Handwritten Notes In Onenote

  



This post has been updated. It was originally published on 12/9/17.

If you have a touchscreen laptop and Microsoft Office, you have the ability to take effective, beautiful handwritten notes in Microsoft Word. Drag the top of the content box to where you want it on the page. Drag the side of the content box to resize it. Handwrite notes. You can handwrite notes with a mouse, stylus, or your finger. Select Draw, select a pen, and start writing. Convert handwriting to text. Choose Select Objects or Type Text or Lasso Select.

It’s easier than ever to jot down digital notes on computers and phones, but many people still prefer the traditional feeling of writing with ink on paper. (After all, this method served us well for hundreds of years of human history.) The problem is that you can’t organize and search through handwritten notes the way you can with files on a digital device.

Or can you? A number of smart devices offer to digitize your scribblings, either as you write or shortly afterward. In addition to storing images of your notebook pages in electronic form, some of these hardware and software packages actually convert your writings into searchable text. Here are four of our favorite systems for converting handwritten notes to text, along with some simpler app-only solutions.

Moleskine Smart Writing System

Notebook maker Moleskine has a three-part system for saving your scribbles: a Bluetooth-enabled pen records your hand motion as you write, special dotted paper (available in a variety of sizes) helps track the position of the pen on the page, and an app (for Android, iOS, and Windows 10) combines this input to create and digitally manage copies of your notes.

The app is smart enough to convert your scribbles into a readable, searchable Microsoft Word file. If you’d prefer to stick with the handwritten version of your notes, you can make their appearance more readable by adjusting the thickness of the ink lines. No matter how you choose to keep your writing, the app lets you organize, tag, and export it to services such as Google Drive, the Apple Notes app, or an email client.

In another perk, you don’t need to keep your phone or computer nearby as you write—the pen alone can store roughly 1,000 pages of notes in its onboard memory. When you do have a chance to transfer this information to the app, the pen’s memory will reset so you can fill it with another 1,000 pages.

All of these smarts come at a price. Together, the notebook and pen cost $260 on Amazon, although Moleskine throws in the apps for free. If you run out of paper, each extra notebook will cost you between $9 and $30 or more, and ink refills have a price of $8 or more for a pack of 10.

Livescribe

Notes

The Livescribe system works similarly to Moleskine’s: you write on dotted paper with a smart pen, and an app digitizes this input. However, it gives you more options than the previous system, starting with its two pen models: the Symphony, which syncs with a phone app (for Android or iOS), and the 8GB Echo, which plugs into a computer (either Windows or macOS) with a USB cable.

Both Livescribe pens can save digital notes on their built-in storage until you have time to sync. When you do export your writing, you can do so in the form of PDFs or images.

While they share these abilities, each model has its own advantages. The Symphony ($110 on Livescribe’s website), like the Moleskine pen, has handwriting recognition that can convert your scribblings into text, allowing you to search through your notes for specific words and phrases. You can also automatically sync your files with your preferred cloud storage service. The 8GB Echo ($190 on Livescribe’s website), meanwhile, benefits those who like to keep audio recordings as well as written notes. Not only can it record clips through a built-in speaker, it can play back your written notes in audio form if you tap it against the paper.

When you add the cost of your chosen pen to the cost of a notebook, Livescribe’s overall price winds up slightly lower than Moleskine’s. Its gridded notebooks’ prices start at about $10, or you can print out a free template to make your own dotted sheets. Ink refills will set you back about $7 for a pack of five.

Neo Smartpen N2

You may recognize the Neo Smartpen N2—Moleskine uses a rebranded version of the pen for its own Smart Writing Set. Both systems will provide the same kind of tracking and technology, but because N Notebooks (the Neo’s version of the required dotted paper) have a price range starting at just under $15, the Neo’s overall cost is slightly cheaper.

Many of the Moleskine Smart Writing set’s features also apply to the Neo. The $169 Smartpen N2 can hold around 1,000 pages of notes. Once you sync them with the app (for Android and iOS), you can tag and organize them, adjust the color and thickness of the ink lines, transform them into searchable text, and share them in formats including GIF, PNG, and MP4 on social media.

Even ink refills have the same cost as they do for the Moleskine system: about $9 for a 10-pack. The big differences come down to which color scheme you want for your pen and which type of notebooks you prefer to write in and carry around.

