The Apple Pencil turns the iPad into a computer with a precise pointing device, transforming it from a touchscreen tablet to a computer. When you add an Apple Pencil to your iPad or iPad Pro, the device will take off like a bird.
With Apple Pencil, photo editing, class notes, drawing, and graphic design become more intuitive, faster, and easier.
Check out our selection of Apple Pencil apps for iPad and iPad Pro.
Table of contents
- What Is The Apple Pencil?
- Is Buying An Apple Pencil Worth It?
- Features Of Apple Pencil
- What Are The Differences Between Apple Pencil 1 and Apple Pencil 2?
- How Is The Apple Pencil Different From Other Styluses?
- Where Can The Apple Pencil Be used?
- Is Apple Pencil Worth The Money?
- 10 Best Apps To Use With Apple Pencil
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- References
- Recommendations
What Is The Apple Pencil?
The Apple Pencil is a stylus created by Apple that is compatible with Apple’s iPads. The Apple Pencil gets its name from its similarity to a standard pencil, although with an Apple-esque aesthetic.
There’s a little plastic tip that connects to the iPad’s display (which can be replaced), a pencil-like body to grip onto, and a charging mechanism. There is a Lightning connector on the first-generation Apple Pencil, but the second-generation device charges inductively through the iPad Pro.
For precision operations like writing and sketching, the Apple Pencil may be used instead of a finger, and it can also be used to navigate through the operating system. Because it’s precise, features palm rejection, and gives pressure and tilt sensitivity, it’s ideal for drawing, art production, note-taking, and other related jobs.
In a word, the Apple Pencil is a stylus that works similarly to a typical pencil, except instead of writing on paper, you write on the iPad’s screen. You can write with your hand directly on the iPad, which was previously a feature that other styluses were unable to accurately imitate.
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Is Buying An Apple Pencil Worth It?
Yes, it is absolutely worth it if you have an iPad Pro and you’re an artist or take a lot of handwritten notes. You can replicate Pencil, pen and ink, watercolor brushes, oil brushes, calligraphy pens, and more with an Apple Pencil and an app like ProCreate, for example.
Features Of Apple Pencil
The Apple Pencil has a diverse collection of capabilities that enable it to be utilized for any precision work or as a replacement for a finger when navigating through iOS.
The following are the features that you should be aware of:
1. Palm Rejection
When you attach the Apple Pencil to the iPad, it only detects the Apple Pencil tip, not your hand or finger, allowing you to comfortably write or sketch.
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2. Pressure Sensitivity
A line might be thicker or thinner depending on how much pressure is applied to the iPad while writing or drawing. The Apple Pencil does not have a defined pressure sensitivity level, according to Apple.
3. Tilt Sensitivity
Because the Apple Pencil is designed to work as a regular pencil, you can use it to do things like shading by holding it at an angle and pressing the side of the tip against the iPad. The Apple Pencil is aware of its general orientation as well as how it is slanted.
4. Pencil-Like Weighting
The Apple Pencil was designed to feel like a pencil in the hand and is weighted to feel like a real writing instrument.
5. Low Latency
The Apple Pencil has extremely low latency, which means there is no delay between the movement of the pencil and what appears on the screen as you write on the iPad. On iPads with 120Hz displays (2017 and subsequent iPad Pro models), Apple Pencil latency is as low as 9ms.
6. Precision
Because the Apple Pencil is precise, it is accurate to the pixel level. That is, there is no offset between the location of the pencil and what is displayed on the screen.
7. Simple Pairing
With Apple Pencil, there’s no need to fiddle with Bluetooth. It connects on its own. Simply connect the first version to the iPad Pro or attach the second version to the iPad Pro.
8. Touch Gestures (Apple Pencil V2)
Touch gestures are only supported by the Apple Pencil V2. The Apple Pencil 2 can move between tools in apps with a double-tap, which is ideal for moving between a pen tool and an eraser tool, for example.
Apple Pencil 2 charges through the iPad Pro with inductive charging (V2 only). The Apple Pencil 1 does not have this feature and uses a Lightning connector to charge.
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What Are The Differences Between Apple Pencil 1 and Apple Pencil 2?
The Apple Pencil comes in two variants, the first of which was introduced in 2015 and the second of which was released in 2018. Both accomplish the same thing, but their designs and charging procedures are different. The most significant distinction is their device compatibility: Apple Pencil 2 is compatible with the 2018 iPad Pro models, while Apple Pencil 1 is compatible with everything else.
Because it lacks a Lightning port at the end, the second-generation Apple Pencil is slimmer, smaller, and more compact than the original Apple Pencil. It’s meant to charge inductively through the iPad Pro, so place it on the right side of the tablet in the flat area to start charging, with the Apple Pencil magnetically attached to the device.
