Handwriting on a transparent background

How it works

1. Photograph or scan the page in even light, straight on. Thin pencil needs more light than ink does.
2. Drop it here. The white of the paper becomes transparent and the writing stays.
3. Raise the strength if grey paper or a shadow survives; lower it if thin strokes are breaking up. The starting point is gentler than the signature page for exactly that reason.
4. Trimming is on, so the result is cropped to the writing itself rather than to the whole sheet.

Frequently asked questions

Why not use the signature page?

Because a signature is usually written with a heavier pen and a firmer hand than a page of notes. The signature page starts at a threshold that removes more, which on faint pencil eats the strokes. This one starts gentler and leaves the decision about how far to go with you.

My pencil writing is disappearing.

Lower the strength and photograph the page again in brighter, flatter light. Pencil is grey, not black, so the gap between the writing and the paper is small to begin with; more light widens it. If the page is also crooked or unevenly lit, run it through the scan cleanup first and bring the result here.

Can I use it on ruled or squared paper?

The rules come out too, since they are printed in ink like the writing. On pale blue or grey ruling you can often keep the writing and lose the lines by raising the strength a little, because the ruling is lighter than the pen; on dark ruling they go together.

Is my page uploaded?

No. The picture is processed inside the browser tab and never leaves your computer, which matters rather more for a page of notes than for most files.