Turn off automatic inking

If you have a touch-enabled device and are using a digital pen, by default it starts drawing immediately when the pen hits the document canvas.

You can turn off this behavior to make the pen work as a stylus by default and only ink when in "Draw" mode on the Draw tab:

WindowsiOS

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Make the pen work as a stylus by default

1. In your Office app, select File > Options.

   The Options dialog box opens.

2. Select the Advanced tab. Under the Pen heading, select the Use pen to select and interact with content by default option.

   

Requirements for the Inking feature

Applies to:	Word, Excel, PowerPoint Current Channel: Version 1601 or later Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel: Version 1602 or later  Find your Office version
Operating system:	Windows 10, version 1511 or later  Find your Windows version

Make the pen work as a stylus by default

1. Open the Settings app from the home screen of your iOS device.

2. Scroll through the list of apps at the bottom of the Settings page to find Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, and tap to open its Settings.

3. In the app settings on the right side, at the bottom under Draw and Annotate, toggle Apple Pencil Always Draws Ink.

   

Requirements for the Inking feature

Applies to:	Word, Excel, PowerPoint  Office Insider and Monthly channels: Version 2
Operating system:	iOS