Looking For Note Taking App With Specific Features

[beasonfan]

I know that there are a dozen posts about note taking apps on this forum, and I have scanned most of them. However, I have a specific set of features that I am looking for, and I hope that I can get some suggestions from you about any apps that suit my needs (if any exist).

Here's my issue: as I keep trying new apps, I end up with bits of information spread all over the place, and this makes it tough for me to find things when I need them. So, I have started using Evernote more frequently to help me. When I take a note in Notabilty, I email it to my Evernote account. When I grade a student paper in GoodNotes, I email it to my evernote account. When I write an email, find a good article, or want to remember something, I add it to Evernote.

I use Evernote for a lot of things. I have even gone back to using Penultimate because it syncs with Evernote and allows me to search my own handwriting. However, Penultimate will not allow me to add PDFs, and this is a huge pain.

So, here are the things I am looking for:

1. an app that will allow me to upload notes to Evernote as a JPEG so I can search my own handwritten notes
2. an app that will allow me to import PDFs into it that I can mark up and then sync with Evernote and later search
3. an app that will allow me to zoom in on a PDF and add handwritten notes that I can later search for in Evernote
4. an app that will allow me to use my Adonit Touch bluetooth stylus

I know that Evernote will allow me to open and markup PDFs, but I tend to write a lot in the margins of my students' papers, so I need an app that allows fine lines, like this:



That's a lot of information, and I appreciate any advice you can give.

 

[Mickey330]

...[snippage all around] ...

So, here are the things I am looking for:

1. an app that will allow me to upload notes to Evernote as a JPEG so I can search my own handwritten notes
2. an app that will allow me to import PDFs into it that I can mark up and then sync with Evernote and later search
3. an app that will allow me to zoom in on a PDF and add handwritten notes that I can later search for in Evernote
4. an app that will allow me to use my Adonit Touch bluetooth stylus

I know that Evernote will allow me to open and markup PDFs, but I tend to write a lot in the margins of my students' papers, so I need an app that allows fine lines,

That's a lot of information, and I appreciate any advice you can give.

May I suggest you take a look at the app "Noteshelf" ($5.99, USD; link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/noteshelf-notes-pdf/id392188745?mt=8).

(1) It allows you to upload your handwritten notes to Evernote as either a PNG image or a PDF image (plus, of course, the notes will still be available/editable in the app).

(2) & (3) It supports the "Open In" function so you can open PDFs into it for editing. It has a zoom feature so you can make notes in margins. Not sure if you'll be able to get as small as in your picture example, but you can get pretty small as it has a zoom feature for writing. Then, you can export the notes to Evernote. Then, you can export the annotated PDFs to Evernote.

(4) You can use a stylus with the app - but I don't know about the Bluetooth one. I don't own that stylus, so I couldn't check...

In addition, the Noteshelf app will let you e-mail the file, send it to Dropbox and Box (along with Evernote), save the PNG image to Photos or Print.

It has been my favorite note-taking app since I found it (years ago). It's one I keep on my iPad "just in case" though I don't use it often.

I am sure others will be along to give you assistance and advice as I am sure there are other apps. This is just a suggestion for you consider.

Hope it helped.

Ma

 

[beasonfan]

NoteShelf

Ma,

Thank your for your suggestion. I actually have NoteShelf, and I like it. It does work with the Adonit Touch, but my only real problem with it is that it does not export notes as a JPEG. This would allow Evernote to search my handwriting.

Thanks for your time, and have a good day.

 

[twerppoet]

Ma,

Thank your for your suggestion. I actually have NoteShelf, and I like it. It does work with the Adonit Touch, but my only real problem with it is that it does not export notes as a JPEG. This would allow Evernote to search my handwriting.

Thanks for your time, and have a good day.

Evernote does index PDF's, however I'd never noticed that it does not catch the hand written annotations in a PDF. It does index all the typed annotations. At least the few I tested.

The best I can come up with is to take a screenshot of the page/note. You can then crop, title, and/or further annotate it in Skitch before sending it to Evernote. If you are collecting as much as you say in Evernote, then you are probably doing a regular (daily?) clean up. At that time you can merge the original PDF note with the screenshot for easier reference/searching.


Another possibility is to zoom into the text you want to comment on, take a screenshot, then go to Penultimate. You can insert the screenshot and comment on it.


While continuing your search, remember that an app does not need to have direct support of Evernote to be useful to you. As long as it can email the document, you can send it to Evernote that way; even specifying the notebook and any tags you want.