Writing on a flipchart

When you are working at the board and do not want to use your computer keyboard, you can write on your flipchart with the Pen

Here we show you how to:

Most of the tools we describe in this section are in the Main Toolbox.

In ActivInspire Studio, Pen Modifiers are in the View Menu. In ActivInspire Primary, Pen Modifiers are in the Pen Tray.

Write with the Pen

When you run ActivInspire, the Pen is enabled by default, so that you can start writing immediately. At other times, you may have to click or tap on it to select it.

With the Pen enabled:

  1. Position the cursor where you want to begin.

  2. Tap and drag to draw a line or shape, or write a word. Whatever you draw or write appears in the currently selected Pen colour on the flipchart.

Every time you write on a flipchart, you create an annotation.

The Pen remains enabled until you select another tool.

For details of how to turn your annotations into text, see More about ActivInspire > Working at the board > Using Handwriting Recognition.

 Add highlights

To make some or all of your text stand out:

  1. Click on the Highlighter  The cursor changes to a little highlighter with a circle.

  2. Move the cursor to where you want to begin.

  3. Click or tap, and drag to highlight an area of the flipchart.

Just like a real highlighter, you can use the Highlighter on any area of your flipchart, not just on text.

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Change the Pen and Highlighter width

ActivInspire Studio

In ActivInspire Studio, the Pen width is set to 4 pixels, and the Highlighter to 20 pixels, by default.

To change the width:

  1. Click on the Pen or Highlighter

  2. Set the line width:

  • Click on one of the presets: 2, 4, 6 or 8, for the Pen, and 10, 20,35 or 50 for the Highlighter, or

  • Click and drag the width slider to choose any size between 0 and 100 pixels.

ActivInspire Primary

In ActivInspire Primary, you simply select a wider or narrower Pen or Highlighter from the Pen Tray.

Change the colour

The Pen colour is set to black, and the Highlighter to translucent yellow, by default.

Quickest way (ActivInspire Studio)

  1. Click on the Pen or Highlighter.

  2. Click on another colour in the Colour Palette.

 

Quickest way (ActivInspire Primary)

  1. Click on the Pen or Highlighter.

  2. Click on another colour in the Colour Palette.

 

More choices (ActivInspire Studio)

  1. Click on the Pen or Highlighter.

  2. Right-click on the Colour Palette. The Extended Colour Palette opens.

  3. You have three choices:

    • Click on one of the colours in the palette.

    • Use the Colour Picker to pick a colour from anywhere in the ActivInspire window.

    • Use the Colour Dialog to mix your own colour.

 

To pick a colour from the ActivInspire window:

  1. With the Extended ColourPalette open, click on the Colour Picker .The Colour Picker box opens.

  2. Move the Colour Picker to the window area with the colour of your choice. The Colour Picker box shows the colour at and near the Colour Picker.

  3. When the square at the centre of the box shows the desired colour, click to add it to the Colour Palette.

To mix your own colour:

With the Extended Colour Palette open, click on the Colour Dialog icon.  A Dialog Box specific to your operating system opens.

Example

The picture below shows the Dialog Box for the Windows operating system. The table names the numbered components.

  • You can use the Dialog Box to:

    • Choose from 48 basic colours.

    • Click anywhere in the Colour Spectrum.

    • Click anywhere in the Colour Spectrum, then use the slider on the right to make the colour lighter or darker.

    • Click the appropriate Up and Down icons to adjust the red, green, blue colour balance, as well as the hue and saturation.

  • Click Add to Custom Colours.

  • Create as many custom colours as desired.

  • Click OK to save the colours, or Cancel to discard them.

 

Basic colours

Colour Spectrum

Slider

Up and down buttons

Add to Custom Colour button

OK and Cancel buttons

 

ActivInspire saves your chosen Pen and Highlighter colour and width settings. Next time you use these tools, they'll be set to use whatever colour and width they were set to previously.

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More choices (ActivInspire Primary)

  1. Click on the Pen or Highlighter.

  2. Right-click on one of the three blank colour slots in the Pen Tray. The Extended Colour Palette opens.

  3. You have three choices:

    • Click on one of the colours in the palette.

    • Use the Colour Picker to pick a colour from anywhere in the ActivInspire window.

    • Use the Colour Dialog to mix your own colour.

 

ActivInspire saves your chosen Pen and Highlighter colour and width settings. Next time you use these tools, they'll be set to use whatever colour and width they were set to previously.

 

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Use Pen Modifiers

You need ActivInspire Professional to use this function.

In Dual User mode, only the teacher can access Pen Modifiers..

Pen Modifiers let you quickly draw shaped annotations with the Pen, Highlighter, or Magic Ink tools.  

Using Pen Modifiers has several advantages:

Select the tool of your choice, for example the Pen and write some text.

To use Pen Modifiers:

ActivInspire Studio:

  1. From the View Menu, select Pen Modifiers. The Pen Modifiers Toolbox opens as a toolstrip next to the Main Toolbox.

ActivInspire Primary:

  1. Click Pen Modifiers in the Pen Tray. The Pen Modifiers Toolbox opens above the Pen Tray.

 

 

 

 

 

Both:

  1. Select a Pen Modifier from the toolbox or tray.

  2. Draw your chosen annotation, for example, underline the text you wrote.

  1. To resume writing, click the current Pen Modifier to deselect it.

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