On a touch-enabled device, draw with your finger, a digital pen, or a mouse.
Available inking features depend on the type of device you’re using and which version of Office you’re using.
Please start by choosing your version of Office:
|
If your device is touch-enabled, the Draw tab is turned on automatically. Otherwise, turn it on by selecting File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Draw. |
Write, draw, or highlight text
The new pen set is customizable and portable. You define the pens you want to have, and they are then available in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
-
On the Draw tab of the Ribbon, tap a pen to select it.
In Word, you must be in Print layout to draw with ink. If the Draw tab is grayed out so that you can’t select a pen, go the View tab and select Print Layout.
In Outlook, first tap the body of the message and insert a drawing canvas
; then you can select a pen to draw with. -
Tap again to open the menu of Thickness and Color options for the pen. Select your preferred size and color.
-
There are five pen thickness settings ranging from .25 mm to 3.5 mm. Select a thickness or use the plus or minus sign to make your pen thicker or thinner.
-
Sixteen solid colors are available on the menu, with more available when you tap More Colors.
-
Eight effects are also available: Rainbow, Galaxy, Lava, Ocean, Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
-
-
A Pencil texture is also available:
When you draw with the Pencil texture while using a supported digital stylus, you can tilt the stylus to get a «shading» effect, just like you would get with a real pencil.
-
On the touch screen, begin writing or drawing.
Once you have drawn an ink shape, it behaves like any shape that you are used to working with in Office. You can select the shape, then you can move or copy it, change its color, pivot its position, and so on.
-
To stop inking and select your annotations, press the Esc key.
; then you can select a pen to draw with.
Convert ink to text or shapes
Word or Excel: See Convert ink to shapes in Office
PowerPoint: See Convert ink to text or shapes in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365.
More features
Select a heading below to open it and see the detailed instructions.
-
Under Draw > Tools, tap the Eraser.
(In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, you can choose from different sizes of erasers. Word has three eraser options. Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.)
-
With your pen or finger, drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
With the Segment Eraser in PowerPoint, you can simply tap a segment of ink or drag across it to remove it (rather than having to thoroughly wipe away the entire segment). Dragging across segments is an easy way to erase several at once.
Some active pens, such as the Surface pen, have an eraser that you can also use to erase digital ink.
All apps include a Draw tool on the Draw tab of the Ribbon for switching between inking mode and selection mode.
There is also an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, 
or 
for specifically for selecting objects drawn with ink. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects and you only want to select an ink object.
Applies only to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel:
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink, use the Lasso Select tool. (This tool can’t select non-ink objects—that is, shapes, pictures, etc.)
-
Under Draw > Tools on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select
or . -
With your pen or finger, drag to draw a circle around the part of the drawing or word that you want to select. A faded, dashed selection region appears around it, and when you’re done, the portion you lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, change its color, and so on.
In both Excel and PowerPoint, with a digital pen, you can select an area without even tapping the selection tool on the ribbon. Use the supported digital pen button to Lasso Select ink without visiting the ribbon. Then you can use the pen to move, resize, or rotate the ink object.
-
On the File menu, select Options, and then select Advanced.
-
In the Pen section, select the box next to Use pen to select and interact with content by default.
This setting only applies to the app in which you make it, so, for example, you can have automatic inking turned on in Visio and turned off in Word.
|
If your device is touch-enabled, the Draw tab is turned on automatically. Otherwise, turn it on by selecting File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Draw. |
Write, draw, or highlight text
The new pen set is customizable and portable. You define the pens you want to have, and they are then available in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
-
On the Draw tab of the Ribbon, tap a pen to select it.
In Word, you must be in Print layout to draw with ink. If the Draw tab is grayed out so that you can’t select a pen, go the View tab and select Print Layout.
-
Tap again to open the menu of Thickness and Color options for the pen. Select your preferred size and color.
-
There are five pen thickness settings ranging from .25 mm to 3.5 mm. Select a thickness or use the plus or minus sign to make your pen thicker or thinner.
-
Sixteen solid colors are available on the menu, with more available when you tap More Colors.
-
-
A Pencil texture is also available:
When you draw with the Pencil texture while using a supported digital stylus, you can tilt the stylus to get a «shading» effect, just like you would get with a real pencil.
-
On the touch screen, begin writing or drawing.
Once you have drawn an ink shape, it behaves like any shape that you are used to working with in Office. You can select the shape, then you can move or copy it, change its color, pivot its position, and so on.
-
To stop inking and select your annotations, either to modify or move them, pick Select
on the Draw tab.
Convert ink to text or shapes
See Convert ink to text or shapes in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365.
More features
Select a heading below to open it and see the detailed instructions.
-
Under Draw > Tools, tap the Eraser.
(In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, you can choose from four erasers. Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.)
-
With your pen or finger, drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
With the Segment Eraser in PowerPoint, you can simply tap a segment of ink or drag across it to remove it (rather than having to thoroughly wipe away the entire segment). Dragging across segments is an easy way to erase several at once.
Some active pens, such as the Surface pen, have an eraser that you can also use to erase digital ink.
When you’ve been drawing with ink, you can use Stop Inking 
on the Draw tab to change the mouse pointer back to a standard selection tool 
. The selection tool can select digital ink drawings and any other kind of objects.
PowerPoint and Excel also have an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, 
specifically for selecting objects drawn with ink. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects and you only want to select an ink object.
Applies only to PowerPoint and Excel:
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink, use the Lasso Select tool. (This tool can’t select non-ink objects—that is, shapes, pictures, etc.)
-
Under Draw > Tools on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select
. -
With your pen or finger, drag to draw a circle around the part of the drawing or word that you want to select. A faded, dashed selection region appears around it, and when you’re done, the portion you lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, change its color, and so on.
In both Excel and PowerPoint, with a digital pen, you can select an area without even tapping the selection tool on the ribbon. Use the supported digital pen button to Lasso Select ink without visiting the ribbon. Then you can use the pen to move, resize, or rotate the ink object.
-
Select File > Options > Advanced.
-
In the Pen section, select the box next to Use pen to select and interact with content by default.
This setting only applies to the app in which you make it. So, for example, you can have automatic inking turned on in Visio and turned off in Word.
Find the drawing tools
Go to the Review tab and select Start Inking to display the Ink Tools and Pens tab.
Write or draw
-
Under Ink Tools >Pens choose Pen.
-
To change the ink color and stroke width, point to the color and width (0.35mm — 0.5mm) you want.
-
On the touch screen, begin writing or drawing.
Highlight text
-
Under Ink Tools, on the Pens tab, click Highlighter, and then pick a highlight color.
-
Point and drag your pen or finger over the text that you want to highlight.
You can highlight text in Excel, Word, and Outlook, but PowerPoint doesn’t support highlighting text.
Delete whole written words or ink drawings
-
Under Ink Tools, on the Pens tab, click the arrow below Eraser, and then pick an eraser size.
-
With your pen or finger, select the word or ink drawing that you want to erase.
Drawing in OneNote
If you’re using OneNote and want to draw, see these other articles:
OneNote for Windows 10: Write notes and draw in OneNote
OneNote: Draw and sketch notes on a page
Extra features in PowerPoint
Select parts of an ink drawing or written words (PowerPoint only)
To select part of a drawing or some written words, use the Lasso tool. (You cannot use the Lasso tool to select non-ink objects (shapes, pictures, etc.).
-
Under Ink Tools, on the Pens tab, click Lasso Select.
-
With your pen or finger, drag to draw a circle around the part of the drawing or word that you want to select. A faded, dashed selection region appears around it, and when you’re done, the portion you lassoed will be selected.
Delete parts of an ink drawing or parts of written words (PowerPoint only)
-
Under Ink Tools, on the Pens tab, click the arrow below Eraser, and then pick an eraser size.