The original Apple Pencil has a Lightning connector that allows it to charge by plugging it into the Lightning port of an iPad, which is difficult due to the Apple Pencil’s size. The Apple Pencil 1 comes with an adapter so you can charge it with any Lightning cable.
Apple Pencil 2 has a more pencil-like shape because it has a flat side and a sanded design that adds roughness while Apple Pencil 1 is a smooth, round pencil.
The Apple Pencil 2 also supports touch gestures for tool change, something the first Apple Pencil did not. The Apple Pencil 1 and 2 are fundamentally the same and have the same feature set, despite variances in charging procedures and bells and whistles.
How Is The Apple Pencil Different From Other Styluses?
Prior to the release of the Apple Pencil, styluses featured either a fine hard tip that was battery-driven to trigger the iPad’s capacitive display or a large, rubber finger-shaped tip that was inaccurate.
Palm rejection was handled entirely through software developed by individual app developers, and it wasn’t always reliable; also, all connections were made via Bluetooth rather than the Apple Pencil’s automatic approach.
Many styluses on the market that aren’t the Apple Pencil still have these types of tips that aren’t as accurate as of the Apple Pencil and can’t offer the same simple charging and palm rejection features, but there are now some more affordable Apple Pencil alternatives with Apple Pencil-like functionality.
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Where Can The Apple Pencil Be used?
Apple Pencil can be used as a finger replacement for tasks such as opening apps, scrolling, and more, but it is also supported by iPadOS. For anyone considering an Apple Pencil purchase, here are a few special Apple Pencil features to be aware of:
- Screenshots – If you take a screenshot on your iPad and then tap it when a preview appears in the corner, you can use the Apple Pencil to draw and write on it using the Markup feature.
- Markup – Markup is an Apple feature that allows you to write on screenshots, but it also works in other apps throughout the operating system. You can edit photos or PDFs in Mail (which is useful for signing documents), draw on photos in Messages, add captions and drawings to images in the Photos app, and edit PDFs in Books.
- Apple Pencil is also compatible with a wide range of third-party apps for note-taking, drawing, sketching, and other tasks. You may find these apps by searching for Apple Pencil in the iPad App Store, but we’ve highlighted a few favorites below.
Is Apple Pencil Worth The Money?
The Apple Pencil is absolutely worth the money for anyone who wants to use their iPad for drawing, sketching, note-taking, or other similar activities, but for those who don’t need all of the advanced features, there are some similar styluses on the market, such as the much more affordable Logitech Crayon.
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10 Best Apps To Use With Apple Pencil
The Best Note-Taking Apps for Apple Pencil:
1. Notability
Price: Free / $11.99
With thousands of good ratings and the ability to record voice to users’ notes and synchronize handwriting with notes in a way that other apps can’t, Notability has proven its effectiveness to note-takers over the years. Of course, it owes its popularity to a slew of helpful and practical functions in addition to an audio recording.
Because of its simplicity, Notability, which has a relatively simple interface for note-taking and filing, attracts the majority of its customers. Despite the fact that most users’ organizational options are limited when compared to its competitor GoodNotes, it has a large number of users that prefer this format.
You can take notes on anything you bring into the app as well as make digital notes from scratch. You can work on both documents by dividing the screen in half. Notability can also recognize and convert your handwriting to text, as well as scan and import documents. Also, Notability Google Drive, Dropbox, and AirDrop are just a few of the possibilities for exporting and sharing your data.
Furthermore, Notability, as one of the top Apple Pencil apps, allows you to create automatic backups so you don’t lose your notes. You can backup using cloud storage services or by changing the backup destination. Backup is accessible in a variety of formats. There are alternatives for backing up audio files in addition to documents. Once you’ve purchased Notability, you can use it on all of your iOS devices. If you want to preserve your notes on the iPad indefinitely, the fee is well worth it.
2. Evernote
Price: Free
Evernote on both iOS and Android allows easy syncing between your notes for individuals who want to take notes on both devices. You can include a photo, a link, an audio file, a table, a drawing, and a check box in your notes. The document scanning option, in particular, has proven to be highly beneficial.
On the free plan, you can upload 60MB per month and utilize two devices at the same time. It’s also worth noting that the free version has a 25MB restriction per note. If you upgrade to a premium membership, you’ll have access to unlimited devices, 10 GB of monthly uploads, and 200 MB per note.
3. Nebo
Price: Free
The handwriting recognition tool in Nebo is designed to make converting your handwriting to text as simple as possible. It offers a number of productivity shortcuts (strikeout, scribble, underline, and so on) that make organizing and structuring your notes a breeze. After downloading the program, you have the option of using the free version or purchasing the entire package for a fee.
This Apple Pencil-compatible app improves your writing experience by analyzing how you use your palm. You can create pages for taking notes in the free version. To import documents, you can upgrade to the premium version. There will be a price for exporting your documents as well.
