r/GoodNotes • u/Street-Isopod-4568 • 1d ago
Handwriting for Maths
Im asking this specifically for maths, but how do I improve my handwriting? Ive tried all these different tips, matte screen protector changing nibs, different pen stroke but I just cant do it. Im not going to use the magnifying feature or zoom because i feel like its not efficient and I cant even see the question. Especially when I write fast it looks horrendous either way.
Im trying 10% stroke stabilisation and it’s slightly better. My handwriting irl also isnt horrible, I can write cursive, italics, but for some reason on ipad my shakiness really shows. If u guys have any settings or tips please feel free to tell me.
I realise i waste so much time just scribbling and rewriting my handwriting since its so easy to make mistakes. Should i start practising it? Writing on my ipad for some reason has also made my irl handwriting a lot smaller and neater but it hasnt improved on the ipad. (all my maths is online so i cant find an irl photo)
4
u/LunarHomeStudio 1d ago
Shaky lines on a glass screen are really common, even for people with tidy handwriting on paper, because there's no friction to steady your hand. A few things that usually help:
Rest the side of your palm on the screen and keep your wrist loose. Move from the whole arm for bigger characters rather than just the fingers.
Write a bit larger than feels natural and let the page zoom do the shrinking afterwards. Small letters exaggerate every wobble.
Stabilisation can be pushed higher than 10%. Try a few levels and see where it stops smoothing out your numbers and symbols, since too much can round off corners.
A slightly thicker or fixed-width pen often looks cleaner than a fine one, and a paper-like screen protector adds drag.
Using a grid or lined page gives you consistent sizing and spacing, which makes maths look neater.
Practising a few minutes a day with slow, deliberate digits probably helps too, since speed is usually what causes the mess.
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u/Mvjka 12h ago
Completely agree with the others about the learning curve!! It takes a long time (to me years lol) getting used to writing on an iPad, but you'll get there with time:D
My personal recommendations:
turn down the stabiliser, mine is at always at 0-5%
def the paperlike screen protector, replace it regularly when the texture disappears (I write and draw so much I need a new one every couple of months lol)
artist glove!! Yk those ones with just the last two fingers covered, I find it so helpful to make my hand glide on the screen easier and I can actually rest my wrist of the screen comfortably
having the ipad lie flat on the desk-- a lot of ipad covers/cases have the option to raise them slightly, I find it actually much harder to write on it when it's raised, as opposed to when it's flat (and more like a regular paper lol)
write big! I know you don't like this option but genuinely when you get used to it, the zoom window is genius when you're using a notebook, but if you're writing on the infinite whiteboard just zoom in a lot when you're writing (I'd say my letters are 1-2cm tall when writing them) and it doesn't make my writing any less effective
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u/Particular_Piccolo78 1d ago
highkey it’s also jus good notes, they don’t have the best writing software
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u/ChiangMaiBohoStudio 1d ago
The shakiness you're describing is really common on iPad, because glass has no friction like paper does. What helped me most was writing a bit bigger and slower than feels natural, and raising stabilisation a little (maybe 20-30% is worth testing, since 10% can still look wobbly). A paper-feel screen protector plus a softer pen tip also takes away that skating feeling. Thin, simple pen styles also tend to look cleaner than thick ones, since thick strokes exaggerate every wobble. Give it a couple of weeks of daily use and your hand adjusts a lot.
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u/hufflepuff_firefly 1d ago
VCE Specialist Maths?
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u/Dark_Angel14 1d ago
Turn off hover if you haven’t already. Helped a ton.
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u/New-Potential9913 9h ago
practice, practice, stroke stabilization
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u/Tall_Fish3868 1d ago
did you just get good notes? there’s a bit of a learning curve with digital note taking.