-
With your pen or finger, select parts of the ink drawing or text that you want to erase.
Convert ink drawings to shapes (PowerPoint only)
You can convert ink drawings on a touch screen into common shapes.
-
Under Ink Tools > Pens, select Convert to Shapes.
-
With a pen or your finger, draw a shape on the slide, and PowerPoint automatically converts your drawing to the shape that looks most like it.
To stop converting shapes, click Convert to Shapes again.
Which shapes can PowerPoint convert?
When you create an ink drawing, PowerPoint can convert it to the shape that is most like it.
|
Ink drawing |
Corresponding shape |
|---|---|
|
Rectangle
|
Rectangle
|
|
Square
|
Rectangle with all sides equal
|
|
Diamond
|
Diamond
|
|
Parallelogram
|
Parallelogram
|
|
Trapezoid
|
Trapezoid
|
|
Irregular quadrilateral
|
Closed freeform shape with four sides
|
|
Regular pentagon
|
Pentagon with all sides equal
|
|
Regular hexagon
|
Hexagon with all sides equal
|
|
Ellipse
|
Ellipse
|
|
Circle
|
Ellipse with shape height and width equal
|
|
Single-headed arrow
|
Arrow
|
|
Double-headed arrow
|
Double arrow
|
|
Arrows connecting two shapes
|
Arrow connectors
|
|
Right triangle
|
Triangle with right angle
|
|
Equilateral triangle
|
Triangle with all sides equal
|
|
Isosceles triangle
|
Triangle with two equal sides
|
|
Irregular triangle
|
Closed freeform with three sides. |
For more information about using Office with Windows touch devices, see the following:
-
Office Touch Guide
-
Read documents in Word
Write, draw, or highlight text
On the Mac, these features are only available in Microsoft 365 and Office 2019 for Mac.
-
On the Draw tab of the Ribbon, tap a pen to select it.
-
Tap again to open the menu of Thickness and Color options for the pen. Select your preferred size and color.
-
There are five pen thickness settings ranging from .25 mm to 3.5 mm. Select a thickness to make your pen thicker or thinner.
-
Sixteen solid colors are available on the menu, with more available when you tap More Colors.
-
Eight effects are also available: Rainbow, Galaxy, Lava, Ocean, Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
-
-
A Pencil texture is also available:
When you draw with the Pencil texture while using a supported digital stylus, you can tilt the stylus to get a «shading» effect, just like you would get with a real pencil.
-
Once you have drawn an ink shape, it behaves like any shape that you are used to working with in Office. You can select the shape, then you can move or copy it, change its color, pivot its position, and so on.
-
To stop inking and select your annotations, press the Esc key.
Touch drawing with a trackpad
Rather than drawing ink with your mouse, you can draw on a trackpad with your finger. See Use your trackpad for «touch» drawing for more information.
Erase ink
-
Under Draw > Tools, tap the Eraser.
(In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac, you can choose from different sizes of erasers. Word has three eraser options (version 16.28 or newer). Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.)
-
With your mouse, pen, or finger, drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
Additional procedures
Select a heading below to open it and see the detailed instructions.
PowerPoint and Excel also have an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, specifically for selecting objects drawn with ink. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects and you only want to select an ink object.
Applies only to PowerPoint and Excel:
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink, use the Lasso Select tool. (This tool can’t select non-ink objects—that is, shapes, pictures, etc.)
-
Under Draw > Tools on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select
. -
With your mouse, pen, or finger, drag to draw a circle around the part of the drawing or word that you want to select. A faded, dashed selection region appears around it, and when you’re done, the portion you lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, change its color, and so on.
-
On the PowerPoint, Word, or Excel menu, select Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools > General.
-
In the Pen section, clear the box next to Use pen to select and interact with content by default.
This setting only applies to the current app. So, for example, you can have automatic inking turned on in Excel and turned off in Word.
Basic inking tools
Word for iOS, Excel for iOS, and PowerPoint for iOS all come with basic inking options on the Draw tab: a selection tool, a draw-with-touch tool, a stroke eraser, pens, multiple ink colors, and ink thickness options:
If you’re working in OneNote on your iPad, see Handwrite, draw, and sketch.
Draw or write
By default, Draw with Mouse or Touch (or «Inking mode») is turned on when you are using a mobile device. Just tap the Draw tab, select a pen 
, and you can begin drawing ink on a slide.
To change the settings on a pen:
-
Tap again to open the menu of thickness and color options for the pen. Select your preferred size and color:
-
There are five pen thickness settings ranging from .25 mm to 3.5 mm. Select a thickness or use the plus or minus sign to make your pen thicker or thinner.
-
Sixteen solid colors are available on the menu, with more available when you tap More Ink Colors.
-
(For Microsoft 365 subscribers only) Eight effects are also available: Rainbow, Galaxy, Lava, Ocean, Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
A Pencil texture is now available:
The Apple Pencil is sensitive to pressure, which allows you to vary line thickness. It’s also sensitive to tilt, which allows you to create shading, as you can with a tilted lead pencil.
-
-
On the touch screen, begin writing or drawing.
Once you have drawn an ink shape, it behaves like any shape that you are used to working with in Office. You can select the shape, then you can move or copy it, change its color, pivot its position, and so on.
-
To stop inking and select your annotations, either to modify or move them, turn off Draw with Touch on the Draw tab. Turning off this feature also keeps you from making accidental ink marks when your hand touches the screen.
Watch a video overview of the inking features in iPhone and iPad:
2:47
Select
On an iOS device, Inking mode is turned on when you have selected a pen or highlighter on the Draw tab. Otherwise, you are in Select mode, and you can tap to select an object.
(If you’re using an Apple Pencil on an iPad Pro device, you can make Select mode the default by going to app settings.)
PowerPoint and Excel have an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, 
specifically for selecting objects drawn with ink. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects on a slide and you only want to select an ink object.
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink in PowerPoint or Excel, use the Lasso Select tool:
-
On the Draw tab on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select
. -
With your pen or finger, drag to encircle the ink that you want to select.
A faded, dashed selection region appears as you drag, and when you’re done, the portion you’ve lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, copy it, delete it, and so on.
Erase
-
On the Draw tab, tap the Eraser.
Word has three erasers to choose from—a stroke eraser, a small eraser, or a medium eraser. Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.
PowerPoint has those three erasers plus one more: With the Segment Eraser, you can simply tap a segment of ink or drag across it to remove it (rather than having to thoroughly wipe away the entire segment). Dragging across segments is an easy way to erase several at once.
-
Drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
Switch tools with the new Apple Pencil
Office for iOS supports the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil and its double-tap gesture. By default, the double-tap gesture switches from the current tool to the eraser, but the System settings on your device allow you to choose a different behavior for this gesture. This feature is available to Microsoft 365 subscribers in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on iPad version 2.22.19020201 and later.
Turn off automatic inking
-
Open the Settings app from the home screen of your iOS device.
-
Scroll through the list of apps at the bottom of the Settings page to find your Microsoft 365 app, and tap to open its Settings.
-
In the app settings on the right side, at the bottom under Draw and Annotate, toggle Apple Pencil Always Draws Ink.
For more information, see Turn off automatic inking on iOS.
Convert ink drawings to standard shapes in PowerPoint
In PowerPoint, you can convert ink drawings on a touch screen into common shapes:
-
Ensure that Draw with Mouse or Touch
is turned on. -
Tap Ink to Shapes
-
With a pen or your finger, draw a shape on the slide. When you finish drawing, PowerPoint automatically converts your drawing to the shape that looks most like it.
To stop converting shapes, tap Ink to Shapes again.
is turned on.
