Article written by Andrew Sinkov.
Sometimes there’s no better way to capture an idea than to write it down or sketch it out. Whether a graph from a meeting, an equation from class or an inspiration while traveling, handwriting can be the most direct way to express what you’re thinking or seeing.
When we started working on digital handwriting in Evernote for Android, we knew that our approach needed to be more than an alternate input method. It needed to extend the Evernote experience.
It took us a long time to figure out exactly how to make this work. We think we have it. It’s beautiful, powerful and we’re excited to bring it to you today. Show us your best handwriting and give the Evernote community ideas through our #EvernoteHandwriting page.
An Integrated Handwriting Experience
Our realization was that a fluid handwriting experience would be one that lets you easily move from writing to typing to taking photos and back all within a single note.
Say you’re in chemistry class. You should be able to type everything that the professor says, draw a chemical structure, type some more, all while recording audio from the lecture. These aren’t separate ideas. They should all live together. And that’s what we built.
Tap to Write
Whenever you’re in a note, tap the paperclip icon, then tap on the pen. If you need more writing area, tap the down arrow, then tap the plus. Use two fingers to move around the handwriting area. If you need a different color or thickness, choose it. When you’re done, tap on the checkmark. After that, you can continue typing, add an attachment, record some audio, and drop an image into the note. Everything is in one place.
We Love Handwriting
Some of our engineers and researchers were the pioneers that, decades ago, made today’s mainstream digital handwriting possible. More recently, we acquired Penultimate, the amazing iPad handwriting app. Writing and making that writing searchable is in our DNA. We think you’ll love this feature in Evernote on your Android phone or tablet. We can’t wait for you to try it.
Other Improvements
Handwriting isn’t the only thing we packed into this update. We also significantly improved the note editor and camera features.
Better Editing
We enhanced the note editor to better handle notes that you create on other platforms. There’s also a new highlighting option to let you add emphasis to your notes. You can also duplicate notes and create note links to easily jump from one note to another.
Faster Camera
The camera is faster than ever before, virtually eliminating the lag that users experienced in the past. Plus, you now have improved focus and autofocus options.
