Microsoft has a good explainer about the ‘digital ink’ features in Word 365 – Drawing Tools, Highlighter, Action Pen, Ink to Shape and Ink to Math.
Most Microsoft videos are self-congratulatory, heavy on graphics and buzzwords but light on useful information.
This one is freshingly different. It’s a straight-forward tour of the Draw tab with simple examples of how major features work.
Word’s drawing / digital ink features have changed over time so it’s nice to have a video summary of what’s possible now.
- Drawing can be done with a digital pen but also on a touch screen or mouse. Though a digital pen is usually the best and most accurate choice.
- A selection of “pens”, “pencils”
- Highlight pens can draw on the page or use Snap to Text for highlighting text.
- Pens, Pencil and Highlight can be customized for thickness, color or patterns.
- Digital ink is just another Word object like a picture or graphic. Keep your ink and the object together with Drawing Canvas.
- Ink Replay will playback your drawing, which is a good way to animate a PowerPoint slide.
- Ink to Shape converts your drawing into a proper shape, circle, square etc.
- Ink to Math lets you draw an equation and insert as text.
- Action Pen (formerly Ink Editor) choose this and your pen gestures can edit the text. Delete, new lines etc,
Best of all there’s no dancing and the aspect ratio is correct <g>
What’s NOT mentioned
A few features not mentioned or skipped over are:
Lasso – to select objects with touch or pen.
Eraser – click the ‘rubber’ icon to remove any ink / drawing you’ve done.
Draw with Touch – this button should appear on a touch-enabled screen so you can use your finger to draw. It doesn’t always appear when it should but you can force it to appear by Customizing the Draw Ribbon.
Action Pen is editing by drawing in Microsoft Word
Make a distraction free Microsoft Word
Get started with Word’s Draw features watching this video
Drawing in all sorts of places Microsoft Office apps
Combined Drawing Tools in Word 365 and other Office programs
Draw or scribble on your Outlook emails
Learn Word from a blackboard drawing!
