Standardize Evernote text format controls across platforms

[tonychung 17]

Note: This is not a complaint, it's an observation. I've sent notes through the support email, and haven't seen any changes. So I thought I'd post publicly to see if there were at least a few others who feel the same as I do about Evernote's hodge-podge text editing features.

 

As a cross-platform application, I would hope that Evernote would at least syncronize the user interface between devices and operating systems. I've used all versions, but spend most of my time in iOS (iPhone AND iPad), Web, and Mac. I would say my primary use case is as a work log, brain dump, idea catcher, and anything else that my brain can't deal with right at the moment.

 

So text formatting is NOT something I really want to spend my time fixing.

 

 

To cut to the chase: Evernote should offer standard outlining structures, so that notes can be stored as structured HTML rather than font size changes. Four levels of headings, paragraph text, larger, smaller, bold, underline, italic, strikethrough, and colours. That would be nice. Oh, other features would be great too, but that's just icing.

 

The iPhone has it sort of right. You can set up Sections, Subsections, and Paragraph text. That works for me.

 

But the Web version. Ick. I start a note and it uses a "standard" font size which is perfect. If I paste stuff from other applications into my note, the font sizes are all out of whack. So I select the text and set it to font size 10pt. Too small. Well, then, font size 12pt. Too large.

 

Why isn't there a "standard font size" selection?

 

I've got more to say, but I'd rather this be a discussion than a monologue.

 

Help!

[stefanlasiewski 22]

+1

 

When attempting to organize a large amount of information, neatness counts. Computers are really good at presenting things in a structured, clean format-- much better then my paper notebooks, in any event.

[jefito 5,598]

Moved to a voting subforum, so that you all can, you know, actually vote on this...

[XMG 18]

+1

[kaizen 0]

No news on this subject? Nothing fixed in 2 years?

 

I use Webclipper to save recipes in EN and edit them with my adjustments on my Mac. When I sync them to my iPad the formatting is almost gone.

Line breaks disappeared etc.

[mab581 0]

Don't know if this thread is dead since it's from 2013 but I have a similar issue. I use EN mainly to jot down ideas, store common commands, take meeting notes, and track to-do lists. Occasionally I'll have a table or a bullet list or things indented with tabs. I mostly use EN on android and osx. Very often things are copy/pasted and I'm good about pasting without formatting either because I clear formatting before pasting or I'm copying from a shell. However when I open notes created on one system on another system the formatting is often a mess. I'd love a menu button (esp on android) that standardizes the current note, stripping away font faces and sizes just leaving (sans)serif/fixed, tables, and bullets.. my 2c

[Jackolicious 808]

rob214, try our "simplify formatting" or "make plain text" features. As with any Mac app, you can also paste as plain text with cmd-shift-v

[rob214 1]

Yes, the only major frustration I've had with Evernote is the formatting complexities / inconsistencies. I usually use EN on Mac... and anytime I work with bullets - which is the majority of the time - I often run into issues with break lines, double bullets, etc due to moving around blocks of bullets when reorganizing my brain dump. It's been so bad in the past I've had to take all the text to TextEdit, clean up and the paste back in. Pretty inefficient, and definitely frustrating.

[Cintra 5]

The inability to resize text such that it is readable on my Nexus 10 is making it impossible to use the app. Perhaps a solution is more difficult than I imagine, but I would have thought text readability was a key requirement..

[Jackolicious 808]

On it

[tonychung 17]

Markdown support would require changes to the way the app worked, visibly. However, it shouldn't be that difficult to change the underlying code for how the friendly editor for each device renders or records the HTML structure. It's not like Evernote provides complicated features such as OneNote's "add anywhere" or "draw with ink". Of course, these features would be nice, but not part of Evernote's core feature set.

[Jon-t 8]

Consistency of the HTML output between platforms would be very nice. I use Blackberry, Android and EN web and have noticed differences in how things are displayed. A couple of occasions I've had text display on the Android in what looks like font size 6 but looks perfectly OK on the web. In fact consistency between platforms in general would be welcome.

[jefito 5,598]

Actually I can't believe that is not possible to provide a simple but consistent (markdown editor) across all supported devices

The markdown topic is down the hall (http://discussion.evernote.com/topic/33759-markdown-wysiwyg-support-plz/). Evernote doesn't seem interested in providing it. That's by choice, evidently, which is not an indication of impossibility.

[tom.martens 3]

+1

Actually I can't believe that is not possible to provide a simple but consistent (markdown editor) across all supported devices

[tonychung 17]

What I meant by HTML is that I know that Evernote already stores notes as HTML. It would be helpful for the HTML to follow some structural sense. Markdown is a technique I would be interested in trying, but it's less of a priority in the realm of "what you see is what you mean" editing.

 

But thanks for your support of the idea. I'm glad I'm not losing my mind.

[tmaan 0]

I came to the forums to make a note along the same lines as this. I use Evernote on Android, Windows, iOS, and OSX; and I feel like I find textual inconsistencies too often. Two to boot:

• Tab character expands to five spaces, this is a behavior contrary to every other text editor.
• Fixed width font on one platform does not mean fixed width on another.

   

  So text formatting is NOT something I really want to spend my time fixing.

  [...]

  To cut to the chase: Evernote should offer standard outlining structures, so that notes can be stored as structured HTML rather than font size changes.

  I'd go with that. I think HTML might be a stretch for the average user, maybe Markdown as a mid-ground?

[SjoerdInck 0]

Hi,

Fully agree with your request! I have just tried to 'Chat with Evernote' buth got an erro message in return. Please find below my request for consistent formatting and swift repair of the flawed iOS7 version.

 

I'm an EverNote user on both mac and iOS and have eagerly installed the iOS7 version of Evernote. As I have seen on your forum I seem not be alone disliking the Evernote iOS7 upgrade. I've been in contact with support before on poor text formatting consistency in the desktop version. I now find font legibility and information hierarchy in the iOS version to be way behind and by no means iOS7 like  [e.g. compare to iOS7 calendar..] Can you please let me know whether quick updates/improvement for the mobile software are underway? Today's product seems like a rushed job, not doing right to the solid Evernote desktop offering and it's large and loyal user base.

 

Best Regards,  Sjoerd