Using Handwriting Recognition

Using handwriting recognition, you can enter text on your PowerPoint slides, as well as in other Office applications, without the constraints of having to use a keyboard. Although writing with a mouse isn't practical for more than a few words here or there, with a pen stylus and tablet you can essentially write your content manually and convert it to text onscreen. This is useful for people who need to limit their use of the keyboard for some reason as well as those who just don't like to type.

Office XP's handwriting recognition engine doesn't require any training. You can start using it as soon as you install the feature. Handwriting recognition tools include several components:

• A Writing Pad, which enables you to “write” text in a window with a lined note pad.

• The Write Anywhere window, which enables you to write anywhere on your screen.

• A Drawing Pad that's available only with Microsoft Word or Outlook. You'll still see the Drawing Pad option available in menus and on toolbars within PowerPoint, but you won't be able to activate the window until you switch to a program that supports it.

• Onscreen keyboards for entering text and symbols (such as foreign language characters). These keyboards are designed for use with a touch-screen computer. You can still use them with a mouse if you don't have touch-screen capabilities, but they won't be very practical.

You can access these components by clicking the Handwriting button on the Language bar and then choosing the appropriate component from the drop-down menu.

Using Writing Pad

To open the Writing Pad window, Click the Writing Pad button on the Language bar, or say “writing pad.” If you don't see the Writing Pad button, click the Handwriting button and choose Writing Pad from the menu that appears. Figure 8.19 illustrates the Writing Pad.

Position the insertion point where you want to insert the text on your PowerPoint slide. Using either your handwriting input device or your mouse, “write” the text you want to enter on the solid line in the Writing Pad. The handwriting recognition engine recognizes your writing and converts it to text at the insertion point.

On the right side of the Writing Pad is a palette of buttons (also available on the Write Anywhere window) that you can use for editing and navigation. Table 8.3 describes these buttons.

Table 8.3. Writing Pad and Write Anywhere Buttons

Button	Description	Result
	Ink	Enters the actual words you write as handwriting rather than converting them to text. This button is active only in Microsoft Word and Outlook.
	Text	Converts what you write to text.
	Backspace	Deletes the previous character.
	Space	Enters a space.
	Enter	Moves to a new paragraph line.
	Tab	Tabs once.
	Recognize Now	Enters what you've written on your slide if you haven't set Automatic Recognition on the Handwriting Options dialog box.
	Write Anywhere	Switches to the Write Anywhere window.
	Drawing Pad	Switches to the Drawing Pad in Microsoft Word and Outlook. In PowerPoint, clicking this button has no effect.
	On-Screen Standard Keyboard	Switches to the On-Screen Standard Keyboard.
	Up Cursor	Moves the cursor up.
	Left Cursor	Moves the cursor to the left.
	Right Cursor	Moves the cursor to the right.
	Down Cursor	Moves the cursor down.
	Correction	Displays correction options (not available in PowerPoint).
	Clear	Deletes what you've entered on the Writing Pad.
	Reduce	Reduces the number of buttons that appear on the Writing Pad.
	Expand	Expands the buttons that appear on the Writing Pad.

Button in the Writing Pad or Write Anywhere window not working? See the “Troubleshooting” section near the end of the chapter.

Using Write Anywhere

The Write Anywhere window enables you to write anywhere on your screen rather than on the lined Writing Pad. To open the Write Anywhere window, click the Write Anywhere button on the Language bar, or say “write anywhere.” If you don't see this button, click the Handwriting button and choose Write Anywhere from the menu that appears. Figure 8.20 illustrates the Write Anywhere window, which consists of a series of buttons similar to those on the Writing Pad window. Refer to Table 8.3 for a description of these buttons.

Using either a handwriting input device or your mouse, “write” your text in the location you prefer on your screen. By default, the handwriting recognition engine immediately transcribes your text.

Correcting Handwriting Recognition Errors

If the handwriting recognition engine doesn't interpret your handwriting correctly, you can select the incorrect text and either use your handwriting input device to rewrite the text or make the correction manually using the keyboard.

Setting Handwriting Options

To set handwriting options, click the down arrow in the upper-left corner of the Writing Pad or Write Anywhere window and choose Options from the submenu that appears. Figure 8.21 illustrates the Handwriting Options dialog box that opens.

On the Common tab, you can customize the pen color and pen width from the choices available from the drop-down lists.

Select the Add Space After Insertion check box to add a space after every word you insert. Select the Automatic Recognition check box to recognize what you write automatically rather than wait for you to click the Recognize Now button on the Writing Pad or Write Anywhere window.

If you want to speed up or slow down the rate at which the handwriting recognition engine recognizes your writing, adjust the Recognition Delay scrollbar accordingly.

Finally, you can customize the appearance of the toolbar buttons on the Writing Pad in the Toolbar Layout group box. Choices include moving the buttons to the left or right and making the buttons smaller or larger to suit your needs.

If you make customizations and want to return to the default settings, click the Restore Default button.

On the Writing Pad tab, you can customize the background color of the Writing Pad (choices include the default yellow as well as white, parchment, and system colors) and the number of lines that appear.