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Computer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) -- TabletPC:  How to Improve Handwriting-Recognition Results in Input Panel

Introduction

When you use the writing pad or the character pad in Tablet PC Input Panel, your Tablet PC recognizes your handwriting, and then converts it to typed text. You can insert this typed text in most of the same places that you can use a standard keyboard to enter text.

The writing pad converts one word at a time, and the character pad converts one letter or character at a time. Both the writing pad and the character pad display your handwriting recognition results before you insert your text in the location that you choose. Recognized text appears below your handwriting in the writing pad. In the character pad, recognized text replaces your handwriting. If you find that your handwriting-recognition results are not as accurate as you want, try the following suggestions for improving handwriting-recognition accuracy.

Tips for Improving Handwriting-Recognition Accuracy

To improve your handwriting-recognition results, you can adjust the settings on your Tablet PC or try using different handwriting techniques.

Tablet settings tips

Ensure that your tablet and pen settings correctly reflect whether you are right-handed or left-handed. You can adjust your handedness settings in Tablet and Pen Settings in Control Panel.

To open Tablet and Pen Settings, double-tap the Change tablet and pen settings icon in the notification area of the taskbar.

Handedness settings are the first options on the Settings tab.

To set your standards and format settings to your locale

  1. In Control Panel, tap Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options.
    Note: If you are viewing Control Panel in Classic view, skip this step.
  2. Tap Regional and Language Options.
  3. On the Regional Options tab, under Standards and formats, select English (United Kingdom), English (Canada), or English (Australia).

Handwriting tips

  • Hold the tablet pen in the same way that you hold a pen or pencil when you write on paper. Hold the pen near the tip and rest the palm of your hand on the screen.
  • Try not to write symbols at an angle. Try using the symbol pad to insert symbols.
  • Add names, acronyms, and personal words to the handwriting-recognition dictionary so that your Tablet PC recognizes them.
  • Practice writing with your tablet pen so that you learn how much pressure to apply when you are writing.
  • Try to write at a normal speed.
  • Complete each letter.
  • Write capital letters larger than lowercase letters.
  • Write characters in the correct relationship to the writing line. For example, write "°" and "–" well above the baseline, and write "o" and "_" low and close to the writing line.
  • Write wide characters wide and narrow characters narrow. For example, write "0" and "t" narrowly, and write "O" and "+" widely.
  • Use the line guide that appears in the writing area. Writing in a horizontal line greatly improves the accuracy of your handwriting recognition.
  • When writing letters, ensure that parts of a letter are connected appropriately. For example, when writing the letter "k," be sure that the "l" and the "<" are connected.
  • In the writing pad, use cursive letters or printed letters. Avoid stylistic writing, such as all capital letters.
  • Write as consistently as possible. Try to use the same size and shape each time you write a letter or character.
  • Leave some space between words. Try not to overlap letters or characters.
  • Write punctuation right after a word rather than on a new line.
  • Don't hyphenate a word that doesn't fit on a line. Instead, write the entire word on a new line. (Hyphenating a word will not piece it back together).

About the Handwriting-Recognition Dictionary

To improve the likelihood of accurate handwriting-recognition results, the writing pad compares its interpretation of what you wrote with words and characters in the handwriting-recognition dictionary. The dictionary contains common words. If you frequently need to correct the same word when you use the writing pad, consider adding that word to the dictionary. This is especially useful for unique words, such as names and acronyms. There is a separate handwriting dictionary for each person who logs on to your Tablet PC. When you add words, you add them only to your dictionary.

You add words to the handwriting-recognition dictionary from the correction area in Input Panel.

To add a word to the handwriting-recognition dictionary

  1. Open Input Panel.
  2. To display the writing pad, tap the Writing Pad Writing Pad iconbutton.
  3. In the writing area, write the word that you want to add to the dictionary.
  4. Tap the recognized text that you want to correct.
    Note: If the word that you want to use is in the horizontal list below the correction area, the word may already be in the dictionary.
  5. In the correction area, revise the converted text so that the word that you want to add to the dictionary appears.
  6. Tap Add to dictionary.
    Note: If necessary, you can use Remove from dictionary to remove it later.

Troubleshooting

When I use the writing pad, my recognized text never appears in Input Panel. Instead, it appears in the text entry area in the program.

Automatic handwriting recognition is turned on.

To turn off automatic handwriting recognition

  1. Tap Tools Tools button icon, and then tap Options.
  2. Tap the Writing Pad tab.
  3. Under Automatic text insertion, clear the Automatically insert text after a pause check box.
  4. Tap OK.

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