Problem using Apple pencil on iPad and Evernote

[Rad_Boy 14]

I would like to take handwritten notes on my iPad using Evernote. As I recall I used to be able to do this but just recently tried and it is not possible.

With "Scribble" turned on in iPad settings, when I pencil write it is immediately turned into ascii type text. I don't want that (unless the feature improves a lot). With Scribble turned off on the iPad I am unable to draw letters at all. Has anyone else noticed this behavior? Am I doing something wrong? Any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

Rad_Boy

[gazumped 11,698]

Hi.  Most users don't seem to see Evernote's 'Sketch' notes as a viable handwriting option.  Penultimate is still an Evernote app available for iPad, but has not been updated for over a year.  The 'best' way to capture and OCR handwriting may depend on your personal usage - would us prefer to use paper and scan the results?  A smart pen or pad?  A separate mobile app syncing back to Evernote?

You should do an internet search for your budget, OS and available devices,  but other Evernote users have suggested these options:

• Goodnotes - https://www.goodnotes.com (save OCR'd PDF to Evernote)
• Livescribe - https://uk.livescribe.com/ 
• Nebo - https://www.nebo.app
• Wacom - https://www.wacom.com/en-gbhttps://www.wacom.com/en-gb
• Physical reusable notebooks (never lose power or signal) can also be synced or scanned into Evernote - https://www.shelf.guide/best-reusable-notebooks/ for more...

[Rad_Boy 14]

Hi gazumped, I really don't want to ocr my notes. I want to keep them handwritten.

 

[gazumped 11,698]

Just now, Rad_Boy said:

Hi gazumped, I really don't want to ocr my notes. I want to keep them handwritten.

If they're going to be searchable at any level,  they need to be OCR'd.  If you're happy for the notes not to be searchable,  then any of the options I mentioned (apart from paper and pen) will have settings  you can opt out of full processing.

[Rad_Boy 14]

Nebo to me seems the best. Do you know if Nebo notes can be (automatically) sent to EN? I looked and couldn't find the answer.

[PinkElephant 8,174]

No.

Noteshelf can, and Penultimate.

From other handwriting apps you need to export manually, and then import the file (usually a pdf) into EN.

[bmcl26 499]

I can create a handwritten note with my WACOM tablet directly in EN.

 

[Rad_Boy 14]

After some playing around, I found that taking notes in Apple Notes on my iPad worked very good. Then they can be shared to EN. I'll probably stick with that for now, but I am going to take a look at Noteshelf also.

As an aside, didn't EN on the iPad used to support direct drawing? Or am I way off course?

Thanks to all!

[PinkElephant 8,174]

It never supported direct drawing - and neither does Apple notes. The difference may be that AN inserts a canvas automatically. In EN you need to add a Sketch canvas first (behind the blue + icon), and then can start drawing. But both rely on saving the strokes in a canvas part added to an otherwise text-oriented note.

For handwriting Sketch is no good.

[R3ptile 0]

Hello,

one of the two things of Evernotes that really annoys me is the bad handwriting experience (second one is missing E2E). The iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil is the device to take those kind of notes. But the sketching within Evernote is so bad compared to the competition. I hope that Evernote will work on this very soon!

[PinkElephant 8,174]

Nobody promised you a handwriting experience. You decided you find out yourself, and it sucks.

True enough, but it's no handwriting app, and what it's not designed to do, it does poorly. Little surprise. There is NO indication that an improved handwriting feature is on the short list for the next releases. Just the contrary, the underlying data structure of EN is not well suited to support handwriting.

Alternatives are Penultimate, Noteshelf (both can sync into EN) or apps like Neo and GoodNotes. They all are designed for pencil work.

[Bayf 0]

Fair points Pink Elephant,  but if they have the syncing with PenUltimate, why not put that functionality directly into EN.  So that I can open a previously handwritten note in evernote and edit.    OCR would be nice, but not necessary.  I just want to be able to have edittable typed notes, and edittabled handwritten notes all in the same place.  

[gazumped 11,698]

3 hours ago, Bayf said:

why not put that functionality directly into EN.

Syncing with third party products is only possible if they allow it,  and may not be cost effective unless it leads to a lot of new sales.  Evernote have a lot of priorities at the moment and that is probably not one of them,  but you could use feedback@evernote.com to register your interest...

[PinkElephant 8,174]

Penultimate is as dead as it can be, practically unsupported. It’s code base is outdated and can’t be integrated anywhere.

EN has no focus on handwritten note taking.

[laurence.glazier 106]

Penultimate lacks Copy as Text, so I would say Apple Notes is the way to go. I use it daily and share to Evernote. No problem at all, a smooth handwriting experience.

[RocketBob1 0]

I simply cannot understand why I can't just handwrite a note into EN.  Don't convert it to text just put the handwritten note in. It's elementary functionality.

[gazumped 11,698]

10 hours ago, RocketBob1 said:

I simply cannot understand why I can't just handwrite a note into EN.  Don't convert it to text just put the handwritten note in. It's elementary functionality.

It may be elementary,  but Evernote doesn't currently include that option.  You can write your note on paper and photograph or scan it into Evernote,  but the app has no internal direct handwriting inputs.  There are various third-party devices that will output to PDF files that can be attached to Evernote notes.