How to Animate Handwriting and Sketches with Ink Replay in Microsoft Office

As a longtime Microsoft Office power user, I've found that demonstrating processes visually can make all the difference. Office 365 includes Ink Replay, a powerful feature in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the OneNote Windows 10 app (not OneNote 2016) that animates your ink strokes from handwriting, sketches, or drawings with a single click.

Ink Replay shines when recreating step-by-step processes, like solving a math equation, making it an invaluable teaching tool.

How to Enable the Draw Tab and Ink Replay in Microsoft Office

If the feature isn't visible on your ribbon, add it easily:

1. Go to File > Options.
2. Select the Customize Ribbon tab in the Options dialog.
3. In the right column, choose Main Tabs or All Tabs from the dropdown.
4. Check the box for the Draw tab.
   
5. Click OK.

The Draw tab now appears on the ribbon with pens and the Ink Replay button.

How to Use Ink Replay in Microsoft Office

1. Open a document and select the Draw tab.
2. Choose a pen and color, then draw, sketch, or handwrite on the page.
   
3. Click the Ink Replay button to watch the animation.

You can't adjust playback speed, but use the forward/backward playheads to step through or drag the progress bar to any point.

Optimized for Windows 10 touch devices, it works on desktops too—though touch adds flair.

Note: OneNote 2016 lacks this; use the OneNote Windows 10 app (search "OneNote" in Start menu).

Ink Replay is an exceptional tool for annotations. For more, check The Simple Guide to Annotating: How to Annotate PDFs, eBooks, Images, and Websites—essential techniques for all digital docs.