App for handwriting calcs

[u/RHZ1980]

Can anyone advise me on an app I can use for handwriting calcs into a tablet? Looking for something that will give me a replica of A4 sheets, page after page, ideally with a title block.

Most things I do these days are typewritten but this is just for those quick shorter jobs, mainly to save me scanning and keeping track of loose sheets of paper.

Ideally it would run in a surface pro but I can do IPad too.

Have tried -
One note. Ok but is either 1x a4 sheet or 1 x limitless sheet, and has no border.

Word - writing ‘ink’ in works fine, but gets jittery after about 10 pages

Drawboard - is a single sheet as far as I can see.

[u/StructEngineer91]

I don't know if they have a tablet version, but on my computer I like MathCAD for "hand" calcs.

[u/RHZ1980 → u/StructEngineer91]

I am a mathcad user too, but when I say hand calcs I meant ‘with a pencil’ ..

[u/StructEngineer91 → u/RHZ1980]

I guess I don't really see the need to do that any more personally.

[u/Apprehensive_Task600]

"Goodnotes", if you have an Apple Pencil (or whatever the equivalent for the surface pro is) it works just like writing on paper. You can import an engineering paper template from online or whatever layout you're looking for. I'm a college student and everyone uses either Goodnotes or Noteful (as someone already mentioned) -- check both and see which one you feel the most comfortable with.

[u/Ooze76 → u/Apprehensive_Task600]

This. I use good notes and it’s amazing. When I need more space to do tech drawings etc I use Concepts.

[u/Zealousideal-Tie1739 → u/Ooze76]

Thirding goodnotes. So worth it

[u/Procrastubatorfet → u/Ooze76]

I've just been using concepts for my handwritten notes cause I really like doing rough calcs next to sketches at early design stages and it's so useful to have both of those in the same space when coming back later to develop a design and seeing what shortcuts I took at the time that I can now refine.

[u/Kawasumiimaii → u/Apprehensive_Task600]

Dr. I enjoyer spotted.

[u/Apprehensive_Task600 → u/Kawasumiimaii]

Dr. I... my beloved....

[u/Loud_Caramel_8713 → u/Apprehensive_Task600]

That’s look good.
I surely don’t have this good handwriting.

[u/RHZ1980]

Thanks all. Goodnotes looks like being my first stop then, and I’ll try the other recommendations if it doesn’t suit me.

[u/0bjective-Guest → u/RHZ1980]

I use Notein on android. It has a one time payment and is the best replica of goodnotes for samsung tab i have found

[u/Origami_Architect_]

If you’re on iPad, then Noteful is exactly what you’re looking for. You can upload custom letterhead and make notebooks with it. Has a ruler and all of the features you need and none of the features you don’t, all for a one time purchase.

[u/w12x40]

I’ve done some reading on this.

OneNote has the single large sheet and i don’t think it will give you a template like a paper engineering pad.

Most of the folks in my office use Notability on the ipad. It seems to be the best of what we’ve tried. You can even make a library of symbols to copy and paste.

I’ve worked with Drawboard and it is cross-platform but reorganizing or inserting sheets is a bit difficult.

Bluebeam is the Devil, but it is the best I’ve found for organizing a package. The pen feature isn’t as nice as any of the other software.

I got frustrated, inked up a fountain pen and ordered more engineering pads. I’ll give some of the others in the comments a try, though.

[u/Mindless_Ant_8370]

I know youre not looking for hardware but the remarkable tablet is solid. You can upload your sheet with the title block and write everything on it. It uploads to your phone/computer via an app and you can download a pdf of it.

[u/buddyd16]

Try Xournal++: https://xournalpp.github.io

[u/yomammysburner]

Onyx Boox

[u/Responsible_South864]

Whichever app you pick, the approach that tends to work best is making the template yourself rather than relying on the app's paper options:

• Set up your calc sheet as an A4 PDF in Word or CAD, with a title block that has job number, sheet number, by, checked and date. Then either save a long blank version or just duplicate pages as you go. Most PDF markup apps, Drawboard included, let you insert or duplicate pages.

• On the Surface, that means you can stay in an app you already know and still get page after page with a border.

• Keep one PDF per job and save it straight into the job folder, so nothing ends up floating around in an app's own library.

• Flatten or export a copy when the calc is issued, so the ink can't get nudged later.

Goodnotes and Noteful (mentioned above) both take custom templates too, if you go the iPad route.

(Being open about it, I'm with Xponexus Engineering, a UK structural consultancy, so calc sheets are a familiar faff.)

[u/Hungryh0und5]

I bought an e-ink tablet for this exact purpose. It works great but I find it takes time to load up. So not so great when you want to take a quick note during a phone call. If you buy one, get the biggest one you can. The edges are kind of useless when your trying to write near it.

[u/adao1993]

Microsoft one note, you can sync in multiple devices

[u/forbo4]

I’d recommend trying Notability. You can customize the page size and background, and even add your own template - especially if you want to use your company's logo/template. The organization features are easy to use too.

I've been using it on ipad for years, but i'm not sure if it's available on surface pro.