The Magic Shortcut
You’re almost certainly familiar with Command (⌘) + C to copy and Command (⌘) + V to paste.
But next time you’re copying text from one application to another, try this instead:
Option (⌥) + Shift (⇧) + Command (⌘)+ V
In applications that support it, this activates “Paste and Match Style”. Rather than bringing across the original font, size, colour and other formatting, the pasted text adopts the style of the document you’re working in.
It’s a tiny change, but it can save a surprising amount of irritation.
Why Doesn’t Every App Behave the Same Way?
This is where things become a little confusing.
Not every Mac application handles pasting in exactly the same way. Some use different keyboard shortcuts, while others offer their own options for pasting plain text. If the shortcut doesn’t work, look in the application’s Edit menu for something called Paste and Match Style or a similar command.
