User Manual
What’s new ?
Introducing Endless Paper 1.5.0, our latest update packed with aesthetic enhancements for your canvas:
- Customize the background color of your canvases with new Canvas themes.
- Smart Dark Mode seamlessly adapts your strokes to darker environments.
We've also fine-tuned strokes and straight lines:
- Enjoy clean, round end caps for your strokes, with the option to toggle it off for the highlighter.
- Neatly connect straight lines for improved precision.
This update also includes a duplicate button for your canvas as well as bug fixes and global improvements. We sincerely hope you enjoy these new features!
Introduction
Presentation
Introducing Endless Paper; an all-new kind of app featuring infinite canvases! This lets you take handwritten notes, sketch diagrams, explore and grow ideas visually, brainstorm with your team, organize your thoughts spatially, and so much more… We really advise you to read the chapter about bookmarks to learn how to keep track of all your content and avoid losing any of your work!
To use Endless Paper we recommend you to use an iPad and an Apple Pencil or a Logitech Crayon.
Interface
Endless Paper (UI) tries to be as distraction-free and low cognitive as possible. As a convention, destructive actions are signaled using either an orange or red color screen.
You’ll see that Endless Paper has also divided its controls between hand gestures for navigating the canvas and stylus actions for interacting with your project.
Endless Paper's minimal interface consists of three main areas, designed to keep your focus on your artwork.
1 - Bookmarks
Bookmarks are used to save locations on your canvas so that you can move from one to another quickly or to make presentations.
2 - Undo and Redo
Here you can undo or redo your actions without limits, however you cannot undo or redo actions after closing the app and ending your session.
Depending on your stylus, you might be able to configure the double-tap and squeeze behaviors of your Apple Pencil to undo or redo actions on your canvas.
Please note that double-tap functionality is only compatible with the second generation Apple Pencil and above, while squeeze functionality is only compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro.
3 - Export
You can export your canvases as archives to store them wherever you want and create live broadcasts to show your surface to other people on the internet. You can also export parts of your canvas as images.
4 - Settings and Informations
There you can access useful informations about your app and adjust some settings to perfect your experience on Endless Paper.
5 - Canvas gallery
You can access your canvas gallery to create new canvas and quickly switch from one to another.
6 - Toolbar
Here you can find your brushes, eraser and color palettes.
You can hide your toolbar and enter full screen mode by putting your finger on the toolbar and swiping it quickly to the left. (If you wish to hide your toolbar while still being able to see the other buttons, you can disable the full screen mode in the Option Tab .)
You can make your toolbar appear by swiping right from the left edge of the screen.
The “extended toolbar” allows you to modify your brushes and colors in more detail. You can make the extended toolbar appear like a drawer: simply put your finger on the already visible toolbar and swipe it to the right.
Brushes
You can draw and write on your canvas with your stylus the same way you use a regular pencil, or use your finger by simply touching your device’s screen and selecting a brush in the Toolbar.
The brushes work the same way as writing on paper does with a pen or a pencil. This means that when drawing/writing, your scribbles will accumulate on top of other things already on the canvas.
Depending on your stylus, you might be able to configure the double-tap and squeeze behaviors of your Apple Pencil to switch back (or briefly switch back) to the previous tool you used.
Please note that double-tap functionality is only compatible with the second generation Apple Pencil and above, while squeeze functionality is only compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro.
There are 4 types of brushes in Endless Paper:
Pen
The “pen” is the best choice for note taking. It moderately reacts to pressure like a ballpoint pen, allowing you to keep a fairly uniform line. To select the pen, simply tap on it in the toolbar.
Paint brush
This brush is the perfect choice for drawings and gives you extra creative control over your stroke thickness.
Technical pen
The “technical pen” is the best brush to draw a quick scheme. It is the most stable option. Its line size doesn’t vary no matter the pressure and the size range in the extended toolbar is as stable as the pen, and at the same time has more than just a large or a small option.
Highlighter
The “highlighter” is the perfect option to make your ideas pop out! Its strokes are more regular and allow you to highlight areas of your canvas when combined with the right layer.
You can customize the end caps of highlighter strokes, switching between straight and rounded styles by using the button above the layer selector
Size
In the extended toolbar, you can select a different size for each brush. The size menu will vary depending on the selected tool.
The pen and the “technical pen” are the most stable ones. The pen allows only two sizes (regular and heading) while the “technical pen” offers you 13 different sizes.
Meanwhile the paint brush and the highlighter (and the eraser) all offer a more precise size menu. In the extended toolbar, just drag the cursor up or down the “size chooser” until you reach your desired size.
Pressure
Your stylus reacts to pressure. This means that the harder you press on your stylus while scribbling, the larger your stroke will be. This can be useful if you wish to create beautiful artwork or try to add a calligraphic quality to your notes.
However, not all brushes respond to pressure. The sensibility of the brushes can vary, the “technical pen” and the highlighter are designed to offer constant thickness.
Thickness lock
Endless Paper has an infinite canvas, which means that the size of your brush won't always be the same: the brush will maintain the same size from the point of view of your screen which means that zooming-in will make your line appear smaller from your canvas’s point of view.
To avoid that, tap on the lock button in the extended toolbar when you start drawing, or at least before zooming in or out. Your stroke will stay the same whatever you do!
You can take this a step further and save your original location with a bookmark to easily retrieve your stroke thickness whenever you want.
Layers IN BETA
Near the lock thickness button is the layer button. It allows you to choose whether you want your strokes to be in the foreground or the background, depending on which value the button currently has. When the upper layer is colored, you will draw on the foreground layer. When the bottom layer is colored, you will draw on the background layer.
