How to draw and handwrite with Markup on iPad

In supported apps such as Notes and Photos, you can use the Markup tools to draw and sketch in your documents and images. You can also use the Markup tools to annotate screenshots, PDFs, and more.

You can move the Markup toolbar to any edge of the screen, collapse it automatically, draw straight lines, and edit or move a drawing.

Here’s how to draw and handwrite with Markup on iPad.

Note: When a supported app doesn’t show the Markup toolbar, tap the Markup button or Markup, and if the toolbar is minimized, tap its minimized version.

Show and hide the Markup toolbar

To show the Markup toolbar in a supported app, tap the Show Handwriting Tools button or Markup, then do any of the following:

• Move the Markup toolbar: Drag the toolbar to any edge of the screen.

  (Drag from the edge of the toolbar closest to the center of the screen.)

• Collapse the toolbar automatically: Tap the More button, then turn on Auto-minimize.

  To show the full toolbar again, tap the minimized version.

• Hide the toolbar: Tap the Show Handwriting Tools button or the Done button.

Draw or handwrite

1. In the Markup toolbar, tap the pen, marker, or pencil tool. Then draw or handwrite with your finger or Apple Pencil (on supported iPad models).
2. Do any of the following in the toolbar:
   • Change the line weight: Tap the selected drawing tool, then tap an option.
   • Change the opacity: Tap the selected drawing tool and drag the slider.
   • Change the color: Tap the Color Picker button, tap Grid, Spectrum, or Sliders, and then choose a color.
   • Undo: Tap the Undo button.

Draw straight lines

1. In the Markup toolbar, tap the Ruler tool. Do any of the following:
   • Move the ruler: Drag the ruler with one finger.
   • Change the angle: Touch and hold the ruler with two fingers. Then rotate your fingers.
2. Draw a line along the edge of the ruler.
3. To hide the ruler, tap the Ruler tool in the toolbar again.

Edit or move a drawing

1. In the Markup toolbar, tap the Lasso tool (between the eraser and ruler).
2. Touch and hold a group of strokes or circle multiple drawings and then do any of the following in the formatting tools that appear near the selection:
   • Change the color: Tap the Set Fill button.
   • See editing options: Tap the More button. Then tap Cut, Copy, Duplicate, and more.
3. To move the drawing, touch and hold it until it lifts up and drag it to a new location.

Select and edit handwritten text

1. In the Markup toolbar, tap the Lasso tool (between the eraser and ruler) and then do any of the following:
   • Select a word or drawn object: Double-tap it.
   • Select a sentence: Triple-tap it.
   • Select a paragraph or text block: Touch and hold the first word and drag to the last word. To select more precisely, drag slowly.
2. Tap the selected content you want to revise, tap it, and do any of the following:
   • Edit: Tap an option, such as Copy as Text, Translate, or Straighten. To see other options, tap the Forward button. If you see the formatting tools near your selection, tap the More button. Then tap Cut, Copy, Duplicate, and more.
   • Recolor: Tap a color in the Markup toolbar or tap the Set Fill button in the formatting tools.

In iPad apps that support Markup, anything you write in a text field turns into typed text right away. See our guide, Enter text with Scribble. And for more ways to edit your handwriting or drawing in Notes, read our article, Add drawings and handwriting in Notes.

Erase part or all of your drawing

1. In the Markup toolbar, tap the eraser tool.
2. Do any of the following:
   • Erase pixels: Scrub over what you want to remove with your finger.
   • Erase a group of strokes: Tap the eraser tool, tap Object Eraser, and touch the grouped strokes with your finger.
3. To switch between the erasers, tap the eraser tool again and choose Pixel Eraser or Object Eraser.

See also

• Add text, shapes, stickers, and more with Markup on iPad
• Fill out forms, sign documents, and create signatures on iPad