Wacom Bamboo Smartpads

Graphic design giant Wacom has a slightly different system for digitizing your writing. Instead of buying or printing out a dot-gridded notebook, you simply clip paper to a pressure-sensitive pad that can detect the strokes of a specialized pen. The newest iteration of Wacom’s Smartpads, the Bamboo Folio ($150 to $200 on Wacom’s website), comes in two sizes: A4 (letter) and A5 (half-letter). You may be able to find another version, the Bamboo Slate, online at third-party retailers like Amazon, but it doesn’t appear to be available in Wacom’s store any longer.

To use a Bamboo pad, place some paper over it and scribble away with the pen. Your writing will sync with the app (for Android and iOS). From there, you can export your notes to writing services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, and good old-fashioned email.

Like other options on this list, Wacom can also turn handwritten notes into a searchable digital notebook. While your initial purchase includes a pen, refill, and paper, the key difference between the Bamboo Smartpads and the other solutions we’ve mentioned is that you can use any paper you like. While you do need to write with the provided pen, it uses a magnetic system rather than a built-in camera, so it’s slightly lighter than the others on this list.

Apps that can help with digital notes

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While smart pens and pads can seamlessly digitize handwritten notes, you don’t need to purchase a pricey gadget to transfer your notes to your phone or computer. All you need is a free app.

Your most straightforward option is to simply photograph sheets of notepaper with your smartphone camera. Transfer these images to your computer through a cloud-storage program like Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud, and you can file and organize them however you like. Unfortunately, your camera can’t convert your notes to text. But other apps can.

For example, the note-taking service Evernote (for Android and iOS) can snap a photo of a handwritten page and transform the notes into digital, searchable text. While this option won’t be as clean or error-free as some of the dedicated products we’ve discussed, it does have the advantage of costing $0.

Microsoft’s OneNote performs a similar task: snap a page of scribblings through the app (for Android or iOS), and it will convert your handwriting into text—provided it’s legible enough for the software to understand.

In addition to converting your writing to electronic form, both Evernote and OneNote can help you organize it. You can categorize your digital notes with folders and labels, and export them as text and images to other apps.

MORE TO READ

It’s no secret that at TracSoft, we love Evernote. Back in April 2020, we published The Best Tips And Tricks For How To Use Evernote Effectively and it quickly became one of our most popular pieces. The handy note-taking app has a devoted following, but it’s definitely not the only player in the game.

In 2003, Microsoft released its own note-taking app, OneNote, as part of their MS Office Suite. Boasting an endless canvas and online clipper tool, the software became one of Evernote’s biggest rivals. Macbook air 11 inch.

But how does it stand up against Evernote and other note-taking apps? Why is OneNote used by so many people, and how can you use OneNote effectively?

Let’s find out!

What Is OneNote And What Is It Used For?

Microsoft OneNote is used for recording information. Although it’s similar to word processors like Microsoft Word and Google Docs, OneNote has no set page layout or structure. This means you can type, draw, or paste information freely in your notes just like you would on a sheet of paper.

Notes can contain just about anything. OneNote supports hyperlinks, most common image types, handwritten notes, and embedded audio or video files. Paired with its built-in web clipping tool, it can grab almost content from the web and pull it into your notes. Additionally, you can use it to record audio or video. OneNote really does offer one of the most flexible note-taking experiences of any app on the market.

Best of all, you can get it here for free. Mac app store apk.

How Do I Use OneNote Effectively?

OneNote has some powerful features to keep you organized, but it can be overwhelming when you first start using the program. So here are some key features to keep in mind when getting started with OneNote. Torrent search program.

Organization

Inspired by the ring binders of your high school days, OneNote organizes individual notes (referred to as “pages”) into sections, and sections are stored in notebooks. This organization is pretty intuitive and keeps your notes tidy and labeled for easy retrieval. For example, someone might end up with separate notebooks for different clients. Within those notebooks, there could be sections for different projects. Then each section could contain notes on budgets, employees assigned to the project, a projected timeline, and so on.

Tags

Take Handwritten Notes In Onenote

As simple as OneNote’s structure is, if you have a lot of notes then it can be tedious to scroll through them. That’s why the app’s native tagging system is pretty handy. Using keywords, you can tag individual notes. Later, you can pull up all the notes related to your keyword and view them together.