Basic inking tools
Word for Android, Excel for Android, and PowerPoint for Android all come with basic inking options on the Draw tab: a selection tool, a draw-with-touch tool, a stroke eraser, pens, ink colors and a color wheel, and ink thickness options:
Draw or write
By default, Draw with Mouse or Touch (or «Inking mode») is turned on when you are using a mobile device. Just tap the Draw tab, select a pen 
, and you can begin drawing ink on a slide.
Select
On an Android device, Inking mode is turned on when you have selected a pen or highlighter on the Draw tab. Otherwise, you are in Select mode, and you can tap to select an object.
PowerPoint and Excel have an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, specifically for selecting ink drawings. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects and you only want to select an ink object.
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink in PowerPoint or Excel, use the Lasso Select tool.
-
On the Draw tab on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select
. -
With your pen or finger, drag to encircle the ink that you want to select.
A faded, dashed selection region appears as you drag, and when you’re done, the portion you’ve lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, copy it, delete it, and so on.
Erase
-
On the Draw tab, tap the Eraser.
(In PowerPoint, you can choose from three erasers—a stroke eraser, or a small or medium eraser. Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.)
-
Drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
Some active pens, such as the Surface pen, have an eraser that you can also use to erase digital ink without having to select an eraser from the Ribbon.
Convert ink drawings to standard shapes in PowerPoint
In PowerPoint, you can convert ink drawings on a touch screen into common shapes:
-
Ensure that Draw with Mouse or Touch
is turned on. -
Tap Ink to Shapes
-
With a pen or your finger, draw a shape on the slide. When you finish drawing, PowerPoint automatically converts your drawing to the shape that looks most like it.
To stop converting shapes, tap Ink to Shapes again.
Annotate with ink while showing a presentation
In PowerPoint, you can add ink markings to a slide while you are presenting:
Basic inking tools
Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, and PowerPoint Mobile all come with basic inking options on the Draw tab: a selection tool, a draw-with-touch tool, a stroke eraser, pens, multiple ink colors, and ink thickness options:
If you’re working in OneNote for Windows 10, see Write notes and draw in OneNote for Windows 10.
Draw or write
By default, Draw with Touch (or «Inking mode») is turned on when you are using a mobile device. Just tap the Draw tab, select a pen 
, and you can begin drawing ink on a slide.
The Draw tab in Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, and PowerPoint Mobile for Windows 10 is similar to the desktop versions of each app. Before you can use the drawing features, be sure to update to the latest version of Windows 10. To do this, select the Windows button in the lower-left corner of your screen, and select Settings > Update & security > Windows Update. Click Check for updates to get the latest updates.
To change the settings on a pen:
-
Tap again to open the menu of thickness and color options for the pen. Select your preferred size and color:
-
There are five pen thickness settings ranging from .25 mm to 3.5 mm. Select a thickness or use the plus or minus sign to make your pen thicker or thinner.
-
Sixteen solid colors are available on the menu, with more available when you tap More Ink Colors.
-
Eight effects are also available: Rainbow, Galaxy, Lava, Ocean, Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
-
-
On the touch screen, begin writing or drawing.
Once you have drawn an ink shape, it behaves like any shape that you are used to working with in Office. You can select the shape, then you can move or copy it, change its color, pivot its position, and so on.
-
To stop inking and select your annotations, either to modify or move them, turn off Draw with Touch on the Draw tab. Turning off this feature also keeps you from making accidental ink marks when your hand touches the screen.
Select
Inking mode is turned on when you have selected a pen or highlighter on the Draw tab. Otherwise, you are in Select mode, and you can tap to select an object.
PowerPoint Mobile and Excel Mobile also have an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, , specifically for selecting objects drawn with ink. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects and you only want to select an ink object.
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink in PowerPoint or Excel:
-
On the Draw tab on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select
. -
With your pen or finger, drag to encircle the ink that you want to select.
A faded, dashed selection region appears as you drag, and when you’re done, the portion you’ve lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, copy it, delete it, and so on.
Erase
-
On the Draw tab, tap the Eraser.
(In PowerPoint, you can choose from three erasers—a stroke eraser, or a small or medium eraser. Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.)
-
Drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
Convert ink drawings to standard shapes in PowerPoint
In PowerPoint, you can convert ink drawings on a touch screen into common shapes:
-
Ensure that Draw with Mouse or Touch
is turned on. -
Tap Ink to Shapes
-
With a pen or your finger, draw a shape on the slide. When you finish drawing, PowerPoint automatically converts your drawing to the shape that looks most like it.
To stop converting shapes, tap Ink to Shapes again.
Open the Draw tab on Windows 10 Mobile phones
Here’s how to see the Draw tab in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on Windows 10 Mobile phones.
-
Select the More button
in the lower-right corner of the screen. -
Pick the Draw tab.
in the lower-right corner of the screen.
Write, draw, or highlight text in PowerPoint
-
On the Draw tab of the ribbon tap a pen to select it.
-
If you want to customize the pen tap the drop arrow next to the pen on the ribbon and select the thickness, and color, you want.
The Draw menu lets you have two separate pens available, plus a highlighter.
Stop inking
After you’ve drawn what you want, you can stop inking and return to selection mode by pressing the Esc key.
Erase ink
Select the eraser from the pens gallery on the Draw tab, then swipe your cursor across the ink you want to erase. This is a stroke eraser, which means it will erase entire ink strokes at a time.
See Also
Languages supported for ink-to-text conversion
Turn off automatic inking on Windows or iOS
On a touch-enabled device, draw with your finger, a digital pen, or a mouse.
Available inking features depend on the type of device you’re using and which version of Office you’re using.
Please start by choosing your version of Office:
|
|
If your device is touch-enabled, the Draw tab is turned on automatically. Otherwise, turn it on by selecting File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Draw. |
Write, draw, or highlight text
The new pen set is customizable and portable. You define the pens you want to have, and they are then available in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
-
On the Draw tab of the Ribbon, tap a pen to select it.
In Word, you must be in Print layout to draw with ink. If the Draw tab is grayed out so that you can’t select a pen, go the View tab and select Print Layout.
In Outlook, first tap the body of the message and insert a drawing canvas
; then you can select a pen to draw with. -
Tap again to open the menu of Thickness and Color options for the pen. Select your preferred size and color.
-
There are five pen thickness settings ranging from .25 mm to 3.5 mm. Select a thickness or use the plus or minus sign to make your pen thicker or thinner.
-
Sixteen solid colors are available on the menu, with more available when you tap More Colors.
-
Eight effects are also available: Rainbow, Galaxy, Lava, Ocean, Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
-
-
A Pencil texture is also available:
When you draw with the Pencil texture while using a supported digital stylus, you can tilt the stylus to get a «shading» effect, just like you would get with a real pencil.
-
On the touch screen, begin writing or drawing.
Once you have drawn an ink shape, it behaves like any shape that you are used to working with in Office. You can select the shape, then you can move or copy it, change its color, pivot its position, and so on.
-
To stop inking and select your annotations, press the Esc key.
Convert ink to text or shapes
Word or Excel: See Convert ink to shapes in Office
PowerPoint: See Convert ink to text or shapes in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365.
More features
Select a heading below to open it and see the detailed instructions.
-
Under Draw > Tools, tap the Eraser.
(In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, you can choose from different sizes of erasers. Word has three eraser options. Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.)
-
With your pen or finger, drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
With the Segment Eraser in PowerPoint, you can simply tap a segment of ink or drag across it to remove it (rather than having to thoroughly wipe away the entire segment). Dragging across segments is an easy way to erase several at once.
Some active pens, such as the Surface pen, have an eraser that you can also use to erase digital ink.
All apps include a Draw tool on the Draw tab of the Ribbon for switching between inking mode and selection mode.