In beta there are four different layers that you can choose from: bottom, lower, upper and top. To select a layer, tap the layer button and pick the one you want to write or draw on from the list.
In the Option Tab you can choose to hide or show each layer. By default the four layers are visible.
Ruler
When you’re using a brush you can use the modifier button to turn your strokes into straight lines. You can connect these lines to any other strokes thanks to its snapping feature. To go back to normal strokes, tap again on the modifier button.
If you are using an Apple Pencil Pro, you can set up the squeeze action to quickly activate the ruler.
Eraser
To erase elements of your canvas, just tap on the eraser in the toolbar and then put your stylus (or your finger) over the undesired part.
Depending on your stylus, you might be able to configure the double-tap and squeeze behaviors of your Apple Pencil to activate (or briefly activate) the eraser.
Please note that double-tap functionality is only compatible with the second generation Apple Pencil and above, while squeeze functionality is only compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro.
Eraser options
The “eraser” shares most of its settings with the brushes like the size and the layer system. However it also has some specific features.
Layer selector
This layer selector is very similar to the one for brushes. While it also allows you to erase on each specific layer, the eraser’s layer selector has another option to erase on all the visible layers. In beta you can choose to hide or show each layer in the option tab .
The zoom level selector
In the extended toolbar you’ll find a zoom level selector button, which is very useful for those who keep zooming in and out.
By tapping on the "zoom level" button, you will be given the choice to erase strokes that were drawn on 3 levels of zoom.
You can choose to:
- Erase bigger notes or drawings located above your current level of zoom, represented by a Saturn icon.
- Erase what you wrote or drew on you current level of zoom, represented by a human icon.
- Erase smaller notes or drawings located under your current level of zoom, represented by a bacteria icon.
Colors
Color choosers
In the toolbar, you can see 6 little colored circles that make a palette - the palette in the toolbar is the “Quick Access Palette”. To select a color and use it, simply tap on it with your finger or your stylus.
You can swipe the toolbar to the right to access the extended toolbar. Here you can select different color palettes and set them as the Quick Access Palette.
To modify the color from a palette, tap once on the color you wish to change and select the color you need in your color chooser.
The color wheel
By default, your color chooser will be a color wheel. The “color wheel” offers 119 colors to choose from.
We decided to choose shades with the highest contrast available, so this keeps everything very visible - even while working in sunny environments.
To change a color with the color wheel, simply tap on the new color you wish to use from it. You can rotate the wheel by dragging it up and down with your finger.
To close it, just tap anywhere on the canvas.
The advanced color chooser
You may want to use a specific color so you will need the “advanced color chooser”.
To unlock the advanced color chooser, tap on the Cog icon on the top right corner of your screen. Finally, tap on the “use advanced color chooser” switch.
The “advanced color chooser” is composed of a “hue ring” and 3 cursors (H, S and B) that respectively correspond to hue, saturation and brightness.
You will also find a hexadecimal code that can be copied or pasted to export/import a specific shade.
In the left corner you'll find two little colored squares. The one in the front is your current color while the one in the back is your previous one, to quickly perceive the actual difference between 2 shades.
To choose your own color, you can modify the different sliders or directly tap on the triangle by positioning the cursor to wherever you want it to go.
Eyedropper
The “eyedropper” is a tool to pick a color from a previous drawing or an existing picture.
Simply press a finger on the color you want to change from the palette, while still holding the first finger, tap on the desired color on your canvas with the pencil.
If you are using an Apple Pencil Pro, you can set up the squeeze action to quickly activate the eyedropper.
Palettes
Endless Paper has four default palettes designed for each brush.
To access your “palette library” you can open the extended toolbar. Here you can save palette, switch between them and manage them.
If you plan to reuse a set of colors in the future you may want to save your current 6 color selections. To save your selections to your palette library, tap on the button. It will automatically save your palette to the drop down menu on the left, and you’ll be able to access it later.
If you forgot to save the last palette that you were using, you can go back to it by tapping on the button, under the save button.
You can modify the position of one of your palettes in the drop down menu by pressing your finger on it until it raises slightly and then dragging it up or down.
To erase a palette, simply swipe it to the left and tap on the delete button, or continue swiping to the left.
To restore the default color palette, you simply need to tap on the gear button at the top right corner of the screen, then tap on the second gear button on the bottom left corner of the popover to access the Option Tab . You can then tap on the orange “restore default color palettes” button, under the “advanced color chooser” switch.
Restoring the default palettes won't erase any of your customized palettes.
Pictures
Add a picture
You can drag and drop pictures onto your canvas from other apps.
Use the split screen mode: tap on the three dots at the top of your screen while using Endless Paper. Tap on the button in the middle with two little rectangles, then select the other app with your desired picture.
Move a picture in Endless Paper
To move a picture on Endless Paper it needs to be activated - simply put your finger on it for a few seconds until it becomes translucent.
Now your picture can be moved
To rotate a picture, start by putting two fingers on the selected pictures and move them in an opposite direction (up and down for example).
Rotation Snapping
You’ll notice that your picture tends to snap in certain positions - that’s the Rotation Snapping. The rotation snapping is here to help you have a cleaner look on your notes by forcing your pictures to become straight or rotated around a multiple of 45 degrees. You can remove the Rotation Snapping in the Option Tab .
Picture’s Actions
To interact with a picture, you need to activate it then tap once again on it. Following this, a list of available commands will pop up.
- To duplicate your selected picture by tapping on the “Duplicate” button. The new image is now activated.
