To remove all formatting in OpenOffice, you can quickly clear it from your selected text using the formatting toolbar.
Here's the primary method:
Clearing All Formatting
Based on the provided reference, the most straightforward way to remove all character and paragraph formatting from selected text in OpenOffice is by using a specific menu option.
Steps:
- Select the Text: First, you need to select the text you want to clear the formatting from. To remove formatting from the entire document, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A (or Cmd + A on macOS) to select all content.
- Access the Styles Dropdown: Look for the formatting bar, which typically contains dropdowns for styles (like 'Paragraph Style' or 'Character Style') and direct formatting options (font, size, bold, etc.).
- Select "Clear All": On the top of one of the style dropdowns on the formatting bar (often the 'Paragraph Style' dropdown), you will find an option called Clear All. Click on this option.
This action will reset the selected text back to the default paragraph and character formatting defined by the document's template or the default style.
- Reference: This method is confirmed by the information stating, "Ctrl A to select all, then select Clear All from the top of the styles dropdown on the formatting bar".
What Formatting Does "Clear All" Remove?
The "Clear All" function primarily removes:
- Direct Formatting: This includes manual changes you've made to fonts, font sizes, bold, italics, underline, text color, background color, paragraph alignment, line spacing, indents, etc.
- Character Styles: Any character styles applied to portions of the text.
- Paragraph Styles: While it clears direct paragraph formatting, it essentially reapplies the default paragraph style (often the 'Default Style') to the paragraph, rather than completely removing the concept of a style. It strips away any explicitly applied style or direct formatting overrides.
It generally does not remove:
- Applied Styles: It will apply the base style (usually 'Default Style'). To remove all styles and revert to a truly unformatted state (which isn't typical for a word processor but closer to plain text), you might need more advanced methods or saving as plain text. However, for most users asking to "remove all formatting," clearing direct formatting and reverting to the default style is the desired outcome.
- Table formatting: Formatting within tables might require separate steps.
- Object formatting: Formatting on images, shapes, etc., is separate.
Alternative Methods (Briefly)
While the "Clear All" option is the quickest for bulk removal using the toolbar, other methods exist for more specific needs:
- Paste as Unformatted Text: If you are pasting text from another source, use
Edit > Paste Special > Unformatted text(or similar option depending on OpenOffice version). - Using the Navigator: For more advanced style management, the Navigator (
View > Navigator) allows you to see and sometimes manage styles used in the document, though it's not a one-click "clear all" for everything.
Practical Example
Imagine you have text copied from a webpage with various fonts, colors, and spacing.
This text is <font color="red">red</font> and <span style="font-size: 18pt;">large</span>, with lots of extra spacing.- Select this text in OpenOffice.
- Go to the formatting bar.
- Find the dropdown (likely the 'Paragraph Style' one).
- Click Clear All at the top of the dropdown.
The text will revert to your document's default font, size, color, and spacing, looking like regular body text.
Summary Table
| Action | Shortcut (Select All) | Menu Command | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear All Formatting | Ctrl + A / Cmd + A | Formatting Bar > Styles Dropdown > Clear All | Removes direct formatting & applied styles (reverts to default) |
Using the Clear All option after selecting your desired text (or the entire document with Ctrl+A) is the most efficient way to strip away explicit formatting and return the text to its base style within OpenOffice.