There is also an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, or for specifically for selecting objects drawn with ink. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects and you only want to select an ink object.
Applies only to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel:
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink, use the Lasso Select tool. (This tool can’t select non-ink objects—that is, shapes, pictures, etc.)
-
Under Draw > Tools on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select
or . -
With your pen or finger, drag to draw a circle around the part of the drawing or word that you want to select. A faded, dashed selection region appears around it, and when you’re done, the portion you lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, change its color, and so on.
In both Excel and PowerPoint, with a digital pen, you can select an area without even tapping the selection tool on the ribbon. Use the supported digital pen button to Lasso Select ink without visiting the ribbon. Then you can use the pen to move, resize, or rotate the ink object.
-
On the File menu, select Options, and then select Advanced.
-
In the Pen section, select the box next to Use pen to select and interact with content by default.
This setting only applies to the app in which you make it, so, for example, you can have automatic inking turned on in Visio and turned off in Word.
|
|
If your device is touch-enabled, the Draw tab is turned on automatically. Otherwise, turn it on by selecting File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Draw. |
Write, draw, or highlight text
The new pen set is customizable and portable. You define the pens you want to have, and they are then available in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
-
On the Draw tab of the Ribbon, tap a pen to select it.
In Word, you must be in Print layout to draw with ink. If the Draw tab is grayed out so that you can’t select a pen, go the View tab and select Print Layout.
-
Tap again to open the menu of Thickness and Color options for the pen. Select your preferred size and color.
-
There are five pen thickness settings ranging from .25 mm to 3.5 mm. Select a thickness or use the plus or minus sign to make your pen thicker or thinner.
-
Sixteen solid colors are available on the menu, with more available when you tap More Colors.
-
-
A Pencil texture is also available:
When you draw with the Pencil texture while using a supported digital stylus, you can tilt the stylus to get a «shading» effect, just like you would get with a real pencil.
-
On the touch screen, begin writing or drawing.
Once you have drawn an ink shape, it behaves like any shape that you are used to working with in Office. You can select the shape, then you can move or copy it, change its color, pivot its position, and so on.
-
To stop inking and select your annotations, either to modify or move them, pick Select
on the Draw tab.
Convert ink to text or shapes
See Convert ink to text or shapes in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365.
More features
Select a heading below to open it and see the detailed instructions.
-
Under Draw > Tools, tap the Eraser.
(In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, you can choose from four erasers. Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.)
-
With your pen or finger, drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
With the Segment Eraser in PowerPoint, you can simply tap a segment of ink or drag across it to remove it (rather than having to thoroughly wipe away the entire segment). Dragging across segments is an easy way to erase several at once.
Some active pens, such as the Surface pen, have an eraser that you can also use to erase digital ink.
When you’ve been drawing with ink, you can use Stop Inking on the Draw tab to change the mouse pointer back to a standard selection tool . The selection tool can select digital ink drawings and any other kind of objects.
PowerPoint and Excel also have an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, specifically for selecting objects drawn with ink. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects and you only want to select an ink object.
Applies only to PowerPoint and Excel:
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink, use the Lasso Select tool. (This tool can’t select non-ink objects—that is, shapes, pictures, etc.)
-
Under Draw > Tools on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select
. -
With your pen or finger, drag to draw a circle around the part of the drawing or word that you want to select. A faded, dashed selection region appears around it, and when you’re done, the portion you lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, change its color, and so on.
In both Excel and PowerPoint, with a digital pen, you can select an area without even tapping the selection tool on the ribbon. Use the supported digital pen button to Lasso Select ink without visiting the ribbon. Then you can use the pen to move, resize, or rotate the ink object.
-
Select File > Options > Advanced.
-
In the Pen section, select the box next to Use pen to select and interact with content by default.
This setting only applies to the app in which you make it. So, for example, you can have automatic inking turned on in Visio and turned off in Word.
Find the drawing tools
Go to the Review tab and select Start Inking to display the Ink Tools and Pens tab.
Write or draw
-
Under Ink Tools >Pens choose Pen.
-
To change the ink color and stroke width, point to the color and width (0.35mm — 0.5mm) you want.
-
On the touch screen, begin writing or drawing.
Highlight text
-
Under Ink Tools, on the Pens tab, click Highlighter, and then pick a highlight color.
-
Point and drag your pen or finger over the text that you want to highlight.
You can highlight text in Excel, Word, and Outlook, but PowerPoint doesn’t support highlighting text.
Delete whole written words or ink drawings
-
Under Ink Tools, on the Pens tab, click the arrow below Eraser, and then pick an eraser size.
-
With your pen or finger, select the word or ink drawing that you want to erase.
Drawing in OneNote
If you’re using OneNote and want to draw, see these other articles:
OneNote for Windows 10: Write notes and draw in OneNote
OneNote: Draw and sketch notes on a page
Extra features in PowerPoint
Select parts of an ink drawing or written words (PowerPoint only)
To select part of a drawing or some written words, use the Lasso tool. (You cannot use the Lasso tool to select non-ink objects (shapes, pictures, etc.).
-
Under Ink Tools, on the Pens tab, click Lasso Select.
-
With your pen or finger, drag to draw a circle around the part of the drawing or word that you want to select. A faded, dashed selection region appears around it, and when you’re done, the portion you lassoed will be selected.
Delete parts of an ink drawing or parts of written words (PowerPoint only)
-
Under Ink Tools, on the Pens tab, click the arrow below Eraser, and then pick an eraser size.
-
With your pen or finger, select parts of the ink drawing or text that you want to erase.
Convert ink drawings to shapes (PowerPoint only)
You can convert ink drawings on a touch screen into common shapes.
-
Under Ink Tools > Pens, select Convert to Shapes.
-
With a pen or your finger, draw a shape on the slide, and PowerPoint automatically converts your drawing to the shape that looks most like it.
To stop converting shapes, click Convert to Shapes again.
Which shapes can PowerPoint convert?
When you create an ink drawing, PowerPoint can convert it to the shape that is most like it.
|
Ink drawing |
Corresponding shape |
|---|---|
|
Rectangle
|
Rectangle
|
|
Square
|
Rectangle with all sides equal
|
|
Diamond
|
Diamond
|
|
Parallelogram
|
Parallelogram
|
|
Trapezoid
|
Trapezoid
|
|
Irregular quadrilateral
|
Closed freeform shape with four sides
|
|
Regular pentagon
|
Pentagon with all sides equal
|
|
Regular hexagon
|
Hexagon with all sides equal
|
|
Ellipse
|
Ellipse
|
|
Circle
|
Ellipse with shape height and width equal
|
|
Single-headed arrow
|
Arrow
|
|
Double-headed arrow
|
Double arrow
|
|
Arrows connecting two shapes
|
Arrow connectors
|
|
Right triangle
|
Triangle with right angle
|
|
Equilateral triangle
|
Triangle with all sides equal
|
|
Isosceles triangle
|
Triangle with two equal sides
|
|
Irregular triangle
|
Closed freeform with three sides. |
For more information about using Office with Windows touch devices, see the following:
-
Office Touch Guide
-
Read documents in Word
Write, draw, or highlight text
On the Mac, these features are only available in Microsoft 365 and Office 2019 for Mac.
-
On the Draw tab of the Ribbon, tap a pen to select it.
-
Tap again to open the menu of Thickness and Color options for the pen. Select your preferred size and color.
-
There are five pen thickness settings ranging from .25 mm to 3.5 mm. Select a thickness to make your pen thicker or thinner.
-
Sixteen solid colors are available on the menu, with more available when you tap More Colors.
-
Eight effects are also available: Rainbow, Galaxy, Lava, Ocean, Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
-
-
A Pencil texture is also available:
When you draw with the Pencil texture while using a supported digital stylus, you can tilt the stylus to get a «shading» effect, just like you would get with a real pencil.
