You can use Ink to Shape, Ink to Math, and Ink Replay in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. PowerPoint also offers an extra tool called Ink to Text. Each feature works slightly differently than another and differently in PowerPoint versus Word and Excel.

RELATED: How to Enable (or Disable) and Use Touch Mode in Word

Word and Excel

Head to your document or spreadsheet and go to the Draw tab. Select “Ink to Shape” in the Convert section of the ribbon.

Warning: Be sure you select the button to enable the feature before you draw your shape.

Choose a drawing tool and draw the shape. You should immediately see it converted to Office’s equivalent.

Unlike Word and Excel, you do not select the Ink to Shape button before you draw your shape. Instead, draw the shape first.

Next, use either the Select or Lasso tool to select the shape. Then click either the Ink to Shape button in the ribbon or the icon on the top right of the drawing.

If your converted shape doesn’t look quite right, select the three dots that display after you convert it. You can then choose a different shape.

RELATED: How to Use the Ink Equation Feature in Office 2016 to Write Equations

Word and Excel

If everything looks correct, click “Insert” to pop the equation into your document or spreadsheet. If you need to make corrections before inserting it, use the Erase or Select and Correct tools in the window.

PowerPoint

In PowerPoint, you can use the same equation editor described above or draw your equation right on the side and then convert it.

To use the editor, head to the Draw tab, click the Ink to Math drop-down arrow, and pick “Open Ink Equation Editor.” You can then use it to draw your equation and make any corrections as needed.

To convert your equation instead, use a drawing tool to draw it on the slide. Then, pick either the Select or Lasso tool to select the equation.

Click the Ink to Math button in the ribbon or the icon on the top right of the equation to convert it.

Like the above Ink to Shape feature, select the three dots on the top right of the equation if it appears incorrectly and you’d like to see the suggestions.

As mentioned, the Ink to Text feature is currently only available in PowerPoint. And it works similarly to the other ink features.

Go to the Draw tab and use a tool to scribble your title, subtitle, or other text. Use the Lasso tool to select the text.

Click the Ink to Text button in the ribbon or the icon on the top right of the text to convert it.

Like the other ink features, select the three dots on the top right of the text to see additional suggestions.

Use Ink Replay

Note: You cannot use Ink Replay after you’ve converted ink to a shape, math, or text.

Go to the Draw tab and select “Ink Replay” in the Replay section of the ribbon. 

You do not have to select anything first. The feature then plays all drawings like a video for you to watch.

You can use the playback bar at the bottom to play, pause, rewind, and forward the replay. But you can also use it to move through the replay slowly. Simply move the dot on the slider yourself instead of using the play button.

Note: You cannot use Ink Replay as a presentation video in PowerPoint. It’s only available in the editing mode you use to create your slideshow. However, as a work-around, you could record your screen while in editing mode and then insert the video in the presentation.

If you like to draw shapes, scribble equations, or jot down text, you can easily convert these items so that they appear nicely in your Office documents using the ink features. Give them a try!