How to strip web text of its formating

Especially for sources in footers I often want to avoid re-typing a complicated title of a document that I found on the web. Copy-paste of the text also copies some of the text formating. Solution: copy the text, paste it into “Note pad” (the standard text editing utility that comes with Windows), select the text again and paste it into a PPT text box. I would be interested if other people have faster solutions for this.

UPDATE: Remy got the solution in the comments: copy any text, then select Edit and “Paste Special” and select unformatted text. Thank you!

UPDATE 2: Glen Turpin recommends PureText (see the comments).Thank you!

5 comments

Remy2009-02-21 11:06:00

For those occasions, I often use the insert-unformatted text function that is build into PPT. Simply copy any text, then select Edit and "Paste Special" and select unformatted text.

Jan Schultink2009-02-21 11:16:00

Thank you Remy. This sounds like a smarter solution.

Glen Turpin2009-02-22 05:47:00

I've used both methods below extensively. Both good tips.

There's also a handy utility called PureText that lets you map that functionality to a hot key. I put PureText in my Startup Items, then I can use Control-V for normal Paste and Windows-V for formatless Paste in PowerPoint or any other application.

PureText:

On Mac OS, Plain Clip ( apparently does the same thing but I have not used it.

Jan Schultink2009-02-22 09:17:00

Great suggestions Glen!

Oliver (ReThink Presentations)2009-03-08 00:37:00

Well, you can paste the text, then click on the clipboard symbol that appears on the bottom right of the text box and click "Keep Text Only".

In Word 2008 on a Mac (at work) it was possible to make this the default "paste method", it saved me quite some time during this intensive copy-and-paste task. Though I haven't found this function on PowerPoint 2007 on Windows (at home) - but I didn't search too long, either.

Oliver