- To move your picture behind your scribbles and other pictures (to the bottom layer) just tap on the “To Back” button.
- To put your picture in front of your scribbles and other pictures (in the top layer), just tap on the “To Front” button.
- To change your picture's layer, tap on the "Layers" button.
- To replace your picture with another one from your files, tap on the “Replace” button.
- To erase a picture, tap on the “Remove” button.
Change the picture's layer IN BETA
Tapping on the "Layers" button will lead you to a pop-over in which you can select the layer you wish your picture to be on. By default, any imported picture will be on the top layer .
Once you've selected your layer, you can then choose whether you want your image to be in the front (above every other stroke and pictures in this layer) or the back (behind every other stroke and pictures in this layer).
Lock a picture
To deactivate or lock a picture into place and prevent further or accidental changes, tap on the selected picture to see its options and then tap on the “Lock” button. Your picture will be fully opaque again and will stay in place.
Transparency Aware Picking
As you are able to import images with transparent parts onto your canvas, this feature allows you to pick other assets placed under these transparent parts.
When the "Transparency Aware Picking" button is activated, pictures with transparent areas can be manipulated only by interacting with its visible (non-transparent) parts.
By disabling the Transparency Aware Picking, you won't be able to pick images under transparent parts as the picture with transparent part will be selected instead.
Canvas Gallery
You may have noticed the green Endless Paper logo at the top right corner of your screen. If you tap on it you will access your canvas gallery.
This interface lets you quickly switch between your canvases.
At the top of the canvas gallery, in the right corner, you can see a series of quick access buttons for the most recurrent features.
- New Canvas lets you create a new empty canvas in your library
- Import archive adds any archived canvas in your gallery to access it quickly
- select one or multiple canvases from your library. Once selected, you can delete them or export them as an archive . To exit the select mode, tap on the "Done" button.
Canvas’ options
Giving a long press with your finger on a canvas opens its options tab. There you can rename the chosen canvas, copy its name, duplicate the whole canvas or export it as an archive . At the bottom you can see a red button to delete the canvas from your gallery.
If your chosen canvas is part of a set of revisions, you can also set it as the active revision (which means that it will be considered the last version of the set), select all the revisions of the set , or select only the other revisions of the set .
Revisions
Revisions are canvases that are linked by a common ancestor. To put it simply, all canvases that originate from the same canvas will be viewed as a group of revisions.
Revisions have additional options available in their option tab. You can set the chosen revision as the active one (which will make a star appear on its thumbnail to help you locate quickly the right revision you wish to work on). You can also select every the revisions safe from your currently chosen one at once , or all the revisions .
You can group all your revisions together in your gallery by tapping on the "Group by Revision " button at the end of the library option pop-over .
Gallery’s organization
The three dots at the top of the screen is a pop-over of all your options for the gallery, and its items.
"New Canvas " creates a new empty canvas in your gallery, while "import archive " lets you add an existing surface that has been archived.
Selection
Tap on the "Select" button to start selecting one or multiple canvases from your gallery (To select all your canvases, tap on "Select All"). Once selected, you can delete them or export them as an archive . To exit the select mode, tap on the "Done" button.
Display
You can choose how you want your canvases to appear in your gallery by tapping either on Grid View or List View .
While in grid view, you can also choose the size of the canvases' thumbnails between Small, Normal and Large.
You can also automatically sort your items:
- in an alphabetical order when selecting "By Name "
- in a chronological order based on when you created the canvas with "By creation "
- in a chronological order based on when you added the canvas to your library with "By Import "
- in a chronological order based on the last modification you've made with "By Modification "
- and finally, by the size of your file when selecting "By Size "
Sharing
On the top right corner of your screen you’ll find a button. This button is called a “sharrow”. Tap on the “sharrow" button to access the share popover. There you can share your whole canvas as an archive, a picture of it, or broadcast it live on the internet.
Export as image
Tap on this button to open the crop tool interface. There you will be able to frame precisely what part of your canvas you want to include in your image.
Exporting your canvas as an image won’t share your whole canvas. Think of it like a screenshot - showing only what’s visible on your screen.
Framing your picture
In the middle of your screen you will see a clear rectangle with blue corners. This is what your image will look like once exported. Drag the edges or corners of this rectangle to frame your surface to your liking. You can also rely on the preset ratio in the preset menu on the right side of your screen.
Freezing the aspect ratio
Preset ratios are automatically locked: if you drag the edges or corners of the rectangle it will keep its ratio. You can disable this and return to free form by tapping on the lock button . You can also lock a custom ratio by tapping on this lock button .
If you need a precise ratio, you can enter its value in the width and height boxes. Just like with the preset and manual ratio, you can choose to link or not the height and the width by tapping on the link button . If the link icon is crossed , then it means that you can change both values independently. Otherwise, modifying one of these values will automatically change the other one to keep the ratio.
Specifics of your image
You can choose the units to work with by tapping on the Unit button, above the width box. If you select a unit that isn't pixels, you can see a DPI box below the height box.
The DPI is the number of pixels per inch. In simple terms, it means that the higher the DPI, the more detailed your image will be. However high DPI also means a heavy file in the end.
You can also choose the format of your resulting image by tapping on the button near the export button. You can either select .PNG, .JPG or .HEIC.
background
If you've chosen to export your image as either HEIC or PNG, then you'll be able to chose wether you wish to have a background color for your image, or to have a transparent background .
Generate your image
You can tap on the export button to generate your image. If your device can't handle the size of the image you're trying to generate, then the button will be faded in a gray color and the main factor that needs to be changed will be highlighted in red.
