An open-source vector-based drawing app for sketching, handwritten notes, and document annotation.
Rnote is an open-source vector-based drawing application for sketching, taking handwritten notes, and annotating documents and pictures. It solves the need for a flexible, stylus-optimized tool that supports various import/export formats and an infinite canvas, making it ideal for digital note-taking and drawing.
Students, teachers, and individuals with drawing tablets who need a dedicated app for handwritten notes, sketching, and document annotation. It's also suitable for developers looking for an open-source alternative to proprietary drawing software.
Developers choose Rnote for its focus on stylus input, adaptive UI, and robust vector-based drawing capabilities. Its open-source nature, support for multiple platforms, and extensive import/export options provide a customizable and free alternative to commercial note-taking apps.
Sketch and take handwritten notes.
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The UI is adaptively designed for stylus input on various screen sizes, with configurable pressure sensitivity and button shortcuts, as highlighted in the README's focus on stylus input.
Supports importing PDFs, bitmaps, and SVGs, and exporting to multiple formats including SVG, PDF, Xopp, PNG, and JPEG, enabling seamless workflow integration for note-taking and annotation.
Offers document expansion options like infinite canvas and fixed pages, allowing for both expansive sketches and structured note-taking, as described in the features list.
Available on Linux via Flatpak, MacOS as an app bundle, and Windows with an installer, making it accessible across major operating systems without platform lock-in.
Includes a command-line interface for handling .rnote files, enabling batch processing and integration into automated workflows, as noted in the CLI section.
The .rnote format is still evolving with breaking changes between versions, requiring downgrades for compatibility and posing risks for data loss in long-term use, as admitted in the disclaimer.
Stylus and touch input are unsupported on X11, with upstream support decreasing, making it unreliable for users on certain Linux desktop environments, as detailed in the pitfalls section.
Known issues like palm rejection blocking events and stylus button mapping inconsistencies can hinder the user experience, with some problems being unfixable by the app, per the README's pitfalls.
As a single-user desktop app, Rnote lacks real-time collaboration tools, which may be a drawback for teams or educational settings needing shared editing, not mentioned in the features.