-
Once you have drawn an ink shape, it behaves like any shape that you are used to working with in Office. You can select the shape, then you can move or copy it, change its color, pivot its position, and so on.
-
To stop inking and select your annotations, press the Esc key.
Touch drawing with a trackpad
Rather than drawing ink with your mouse, you can draw on a trackpad with your finger. See Use your trackpad for «touch» drawing for more information.
Erase ink
-
Under Draw > Tools, tap the Eraser.
(In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac, you can choose from different sizes of erasers. Word has three eraser options (version 16.28 or newer). Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.)
-
With your mouse, pen, or finger, drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
Additional procedures
Select a heading below to open it and see the detailed instructions.
PowerPoint and Excel also have an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, specifically for selecting objects drawn with ink. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects and you only want to select an ink object.
Applies only to PowerPoint and Excel:
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink, use the Lasso Select tool. (This tool can’t select non-ink objects—that is, shapes, pictures, etc.)
-
Under Draw > Tools on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select
. -
With your mouse, pen, or finger, drag to draw a circle around the part of the drawing or word that you want to select. A faded, dashed selection region appears around it, and when you’re done, the portion you lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, change its color, and so on.
-
On the PowerPoint, Word, or Excel menu, select Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools > General.
-
In the Pen section, clear the box next to Use pen to select and interact with content by default.
This setting only applies to the current app. So, for example, you can have automatic inking turned on in Excel and turned off in Word.
Basic inking tools
Word for iOS, Excel for iOS, and PowerPoint for iOS all come with basic inking options on the Draw tab: a selection tool, a draw-with-touch tool, a stroke eraser, pens, multiple ink colors, and ink thickness options:
If you’re working in OneNote on your iPad, see Handwrite, draw, and sketch.
Draw or write
By default, Draw with Mouse or Touch (or «Inking mode») is turned on when you are using a mobile device. Just tap the Draw tab, select a pen , and you can begin drawing ink on a slide.
To change the settings on a pen:
-
Tap again to open the menu of thickness and color options for the pen. Select your preferred size and color:
-
There are five pen thickness settings ranging from .25 mm to 3.5 mm. Select a thickness or use the plus or minus sign to make your pen thicker or thinner.
-
Sixteen solid colors are available on the menu, with more available when you tap More Ink Colors.
-
(For Microsoft 365 subscribers only) Eight effects are also available: Rainbow, Galaxy, Lava, Ocean, Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
A Pencil texture is now available:
The Apple Pencil is sensitive to pressure, which allows you to vary line thickness. It’s also sensitive to tilt, which allows you to create shading, as you can with a tilted lead pencil.
-
-
On the touch screen, begin writing or drawing.
Once you have drawn an ink shape, it behaves like any shape that you are used to working with in Office. You can select the shape, then you can move or copy it, change its color, pivot its position, and so on.
-
To stop inking and select your annotations, either to modify or move them, turn off Draw with Touch on the Draw tab. Turning off this feature also keeps you from making accidental ink marks when your hand touches the screen.
Watch a video overview of the inking features in iPhone and iPad:
2:47
Select
On an iOS device, Inking mode is turned on when you have selected a pen or highlighter on the Draw tab. Otherwise, you are in Select mode, and you can tap to select an object.
(If you’re using an Apple Pencil on an iPad Pro device, you can make Select mode the default by going to app settings.)
PowerPoint and Excel have an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, specifically for selecting objects drawn with ink. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects on a slide and you only want to select an ink object.
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink in PowerPoint or Excel, use the Lasso Select tool:
-
On the Draw tab on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select
. -
With your pen or finger, drag to encircle the ink that you want to select.
A faded, dashed selection region appears as you drag, and when you’re done, the portion you’ve lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, copy it, delete it, and so on.
Erase
-
On the Draw tab, tap the Eraser.
Word has three erasers to choose from—a stroke eraser, a small eraser, or a medium eraser. Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.
PowerPoint has those three erasers plus one more: With the Segment Eraser, you can simply tap a segment of ink or drag across it to remove it (rather than having to thoroughly wipe away the entire segment). Dragging across segments is an easy way to erase several at once.
-
Drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
Switch tools with the new Apple Pencil
Office for iOS supports the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil and its double-tap gesture. By default, the double-tap gesture switches from the current tool to the eraser, but the System settings on your device allow you to choose a different behavior for this gesture. This feature is available to Microsoft 365 subscribers in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on iPad version 2.22.19020201 and later.
Turn off automatic inking
-
Open the Settings app from the home screen of your iOS device.
-
Scroll through the list of apps at the bottom of the Settings page to find your Microsoft 365 app, and tap to open its Settings.
-
In the app settings on the right side, at the bottom under Draw and Annotate, toggle Apple Pencil Always Draws Ink.
For more information, see Turn off automatic inking on iOS.
Convert ink drawings to standard shapes in PowerPoint
In PowerPoint, you can convert ink drawings on a touch screen into common shapes:
-
Ensure that Draw with Mouse or Touch
is turned on. -
Tap Ink to Shapes
-
With a pen or your finger, draw a shape on the slide. When you finish drawing, PowerPoint automatically converts your drawing to the shape that looks most like it.
To stop converting shapes, tap Ink to Shapes again.
Basic inking tools
Word for Android, Excel for Android, and PowerPoint for Android all come with basic inking options on the Draw tab: a selection tool, a draw-with-touch tool, a stroke eraser, pens, ink colors and a color wheel, and ink thickness options:
Draw or write
By default, Draw with Mouse or Touch (or «Inking mode») is turned on when you are using a mobile device. Just tap the Draw tab, select a pen , and you can begin drawing ink on a slide.
Select
On an Android device, Inking mode is turned on when you have selected a pen or highlighter on the Draw tab. Otherwise, you are in Select mode, and you can tap to select an object.
PowerPoint and Excel have an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, specifically for selecting ink drawings. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects and you only want to select an ink object.
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink in PowerPoint or Excel, use the Lasso Select tool.
-
On the Draw tab on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select
. -
With your pen or finger, drag to encircle the ink that you want to select.
A faded, dashed selection region appears as you drag, and when you’re done, the portion you’ve lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, copy it, delete it, and so on.
Erase
-
On the Draw tab, tap the Eraser.
(In PowerPoint, you can choose from three erasers—a stroke eraser, or a small or medium eraser. Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.)
-
Drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
Some active pens, such as the Surface pen, have an eraser that you can also use to erase digital ink without having to select an eraser from the Ribbon.
Convert ink drawings to standard shapes in PowerPoint
In PowerPoint, you can convert ink drawings on a touch screen into common shapes:
-
Ensure that Draw with Mouse or Touch
is turned on. -
Tap Ink to Shapes
-
With a pen or your finger, draw a shape on the slide. When you finish drawing, PowerPoint automatically converts your drawing to the shape that looks most like it.
To stop converting shapes, tap Ink to Shapes again.
Annotate with ink while showing a presentation
In PowerPoint, you can add ink markings to a slide while you are presenting:
Basic inking tools
Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, and PowerPoint Mobile all come with basic inking options on the Draw tab: a selection tool, a draw-with-touch tool, a stroke eraser, pens, multiple ink colors, and ink thickness options:
If you’re working in OneNote for Windows 10, see Write notes and draw in OneNote for Windows 10.
Draw or write
By default, Draw with Touch (or «Inking mode») is turned on when you are using a mobile device. Just tap the Draw tab, select a pen , and you can begin drawing ink on a slide.
