WPS Format Painter on macOS: Introduction

WPS Format Painter is a spreadsheet formatting tool for quickly copying cell styles; it includes 2 core tasks, with 2 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	2	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	2	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index

About This Feature

Overview

Format Painter is a built-in spreadsheet tool in WPS Office for Mac that lets you copy the formatting of one cell or range and apply it to another cell or range.

Its main capabilities include:

One-time Format Painter use: copy formatting once and apply it to a target range, then exit automatically.
Continuous Format Painter use: double-click Format Painter to keep the tool active and apply the same formatting to multiple target ranges.

It is useful for standardizing spreadsheet layouts, cleaning up report formatting, and applying styles without changing existing content or formulas.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Mac device that can run WPS Office normally
App version	It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office for Mac
Network	No mandatory internet connection is required for local Format Painter actions
Other	Open a spreadsheet file and make sure it is in an editable state

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Check after installation	Launch WPS Office for Mac, open a spreadsheet, and confirm that Format Painter is available on the Home tab

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	Copies cell or range formatting such as font, color, and borders; supports one-time use and continuous use.	Format Painter applies formatting such as color, font style, size, or border style to text or graphics; single-click works once and double-click supports repeated use.	Paint format can copy the formatting of text, cells, or objects in Docs, Sheets, and Slides; double-click supports applying formatting in multiple places.	Notion provides text styling, colors, and Markdown-based formatting, but its help content does not describe a separate Format Painter tool.	Adobe Acrobat supports Copy with Formatting, selection export, and content reuse, but its help page does not describe a spreadsheet-style Format Painter workflow.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: The tool is available directly from the Home tab in WPS spreadsheets. Distinct: It supports both one-time and continuous formatting without copying cell content or formulas.	Compared with WPS: Microsoft documents similar repeated formatting behavior, but the cited page focuses on text and graphics rather than a spreadsheet cell workflow.	Compared with WPS: Google also supports one-time and repeated formatting, but the feature is mainly described in a browser-based Docs, Sheets, and Slides environment.	Compared with WPS: Notion focuses on block and text styling rather than spreadsheet cell formatting replication.	Compared with WPS: Adobe focuses on PDF content reuse and copy operations instead of spreadsheet layout cleanup with a paint-style formatting tool.
Official Source	—	Use the Format Painter	Copy and paste text and images	Style and customize your page	Reusing PDF content

Overall Conclusion
For Mac spreadsheet work that requires quick style consistency across cells, WPS Format Painter provides a direct and focused workflow. Microsoft and Google offer similar formatting-copy features, while Notion and Adobe are oriented toward different document and content-editing scenarios.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable for	Main issue	How it helps
1	Standardizing report styles	Finance teams, administrative staff	Multiple areas use inconsistent formatting	Use one-time Format Painter to sync styles quickly
2	Cleaning up data regions in batches	Data processing staff	The same border and fill style must be applied repeatedly	Use continuous Format Painter across multiple ranges
3	Keeping formulas while changing appearance	Spreadsheet editors	The layout needs to change without replacing formulas	Copy only formatting attributes with Format Painter
4	Building presentation-ready tables faster	Teachers, students	Table layout work takes too long	Create a sample cell style and apply it to more ranges
5	Fixing local formatting differences	Everyday office users	A few areas do not match the rest of the sheet	Reapply the standard format to the target area

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Feature area	Free users	WPS Premium
Basic Format Painter use	✅ Available	✅ Available
Basic spreadsheet editing	✅ Available	✅ Available
Additional advanced office benefits	Available within the free plan scope shown on the pricing page	Includes more advanced features and membership benefits

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Usage scenario	Recommended plan	Why
Everyday spreadsheet formatting and basic layout cleanup	Free plan	Format Painter itself does not require membership for this workflow
Long-term use with broader advanced office needs	WPS Premium	In addition to formatting tasks, you can access more advanced office features

WPS membership center: Subscribe now