Sharing options for your image
Once you've cropped your canvas you will be presented with a final popover to choose how to export your image. You'll have classic quick access to share it with your contacts or on some other app.
Modify list
You can also modify the list of actions and apps presented in the sharing popover by tapping on either ‘Edit action’ at the bottom of the popover (for the actions) or the three dots at the end of the apps icons (for the apps).
Export as PDF IN BETA
You can export parts of your canvas as PDF files. While this format also won't let you zoom in indefinitely, its limitations are less important than the image export.
Tap on the button in the sharing pop-over to open a crop tool interface similar to the image export's. There you will be able to frame precisely what part of your canvas you want to include in your pdf.
Exporting your canvas as a PDF file won’t share your whole canvas. Think of it like a screenshot - showing only what you've framed or what was visible in the bookmarks you've selected.
Framing your PDF
In the middle of your screen you will see a clear rectangle with blue corners. This is what your image will look like once exported. Drag the edges or corners of this rectangle to frame your surface to your liking. You can also rely on the preset ratio in the preset menu on the right side of your screen.
Freezing the aspect ratio
Preset ratios are automatically locked: if you drag the edges or corners of the rectangle it will keep its ratio. You can disable this and return to free form by tapping on the lock button . You can also lock a custom ratio by tapping on this lock button .
If you need a precise ratio, you can enter its value in the width and height boxes. Just like with the preset and manual ratio, you can choose to link or not the height and the width by tapping on the link button . If the link icon is crossed , then it means that you can change both values independently. Otherwise, modifying one of these values will automatically change the other one to keep the ratio.
Specifics of your PDF
You can choose the units to work with by tapping on the Unit button, above the width box. If you select a unit that isn't pixels, you can see a DPI box below the height box.
The DPI is the number of pixels per inch. In simple terms, it means that the higher the DPI, the more detailed your image will be. However high DPI also means a heavy file in the end.
You can also choose the type of PDF you wish to have by tapping on the button near the export button. You can either select vector (to keep a vector based picture) or raster (to transform each stroke in pixels, like for an image).
Generate your PDF
You can tap on the export button to generate your pdf. If your device can't handle the size of the pdf you're trying to generate, then the button will be faded in a gray color and the main factor that needs to be changed will be highlighted in red.
Sharing options for your PDF
Once you've generated your pdf you will be presented with a final popover to choose how to export your pdf. You'll have classic quick access to share it with your contacts or on some other app.
Modify list
You can also modify the list of actions and apps presented in the sharing popover by tapping on either ‘Edit action’ at the bottom of the popover (for the actions) or the three dots at the end of the apps icons (for the apps).
Export as archive
Export
To export your full canvas you need to create an archive. You can either tap on the blue “Export Archive” button in the sharing pop-over, or select it in your canvas gallery (by either giving it a long press, or tapping on "Select" in the quick access) and tap on the . You can then save your archived canvas in your desired location
Import
To import a canvas’s archive to your gallery, go to your canvas gallery and tap on the button. You can also go to your gallery option pop-over and tap on "Import Archive".
Live Broadcast
You can Broadcast your canvas to display it on multiple devices at the same time. You can navigate on your own canvas, and all the viewers will follow.
This is a great tool for teachers to make sure that every student is currently in the same location on the canvas, and to share your notes without having to download the app on all the devices.
Tap on the ‘Start broadcast’ button to start broadcasting. Tap again to stop (it should be now called “Stop broadcast”).
Quality
You can choose the quality in which you want to broadcast your canvas. A low internet connection will broadcast your screen slowly, to avoid lagging, remember to select an adapted quality.
The better the internet service, the better the quality you can choose.
To share your screen you can either copy the link by tapping on the "copy link " button and pasting it wherever you want, or share it directly in an app.
Presentations
Presentations are a specific kind of folders in which you store bookmarks designed to be used as slides.
Create
To create a presentation, tap on the three dots at the top right corner of the bookmark menu. then, tap on the "New Presentation " button.
You will have to choose the ratio in which your presentation will be seen.
The order in which the bookmarks are classed determines the order in which they will be viewed during the presentation. Just like Folders you can either create new bookmarks directly in the presentation folder, or drag and drop existing bookmarks.
Why and how to specify a presentation’s ratio?
A “ratio” is a way to describe the specific proportions of a screen. Nowadays most devices have a similar screen ratio, however an iPad is a bit different: it has a ratio of 4:3 while most laptops, TV and video projectors have a ratio of 16:9.
You can choose your presentation's ratio by tapping on either 16:9 landscape , device portrait or device landscape when you are creating it. After this, a frame should appear that will show you what the other people will be able to see.
Using a specific ratio is useful for knowing what is visible and what isn't. It is a great way to sneak in personal notes for your presentation that will show on your iPad but not on the screen for the rest of the public.
You can modify any created presentation by doing a long press on the one you are trying to edit.
Presentation mode
The “presentation mode” is an interface to show your notes and/or use them as a presentation.
This mode will make buttons appear that will quickly let you go from one bookmark to another. You will also be able to recenter your screen on a bookmark at any moment, and to keep track of your time!
You will still be able to take notes and add extras to your canvas while in “presentation mode”.
How to do a presentation
To start the presentation mode, you first need to enter one of your presentations and then tap on the play button at the top right corner of the bookmark popover.
This will make four buttons appear on the right side of the screen, as well as a timer at the top.
Going to the next bookmark
The arrows on the right side of the screen allow you to go from one bookmark to the other, like a slideshow.
