change colour/color of ink after writing

[ApeMan]

I'm finding it tedious to have to re-write something because the original
colour I used needs to be changed. Can I change the colour of text that is
already written? This seems like a really simple task to me and it's easy to
do in Word and PowerPoint. But I can't figure out how to do it in OneNote...
Is it possible?

Thanks,

ApeMan

 

[Chris H.]

Do you have the Formatting toolbar enabled? If not, right-click the
Standard toolbar and select Formatting. You'll find you have the normal
choices.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

 

[ApeMan]

Ok, i just tried using formatting toolbar and I'm getting very strange
results. If I select some ink, then click on the font color button (which is
orange), then some of the ink becomes orange and some of it doesn't. The
button name implies that it is for text ink, but not for drawing ink...is
this true?

I think the problem may be that I can't properly select all the ink I want
to change colour. It's as if all the ink is not in the same box or something.
I do have the setting "allow drawings to automerge" enabled". Simply
selecting some ink is pretty confusing to me and I've been using OneNote for
about 5 months now...

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

ApeMan

 

[Chris H.]

Have you tried Edit/Select/All from the drop-down menu?
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

 

[ApeMan]

Thanks for the quick replies.

Ok, I just tried selecting everything on the page and then changing the
colour using the above method. And it still only changed the colour of some
of the ink, but not all of it. Then I tried treating all the ink as a
drawing. Now I can't change the colour at all!

I can send you the OneNote file if you like...

Thanks,

ApeMan

 

[Chris H.]

No thank you on the file. You're running OneNote fully updated, correct? I
can't seem to reproduce it here. Perhaps someone else will have an idea.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

 

[James Gockel]

I was able to reproduce this problem.
The issue lies with the fact that some ink is handwriting and some it
drawing... the drawing ink cannot be changed with the "font color" method.
I can only assume if you change all ink to handwriting ink that you'd be
able to change it's color, then change it back to drawing.

I have just tried this method and it works ok..
Drawing ink will not be treated as text. Where as handwriting is treated as
text, you can even change the font size! cool.

I hope this solves the issue. And I hope the issue is solved in onenote 12..
or another update.
-James

 

[ApeMan]

Yes, I have all updates installed.

Ok, thanks anyway.

By the way, it seems to depend on the order in which I write things. So if I
just write a bunch of stuff and then try to select it
and change the colour, no prob. But if I pause in between, or (god-forbid)
add something later, then there is no chance of treating it all as 1 entity
and changing the colour of all of it. And I can't even drag it or cut/paste
it somewhere without either leaving some of the ink behind, or screwing it up
it so that it's not where it should be after pasting.

Also the colour changing only seems to work if the ink is treated "like
text" and not "like a drawing". Otherwise the font colour button is greyed
out...

ApeMan

 

[ApeMan]

I wish I could do that but it is not possible to treat just any ink as
handwriting ink. I tried drawing something that's not text, and the "treat as
handwritting" button is greyed out...

ApeMan

 

[ApeMan]

Ok, I think I did just get it working, more or less... I used the following
steps:

1) use the selection tool to select everything I want changed
2) convert it all to drawing
3) use selection tool again
4) convert it all to handwriting
5) use the selection tool again
6) use text colour tool to change colour
7) use the selection tool again
8) convert it all too handwriting again

Only after all 8 steps does the colour change properly. Obviously this is
rather tedious and ridiculous for a seemingly simple task... and
unfortunately it's not always possible for me select all the parts I want...

I think the lesson I learned here is to leave lots of space in between
things while I'm taking notes so it makes it easier to change the positions
and colours of things later. It also seems easier to select bits of ink when
they are treated as drawing, rather than when they are treated as handwriting
(because those stupid note containers get in the way).

Thanks for the suggestions,

ApeMan

 

[James Gockel]

No offence, but the lesson learned should be "do things the way you want
them in the first place.."
In other words, chose the correct color of the drawing, or item before you
start it... I know that can't always be done... but yeah... thats the lesson
direct from microsoft. "also save often" but that's a given!

-James

 

[ApeMan]

That is reasonable advice in terms of colour selection...
But how could you possible predict where on the page you want/need your ink
to be? Or which particular page you want/need it in? It's unrealistic to
think that you will never have to move anything around once you've written
it...

 

[James Gockel]

Well, I guess every persons way of using the software is different... I
don't move my ink around... but I also havent used it much anyways recently.
And I suppose it's all dependant on what you use it for.

-James

 

[Erik Sojka (MVP)]

Are these notes in different containers by any chance?

Try doing a complete "Select All" (similar to Chris' suggestion).

Select All works a little differently in OneNote. It will select an
increasing amount of text each time you do a Ctrl-A. Try Ctrl-A about
three times (ensuring that all text on the page is truly selected) and
then try to change the color.

 

[James Gockel]

Amazing... Doesnt work for me!
I've selected all 3 times, and showed the container's... but still drawing
ink is not treated as a font color... although it does now allow me to
change the font color.. but the drawing ink is still the same sad yellow I
chose to start with.

-James

 

[James Gockel]

Oh... and a nother note... the Drawing will remember what color it's
supposed to be when you turn it into text ink... although, It will not be
that color... change it to another color and then back to the color you want
and it will work... that should get rid of some ugly steps in the middle.

-James