This isn't a trick exactly. I have a boss who does two things that are nightmarish as to formatting. One, she compiles a document using text from several sources, each having their own formatting. Two, she "formats" using typewriter techniques [such as manual tabs for indentions, and spaces to center a heading]. Then she wonders why her formats go skewy. I take it over when she finishes her edits. My first step is to PRINT a copy of the document showing roughly what her format was, particularly as to outline levels. Then I copy the entire document and paste it as plain text (usually in place, but you can put it in a clean document if desired), and convert all multiple spaces to single spaces. In addition, I delete all tabs (using Find and Replace) and all manual line breaks. Then I reformat the document using paragraph formatting commands, and bullet/outline formatting if needed--along with the Format Painter. BELIEVE ME, it's way faster than manually correcting all those formatting oddities. (p.s. I really like the tip about using Ctrl-Shift with C or V for copying/pasting formats.)