If you have installed a graphics tablet,
the Ink pane in System Preferences gives rapid access to automatic conversion
of handwritten characters into text. If that pane doesn’t appear, download and
install the latest driver for your tablet. Test conversion by connecting your
tablet, opening a word or text editor, and turning on recognition in the Ink
pane. Place your stylus on the tablet and start printing words - that is,
writing normally formed but separated characters in upper and lower case.
Adjust spacing as necessary, try different ways of forming characters to
improve accuracy, and note supported gestures.
MyScript
for Livescribe
To convert Livescribe digital pen writing
to text, buy MyScript for Livescribe ($30 inc VAT, with free demo available,
from visionobjects.com). Once installed, select pages downloaded from your
Livescribe pen, in Livescribe Desktop, and click on the MyScript tool to launch
the conversion application. Working offline, getting the best out of MyScript
conversion is less direct. Try paragraphs containing at
least 100 words each using different handwriting styles, including printing
with separated characters and flowing cursive. If you form certain characters
in unconventional ways, you may find recognition remains reliable, or you may
find it better to alter your style.
Although you can correct converted text
directly into MyScript, it may be better to copy and paste that text straight
into your preferred word or text processor. In that case, in Livescribe
Desktop, drag the pages from which the text has been generated and drop them
onto Computer, to import them as pages in a PDF file for reference.
From text to strokes
If you’re acquiring your handwritten characters
on your Mac, iPhone or iPad, you may wish to use those to create a font showing
your ‘Sunday best’ handwriting. This could be particularly useful if you make
your own comics or cartoon strips, where this lettering adds a personal touch.
The quickest way to do this is via one of the online services, such as
yourfonts.com or fontifier.com, costing less than $10. On iOS devices,
iFontMaker can generate a first-cut TrueType font suitable for a proper font
editor.
Fontographer 5 ($450 inc VAT from the App
Store) can work from a font created online, or vector graphics derived from
tablet input or a scan. Make all the characters a similar size to avoid having
to scale them later. Using your favorite graphics editor, select each character
in turn, copy it to the Clipboard and paste it into the Outline window of the
associated glyph in Fontographer. Normally, it will be fitted to the UPM size,
but hold Alt- Shift to have it automatically scaled to fit between the ascender
and baseline if you prefer.
Fontographer
5
Size and position the outline, and while
you’re in the Outline layer, select the Auto Trace command from the Element
menu. Experiment with different auto trace settings for tightness of curve
fit, or switch to Advanced Trace if you prefer. Once you’re happy with the
trace, select the background image in the Template later and delete it.
FontLab Studio (£404 - sold in US dollars
at $649 - from fontlab.com) is ideal for adding professional features to fonts
that have been created in Fontographer, but can also be used to create new
fonts based on handwriting. These are best produced as sketches of individual
glyphs based on scanned or tablet input. For instance, you can paste from Adobe
Illustrator or import EPS files for each glyph.
Write here, right now
With a supported tablet connected, the Ink
pane in System Preferences lets you handwrite words into its floating window,
converting them to text
Stroke of genius
MyScript is an add-on to Livescribe’s free
Desktop software, which performs accurate offline conversion to text alongside
your original script
Gyph hanger
You can use Fontographer’s own sketching,
drawing and other tools to generate glyphs, and construct your own personal
handwritten fonts
Raise a family
Fontlab
Studio ver. 5.00 Retail
For really professional results, use
Fontographer or FontLab Studio to create different weights and styles, to build
a complete family
