Handwriting Your Text

Although entering information into a presentation through the keyboard is fast and efficient, you may find that you need to enter information in handwritten form. PowerPoint provides handwriting recognition to help you convert handwriting into text. Before you can insert handwritten text into a document, you need to have a mouse, a third party electronic stylus, an ink device, or a handwriting tablet, such as Tablet PC attached to your computer. Although you can use the mouse, for best results you should use a handwriting input device. When you insert handwritten text into a document that already contains typed text, the handwritten text is converted to typed text and then inserted in line with the existing text at the point of the cursor. The program recognizes the handwriting when there is enough text for it to do so, when you reach the end of the line, or if you pause for approximately two seconds. In addition, the converted text will take on the same typeface attributes as the existing text.

Insert Handwritten Text in a Document

Open the document in which you want to insert handwritten text.

Click the Handwriting button on the Language toolbar, and then click Write Anywhere. The Write Anywhere bar opens on your screen, and the Text button is selected by default.

Click where you want to insert text.

Write your text anywhere on the presentation. The handwritten words are converted to text on your screen.

Insert Handwritten Text on a Writing Pad

Open the document you want to insert handwritten text.

Click the Handwriting button on the Language toolbar, and then click Writing Pad. The Writing Pad dialog box opens on your screen.

Click where you want to insert text.

Move the mouse cursor over the writing area of the Writing Pad dialog box, write your text. The new text is inserted into the document.

For Your Information

Using Additional Handwriting Tools

When you click the Handwriting button on the Language bar and then click the Writing Pad or Write Anywhere option, a dialog box opens on your screen with another toolbar. It has the same options that are available through the Handwriting button on the Language bar. In addition, the toolbar has the following buttons: Ink, Text, Backspace, Space, directional cursors , Enter, Tab, Recognize Now, and Write Anywhere. You use these buttons to control the input.