The Draw tab in Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, and PowerPoint Mobile for Windows 10 is similar to the desktop versions of each app. Before you can use the drawing features, be sure to update to the latest version of Windows 10. To do this, select the Windows button in the lower-left corner of your screen, and select Settings > Update & security > Windows Update. Click Check for updates to get the latest updates.
To change the settings on a pen:
-
Tap again to open the menu of thickness and color options for the pen. Select your preferred size and color:
-
There are five pen thickness settings ranging from .25 mm to 3.5 mm. Select a thickness or use the plus or minus sign to make your pen thicker or thinner.
-
Sixteen solid colors are available on the menu, with more available when you tap More Ink Colors.
-
Eight effects are also available: Rainbow, Galaxy, Lava, Ocean, Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
-
-
On the touch screen, begin writing or drawing.
Once you have drawn an ink shape, it behaves like any shape that you are used to working with in Office. You can select the shape, then you can move or copy it, change its color, pivot its position, and so on.
-
To stop inking and select your annotations, either to modify or move them, turn off Draw with Touch on the Draw tab. Turning off this feature also keeps you from making accidental ink marks when your hand touches the screen.
Select
Inking mode is turned on when you have selected a pen or highlighter on the Draw tab. Otherwise, you are in Select mode, and you can tap to select an object.
PowerPoint Mobile and Excel Mobile also have an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, , specifically for selecting objects drawn with ink. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects and you only want to select an ink object.
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink in PowerPoint or Excel:
-
On the Draw tab on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select
. -
With your pen or finger, drag to encircle the ink that you want to select.
A faded, dashed selection region appears as you drag, and when you’re done, the portion you’ve lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, copy it, delete it, and so on.
Erase
-
On the Draw tab, tap the Eraser.
(In PowerPoint, you can choose from three erasers—a stroke eraser, or a small or medium eraser. Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.)
-
Drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
Convert ink drawings to standard shapes in PowerPoint
In PowerPoint, you can convert ink drawings on a touch screen into common shapes:
-
Ensure that Draw with Mouse or Touch
is turned on. -
Tap Ink to Shapes
-
With a pen or your finger, draw a shape on the slide. When you finish drawing, PowerPoint automatically converts your drawing to the shape that looks most like it.
To stop converting shapes, tap Ink to Shapes again.
Open the Draw tab on Windows 10 Mobile phones
Here’s how to see the Draw tab in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on Windows 10 Mobile phones.
-
Select the More button
in the lower-right corner of the screen. -
Pick the Draw tab.
Write, draw, or highlight text in PowerPoint
-
On the Draw tab of the ribbon tap a pen to select it.
-
If you want to customize the pen tap the drop arrow next to the pen on the ribbon and select the thickness, and color, you want.
The Draw menu lets you have two separate pens available, plus a highlighter.
Stop inking
After you’ve drawn what you want, you can stop inking and return to selection mode by pressing the Esc key.
Erase ink
Select the eraser from the pens gallery on the Draw tab, then swipe your cursor across the ink you want to erase. This is a stroke eraser, which means it will erase entire ink strokes at a time.
See Also
Languages supported for ink-to-text conversion
Turn off automatic inking on Windows or iOS
Contents
- 1 How do I enable Windows Ink?
- 2 How do I use Windows workspace ink in Word?
- 3 Can I use Windows Ink on my laptop?
- 4 How do I use the pen in Windows 10?
- 5 What can Windows ink do?
- 6 How do I use ink in Word?
- 7 What pen works with Windows ink?
- 8 Why can’t I start inking in Word?
- 9 Do you need a touch screen for Windows ink?
- 10 Is Windows ink good for drawing?
- 11 How do I write with a pen on my computer?
- 12 What is pen and windows ink in Windows 10?
- 13 What does inking mean on a computer?
- 14 How do I know if I have Windows ink?
- 15 How do you get ink off Windows?
- 16 Can you draw in Microsoft Word?
- 17 How do you scribble on word?
- 18 Does Apple pencil work with Windows Ink?
- 19 How does Microsoft pen work?
- 20 What does a bamboo pen do?
How do I enable Windows Ink?
Activate the Ink Workspace with a right-click. Right-click anywhere on the taskbar and from the context menu select Show Windows Ink Workspace button. An icon of a pen writing in an “S” shape will appear in the notifications area to the far right. Click on that and the Ink Workspace appears.
How do I use Windows workspace ink in Word?
Open Settings/Devices and choose the Pen & Windows Ink section; under Handwriting turn on ‘Write in the handwriting panel with your fingertip’. Then tap the icon for the touch keyboard in the taskbar (if you don’t see it, right-click on the taskbar and turn it on) and change the keyboard type to handwriting.
Can I use Windows Ink on my laptop?
You can use Windows Ink Workspace on any Windows 10 PC, with or without a touchscreen. Having a touchscreen allows you to write on the screen with your finger in the Sketchpad or Screen Sketch apps.We didn’t have a pen to test on our Windows 10 touchscreen laptop.
How do I use the pen in Windows 10?
Tap the keyboard button at the bottom right corner of the touch keyboard. Tap the handwriting keyboard icon, which looks like a pen over an empty panel. The handwriting input keyboard appears. By default, it spans the entire width of your display.
What can Windows ink do?
Windows Ink is compatible with the most popular Microsoft Office apps. It supports tasks like deleting or highlighting words in Microsoft Word, writing a math problem and having Windows solve it in OneNote, and even marking up slides in PowerPoint. Many Microsoft Store apps support Windows Ink.
How do I use ink in Word?
To use inking in Word 2016, go to the Review tab and click on the Start inking icon. When you do that, Word will display a Pens tab, similar to the one shown in the previous figure. You can use this tab to choose ink color, pen thickness, etc. Inking is a little bit more straightforward in Word Mobile.
What pen works with Windows ink?
Bamboo ink
One pen for many devices Bamboo ink is optimized for Windows ink and it works with a broad range of pen-enabled devices. The stylus is preset for the Wacom AES protocol. If you’re using a device with Microsoft Pen Protocol (mpp), simply press and hold both side buttons for two seconds for switching.
Why can’t I start inking in Word?
In Word, you must be in Print layout to draw with ink. If the Draw tab is grayed out so that you can’t select a pen, go the View tab and select Print Layout. Tap again to open the menu of Thickness and Color options for the pen.
Do you need a touch screen for Windows ink?
To use Windows Ink, you’ll naturally need a computer that has a touchscreen. This is often a two-in-one tablet/laptop PC, but can also work with a touchscreen monitor. You can enable Windows Ink on a computer without a touchscreen, but it’s obviously much less useful.
Is Windows ink good for drawing?
Windows Ink is good at detecting the palm of your hand, so you won’t suddenly get a black stain all over your drawing. Depending on your stylus, Sketchbook supports multiple pressure points, so I could also work on the fine details. It’s not a replacement for a drawing pad or good old pen and paper, though.
How do I write with a pen on my computer?
Press and hold the stylus button while keeping the stylus on the screen. As you hover or point the mouse on the screen — without touching the screen — you see a pen pointer appear. This tiny target is called the pen cursor. It’s easier to navigate menus when you hover the pen, as opposed to dragging the pen.
What is pen and windows ink in Windows 10?
Windows Ink is part of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update and lets you capture ideas quickly and naturally with a pen or touch-enabled device.
What does inking mean on a computer?
Inking (comic book production) Pen computing, a computer input method using a stylus. A real-time computer graphics technique of outlining the edges of a model.
How do I know if I have Windows ink?
If your device has a pen digitizer in the screen, the system tray icon for the feature is turned on by default. If you don’t see the system tray icon, right click the taskbar and select “Show Windows Ink Workspace button”. You don’t need pen capabilities on your machine to access Windows Ink Workspace.
How do you get ink off Windows?
