attach Template): Open the template attachment settings in the target document and select the .dotx file you just saved. When attaching there is usually an option like "Automatically update document styles". After checking, the styles with the same name in the target document will be replaced by the definitions in the template, and the paragraphs to which these styles have been applied will change accordingly, so it is recommended to test on the copy first when using it for the first time.
Share: Send the .dotx file to a colleague, who can directly use it to create a new document or attach it to an existing document.

Templates from unknown sources may have macros or unwanted settings. It is recommended to only use templates that you have made yourself or from trusted sources, and try them out in a new document before opening them.

Check each item after completion

After the transfer is completed, it is recommended to check the following checklist, especially for long documents.

Check items	How to see	What to do if there is a problem
Whether the style appears	Open the style pane and search for the style name	If not, copy again; if not, confirm that the style is actually used in the source paragraph
Title level and catalogue	Update the catalog to see if the level is consistent with the text	Reapply styles such as "title 1" and "title 2", and then update the catalogue
Whether the style with the same name is overwritten	Compare the font, font size and paragraph spacing of key paragraphs before and after transfer	Undo the operation, redo it with a backup, or copy only the styles that are missing from the target document
Paragraph spacing and margin	Turn to a few pages and make sure the layout is consistent.	Check whether the paragraph style contains spacing settings to avoid changing only a single paragraph
Headers, footers and sections	Check whether the correct settings are used in each section	Headers and footers usually need to be handled separately and may not necessarily be transferred with the style
Text content	Spot check a few paragraphs to make sure there are no missing words or mistakes	If the text comes from machine translation or OCR, the important content should be checked paragraph by paragraph

# Core comparison

Mode	Will a new style be added to the target document	Suitable for the scene	What you need to pay attention to.
Style Manager selective copy	Will	Only a few styles are needed.	The style with the same name may be overwritten. Read it clearly before copying.
Additional template	Yes, and can be updated uniformly	The whole format is used many times.	Check automatic update to change the existing paragraph. Test it first.
Format brush	No.	A temporary application of a paragraph or two	Then change the source style, and the destination document will not be synchronized
Copy and paste the whole paragraph	Manageable styles are not usually added separately.	A small amount of content handling	The format may be messy, which is not conducive to subsequent unified modification.

# frequently asked questions (FAQ)

1. Copy and paste the whole paragraph of text, will the style go together?

It usually takes a look and feel, but a reusable style definition may not be formed in the target document. If you want to manage and modify it uniformly, you still need to use a style manager or template.

2. Can I transfer the style to another document with a format brush?

Format brush mainly copies the appearance of paragraphs or text, which is suitable for temporary application of a small amount of content. It does not save the style definition to the target document, then modifies the style of the source document, and the target document is not automatically synchronized.

3. After attaching the template, will the original content change?

If you check to update document styles with the template, the definition of styles with the same name will be replaced, and paragraphs that have applied these styles will change accordingly. Back up before transfer and test on the copy first.

4. Can I export styles directly from PDF?

PDF generally saves only the location and appearance of the text, not the style definition of Word. You can first convert to editable text, then sort out the title and text levels in Word, and then transfer the style.

5. Is the "style file" downloaded online safe?

Templates from unknown sources may contain macros or unwanted settings. It is recommended that you only use .dotx files from trusted sources, try it in the new document before opening it, and make sure there are no exceptions before using it for official documents.

# Summary

Copy only a small number of styles and use the style manager; if the whole format needs to be used repeatedly, save it as a template and attach it to import; temporary set

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