To annotate on a SMART Board, the most straightforward method is to simply pick up one of the designated pens from the board's pen tray. As soon as you do, the SMART Board's software, often SMART Ink, activates a transparent layer over your current screen, allowing you to write or draw directly on anything displayed.
Getting Started with Annotating
Annotating on a SMART Board seamlessly integrates digital inking with your displayed content, whether it's a presentation, a website, or a document.
The Basic Pen Method
The primary way to begin annotating is intuitive and requires no special software launch:
- Pick Up a Pen: If you are at the board, simply pick up a pen from the SMART Board's pen tray. The board automatically recognizes this action.
- Transparent Layer Activation: As soon as you pick up the pen, you'll notice a subtle change, often indicated by the corners of the screen changing. This signifies that the SMART Board has overlaid a transparent digital layer over your current display. This layer is where all your notes and markup will be held.
- Start Writing: You can now use the pen to write, draw, or highlight directly on the screen, over any application, document, or webpage currently open.
Leveraging SMART Ink for Advanced Annotation
For more comprehensive annotation tools and options, SMART Boards come equipped with SMART Ink. This powerful software provides a persistent toolbar that offers a range of digital inking features beyond basic writing.
Key Features of SMART Ink:
- Pen Tools: Select from various pen types, colors, and line thicknesses to suit your needs. You can choose different colors for emphasis, or a thick pen for bold statements.
- Highlighter: Easily highlight important text or areas on your screen without obscuring the content beneath.
- Eraser: Use the digital eraser tool (or often the physical eraser block found in the pen tray) to remove specific annotations or clear the entire screen of ink.
- Shapes and Lines: Draw perfect shapes like circles, squares, and arrows, or straight lines to connect ideas or emphasize relationships.
- Screen Capture: Annotate over screen captures. You can grab a section of your screen, then mark it up and save it for later.
- Saving Annotations: SMART Ink allows you to save your annotated content. Depending on the application, you can:
- Save directly into the original document (e.g., PowerPoint, PDF).
- Export annotations as a separate image file.
- Save the entire annotated screen as a SMART Notebook file or a standard image format (e.g., PNG, JPEG).
How to Access SMART Ink Toolbar:
The SMART Ink toolbar often appears automatically when you pick up a pen or can be launched from your desktop or system tray. It usually floats on the screen, allowing easy access to its tools.
Annotating Over Various Content
One of the greatest advantages of a SMART Board is its ability to annotate over virtually any content displayed on the screen.
- Desktop Applications: Mark up your computer's desktop, files, or any software interface.
- Web Browsers: Highlight text on websites, circle images, or add notes directly to web pages during a presentation or lesson.
- Microsoft Office Documents: Annotate directly within PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, or Excel spreadsheets. Your annotations can often be saved as part of the document.
- PDF Files: Write notes, underline text, or draw diagrams over PDF documents.
- SMART Notebook Software: For educational or collaborative purposes, SMART Notebook is the dedicated software where you can create dynamic lessons, annotate, and save all your interactive content.
Tips for Effective Annotation
- Color-Code Your Notes: Use different pen colors to categorize notes (e.g., red for important points, blue for questions, green for tasks).
- Use the Highlighter Strategically: Draw attention to key information without making the underlying text illegible.
- Save Regularly: If you're creating extensive annotations, save your work periodically to avoid losing progress.
- Clear the Screen When Needed: Utilize the eraser tool or the "Clear All Ink" option in SMART Ink to remove distractions when moving to a new topic.
By utilizing the simple act of picking up a pen or delving into the robust features of SMART Ink, annotating on a SMART Board transforms passive viewing into an interactive, engaging experience.
For more detailed information and support, you can visit the official SMART Technologies support website.