To do this, head to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Turn System Icons On or Off. Locate the Windows Ink Workspace icon here and set it to “Off”.
Can you draw in Microsoft Word?
You can draw freely in Microsoft Word using the “Draw” feature whether you have Word for Mac or Windows. You can also insert customizable shapes into your document, or draw using the “Scribble” feature. The process of drawing in Word varies based on which version of Word and device you’re using.
How do you scribble on word?
How to draw in Word
- Click the ‘Shapes’ button and select ‘Scribble’ Open up your Microsoft Word document.
- Hold down your mouse to draw. Click and hold down your mouse to draw.
- Release the mouse. As soon as you release your mouse, the drawing will be finished.
- Edit your drawing. Double-click your drawing.
Does Apple pencil work with Windows Ink?
Popular Mac-to-Windows desktop virtualization software Parallels is adding native support for DirectX 11 as well as upcoming macOS Catalina tentpole features like Sidecar, developer Corel announced on Tuesday.Similarly, Apple Pencil owners will be able to use their stylus in Windows programs like Microsoft Sketch Pad.
How does Microsoft pen work?
When you bring your Surface Pen close to the touchscreen, a point appears on the screen, and the screen will ignore other input (like your hand or a mouse). Then write or draw on your screen like you would with a regular pen and paper.
What does a bamboo pen do?
A smart stylus for writing, note-taking and annotating, for Windows Ink. Need an intuitive tool to get words on screen? Bamboo Ink is the natural choice. This digital pen is the hassle-free way to capture your thoughts, take notes and mark up documents.
Hi everyone, in this article, we will show you how to use the ink features in MS Office. Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications developed specifically by Microsoft for business use. It is a trademarked product of Microsoft Corporation and was first released in 1990. For decades, MS Office has been the dominant model in delivering modern office document processing software environments. So without further delay, let’s get started.
If you like to doodle words, shapes, or equations, you can use Microsoft Office’s ink features to transform these elements. Ink to Text, Ink to Shape, and Ink to Math let you turn your doodles into usable elements. Another handy ink feature is Ink Replay. It lets you replay drawings from start to finish. This is handy for documents, spreadsheets, or slides with handwritten annotations that you want to decipher. You can also get MS office for free
How to Use Ink Features in Microsoft Office
How to use Ink to Shape in Word
Step 1: Assume the images are already present in your Microsoft Word document.
Step 2: Now, go to the Draw tab.
Step 3: Now, use the Lasso select tool to select the shapes you wish to convert. The tool is the second option on the list.
Step 4: Once you select the Shapes, click on the Ink to Shape option.
How to use Ink to Shape in PowerPoint
Step 1: Go to the Draw tab.
Step 2: Use the Lasso select tool to select the shapes you wish to convert. The tool is the second option on the list.
Step 3: Once you select the Shapes, click on the Ink to Shape option.
How to use Ink to Shape in Excel
Step 1: Click on File >> More >> Options.
Step 2: Go to the Customize Ribbon tab.
Step 3: In the list of Main tabs, check the box associated with Draw.
Step 4: Click on OK to save the settings.
Step 5: Now, the Draw tab will appear.
Step 6: Go to the Draw tab.
Step 7: Use the Lasso select tool to select the shapes you wish to convert. The tool is the second option on the list.
Step 8: Once you select the Shapes, click on the Ink to Shape option.
Final Words
We hope you enjoy our article on how to use the ink features in Microsoft Office. Microsoft Office products have an option to insert shapes on the Insert tab. However, if you have an image with multiple shapes, it is very tedious to create perfect shapes with the exact size and dimension. In this case, the Paste to Shapes feature proves to be very helpful. If you liked our article, you should share it with others.
I hope you understand this article, How to Use Ink Features in Microsoft Office.
James Hogan
James Hogan is a senior staff writer at Bollyinside, where he has been covering various topics, including laptops, gaming gear, keyboards, storage, and more. During that period, they evaluated hundreds of laptops and thousands of accessories and built a collection of entirely too many mechanical keyboards for their own use.
10/23/2019
On a touch-enabled device, draw with your finger, a digital pen, or a mouse.
Available inking features depend on the type of device you’re using and which version of Office you’re using.
|
|
If your device is touch-enabled, the Draw tab is turned on automatically. Otherwise, turn it on by selecting File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Draw. |
Please start by choosing your version of Office:
Office 365 | Office 2019 | Office 2016, 2013
Office 365
Write, draw, or highlight text
The new pen set is customizable and portable. You define the pens you want to have, and they are then available in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- On the Draw tab of the Ribbon, tap a pen to select it.
In Word, you must be in Print layout to draw with ink. If the Draw tab is grayed out so that you can’t select a pen, go the View tab and select Print Layout.
In Outlook, first tap the body of the message and insert a drawing canvas 
; then you can select a pen to draw with.
- Tap again to open the menu of Thickness and Color options for the pen. Select your preferred size and color.
- There are five pen thickness settings ranging from .25 mm to 3.5 mm. Select a thickness or use the plus or minus sign to make your pen thicker or thinner.
- Sixteen solid colors are available on the menu, with more available when you tap More Colors.
- Eight effects are also available: Rainbow, Galaxy, Lava, Ocean, Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
- A Pencil texture is also available:
When you draw with the Pencil texture while using a supported digital stylus, you can tilt the stylus to get a «shading» effect, just like you would get with a real pencil.
- On the touch screen, begin writing or drawing.
Once you have drawn an ink shape, it behaves like any shape that you are used to working with in Office. You can select the shape, then you can move or copy it, change its color, pivot its position, and so on.
- To stop inking and select your annotations, either to modify or move them, select Draw on the Draw tab.
Convert ink to text or shapes
- Word or Excel: See Convert ink to shapes in Office
- PowerPoint: See Convert ink to text or shapes in PowerPoint for Office 365.
Erase ink
- Under Draw > Tools, tap the Eraser.
(In PowerPoint for Office 365, you can choose from different sizes of erasers. Word has three eraser options. Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.)
- With your pen or finger, drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
With the Segment Eraser in PowerPoint, you can simply tap a segment of ink or drag across it to remove it (rather than having to thoroughly wipe away the entire segment). Dragging across segments is an easy way to erase several at once.
Some active pens, such as the Surface pen, have an eraser that you can also use to erase digital ink.
Select parts of an ink drawing or written words
All apps include a Draw tool 
on the Draw tab of the Ribbon for switching between inking mode and selection mode.
PowerPoint and Excel also have an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, 
specifically for selecting objects drawn with ink. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects and you only want to select an ink object.
Applies only to PowerPoint and Excel:
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink, use the Lasso Select tool. (This tool can’t select non-ink objects—that is, shapes, pictures, etc.)
- Under Draw > Tools on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select .
- With your pen or finger, drag to draw a circle around the part of the drawing or word that you want to select. A faded, dashed selection region appears around it, and when you’re done, the portion you lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, change its color, and so on.
In both Excel and PowerPoint, with a digital pen, you can select an area without even tapping the selection tool on the ribbon. Use the supported digital pen button to Lasso Select ink without visiting the ribbon. Then you can use the pen to move, resize, or rotate the ink object.
Turn off automatic inking in a desktop app
- On the File menu, select Options, and then select Advanced.
- In the Pen section, select the box next to Use pen to select and interact with content by default.
This setting only applies to the app in which you make it, so, for example, you can have automatic inking turned on in Visio and turned off in Word.