The main difference with a standard presentation is that in Endless Paper, you can add notes to your slides at any moment in time, and fully interact with your presentation.
If you are using an Apple Pencil Pro, you can set up the squeeze action as a clicker for your presentations.
Recenter the screen
Between the two arrows on the right side of the screen you will find a target button . This target button will lead you automatically back to your last visited slide, which can be useful if you wandered too far.
Exit the presentation mode
To exit the presentation mode, and end the presentation, just tap on the blue cross under the arrows and target buttons.
Timer
At the top of the screen, when you start a presentation, you will find a white timer. The timer is here to help you keep track of your time during your slideshow, or to show you the time directly.
The “timer” will automatically start when you tap on one of the arrow buttons for the first time. To end the timer, simply leave the ‘presentation mode’.
You can pause the timer by gently tapping on the white part of it once with your finger or your pen. The time will stop and will turn red.
You can switch from a “timer” to a “clock” by pressing a finger or a stylus for a few seconds on the white part of the timer. A window will pop-up and give you 2 choices: “the time of the day” or the “presentation elapsed time”. Just tap on the view you wish to have for your presentation.
Customization
Adaptative Bullets
You can apply a grid like pattern over your surface to help you write and draw neatly, like in a bullet journal. This pattern is anchored and adaptive: it will follow you as you navigate through your canvas and will always remain at the same place when you switch them on and off.
To activate the bullet grid, just tap on "Display Bullets" in the option tab . There you can choose how much space there is between the bullets and modify their size to make them more or less visible depending on your needs.
Canvas Themes
In the option tab you can choose from 6 themes for your canvas, each altering the background color of your surface and adjusting predefined palettes to better suit the new environment.
The 6 themes are:
- Whiteboard the initial, white theme with basic palettes,
- Carbon offers a dark background with flashy color palettes,
- Chill features a soft blue background to reduce eye strain, especially for those with astigmatism. The color palette is subdued and calming,
- Warm creates a paper-like feeling with a light beige background and sunny color palettes,
- Chalkboard ideal for reproducing a school chalkboard, complete with chalk-like colors in the palettes,
- Blueprint for users who want to elevate their schemes with a blue background and white nuances in the palettes.
You can also use your own custom color by tapping on the "Custom" icon below the themes' thumbnails. This will lead you to an advanced color chooser. The last six colors you've selected as a background color are available below the "Custom" button.
Dark mode
The dark mode is a feature that adapts the app's interface and canvas to a darker environment by changing their color schemes. The app automatically follows your device's mode, requiring you to switch your entire device for Endless Paper to also be in dark mode.
In dark mode, your canvas will change its background color as well as the color of all your previous strokes to fit the new appearance.
If you wish to keep your canvas and its strokes in light mode, you can change the dark mode's behavior in the options tab .
- Follow System ensures your canvas reflects your device's settings.
- Always Dark keeps your canvas and its strokes in dark mode, regardless of the system setting.
- Always Light maintains the canvas appearance even in dark mode.
Settings
The settings popover is accessible by tapping on the gear button at the top right corner of the screen. It is divided into 2 different tabs: Options and Info. The “Option tab” is mostly about tools settings.
Options
Brushes' settings
Ruler Snap
The ruler snapping helps you connect your straight lines to existing strokes. You can disable it here.
Pencil hover
On supported iPads, the Apple Pencil hover is a feature that enables you to preview exactly where your stroke will fall.
Assets' settings
Rotation Snap
When adding a picture onto your canvas, it will automatically freeze in certain positions. In fact, it will snap the picture’s rotation around 45 degrees increments. This is due to the rotation snapping.
Tap the "Rotation snapping" switch to move your pictures freely or to automatically snap them in place.
Transparency Aware Picking
When the "Transparency Aware Picking" button is activated, pictures with transparent areas can be manipulated only by interacting with its visible (non-transparent) parts.
If you disable the Transparency Aware Picking, you won't be able to pick images under the transparent parts as the picture with the transparent part will be selected instead.
Layer settings IN BETA
There, you can toggle each layer on or off to control their visibility. This can be very useful for temporarily hiding notes or erasing strokes from multiple layers at once.
Toolbar's settings
Toolbar size
You can change the size of your Toolbar by moving the cursor with your finger or your stylus. Drag the white circle along the blue and gray line until you’re satisfied with the toolbar size.
Full Screen mode
When you hide the Toolbar by swiping it to the left the other buttons also disappear. To keep them visible whether or not your toolbar is hidden, tap on the “full screen when hiding toolbar” switch.
Switch color chooser
When modifying a color, you can choose between using a color wheel or the advanced color chooser. To switch from one to the other, tap on the "Use Advanced Color Chooser".
Left-handed mode
By activating the "Left-handed Mode", your toolbar, the red bookmark button and the “undo and redo " buttons will be placed on the right-hand side of the interface, whereas the Sharing , the Settings and the Canvas’ Gallery buttons will be located on the left-hand side of the interface.
These changes in the interface design are optimized for left handers, allowing them to select tools and features with their right hand while drawing and writing with their left hand.
Restore colors
If you have deleted some of the default color palettes you can restore them by tapping on the orange button "Restore default Color Palettes".
Pencil Actions
Squeeze
You can configure the squeeze action of your stylus to quickly access certain features as you work on your canvas. Most of these features can either be set to be activated after a single squeeze or, if you only need to use them occasionally, set to be accessed briefly (i.e. only activated when you are squeezing the pencil).
By default, the squeeze action briefly activates the previous tool. However, you can change this behavior to the eraser, the previous tool, the modifier , undo , redo , or the eyedropper.
