ZoomNotes: In 10 minutes to your handwritten notes

Hello and Welcome to my new post about ZoomNotes and how you will be able to do all your text and handwritten notes within 10 minutes! Further to this, you will see how fast you can export your notes into other apps like DTPO or DTTG.

In my first article about ZoomNotes I have shown you the most important settings. I hope, that you were able to go with my tutorial and you are now ready for your next step:


Your very first text- and handwritten note with images, audio, smileys and tons of new settings.

The Editor

The main menu bar, settings and the very first folder and document were introduced in my first article. Go on your test document and the editor will start automatically.

Pens

You can choose your "perfect" pen which fits your need to do so just got on the menu right or on top and chose your pen. Adjust colour, style and all the other useful tools which you can assign to your pen.


Pressure sensitivity is supported with almost all styli. That mean if you press a bit harder with your stylus the ink will get thicker and your writing will be highlighted in this way without changing the actual setting for the width of the pen strokes.

Favourites

Do you like to have your favourite pen always to hand? Save all the settings made in the pen settings with "Save Current Pen". You will will see your customised pen in the middle of the left bar.


Additionally, you can let show your favourite pen on the top - like I use it:

• my pen in black with follow zoom enabled
• Highlighter in yellow

Want to sort your pens - no issue here -Go to the "Manage Pen Mode" and sort them or delete them if not longer needed.

Pens properties

Some features of ZoomNotes depending on the stylus in use - if you a lucky owner of an ApplePencil - all features work like a charm.


Do you have not on yet? The pressure sensitivity you can still use - Choose the "Draft" or "Felt Tip" pen!

Highlighters

Ink over Ink? Can that work? Yes, sure! - use a highlighter over your digital ink and it will highlight your handwritten words! Just use your colour and strength of the highlighter and highlight whatever you like. By the way you can highlight any object you like. As you know from previous post, everything is an object and can be moved, resized or highlighted. This works of course with text too!

A word on pens and highlighters

Take your time you need to figure out which pen would fit which of your needs. The best way is to do a trail-and-error session with your stylus. Use a text which you have written before - preferably in a handwritten way - and test all pens with all settings out. Sometimes, just one setting more or less can decided if this will your favourite pen or not. Try them all out and as you know now, ZoomNotes got so many features and property settings what you will invest some time but it is worth it to know if a:

• Draft
• Felt tip
• Italic
• Highlighter
• Gel
• Nib
• Pencil
• Watercolour

pen will be your favourite at the end. I have listed all pens available from left to write - so it is easier to choose.

My personal pens

Personally, I use most my draft pen in black, with 1.0, follow zoom for everything I write for me - like my personal notes or blog notes for the next articles or raffles and specials. Gel, Felt tip, Nib usage depends on my need and what I want to do with the document in the end. Devising your own "Greeting Cards" with the Italic pen for instance, will be easy and it looks just great because such cards should be written with a proper fountain pen!


Unfortunately, I am not a gifted artist at all and my drawing, sketches look rather like painted from an elephant than from an artist. But if you are into Sketches, Arts and like to draw and paint the Pencil and Watercolour pen are your friends for this!


If you need to use a ruler for everything like we accountants it makes sense to have a separate pen with your helpers enabled for fast and easy access to them. But also for technical drawings like engineers or electrician do, it is very helpful to have the snapping and "Adjust line" features in on pen included.

Helpers

You want to draw a circle, lines, triangles, a box or much more? No issue here too - use the helpers to do this or enable the automatic for shapes. Everything is possible with ZoomNotes!


Go to the ruler icon on the top choose your tool and draw - Easy like 1-2-3! There will - I call it the "shape help line" - in which you draw with your pen and you will get the perfect shape for your needs.


Using the "up-side-down Z" icon, you will be able to draw lines with your pen and it will result in the perfect line without any wobbles!


I really do like the "Snapping" feature an it will snap to the edge of your drawing. Meaning it will be displayed perfectly.

My recommendation for Helpers

Try all helpers first without snapping enabled and if you do not like the result turn it on.


