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setho77557739
Inspiring
November 18, 2019
Answered

Paste Without Formatting Not Working

  • November 18, 2019
  • 7 replies
  • 12129 views

I'm working in InDesign v 14.1.3 on Windows 10. I'm trying to copy and paste without formatting text within my InDesign document. When I try to use the keyboard shortcut nothing is pasted and the option is greyed out in the edit menu. I can work around this issue by undoing my cut action and then cutting again and pasting without formatting.

Correct answer saberbe

This answer from another user did solve it for me:

 

Paste without formatting is dimmed due to a setting under Clipboard preferences (Edit / Preferences / Clipboard handling).
When Paste is set to "All information" the option to use "Paste without formatting" is again available (and also ctrl+shift+v).
It's described here https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/adding-text-frames.html
under the header "Paste text from another application".

7 replies

saberbeCorrect answer
Inspiring
March 24, 2021

This answer from another user did solve it for me:

 

Paste without formatting is dimmed due to a setting under Clipboard preferences (Edit / Preferences / Clipboard handling).
When Paste is set to "All information" the option to use "Paste without formatting" is again available (and also ctrl+shift+v).
It's described here https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/adding-text-frames.html
under the header "Paste text from another application".

Participant
June 16, 2025

paste without formatting is permanently grayed out.  Nothing restores it on my windows 11 pc latest version of indesign.

Community Manager
June 16, 2025

Hello @excited_dynamism2135,

Would you mind trying to run InDesign under Safe Mode (Windows) and checking if it helps? If the problem persists, kindly share a small screen recording of your workflow and the problem, so I can investigate further.

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Anubhav

Inspiring
March 24, 2021

This didnt solve it for me

setho77557739
Inspiring
November 18, 2019

Looks like the issue was resolved after restarting my machine. I should have known to do that after updating InDesign.

Community Expert
November 18, 2019

Can you repeat the issue?

Is it with a specific document or with all documents?

 

Just tested InDesign CC 2019 version 14.0.3 on Windows 10 and cannot see the problem with a new document.

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

JonathanArias
Legend
November 18, 2019

to add to what Derek is talking about. you could get all of your text with no formating on to your idesign document from the import options when you place a word document. you just map to none on all categories. Doing this will allow you to get all of the text on to your layout in seconds, with no formatting so you can add your own, plus you will complete your layouts in a fraction of the time versus copying and pasting things in fragments.

Community Expert
November 18, 2019

Hi,

hm. Can you give more details?

Exactly what did you cut? Where exactly did you try to paste?

Did you do something in between the two actions?
Same InDesign document?

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

setho77557739
Inspiring
November 18, 2019

I cut a paragraph or less of text that I placed on the pasteboard and am trying to paste it within the same document in a text frame that already has the style applied that I want the text to have. I didn't do anything between copying and pasting.

Derek Cross
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 18, 2019

Are you aware of InDesigns Import Microsoft Word facility ?