# Handwritten Notes to Markdown > Handwriting captures shapes, arrows and relationships that plain text cannot. Markdown gives the readable explanation a portable home. Keep both parts deliberate. Local files, Markdown and AI on your device in one workspace. Canonical: https://pocketorbitnotes.app/learn/handwriting-to-markdown Language: en-US Published: not provided Last updated: 2026-10-18 ## Workflow 1. Capture what is faster to draw. 2. Recognize, then correct. 3. Give the readable text a structure. 4. Keep the source and the companion. ## Which version does this guide describe? Follow this guide in your Pocket Orbit workspace. You can also open the sample material in an ordinary Markdown editor. - [Current availability](https://pocketorbitnotes.app/download) ## Capture what is faster to draw. Write diagrams, equations and rough relationships by hand. Add typed labels when exact wording matters. A scan can preserve a paper source without retyping the entire page. ## Recognize, then correct. Compare recognition with the original before it becomes a summary or searchable reference. Names, formulas, abbreviations and hurried writing need special attention. Recognition creates text from handwriting. It does not turn the original strokes into Markdown objects that every editor can move or erase. ## Give the readable text a structure. Use headings for topics, lists for parallel items and links for connections. Keep uncertainty and source references in the text instead of losing them while cleaning up. Semantic headings work in both directions: a Heading 2 is represented by two hash marks. Arbitrary font sizes belong to visual formatting rather than standard Markdown. ## Keep the source and the companion. Link the handwritten source from the readable note when context matters. Preserve the file containing editable ink and layout if you want to reopen that canvas later. A PDF or image is useful for viewing. It is a different artifact from an editable Pocket Orbit note or a plain Markdown file. ## Inspect the destination before trusting the export. Open a copy in the editor you intend to use. Check headings, links, attachments, Unicode filenames and a representative equation. Keep a backup until you have inspected the result. The synthetic sample vault and compatibility worksheet offer a repeatable starting point. They do not establish finished app interoperability. ## Exercise: preserve three different artifacts Use a short handwritten source with one arrow, one name and one deadline. Keep the editable Pocket Orbit ink note. Make a readable image or PDF copy for viewing, then place the corrected explanation in a Markdown note. These artifacts serve different jobs. Inspect the Markdown source: headings, words and a reference to an image can be portable text. That reference does not contain the editable pen strokes. Keep the companion files with the native note if you need to continue drawing. - Check the arrow against the explanation: did its direction or meaning change? - Check the name and deadline against the original before accepting recognized text. - Reopen a copy outside Pocket Orbit and confirm what is readable; test the native copy separately for editable ink. ## Continue on Mac without losing the original Pencil capture belongs to the supported iPad workflow. Mac continuation lets you review the readable note and its source; it does not turn the Mac into an Apple Pencil writing surface. Move only through the documented import/export path and inspect a copy first. If another editor shows the text or an image but cannot edit the original strokes, keep that distinction visible. Recover from the untouched native copy rather than deleting companion files to make the folder look simpler. ## Three artifacts, three different uses Original editable ink needs the native stroke/companion representation. A rendered image is a readable visual but cannot reproduce editable strokes. Corrected Markdown is searchable and portable text. Keep all required companions when copying a native note; do not treat a plain SVG in a teaching folder as native ink. - [Markdown editor for your local notes](https://pocketorbitnotes.app/features/markdown-editor) - [Markdown and companion files](https://pocketorbitnotes.app/help/markdown-companion-files) - [A small Markdown workspace you can inspect](https://pocketorbitnotes.app/resources/sample-workspace) - [How we test file preservation](https://pocketorbitnotes.app/research/preservation-method) ## Related pages - https://pocketorbitnotes.app/features/local-vault-ai - https://pocketorbitnotes.app/help/export-notes - https://pocketorbitnotes.app/help/use-an-existing-markdown-vault - https://pocketorbitnotes.app/help/create-ai-summary - https://pocketorbitnotes.app/learn/markdown-workflows - https://pocketorbitnotes.app/features/markdown-editor - https://pocketorbitnotes.app/help/get-started - https://pocketorbitnotes.app/resources/sample-workspace - https://pocketorbitnotes.app/help/markdown-companion-files - https://pocketorbitnotes.app/research/preservation-method Source: Pocket Orbit. 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