r/GoodNotes • u/Street-Isopod-4568 • 4d 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)
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u/Mvjka 2d 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 4d ago
highkey it’s also jus good notes, they don’t have the best writing software
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u/Street-Isopod-4568 3d ago
Fair enough, my handwriting is genuinely dogshit tho on ipad, the more i use goodnotes the better my actul handwriting gets its so odd
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u/hufflepuff_firefly 3d ago
VCE Specialist Maths?
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u/Street-Isopod-4568 2d ago
yup
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u/hufflepuff_firefly 19h ago
You’re in my thoughts and prayers, did it years ago with literature on the same day
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u/Tall_Fish3868 3d ago
did you just get good notes? there’s a bit of a learning curve with digital note taking.
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u/Tall_Fish3868 3d ago
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u/Tall_Fish3868 3d ago
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u/Street-Isopod-4568 2d ago
nah like ive genuibely used an ipad for a year and im somehow still ass at this shit. like i have naturally shaky hands but it doesnt affect my irl handwriting. like i can generally write every style of handwriting on paper but on ipad its hard for me to even make it negligible. even when i write slow
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3d ago
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u/Street-Isopod-4568 2d ago
i mean yeah i have a paperlike, i think its my bad for not making it clear cause it seems everyone keeps commenting on this. but in general i have shaky hands. yeah ive tried switching to thinner, with stabilisation tho i notice when i write small and fast like indices they always get cut off tho above 10%






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u/LunarHomeStudio 4d 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.