Further to this, if you encounter issues while handwriting your notes and wonder why it looks odd - you probably just did the same boo-boo I did once started with ZoomNotes.... You would need to turn off the snapping or line feature in the Helpers section!


Hence, it really makes sense to a specific "helpers"- pen saved as a favourite pen to include all the helpers you will need for a specific task. Afterwards , you switch back to your favourite handwriting pen. So, you will not forget to turn off features which will interfere with your handwritten notes. The same applies, if you like to draw a circle on a section to select it - every time, I wrote "①" the section was selected which interfered with my workflow - since then I use everywhere the "wobbling" selection or square selection method.

Import

You got photos saved on different locations? No issue for ZoomNotes at all - import your photos directly from your camera, Internet, Maps, using Wi-Fi with ZIS-Server, Grab your screen or use WebDav or any other connection to get your pictures into ZoomNotes.


Once imported you will be able to adapt size, resolution etcetera. The possibilities are endless and everything is

Export

After your finished your handwritten notes you will show the world your works of course! It is Your work and Your Note-taking Software! Export as you like or depending on your needs.


Export is a peace of cake!


Go onto the "Gear/Hammer" Icon and "Share Document"


Here awaits you the next tons of settings and possibilities


You will be able to:

• Print to your Wi-Fi supported printer (all new models can handle Wi-Fi)
• Mail using your Email Software
• Send it per Messenger
• Put it to Dropbox
• Save it to WebDav into your own cloud
• Share it to Facebook or Twitter
• AirDrop to your MAC or exchange with friends on the fly
• Import it to another app like DTTG with the "Open-In-Menu

Need more? That is about format? Export as:

• Image
• PDF
• SVG
• Video

Pa special attention to the settings on the bottom:

• Clip to page
• Include sub-pages
• only solid ink
• paper-details lines.

These are important how your export will look like - try them out to fit your needs.


Yes, you read correctly! "Paper-Details lines": Even if you have a template like ruled paper, you can skip it for exporting your document and will be exported on white paper. Hence, you can use your template as "helping hand" to write neatly but can omit them on export.

Text Writing

Certainly, you are able to type text too! But be aware, ZoomNotes' text features come with a edge and let your typed text shine!


Tap on the "Big A" - not like the "Big B thing - ß" in German:-)

Create your text

Tap two times on the your page and your keyboard will appear. I use Swipe as it is supports multiple languages.


On the top of your page you will see a box - write and do not think on this box - it will adapt to your writings automatically. You do not have to do any settings. Just let your writing flow!


You want to copy existing text from whichever source - copy and paste!

Date and Time

Insert current date and time into your document using the very left icons.

Apply indents

Simply use the indent icon to do this - you can also press several times to a tab structure if you like. This is very useful as you can indent your text without using the space bar. This is pretty useful and saves loads of time.

Format your text

Make your text outstanding by using:

• Font style
• Colouring
• Bold, Underlined, Italic
• Font size
• Structure your text with indents
  
  
  Have you seen the icons available for enumerations? There are also tick marks or numbers in circles (①) around - check it out!

Tip

As mentioned before, text is an object too - sorry to stress this over and over - but it is important to know. Because an object you can resize, format, copy, paste, move, flip to mention some features available. That's the reason why I accentuate this several times.


Do you want more text on several places in your document?

Double tap on any empty space and a new text window will appear which you can move wherever you want.


Do you want to structure your text further? No issue - use one of the settings below:


Test out the settings - very cool is the flip feature that lets you flip your test in all possible directions!

Import and Export

The import and export is identical the handwritten note section - all features are available for text too!

Like Smileys?

I do! Use them everywhere you like!


Go to the "Smiley" icon and all available smileys will be shown:


Pick one you like and it will be insert into your document.


Not enough? Want your own? - Just make it Your Own!


It is Your Software and Your document so why not make your own smileys?


By the way: "Stick to the rules" is a German thing - but nothing for me!


I believe, the Smiley feature is for smileys but what I tend to do is:


I use my own stamps for review, revision, assessment etcetera of my documents. If I have a document to be signed by whoever, I have include my own stamps like

Import your image (stamps or smiley) into ZoomNotes - Copy - Open Smiley Menu - then tap on "Plus sign" - Finished !

