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

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

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

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.

Scenario 1: Sketches, formulas, panel pictures – Draw and write in OneNote

When you prepare your teaching materials on the computer, you will quickly run into the limitations that come with the use of a mouse and keyboard. Mathematical formulas, explanatory sketches, and descriptive blackboard pictures are easier to draw with a pen.

For many years I have been using OneNote and a graphic tablet connected to my computer for digital drawings. The new Wacom One has its own screen so you can draw directly on your documents. The included pen slides over the display – almost like paper.

You can connect the graphics tablet to your desktop PC, laptop, Mac or even a smartphone. Because Wacom One is portable, it is also well suited for use in the home office. In the basic setting, you see exactly what you see on the computer monitor, for example, the open OneNote notebook.

It is very easy to use and you will quickly get used to working with it. You control the mouse arrow with the pen. Just put the pen tip wherever you need to be on the display. You can then simply tap and select symbols and buttons. The pen also has a customizable button on the side that can replace the right mouse button function.

You can find all drawing functions under the “Draw” tab – both in the OneNote app for Windows 10 and in the desktop version. You can choose from different pens and colors in the menu above. When the free Wacom driver is installed, you can start drawing and writing directly on the OneNote page.

Here are some examples of how you can use Wacom One as a teacher with OneNote:

Annotations and highlights in texts, articles and PDF documents

Write mathematical formulas

I will also show you here in the blog how you can further expand the drawing functions in OneNote, convert handwriting into text and maybe even create your own sketch notes.

Scenario 2: Using handwritten notes to give feedback to students

Many schools are now benefiting from Office 365, which is free of charge for educational institutions. Within the platform, teachers and especially students can use the OneNote course notebooks. The advantage: You can conveniently distribute your worksheets created in OneNote to your students. The students then work individually on the tasks in their own OneNote notebook on a PC or tablet at home.

If you organize your online classes like this, a pen tablet or Wacom One can be a great benefit. Just like with a pen on paper, you can individually correct the students’ tasks and leave personal comments to them on their worksheets.

Of course, you can use a red pencil for corrections in OneNote – like the old days! 😉 However, experience shows that schoolchildren like the colorful rainbow pencil much better.

Scenario 3: Using OneNote as a whiteboard in online lessons

Let’s increase the level of difficulty! Maybe at some point, you dare to conduct your online classes live, for example by video conference with your students. The popular Microsoft Teams platform enables collaboration for everyone. It is easy to use and is also part of Office 365. You can also integrate OneNote in teams and thus make the content of your notebooks available to your students.

During an online meeting, you can now share your current screen in addition to your webcam image, so you can show your students live what you are doing. This way you can explain to them step-by-step what you are drawing on the graphic tablet.

I recommend that you switch to a full-page view or full-screen view in OneNote. You can find them in both versions of OneNote at the top right as a double arrow. Clicking on it will hide all the menus so that you have even more space to draw on the graphics tablet.

Another advantage: The created sketches and blackboard pictures are saved directly in OneNote and are permanently available to all students.

Scenario 4: Using Wacom One as a second screen

The Wacom One is treated like a second connected monitor under Windows 10. This not only allows you to duplicate your computer screen, but you can also use it as a second desktop with its own program windows.

For example, you can show a document on the main screen, read a web article or watch a learning video – and at the same time take notes on the graphics tablet in OneNote.

The cable of the Wacom One is long enough so that you can place the device comfortably on your lap.

Evernote Wacom Mac

To expand your desktop to a second screen, you have to adjust your display settings. You can find it at the bottom right in the notification menu of Windows 10. Alternatively, you can also press the key combination “Windows + P” and thus switch between the different modes.

As soon as you select “Expand”, the second desktop appears on the graphics tablet. Now you can move apps and program windows here and use them in parallel. It may be useful to adjust the display to your needs, using Windows 10 settings. For example, you can determine the position of the two screens and the size of the icons and symbols to be displayed.

What else is possible …

If you don’t want to draw anything for a moment, you can still leave the Wacom One connected to your computer and use it as a mouse replacement. I have been using pen tablets privately and professionally for many years instead of a computer mouse. With the stylus, the complete operation of Windows 10 works more naturally, intuitively and, above all, more smoothly. You can control all other apps and software with it, for example, the Internet browser or office programs. Simply switch on the “monitor” (see above) just the PC screen. Even if the tablet display is not switched on, the pen control works for the main screen.
The Wacom pen does not need a battery, which is very practical. In addition to this, other companies also offer pens that can be used on Wacom One. This includes a model from Lamy that looks and feels exactly like their well-known fountain pens. This makes writing and drawing on the Wacom One feel even more like school… 😉
For many more useful tips on OneNote, please check out Stefan Malter’s blog “OneNote for Teachers” (available in German only).

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