The Best Drawing Apps for Apple Pencil
4. Procreate
Price: $9.99
One of the most popular iPad sketching and design apps, Procreate from Savage Interactive, won the Apple Design Award and is used by numerous Digital Artists, including Sam Gilbey and Pete Fowler.
Procreate, which is mostly used by professionals, offers over 200 handcrafted brush models that work in perfect harmony with the Apple Pencil. You can make sketches, rich pictures, illustrations, and animations with Procreate.
It has twin texture brushes, alpha locks, highly sensitive smudge tools, blend mode, and clipping masks, as well as the ability to save your work in original PSD format.
TIFF, transparent PNG, animated GIF, and MP4 are all examples of Procreate. JPEG and PDF pages in numerous formats
Procreate, as one of the greatest Apple Pencil apps, also supports high-resolution canvases on iPad Pro, ranging from 4K to 16K. There are also 250 levels of undo and redo available.
5. Linea Sketch
Price: Free
Linea Sketch is a simple iPad software that allows you to take notes and sketch with your handwriting. At the same time, the app is Apple Pencil-friendly. The structure of Linea Sketch sets it apart from its competitors, allowing you to design precise shapes and recommend matching colors for those you’ve previously produced. At the same time, you may use the app’s layer support to save your work as PSD, JPG, or PNG.
6. Astropad
Price: $29.99
You can turn your iPad Pro into a professional graphic tablet with this app. It links your tablet to your Mac, allowing you to use your iPad to sketch on your Mac with the Apple Pencil.
It allows you to sketch directly in Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, Affinity Photo, Corel Painter, Manga Studio, Pixelmator, Mischief, and a variety of other Mac creative applications with your iPad.
The iPad Pro substitutes Wacom tablets, which are used by experts such as graphic artists and painters, with this very inventive program that requires a Mac.
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The Best Coloring Apps for Apple Pencil
7. Pigment
Price: Free
If you’re looking for the greatest coloring software for grownups, look no further than Pigment, which is compatible with Apple Pencil.
With over 3,400 patterns to select from and a wide range of painting tools and brushes, including pencils, felt-tip pens, glitter, pastel, sand, oil, and more, Pigment is one of our favorite coloring applications.
You can also look at the work of other aspiring coloring book artists or upload your own photographs for a more personalized experience. The app is available for seven days at no cost.
8. Colorgram
Price: Free
Colorgram is one of the greatest applications for Apple Pencil that will help you to have a fun time with your iPad for free. It has over 2500 coloring pages and supports over 500 flat and gradient colors as well as custom color palettes.
It also has a social network where you can meet and communicate with other app users from all over the world. To relieve stress, you can also watch playback coloring videos with calming background music.
9. Lake
Price: Free
Lake is a “beautifully designed, best-of-breed coloring software,” according to Apple, with over 85 coloring books by worldwide indie designers and a 5-piece toolset that includes an acrylic brush, watercolor brush, spray, fill, and eraser.
Lake allows you to color, create, and meditate thanks to its iCloud synchronization and compatibility for Apple Pencil and 3D Touch.
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10. Bonus: LiquidText
Price: Free
LiquidText is a free tool that allows you to annotate PDFs, brainstorm ideas, and organize documents. LiquidText is an Apple Pencil software for those who write on papers a lot during the day and use their tablet frequently. It has been featured by Apple, Mashable, and TIME.
You may create a workspace in LiquidText to import all of your PDF documents from DropBox, email, and iCloud Drive, or you can import material directly from a webpage.
You may use your Workplace to retrieve excerpts from all of your project’s documents, add notes to the Workspace area, draw on your notes, and group excerpts and notes.
Conclusion
On the App Store, there is a slew of Apple Pencil-compatible apps, with more being added every year. The apps listed above should be your first choice if you want to sketch, write, or take notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Apple Pencil is a stylus created by Apple that is compatible with Apple’s iPads. The Apple Pencil gets its name from its similarity to a standard pencil, although with an Apple-esque aesthetic.
Yes, it is absolutely worth it if you have an iPad Pro and you’re an artist or take a lot of handwritten notes. You can replicate Pencil, pen and ink, watercolor brushes, oil brushes, calligraphy pens, and more with an Apple Pencil and an app like ProCreate, for example.
The Apple Pencil is absolutely worth the money for anyone who wants to use their iPad for drawing, sketching, note-taking, or other similar activities, but for those who don’t need all of the advanced features, there are some similar styluses on the market, such as the much more affordable Logitech Crayon.
References
- Mobilemarketingreads.com – The 10 Best Apps for Apple Pencil
- techrepublic.com – 8 iPad apps that take the Apple Pencil from accessory to necessity
- macrumors.com – Everything You Need to Know About the Apple Pencil
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