diff --git a/doc/9-guides/README.md b/doc/9-guides/README.md
index 80c96a00..808c8dc3 100644
--- a/doc/9-guides/README.md
+++ b/doc/9-guides/README.md
@@ -3,4 +3,5 @@
 here is a small collection of useful tricks and techniques to really make Furnace sing.
 
 - [using samples with limited playback rates](limited-samples.md)
-- [choosing emulation cores](emulation-cores.md)
\ No newline at end of file
+- [choosing emulation cores](emulation-cores.md)
+- [clipboard format](clipboard-format.md)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/9-guides/clipboard-format.md b/doc/9-guides/clipboard-format.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d12af1cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/9-guides/clipboard-format.md
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+# clipboard format
+
+when copying pattern data from Furnace, it's stored in the clipboard as plain text.
+
+```
+org.tildearrow.furnace - Pattern Data (144)
+```
+
+this top line of text is always the same except for the number in parentheses, which is the internal build number. for example, 0.6pre7 is `162`.
+
+the second line is a number between 0 and 18 (decimal) which indicates which column the clip starts from.
+- `0`: note.
+- `1`: instrument.
+- `2`: volume.
+- `3`: effect 1 type.
+- `4`: effect 1 value. effect type is always included in the clip, even if skipped over.
+- `5`: effect 2 type.
+- `6`: effect 2 value. effect type is always included in the clip, even if skipped over.
+- `7`: effect 3 type...
+- ...and so on.
+
+examples of the starting column:
+
+```
+org.tildearrow.furnace - Pattern Data (144)
+0
+D-6007F08080706|...........|
+...............|...........|
+...............|A#500..080F|
+...............|...........|
+```
+
+```
+org.tildearrow.furnace - Pattern Data (144)
+1
+007F08080706|...........|
+............|...........|
+............|A#500..080F|
+............|...........|
+```
+
+```
+org.tildearrow.furnace - Pattern Data (144)
+2
+7F08080706|...........|
+..........|...........|
+..........|A#500..080F|
+..........|...........|
+```
+
+```
+org.tildearrow.furnace - Pattern Data (144)
+3
+08080706|...........|
+........|...........|
+........|A#500..080F|
+........|...........|
+```
+
+```
+org.tildearrow.furnace - Pattern Data (144)
+4
+08080706|...........|
+........|...........|
+........|A#500..080F|
+........|...........|
+```
+
+```
+org.tildearrow.furnace - Pattern Data (144)
+5
+0706|...........|
+....|...........|
+....|A#500..080F|
+....|...........|
+```
+
+```
+org.tildearrow.furnace - Pattern Data (144)
+6
+0706|...........|
+....|...........|
+....|A#500..080F|
+....|...........|
+```
+
+```
+org.tildearrow.furnace - Pattern Data (144)
+0
+...........|
+...........|
+A#500..080F|
+...........|
+```
+
+each line following the column number is verbatim from the pattern view with channels separated by `|`. each line also ends in `|`.
+
+notes use the default settings for note display (no German notation), including note off `OFF`, note release `===`, and macro release `REL`.