Looking for the best planner app for android? Follow this Penly tutorial to see why it’s the perfect android digital planner app
I have been experimenting with different planning apps for android since I started Digital Planning and have tested several different apps out there like Xodo and Noteshelf. When I discovered Penly I was super excited as this is by far the best planning app for android users.
Penly is available for download on both App Store and Google Play.
Excited to learn how to get started with digital planning with Penly?
Follow along below as I walk you through all the basic tools and settings to get you started!
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Penly App Tutorial – The Interface
Let’s get started by opening the app and your digital planner.
When you open the app up you will discover the dashboard. Here is where you will find your library and all your notes.
Let’s start at the top of the dashboard.
List Icon – You can click the list icon to reorganize all your files by either name or how recently the files have been modified.
Search Icon – You are also able to search for files using the search icon.
Envelope Icon – This allows you to send feedback to the Penly app creators or report any bugs in the app.
Question Mark Icon – Here you will find tutorials to watch on the app features and uses.
Cog Icon– This is where you will find the app settings. I usually keep these as the standard settings except for ticking the ‘allow interaction in edit modes’. I will show you why a little later in this Penly tutorial and you can decide if it is something you would like to do too.
How To Import A Document On Penly App
Importing a document is super easy with the Penly app.
At the bottom right of your screen, you will find a ‘+’ icon. Tap on this and you can see the options to import a PDf that is already downloaded onto your tablet or create a new document.
If you tap to create a new document you can choose the dimensions of your document as well as your orientation, color of the paper ( or background ) you want to use, and also the number of pages you want your document to have.
This area is also where you can create folders here to help you keep all your files organized.
The next part of this Penly tutorial is on the features you will find in the app for editing your documents.
Penly Editing Tools And Features
Tap on a document in your dashboard to open it to use.
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Once you have opened up a document take a look at the top right-hand corner of your screen.
The icon with the four squares is where you can see all the pages of your document.
To edit pages tap ‘Edit‘ at the top right. Here you can select all of the pages at once by clicking the square icon at the top right or you can click on each individual page to select them separately.
At the top of this area, you can find the tools to copy, cut, and delete pages in your document.
I use this area to also quickly navigate to any page I need in my document, especially if it is one of my digital planners with lots of pages.
The plus icon next to the four squares icon is where you can create new pages inside your document. By clicking on this icon you can choose the page size, orientation, etc.
Penly Android Annotation Tools
Next, at the top of the page, you will find all the Penly editing tools. These are what will help you create your digital planner entries.
- Pencil Tool (annotation tool) – The pencil is what you use to actually make handwritten notes in your digital journal or digital planner. You can click the second pencil icon on the right and select from three different types of brushes. Some of these have pen pressure available too. The lines next to this second pencil icon allow you to select the size of your brush but if you tap twice you can also make different sizes. The circles next to these lines are where you can choose the color of your text. If you double-tap these you can edit colors even further and add new colors as your favorites with the plus icons on the color wheel pop up.
- Highlighter Tool – The highlighter tool is very similar to the pen tool. In this tool, you can change the color and size of the highlighter you want to use.
- Eraser Tool – Click this and you will erase everything that you write. You can change the size of the eraser here and you can also change what it will erase by tapping the drop-down menu. For example, if you want to erase shapes and images or links or even a group of items. This saves lots of time and effort.
- Text Tool – The text tool is in case you want to type instead of writing by hand with your stylus. You can change the size, font, color as well as added bold and italic.
- Shapes Tool – This tool lets you create shapes and lines. Once you click on this icon the extra icons to the right help you create lines, squares (or rectangles), circles, and many-sided shapes with a simple tap. You can also select the color of the shape here, both the outline and inside colors.
- Image Tool – By tapping this icon you can add images to your pages. This is where you can add digital stickers to your page. By clicking the first extra icon that comes up you can see the free stickers you get with the Penly app as well as your personal sticker collections. To create a new collection simply tap on the plus icon inside the sticker pop-up. I personally like to add new collections from one of the folders I have on my tablet which you can see in the video tutorial above.
- Lasso Tool ( Selection Tool) – This icon allows you to select an item on a page. Once you have selected an item you can then change the size and ratio or rotate the item by simply dragging the highlighted points on the item. The extra icons that come up with this selection tool allow you to copy and paste the item as well as allow you to change the layer the item is shown on. For example, you can put your item on top of another item to create different effects. The square icon allows you to select all times on the page and the link icon lets you add hyperlinks to items. The next icon will delete the item selected. When you get to the drop-down menu you can select the items you wish the selection tool to work on, just like on the eraser tool.
- Lock Tool – By tapping on this icon you can lock your screen. This means it will stay on the page you have locked. You can still edit each item by using the editing tools.
- Undo Tool/Redo Tool – These icons will take you a step forward or backward in your editing history. An easy way to correct any mistakes you make while editing.
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Last Note On Penly App
I promised I would tell you why I like to tick the ‘allow interaction in edit mode’. So let’s find out!
If this is NOT ticked in the settings then you cannot click on the handy hyperlinked tabs on your digital planner without unselecting the editing tools.
This may seem like a small detail but it personally allows me to use my planner much faster and more efficiently. You can take the time to experiment and see which works best for you.
I hope this Penly tutorial has helped you get started with this great android digital planner app. If you want more handy tutorials then be sure to check out the ones below.
More Penly Tutorials:
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