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Tips & Tricks

Tips & Tricks

How Handwriting Recognition Works

HandWrite Pro can convert your handwritten strokes into editable text using on-device AI powered by Google ML Kit. Because the recognition runs entirely on your device, no data is sent to the cloud — your handwriting stays private.

The Recognition Process

When you select handwritten strokes and tap the Recognize icon recognize, the following steps happen:

  1. Stroke capture — HandWrite Pro collects all vector strokes inside your selection rectangle
  2. Preprocessing — The strokes are normalized: line widths are unified, gaps are filled, and the coordinate system is adjusted for the recognition engine
  3. AI inference — Google ML Kit's handwriting recognition model analyses the stroke patterns on your device. The model has been trained on millions of handwriting samples across many languages
  4. Candidate ranking — The model returns several text candidates ranked by confidence. The top result is shown first, with alternates available in case the first guess isn't correct

How to Use Handwriting Recognition

  1. Switch to the Selection tool selection
  2. Draw a rectangle around the handwritten strokes you want to convert
  3. Tap the Recognize icon recognize in the action bar
  4. The first time you use it, the recognition model is downloaded automatically — wait for it to complete
  5. A result dialog shows the top candidate and alternates. Pick the one that matches best
  6. Tap Replace with text to replace the strokes with a text element, or Copy text to copy to the clipboard

The original strokes are archived on a hidden layer and can be retrieved if needed.

Recognition Language

Recognition uses the system language set on your device. To recognise text written in another language, change the system language in Android Settings.

Free Trial

Free users receive 10 recognitions in total. Once used up, upgrade to premium for unlimited use.

Drawing Tips

Getting Natural-Looking Handwriting

  • Use the Speed Pen speed pen for natural writing — fast strokes are thinner, slow strokes are thicker, just like a real pen
  • If you have an active stylus (e.g. Samsung S Pen), switch to the Pressure Pen pressure pen for pressure-sensitive line width
  • Enable Stylus-Only Mode in the editor drawer so your palm won't accidentally draw lines
  • Adjust Line Smoothing in the Stylus section of the drawer — higher values produce smoother, less jagged strokes

Canvas Navigation

  • Two-finger pinch to zoom in and out
  • Two-finger drag to pan the canvas
  • Tap the page number in the toolbar to jump to any page directly
  • Use Show All show all to zoom out and see the whole document

Working Efficiently

  • Long-press a preset bookmark preset to save your current pen settings for quick recall
  • Use layers layers to separate sketches, text, and backgrounds — you can hide, reorder, and adjust opacity per layer
  • Use Diagram Mode (in Page settings) when drawing flowcharts — stroke endpoints snap together automatically
  • Import a PDF pdf as a background and annotate directly on top of it

Organizing Your Workflow

  • Create folders for different projects or categories
  • Use tags to mark documents by status (e.g. "draft", "review", "final")
  • Combine folder and tag filtering for precise document searches
  • Regularly sync with Google Drive cloud to protect your work

Export & Sharing Tips

  • Export as PDF pdf for sharing with anyone — viewable on all devices
  • Export as SVG svg for further editing in Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator (Premium)
  • Share any PDF, SVG, JPG, or PNG file directly to HandWrite Pro from another app's share sheet — it will be imported automatically
  • Enable Google Drive sync to ensure your work is always backed up and accessible across devices

Using the HWSM Viewer

The HWSM Viewer lets you open and inspect your HandWrite Pro documents directly in any web browser — no app installation or account required.

When to Use the Viewer

  • Sharing with others — Instead of exporting to PDF, share your .hwsm or .svg file and let recipients view it with full layer support in their browser
  • Quick review on a PC — Open your notes on a desktop or laptop without needing the Android app
  • Inspecting layers — Toggle individual layers on and off to see how your document is structured
  • Privacy-first viewing — Files never leave your device; everything runs locally in the browser

Quick Start

  1. Open the HWSM Viewer in your browser
  2. Click Open File or drag a .hwsm / .svg file onto the canvas
  3. Your document loads instantly — no upload, no waiting

Viewer Tips

  • Zoom with the mouse wheel or two-finger pinch on touch devices
  • Pan by dragging with the middle or right mouse button
  • Navigate pages with the Prev/Next buttons or keyboard arrows
  • Toggle layers by clicking the Layers button and clicking layer names in the sidebar
  • Reset the view with the Fit button if you've zoomed too far or lost your place
  • The viewer supports all pen types including pressure-sensitive strokes, calligraphy, and filled shapes

Supported Formats

Format Description
.hwsm HandWrite Pro native format — preserves all layers, pen styles, pressure data, and embedded images
.svg Standard SVG export — renders paths, text, and images with full precision

For more details, see the Viewer Help page.

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