Other digital ink features
|
Feature name |
Description |
See |
|
Ink Editor |
Use touch or a digital pen with Windows digital ink to edit documents
|
Edit your document with natural gestures |
|
Ink to Text or Shape |
Convert an ink drawing to standard text or a standard Office graphic shape
|
Convert ink to shapes or text |
|
Ink to Shape |
Convert an ink drawing to a standard Office graphic shape
|
Convert ink to shapes |
|
Ink to Math |
Use touch or a digital pen to write a complex math equation, and then convert it to text
|
Write, insert, or change an equation |
|
Ink Replay |
Replay a series of inking actions on a slide
|
Replay your ink strokes in Office |
|
Ruler |
Draw straight lines in ink, or align a set of objects
|
Draw straight lines or align things with the ruler |
|
Draw with ink in a notebook |
Hand-write notes and draw or sketch pictures |
OneNote for the web: Draw and sketch notes on a page |
|
Language support |
See which languages are supported by Ink Editor (in Word) and the ink-to-text converter (in PowerPoint) |
Languages supported for ink-to-text conversion |
Office 2019
|
|
If your device is touch-enabled, the Draw tab is turned on automatically. Otherwise, turn it on by selecting File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Draw. |
Write, draw, or highlight text
The new pen set is customizable and portable. You define the pens you want to have, and they are then available in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- On the Draw tab of the Ribbon, tap a pen to select it.
In Word, you must be in Print layout to draw with ink. If the Draw tab is grayed out so that you can’t select a pen, go the View tab and select Print Layout.
- Tap again to open the menu of Thickness and Color options for the pen. Select your preferred size and color.
- There are five pen thickness settings ranging from .25 mm to 3.5 mm. Select a thickness or use the plus or minus sign to make your pen thicker or thinner.
- Sixteen solid colors are available on the menu, with more available when you tap More Colors.
- A Pencil texture is also available:
When you draw with the Pencil texture while using a supported digital stylus, you can tilt the stylus to get a «shading» effect, just like you would get with a real pencil.
- On the touch screen, begin writing or drawing.
Once you have drawn an ink shape, it behaves like any shape that you are used to working with in Office. You can select the shape, then you can move or copy it, change its color, pivot its position, and so on.
- To stop inking and select your annotations, either to modify or move them, pick Select on the Draw tab.
Convert ink to text or shapes
See Convert ink to text or shapes in PowerPoint for Office 365.
Erase ink
- Under Draw > Tools, tap the Eraser.
(In PowerPoint for Office 365, you can choose from four erasers. Tap the down arrow on the Eraser button to pick the eraser that you want.)
- With your pen or finger, drag the eraser over the ink you want to remove.
With the Segment Eraser in PowerPoint, you can simply tap a segment of ink or drag across it to remove it (rather than having to thoroughly wipe away the entire segment). Dragging across segments is an easy way to erase several at once.
Some active pens, such as the Surface pen, have an eraser that you can also use to erase digital ink.
Select parts of an ink drawing or written words
When you’ve been drawing with ink, you can use Stop Inking 
on the Draw tab to change the mouse pointer back to a standard selection tool 
. The selection tool can select both digital ink drawings and any other kinds objects.
PowerPoint and Excel also have an ink selection tool, Lasso Select, 
specifically for selecting objects drawn with ink. It’s most useful when you have a mixture of standard and ink objects and you only want to select an ink object.
Applies only to PowerPoint and Excel:
To select part of a drawing or words written in ink, use the Lasso Select tool. (This tool can’t select non-ink objects—that is, shapes, pictures, etc.)
- Under Draw > Tools on the Ribbon, tap Lasso Select .
- With your pen or finger, drag to draw a circle around the part of the drawing or word that you want to select. A faded, dashed selection region appears around it, and when you’re done, the portion you lassoed is selected. Then you can manipulate that object as you wish: move it, change its color, and so on.
In both Excel and PowerPoint, with a digital pen, you can select an area without even tapping the selection tool on the ribbon. Use the supported digital pen button to Lasso Select ink without visiting the ribbon. Then you can use the pen to move, resize, or rotate the ink object.
Turn off automatic inking in a desktop app
- Select File > Options > Advanced.
- In the Pen section, select the box next to Use pen to select and interact with content by default.
This setting only applies to the app in which you make it. So, for example, you can have automatic inking turned on in Visio and turned off in Word.
Other digital ink features
|
Feature name |
Description |
See |
|
Ink Editor |
Use touch or a digital pen with Windows digital ink to edit documents
|
Edit your document with natural gestures |
|
Ink to Shape |
Convert an ink drawing to a standard Office graphic shape
|
Convert ink to shapes |
|
Ink to Math |
Use touch or a digital pen to write a complex math equation, and then convert it to text
|
Write, insert, or change an equation |
|
Ruler |
Draw straight lines in ink, or align a set of objects
|
Draw straight lines or align things with the ruler |
Office 2016, 2013
Find the drawing tools
Go to the Review tab and select Start Inking to display the Ink Tools and Pens tab.
Write or draw
- Under Ink Tools >Pens choose Pen.
- To change the ink color and stroke width, point to the color and width (0.35mm — 0.5mm) you want.
- On the touch screen, begin writing or drawing.
Highlight text
- Under Ink Tools, on the Pens tab, click Highlighter, and then pick a highlight color.
- Point and drag your pen or finger over the text that you want to highlight.
You can highlight text in Excel, Word, and Outlook, but PowerPoint doesn’t support highlighting text.
Delete whole written words or ink drawings
- Under Ink Tools, on the Pens tab, click the arrow below Eraser, and then pick an eraser size.
- With your pen or finger, select the word or ink drawing that you want to erase.
Drawing in OneNote
If you’re using OneNote and want to draw, see these other articles:
OneNote for Windows 10: Write notes and draw in OneNote
OneNote: Draw and sketch notes on a page
OneNote for the web: Draw and sketch notes on a page
Extra features in PowerPoint
Select parts of an ink drawing or written words (PowerPoint only)
To select part of a drawing or some written words, use the Lasso tool. (You cannot use the Lasso tool to select non-ink objects (shapes, pictures, etc.).
- Under Ink Tools, on the Pens tab, click Lasso Select.
- With your pen or finger, drag to draw a circle around the part of the drawing or word that you want to select. A faded, dashed selection region appears around it, and when you’re done, the portion you lassoed will be selected.
Delete parts of an ink drawing or parts of written words (PowerPoint only)
- Under Ink Tools, on the Pens tab, click the arrow below Eraser, and then pick an eraser size.
- With your pen or finger, select parts of the ink drawing or text that you want to erase.
Convert ink drawings to shapes (PowerPoint only)
You can convert ink drawings on a touch screen into common shapes.
- Under Ink Tools > Pens, select Convert to Shapes.
- With a pen or your finger, draw a shape on the slide, and PowerPoint automatically converts your drawing to the shape that looks most like it.
To stop converting shapes, click Convert to Shapes again.
Which shapes can PowerPoint convert?
When you create an ink drawing, PowerPoint can convert it to the shape that is most like it.
|
Ink drawing |
Corresponding shape |
|
Rectangle
|
Rectangle
|
|
Square
|
Rectangle with all sides equal
|
|
Diamond
|
Diamond
|
|
Parallelogram
|
Parallelogram
|
|
Trapezoid
|
Trapezoid
|
|
Irregular quadrilateral
|
Closed freeform shape with four sides
|
|
Regular pentagon
|
Pentagon with all sides equal
|
|
Regular hexagon
|
Hexagon with all sides equal
|
|
Ellipse
|
Ellipse
|
|
Circle
|
Ellipse with shape height and width equal
|
|
Single-headed arrow
|
Arrow
|
|
Double-headed arrow
|
Double arrow
|
|
Arrows connecting two shapes
|
Arrow connectors
|
|
Right triangle
|
Triangle with right angle
|
|
Equilateral triangle
|
Triangle with all sides equal
|
|
Isosceles triangle
|
Triangle with two equal sides
|
|
Irregular triangle
|
Closed freeform with three sides. |
