Use handwriting recognition in East Asian languages

This feature is available in the Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean language versions of Microsoft Office.

Write as you naturally do on a paper surface, leaving space between characters. You do not need to wait until one character is recognized before writing another character.

  1. Place the insertion point where you want to insert handwriting.
  2. Select a writing area by doing one of the following:

    Write on a boxed area on the screen

    1. On the Language bar, click Boxed Input .

      If Boxed Input is not available, click Handwriting on the Language bar, and then select Boxed Input .

    2. To increase or decrease the size of the Boxed Input box, move the pointer to an outside edge at the top or bottom of the box until it changes into a double-headed arrow, and then drag to the desired size.
    3. Move the insertion point into the Boxed Input box. When it changes to a pen , you're in an area that you can write in.

    Note   You can move the Boxed Input box to different areas on the screen by dragging it.

    Write anywhere on the screen

    Note   You can move the Write Anywhere toolbar to different areas on the screen by dragging it.

  3. To write, use a handwriting input device, or move your mouse on your mouse pad to form characters.

    Your handwriting is automatically recognized and entered at the insertion point in the program.

  4. To close the handwriting box, click Close on the Boxed Input or Write Anywhere toolbar.

Tips

More step-by-step information

See a list of suggested characters as you write

Use Lookup

One box is available to write in when you use Lookup.

  1. To display the Lookup box, click Lookup on the Boxed Input toolbar.

  2. Write a character in the Boxed Input box on the left.

    Suggested characters appear in the Lookup box next to the writing box.

  3. To see detailed information about characters in the Lookup box, click Detail Mode .

    Note   Detail Mode is not available in Simplified Chinese.

  4. To insert the desired character, click it in the Lookup box or in the Detail Mode box.

Notes

Use Character Auto Completion

More than one box is available to write in when you use Character Auto Completion.

  1. To display the Character Auto Completion list, click Character Auto Completion on the Boxed Input toolbar.

  2. Write a character in the Boxed Input box.

    The suggested characters are displayed in the list, from the bottom to the top.

  3. To see detailed information about characters in the Character Auto Completion list, click Detail Mode .

    Note   Detail Mode is not available in Simplified Chinese.

  4. The character at the bottom of the list is automatically inserted as you write another character in the next writing box.

    You can also insert the desired character by clicking it in the Character Auto Completion list or in the Detail Mode box.

Notes

Increase or decrease the number of writing boxes in the Boxed Input box

Note   If you cannot increase the number of boxes, Lookup may be open. To close Lookup, click Lookup on the Boxed Input toolbar.

Convert Kana to Kanji (only in Japanese language version of Microsoft Word)

  1. Select the characters you want to convert.
  2. Click Kana to Kanji Conversion on the Boxed Input or Write Anywhere toolbar.

    The Input Method Editor (IME) candidate list opens.

  3. Click the characters in the list.

    The selected characters are replaced with the characters you click in the candidate list.

Notes

Insert writing in handwritten form (Word and Outlook only)

Note   If Microsoft Word is enabled as your e-mail editor, you can use this feature in Microsoft Outlook.

Notes