How to convert handwriting to text in Notability?

Converting handwritten notes to text in Notability is a useful feature for students and professionals alike. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it effectively using Notability's built-in functions and other tools you might consider adding to your workflow.

Using Notability’s Built-In Features

Notability is a powerful note-taking app that includes support for converting handwriting into text. Follow these steps to convert handwriting to text within the application:

1. **Open Notability and Create a Note: **

   • Launch Notability on your iPad or Mac.
   • Open an existing note with handwriting or create a new one.

2. **Select the Handwriting: **

   • Tap on the Lasso Tool icon in the top toolbar.
   • Circle the handwritten text that you want to convert.

3. **Convert to Text: **

   • Tap on the selected handwriting.
   • A context menu will appear; choose Convert to Text. Notability will convert your handwriting to editable text.

Additional Tips

• Edit the converted text: After conversion, you can edit the text inside Notability as you would normally.
• Copy and Paste: You can copy the converted text to use it in other applications.

Alternatives and Complementary Tools

If you need advanced features or additional accuracy, try using specialized OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software. One such tool is HandwritingOCR, which can be used to convert handwritten text from apps, PDFs, or images into digital text. Here’s how you can do it:

1. **Capture the Handwritten Notes: **

   • Export your Notability notes to PDF or image format.
   • Ensure the quality of the scanned handwritten notes is high for better OCR accuracy.

2. **Upload to HandwritingOCR: **

   • Go to HandwritingOCR.
   • Upload your PDF or image of the handwritten notes.
   • The service will process the file and convert the handwriting into digital text.

3. **Download the Converted Text: **

   • Once conversion is complete, download the digital text file.
   • You can now use this text in any other application or back in Notability.

Conclusion

Whether you're using Notability’s built-in feature or an external OCR service like HandwritingOCR, converting handwriting to text is a straightforward process. Notability provides a good basic option for this task, but for more complex or bulk conversions, specialized OCR tools can provide added accuracy and functionality.