Now, you can use your "Smiley" / "Stamp" or whatchamacallit ready to use in all your documents. This function helps me a lot to structure long texts or easy review documents.


For what would you like to use it? Tell me on the comment form!

The Box - Modus

Gives you plenty of additional options!


Select your text and tap on the "Gear" icon which will open all options available. Switch the box modus on and there will be much more options you can choose of to make your text document even prettier or better to display.

You want a frame around your text? No problem, Do it! A little note: Make your frame different and choose "Round edges" and your favourite colour.

Import of images

I like to show you more possibilities in ZoomNotes as import and copy&paste images only.


Structure your document and amend the position of your image.


Tap on your image until the "Function Bar" appears. Now go to "Other" and you will find many useful "Special Functions" such as positioning or grouping your image in an advanced way.


Vital to know is that there are several other option there you can crop, change, flip and change your image.


The option „Opacity“ is used to change the transparency of your image and can be adjusted accordingly to your needs.

Text surrounding objects and vice versa

If you have a big text document and want that your text floats around your images, videos, stams, smielys or handwritten notes?


Why not - Do it!


Tap on your text and the "Gear" icon and activate „Adjust for overlap“.


Now, select your "object" and place it into your text. Your written text will make space for your "object" - which is everything - remember -- and that's it.


Want to annotate your objects now?


Do it - all objects can be annotated according to your ideas and/or needs.

Bookmarks

Oh Yes - bookmarks can be added to anything you like and therefore they are very individual to be use!


How to do?

Simply use the bookmark icons - which are those with the up-side-down "V" underneath the page icon. Add them, tailor them, rename them and manage them!


Have you had a look into the bookmark section yet? Then you have seen some "strange" options like:

• Time per bookmark
• Transition Time
• Full page change
• Auto-Play
• Draw frame and frame aspect
• Direct and animated ink
  
  
  Oh dear !
  
  
  What to heck is that?
  
  
  Well, once you know that bookmarks can also be used to create your own videos -- all options will make sense now.
  
  
  It is also possible to have a "living pen" in your video which draws, writes everything alone and will amaze your friends, neighbours and customer! Well suitable for presentation with an edge with the ability to export your own video and send it off wherever you like.
  
  
  I will go deeper into these options in one of my future articles about ZoomNotes.

Audio Notes

On the very right top you will see a "Speaker" icon. Tap on this and the options for audio memo will be displayed. Turn on the microphone and start recording your own audio memo or whatever you like to say in regards to your page, document, fast ideas etc.


After you recorded our voice memo go to the little page icon with the speaker icon. Here you will see your recorded audio.


Want to rename your audio? Go to the "i" icon and change the name of your records. - Done and dusted!


Close with "Done" and you are ready for your next handwritten or text-based notes.


This was the rapid tutorial about some of the function and possibilities to get your handwritten notes and text documents done. Use your own images and files to make your personal notes. Insert files as sub-pages to make it easier to navigate, bookmark passages which you want to refer to later.

It is Your Software and will adjust to Your workflow, needs and ideas!

Fancy a look into the unbelievable zoom of ZoomNotes?

Download my PDF for this tutorial and you will be amazed!


Please note, that the cover (blue binder) and my own images are not optimised for zooming and therefore could be pixelated. This has nothing to do with ZoomNotes at all but correlates to the setting of my pictures.

Have a look here and see for yourselves the highest quality of ink, icons and text!

[sdm_download id="4298" fancy="0" button_text="Test the astonishing zoom in PDF!"]

This is beyond belief -is not it? Have you ever seen such a crisp ink and colour?


Use high-quality images and these will be zoomed perfectly!


To fast to uptake everything?


I have promised you that you will be able to have your very first handwritten note within ten minutes


If you like to download my article for offline reading - use the options of PDF and ePub a the download section below.


No worries at all! Simply let me know using my contact form and I will help you - promised!


I really look forward to your discussion and how you use ZoomNotes for your daily work - please leave a comment below.


Best regards,


Stef