Copy/Paste Issues with Mac Apps

[tbgb50]

I've used Word and other Microsoft Apps since DOS days but am trying to move to Pages, Numbers, etc. This is so basic, I might be doing something wrong or there is a setting I cannot find:

If I create a table in Pages, where one cell has a graphic, and copy it so I can paste in Notes, Email, and web forms, the graphic disappears.

If I have cell fill colors in Numbers the color is lost if I paste it in another app.

I even tried copying an Excel worksheet with cell fill colors and pasting it in Notes. The colors disappear.

Is this how things work or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks.

 

[chabig]

Mine is the same. Sometimes, features in one app can’t be copied into apps that don’t support the same features. Numbers support for spreadsheet formatting isn't full featured.

 

[tbgb50]

Mine is the same. Sometimes, features in one app can’t be copied into apps that don’t support the same features. Numbers support for spreadsheet formatting isn't full featured.

Thanks for the help. I was afraid this is the case.

 

[BrianBaughn]

If you don't care about the ability to edit the pasted table, chart or other graphic in the secondary application then shift-control-command-4 is probably the way to go…copying the graphic without saving it to your designated Screenshots folder.

How to Copy a Screenshot to Clipboard on a Mac (All Methods & Versions inc. macOS Tahoe)

Copying a screenshot directly to your clipboard on a Mac is a handy way to quickly paste it into apps like Messages, Mail, Slack, Word, or Photoshop

machow2.com

 

[galad]

When copying something, usually every app fills multiple representations of the same data in the clipboard, for example some proprietary representation that will surely paste correctly inside the same app, one rtfd (because it's kinda of a common format understood by macOS text views), one plain text one, etc…

Unfortunately text layout is complex, and apps like Word, Excel, Pages, Number, etc… all use custom text layout engines, so every app use a different clipboard representation, and even some info might to be converted properly to common representations like rtfd, or rtfd might not even support some features. It's quite a mess.

 

[tbgb50]

If you don't care about the ability to edit the pasted table, chart or other graphic in the secondary application then shift-control-command-4 is probably the way to go…copying the graphic without saving it to your designated Screenshots folder.

How to Copy a Screenshot to Clipboard on a Mac (All Methods & Versions inc. macOS Tahoe)

Copying a screenshot directly to your clipboard on a Mac is a handy way to quickly paste it into apps like Messages, Mail, Slack, Word, or Photoshop

machow2.com

Thanks - this words for Numbers quite well and I don't need to edit the contents. Going to see how well it works with Pages - I have to paste into web forms so crossing my fingers.

 

[tbgb50]

Unfortunately text layout is complex, and apps like Word, Excel, Pages, Number, etc… all use custom text layout engines, so every app use a different clipboard representation, and even some info might to be converted properly to common representations like rtfd, or rtfd might not even support some features. It's quite a mess.

I agree. It is a mess for me. I have to post 50 tables into web forms every 8 weeks - I can build the tables in the form but 1. you have to fiddle to get them to be identical sizes and 2. I cannot download the tables. I switched to all Apple devices last year and kept my Microsoft 365 subscription but now don't really need it. I have 4 months to figure a workaround.