My error was not reading the documentation. QTextFragment is more concerned with character than block formats. Explicitly obtaining the doc's block format and insering the selection into a new block in prDoc with that block format set solves that problem. It appears in this case useful that the block formats of all subsequent blocks in the selection are transferred.

That leaves the second part of the question. Can I stop Qt inserting page numbers when printing. Any suggestions?

Enno.