Even in a world where SMS messages can be pecked out on a virtual smartphone keyboard, and internet searches can be done with a single voice command, there’s still a place for handwritten notes. For those of you that prefer jotting down your memory joggers using an iPad, we’ve put together a short list of pointers to ensure that your digital writing experience is a pleasant, legible one. 

Use a Stylus

From top to bottom, the iPad was engineered to provide an intuitive user experience. What could be easier than tapping and swiping away at a screen to get things done? we’ll tell you: Nothing. At least, until you try to work with an app that allows you to take notes in your own handwriting. At that point, getting things done with your digits turns into a big bag of scribbly hurt. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this would be the case. After all, haven’t you spent the majority of your life writing with a pen or pencil? If you’re serious about taking notes in your own hand writing, you’ll need a tool that approximates what you use to write when you’re not working on your iPad. Fortunately, in the time since Apple’s svelte tablet made the scene, third-party accessory makers have had the opportunity to roll out a wide variety of styluses for you to choose from. By doing a bit of research you’re sure to end up with one that’ll meet your unique writing needs. We especially love the Hard Candy Stylus + Pen.

Practice, Practice, Practice

You may have been writing for years on bathroom walls and paper, but taking stylus to tablet is a whole new ballgame. Writing on an iPad simply feels different, as such, your hand and eyes will need some time to get used to the experience. Before being thrust into a situation where taking neat, legible notes is a must, take the time to practice your writing on the iPad by writing out key passages from some of your favorite reading materials. Over time, you’ll find that your iPad notes will be every bit as sharp and legible as those you make on cocktail napkins, boxtops and other bits of dead tree.

Auto smoothing FTW!

Even the most practiced iPad scribe will find their handwriting will sometimes still look like a jittery mess. To rid your notes of that too-much-coffee look, try an app that offers auto smoothing -- a feature that turns jagged lines and text into a thing of clean-looking beauty. While not strictly for taking notes, Adobe Ideas does a fine job of cleaning up chicken scratch, and learning the app’s ins and outs couldn’t be easier. 

Watch That Wrist -- And Those Fingers

The iPad’s ability to register Multi-Touch gestures has allowed developers to create some truly innovative applications. Unfortunately, Multi-Touch is the pits when it comes to taking hand written notes on a screen. Most of us have spent the bulk of our writing lives resting our wrists and fists on the page while we scribble away. Doing that on a multitouch tablet like the iPad can leave your notes full of bizarre scribbles, lines and other unwanted elements that are the result of the iOS mistaking your body’s other points of screen contact as data input. Some note taking programs like Penultimate offer features that disallow input from poorly placed fingers and wrists, letting you write without having to worry about your wrist accidentally bumping out any NSFW scribbles on your screen during tour of duty in your office’s conference room.