You can use the squeeze action of your stylus as a remote clicker for your presentations to move from one slide to another without having to tap on your screen.
If you wish to disable the squeeze action, you can select "off" in the drop-down menu.
Double-Tap
You can also set some actions to the double-tap feature of your stylus. By default, the double-tap undoes your last action on your canvas. However, you can change this behavior to either switch to the previous tool, switch to the eraser, or redo the last action you undid.
If you wish to disable the double-tap, you can select "off" in the drop-down menu.
Touch hotspots
The “Touch hotspots” is a feature that represents your fingers by small gray dots whenever and wherever you touch your screen while screen recording. It is very useful to point elements of your canvas when making a presentation.
If you wish to record your screen without the two dots, deactivate the "Touch hotspots while recording" button.
Use finger to draw
We highly recommend using an Apple Pencil or a Logitech Crayon with Endless Paper, as the app was designed with these styluses in mind. However, if you don't own a stylus from these brands or need to quickly add something without a stylus at all, you can activate the finger mode with this switch.
While in stylus mode, you can draw with your stylus, navigate with one finger, and zoom with two fingers. In finger mode, you can draw with one finger (or a stylus from another brand), navigate, and zoom with two fingers.
Information
The information tab contains all the important information about your canvas, as well as ways to contact us.
Storage Space
At the top of the tab is the “storage space information”, such as the data size, assets size and the number of ink samples.
Your data size is the strokes’ storage space on your device in megabytes.
The “Assets” size is the storage space of all the assets you added to your canvas. Assets are all the external content you previously dropped to your canvas. It can be pictures in the following formats; jpeg, png, etc .
Lastly the ink samples represent the global number of points of all your strokes done on your canvas.
Surface Equivalence
Below the storage space information is the “surface equivalence”. This section isn’t as important as the others but is a fun gimmick to visualize how much you have written so far.
You can see how big your actual canvas is in square meters or A4 sheets. If you happen to live in a country that uses the imperial system you can change the measurement to square feet and US letter paper sheets by taping once on the ‘results’.
App
Here you can see the current version of your app and the date it was created.
Email us
Don’t hesitate to contact us with the “Email Us” button!
We are eager to help, whenever you have additional questions or need assistance troubleshooting an issue. Also, we love reading user feedback, so don't hesitate to reach us out!
Rate this app
This button lets you rate Endless Paper on the AppStore in a single tap.
Visit Endless Paper Website
You can visit our website anytime by tapping on this button, or by visiting this URL in your browser: https://endlesspaper.app
Experimental Features
Are you interested in trying out our new features before anyone else? Tap on this button to learn more about our beta, and to register to become a beta tester!
Copy to clipboard
‘Endless Paper Support’ may need information relative to your configuration to diagnose an issue. Tapping on this button will copy that information to your clipboard, you'll then be able to paste it in an email for example. Here is what this diagnostic information looks like:
Data Size : 32,20 MB
Asset Size : 3,01 MB
Ink Samples : 1 356 487
App Version : 1.3.0 (154)
Build Date : 2023-04-19 17:46:24+0200
Hardware : iPad Pro 12.9 Inch 3rd Generation (iPad8,5)
OS Version : iPadOS 16.3.1
Device : 39CE48BA-87E9-4B6E-8535-381C3772CA7B
VCS Version : fractile-bc95ade-dirty
Shortcuts
Ruler
You can keep your finger pressed on the modifier button to create straight lines. Removing your finger will make it go back to normal strokes. This allows a quicker interaction, perfect when you only need to add a single straight line to your canvas!
Create a new bookmark
To quickly create a new bookmark without a name, simply keep your finger on the red bookmark menu icon , this will save your current location.
FAQ
I want the beta version of Endless Paper
The beta version of Endless Paper is a test version of the app, that will later be launched for everyone. You can request access to the ‘beta version’, some users are already using it today.
For this, you'll need to download ‘TestFlight’ by following this link:
https://apps.apple.com/fr/app/testflight/id899247664
Then you'll need to tap on the "Experimental Features" button from your Endless Paper app, in the info tab in the settings popover.
You should then receive an email from Apple with a TestFlight invite to download the beta version. This invite will suffice, you won't need any redeem code. This process might take a few days.
The only catch is that, if you're an artist, we'd like you to tag us in your posts online when you use Endless Paper.
Here are our diverse social media platforms:
- Youtube @endlesspaper-app
- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/endless-paper/
- Twitter @endlesspaper
- Instagram @endlesspaper.app
- TikTok @endlesspaper
- Website https://endlesspaper.app
I lost my work and can’t find it back, what do I do?
To go back to where it all started for you, you can open the bookmark menu and visit the « predefined » folder. Here you’ll find:
- the '🐣 Origin' bookmark that will lead you back to the first place you’ve been on this canvas
- The '🏠 Session' bookmark, that will lead you back to the beginning of your current session
- The '🌍 Global View' bookmark will show you your whole canvas so far (the closest view to still fit all your strokes)
Bookmarks are really useful to avoid being lost in our own canvas! You can create multiple ones to ‘save’ the localisation of your different works. For example: a bookmark for each project, one for your drawings, another for some notes taken during an interview, etc.
If you've truly lost your work and can't find it by tapping on any of the predefined bookmarks, you'll have to contact us. We’ll run a special tool that will find hidden content (deeply nested drawings) and tag them with a bookmark so that you can easily jump back to it.
This process might take a few days.
How to do a presentation ?
To create a presentation you need to tap on the three dot at the top right corner of the bookmark menu , and select « New Presentation ».