Beyond just tagging notes, you can also tag specific parts of your notes. Simply right-click on the three dots above the text you want to tag. Then choose from multiple options like “remember for later” or “tag this note” to find that section later.

Syncing Devices

OneNote does sync across platforms, so you can always take your notes with you wherever you go. However, one downside is that there are multiple versions of OneNote and they do not all have the same features. The mobile version, for instance, is very stripped-down compared to the PC versions. Even the PC versions differ depending on whether you use the Windows-based or 365 version. So if you plan to use OneNote on the go, it’s important to understand what features are available in each version you plan to use.

Converting Handwritten Notes To Text In Onenote

Handwriting Recognition

Notes

A really nice feature of OneNote is its handwriting recognition, which can convert your chicken scratch to neat, typed text. And if you prefer taking notes by hand, you’ll find OneNote a treat since it features some of the best support for digital pens of any note-taking app out there, complete with “ink” that looks like it dries as you write. Choose from various pen styles, set your line width, and change colors. Maybe even add some reference sketches while you’re at it.

Microsoft Support

Microsoft’s free support and training for OneNote is definitely a stand-out feature. Their video training will walk you through setting up the app, taking your first notes, advanced note-taking features, sharing, syncing, and more. The tutorials cover the feature-rich Window-based version, the 360 web version, and the mobile version of OneNote. Since each version is slightly different, these tutorials can be helpful when you first start out with the program or if you start using it on a different device.

Advanced Tips For Heavy OneNote Users

How To Edit Handwritten Notes In Onenote

Even if you’re pretty comfortable with OneNote, it’s likely there are still some features you haven’t found yet. That’s because Microsoft is constantly rolling out updates to make OneNote even more useful. So here are some tips to up your OneNote game.

Real-time Collaboration

Working in real time with coworkers is important, especially now that so many of us work remotely at least part of the time. And now you can do just that right from OneNote. Simply go to the File menu and choose the notebook you want to share. Underneath it you will see “Invite people to this notebook.” Click this option, enter the emails of the people you want to share with, and enjoy live feedback on your most important work. Best of all, you’ll all leave your brainstorming session with a useful record of what you accomplished so there’s no confusion later.

Integrate OneNote With Other Apps

OneNote shines for users who rely on other Microsoft products because it not only uses standard Microsoft menus (making it easy to navigate), but also because it integrates seamlessly with programs like Outlook. For instance, you can easily create a to-do list in OneNote, right-click the list, and click the red flag icon to add the list to your Outlook Tasks.

But it’s not just Microsoft software that can integrate with OneNote. There’s a whole list of services you can connect to your OneNote account to create a powerful, customized productivity tool specific to your needs.

Build Or Use Pre-Made Templates To Save Time

The blank canvas approach to OneNote gives users incredible flexibility. However, it can also be overwhelming. That’s why templates can be such powerful tools. You can download premade templates from Microsoft or simply by searching for them online, but OneNote also offers users the chance to build their own, custom templates. That way, your notes are consistent and organized every time.

Solve Math Equations Or Create Graphs

If you’re an Office 365 user, you can use OneNote’s Ink Math Assistant to solve math equations. This feature will even show you the next step to solve problems as well as graph them on the page. It’s super handy for helping your kids with their homework!

Email Info To Your Notebook

How To Write Handwritten Notes In Onenote

Sometimes you don’t have the time or it isn’t convenient to open OneNote right where you are. But that doesn’t mean you can’t save reminders, receipts, or important documents to your OneNote account. Simply email the item to me@onenote.com and it will save to your account. The subject line of your email will become the title of this new note. This feature works with any email account. Just set it up once and you’re good to go.

Productivity Starts With The Right Tools

Is your business still using spreadsheets? Are you stuck copying information from one program and pasting it in another? Does your day-to-day work consist of repetitive tasks?

How To Convert Handwritten Notes In Onenote

If so, you don’t have to work that way! Contact TracSoft to learn about our application development services. We specialize in automating, integrating, and accelerating your workflow. Unlike pre-packaged solutions, our custom software does exactly what you need and in a way that works for your business.

Reach out today for a completely free app development consultation.

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Searching Handwritten Notes In Onenote

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