Alt + E S R Mac Excel Shortcut: Legacy Paste Formatting (2026 Guide)

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Quick Answer

Alt + E + S + R is a legacy pre-ribbon shortcut for Paste Formatting. With Accelerator Keys, this shortcut works exactly like the modern Alt + H + V + R sequence.

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If you are looking for the Alt + E S R shortcut on Mac Excel, you may be familiar with this shortcut from older versions of Excel (2003 and earlier). This legacy shortcut still works with Accelerator Keys and maps to the modern ribbon equivalent.

What Does Alt + E S R Do?

Alt + E + S + R is the legacy shortcut for Edit > Paste Special > Formatting. It pastes only the formatting (fonts, colors, borders, number formats) without any values or formulas.

Legacy vs. Modern Shortcut Comparison

Shortcut Era Menu Path
Alt + E + S + R Legacy (Excel 2003) Edit > Paste Special > Formatting
Alt + H + V + R Modern (Ribbon) Home > Paste > Formatting

Both shortcuts work with Accelerator Keys!

Step-by-Step: How to do Alt + E S R on Mac Excel

  1. Install the Fix: Download Accelerator Keys (14-day free trial, no credit card required).
  2. Copy your data: Select the formatted cells and press Cmd+C.
  3. Activate the Ribbon: Press the Option key.
  4. Execute Sequence: Press E, then S, then R.
  5. Result: Only the formatting is applied to the destination cells.

When to Use Paste Formatting

This shortcut is useful when you want to:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the modern equivalent of Alt + E S R?

The modern ribbon shortcut is Alt + H + V + R (Home > Paste > Formatting). Both work with Accelerator Keys.

How is this different from Format Painter?

Paste Formatting (Alt + E + S + R) requires copying first, while Format Painter (Alt + H + F + P) is a one-step operation. Both achieve similar results.

Does Alt + E S R work natively on Mac Excel?

No, the native Mac Excel “KeyTips” does not support legacy pre-ribbon shortcuts. You need Accelerator Keys to use Alt + E + S + R on Mac.

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