You’ll then need to choose the aspect ratio you wish to use for your presentation, and then add bookmarks that will serve as slides into your newly created presentation folder.
The order of the slides in the presentation folder reflect the order of the slides during the presentation. To start the presentation, go in the presentation folder and tap on the play button . You can go to the next or previous slide with the arrow buttons on the right side of your screen, and exit with the cross button .
The app is compatible with Bluetooth remotes/clickers.
You can also go to the next/previous slide using the keyboard arrows if you have one.
Can I have a refund?
We are sorry to hear that our app was not up to your standards. Of course you can have a refund, no hard feelings!
The process is entirely taken care of by Apple. Here is the procedure:
The app doesn’t let me draw/doesn’t work!
If you don't have an Apple Pencil you will have to switch on the "Draw with finger" feature at the bottom of the option tab in the setting pop-over.
If you do use an Apple Pencil (or a Logitech Crayon), you may have a pressure sensitivity problem on your pencil. It can be both a software or hardware problem.
First, to rule out a software issue:
Try unpairing the ‘pencil’ in the iPad Settings under Bluetooth, then hard reboot the iPad and then re-pair the ‘pencil’ to see if this helps.
To hard reboot the new iPad Pros:
-
press then release the volume up button (1 second)
-
press then release the volume down button (1 second)
-
then hold on the Lock (Power) button at the top (about 5 seconds)
You’ll see the ‘slide to power off’ message, but keep holding a few more seconds until the Apple logo comes up first.
When you see the Apple logo, release the ‘power button’ and wait while the device powers up and the Lock screen appears.
If this doesn’t help, it might be a hardware issue with your particular ‘Pencil’. We have seen this issue before and so we made a diagnostic tool integrated into the App.
First of all you need to send us an email with your diagnostic information.
Then from your iPad, copy/paste this link to safari ( ep://support/pencilDiagnostic ) and follow the on-screen instructions: Run pencil pressure diagnostic in Endless Paper.
The data will be transmitted to me automatically at the end of the diagnostic (make sure you are connected to WIFI) and we’ll be notified.
Once we receive the diagnostic data, we’ll get back to you to tell you if it is a hardware issue.If it is a hardware issue, you’ll have to contact the Apple Store/reseller to get a replacement.
If you have an Apple Pencil but your app still doesn’t work, make sure your Apple Pencil is connected and functions properly.You can test those things by following these links:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205236
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/ipad/ipadc9c41abb/ipados
Is there a left-handed mode?
Yes! Go to Left-handed mode section to know how how to adapt your interface based on whether you are a right hander or a left hander.
Is there a layer system?
Because of its note taking roots, Endless Paper currently has 4 layers system (bottom / lower / upper / top ).
You can select the layer you want to interact with by tapping on on the layer selector in the extended toolbar, and hide or show each layer in the Option Tab .
With the eraser, you can choose to erase on specific layers or on all visible layers .
What is the scale limit?
At the scale of human existence, Endless Paper is pretty much infinite: so no limit.
On the very first piece of Vaskange, a content producer that uses our app, we estimated a canvas size 16x the Earth -> Sun distance. It has grown a lot since…
Can I pick the color from another image?
Yes, you can sample and select a color from any imported image with the Eyedropper tool.
To use it, simply press a finger on the color you want to change for a few seconds and then, while still holding the first finger, tap on the desired color on your canvas with the pencil.
Which iPads are supported by Endles Paper?
Endless Paper is compatible with the following iPad models:
- iPad mini (5th generation and later)
- iPad (6th generation and later)
- iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation and later)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)
- iPad Pro 10.5-inch
- iPad Pro 9.7-inch
Essentially every iPad compatible with Apple Pencil.
To identify your iPad model:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201471
We are planning on offering an iPhone support in the future, and hoping that one day we’ll be able to be on androids and computers.
How to make my toolbar reappear?
If your toolbar is hidden, simply swipe right from the left edge of the screen to open the toolbar again.
If you swipe a second time you’ll access the extended toolbar with all the other options for your brushes, palettes and eraser.
Can I type in text?
Endless Paper has no support for typed text at the moment, but the workaround is to use images/snapshots.
You can collect & arrange text excerpts from books or any other App as screenshots.
How to get rid of the frame on my canvas?
While inside a presentation folder you might have noticed a black frame on your canvas no matter where you go.
This is here only to represent what would be visible during a presentation based on the aspect ratio you chose when creating it.
If you aren’t presenting and wish to get rid of this frame, you just have to exit your presentation folder in the bookmark menu . Return to the general bookmark menu or enter another folder.
How to create a backup of my canvas/move my data to another device?
Just follow the directions from the Archive section.
Is there a folder system?
While your surface in infinite in Endless Paper, you can still organize your bookmark in folders in the bookmark menu . Simply tap on the three dots at the top of the pop-over, and then select « New folder ». You can then drag and drop your existing bookmarks in this folder, or create new bookmarks directly in it.
If you wish for a more tangible separation between your different project, you can go in your canvas gallery to create a new canvas. Tap on the Endless Paper logo at the top right corner of your screen and then tap on the plus button at the top of your gallery to create a new empty surface.
What are your social media? I’d like to tag you in my posts!
Thank you for wanting to credit us!
The preferred way to feature Endless Paper in a social post is (Instagram example here):
Created with @endlesspaper.app
Here are the different handles:
- :youtube: Youtube @endlesspaper-app
- :linkedin: LinkedIn Endless Paper
- :twitter: Twitter @endlesspaper
- Instagram :instagram: @endlesspaper.app
- TikTok :tiktok: @endlesspaper
- Website :Endless_Paper: https://endlesspaper.app
We can’t wait to see your art online!
