How can I copy text with face properties from an Emacs buffer, so that when I paste it to another application, the face properties appear?

Question

I have a fundamental-mode buffer with italics set. When I copy the buffer and paste it to an email compose buffer, the text appears but the italics don't. But if I open a .odt file with some italics in another application, copy its text, and paste it to the email compose buffer, the text appears, with italics. If there is a command that lets me promote my buffer to some other mode, so that when I copy/paste it elsewhere, the italics come along? I don't want to use my fingers for anything. I have hooks that, on read-in, read a file and clear the high bits it finds, but set the italic face property on those characters. Ideal would be a command that said write-out-this-buffer-and-make-a-.odt-file-out-of-it. If promotion to some other mode would have the effect I need, how could I cause that?

Answer 1

I'm not sure this fix your particular problem, but the package highlight2clipboard allows you to copy highlighted text from an Emacs buffer to an external application.