Can I rotate my canvas?
No.
We tested canvas rotation on early versions of the app, but feedback was that it is extremely disorienting and detrimental to spatial awareness so we disabled it.
We still think it can be useful in certain scenarios, but we need to come up with a good user experience for that and prevent accidental rotations.
Why are my strokes uneven or invisible?
If your strokes aren’t showing or are messy even while using an Apple Pen, there might be a pressure sensitivity issue with your stylus.
Fortunately there is a diagnostic tool integrated into the app. First you need to send us an email with your diagnostic information.
Then from your iPad, copy/paste this link to safari ( ep://support/pencilDiagnostic ) and follow the on-screen instructions: Run pencil pressure diagnostic in Endless Paper.
The data will be transmitted to us automatically at the end of the diagnostic (make sure you are connected to WIFI) and we’ll be notified.
Can I draw without an Apple Pen?
You can draw without an Apple Pencil; however, we highly recommend using one for the best user experience. We believe that utilizing a physical stylus allows for effortless use of our app and enables you to create with a low cognitive load. Simply tap on the "Use Finger to Draw" switch in the option tab to start drawing without an Apple Pencil.
Can I draw with my hands?
Yes you can draw with your hands. Go in the settings pop-over and scroll down the option tab . You'll find a "Use Finger to Draw" switch that lets you create without an Apple Pencil. However we beleive that this use of our app wouldn’t be optimal and we highly recommend sticking to the use of a writing tool.
Can I export my canvas in a pdf format?
Unfortunately it is not possible to express the full extent of things you can do (unlimited zoom) in Endless Paper with PDF.
We don’t have a PDF export option for now, but we’re seriously considering it.
Just like images, it will come with its limitations, although much more bearable.
We are working on a truly unlimited export option that does not require the app.
How to keep the same brush size when I zoom in and out?
To keep the same brush size whether you’re zooming in or out of your canvas, simply pull the toolbar like a drawer and try the lock pen thickness option .
Normally when you write in Endless Paper, the pen thickness is constant relative to the screen: No matter the zoom level, when you write on the screen it will always be the same thickness.This is the right behavior most of the time but it means that if you write something, zoom in and write again, the new text will appear smaller relative to the previous one… This is annoying when you want to have uniform pen thickness on a piece.
The Lock thickness feature is designed to solve this exact problem. When you activate it, pen thickness is no longer affected by zoom.Conceptually, activating this option is like adding a landmark, a scale reference to your canvas. It works with all writing tools & we recommend using it in conjunction with bookmarks so that you can always go back to the reference point.
How to draw a straight line?
Our ruler tool helps you to draw straight lines.
Simply select a brush, and then tap on the modifier button to activate the straight line mode. To go back to normal strokes, tap again on the modifier button.
Is there a lasso tool?
The lasso/select tool is coming!
It didn’t make the cut for V1.3, but we’re working on it. It's a high priority that we consider integral to the overall spatial organization concept.
It is still a lot of work, but we think it will be well worth the wait!
Can I add an image to my canvas?
To add images to your Endless Paper surface, simply drag & drop the image from the other app to Endless Paper.
How to erase the gray dots that are my fingers while I’m screen recording?
This feature was originally requested by teachers who thought that having two apparent dots could help the students and children visualize what they are doing on screen, but we understand that in artistic contexts it doesn’t make much sense.
If you wish to record your screen without the ‘gray dots’, disable the "Touch hotspots while ricording" button located at the bottom of the Option Tab in the setting popover.
Just a tip before you post your art: we have noticed that posts that zoom in or out with visible hands (so not screen recorded but filmed from above) tend to do better online. They generally are more spectacular to the viewers and attract more likes and comments.
Whatever recording technique you’ll choose to use, we’ll be eager to see your art online!
Are you allowed to sell my data to third parties? Can you see everything I draw in my canvas?
Your privacy is very important for us!
Everything that you create is yours and yours only.
We do not have access to any of it, it is stored locally into your iPad. The only case scenario in which we could see your content is if you reach us and send us an archive of your canvas.
We won’t and can’t, deliberately, sell any of your content to anyone nor publish it, even if you give us access one day.
The only data that we have from our users is anonymized data about your use of our app (which tool are you using the most, how big your canvas is, have you ever used the presentation mode…). We are only using it for statistics in order to improve Endless Paper.
We are currently working on ways to create backups for the users, but once again we won’t have any access to it. Those backups will be stored locally on your iPad if you choose so and you will be the only one to own it.
You can show your canvas to others by using the sharing option or the broadcast button. Other than that, no one can see any of your work. No matter what happens, you have the ability to stop the broadcast at any given moment.
Can I have a discount?
No, unfortunately we don’t offer discounts.
Can I lose my data?
In most cases, no. Endless Paper relies on an automatic saving procedure (which happens automatically every few minutes) that will save your data in a specific backup folder where it will examine the data closely to avoid any error and then read it to ensure its proper functioning. Then and only then will this new save go to its final destination in your folder.
To avoid any corruption, Endless Paper waits until your whole canvas is saved to rewrite over your last save. That way no matter what happens, may it be a dying battery, a crash, or even a cosmic ray, your canvas will be safe and the app won’t keep a broken file (which could then lead to data loss or even crashes).
Feedback
If you have any suggestions or comments about this manual, don’t hesitate to contact us at: support@endlesspaper.app
We value your feedback!