NJStar Chinese Pen Review: Features, Pros & Cons

How to Use NJStar Chinese Pen — A Beginner’s GuideNJStar Chinese Pen is a handwriting-recognition tool that lets you write Chinese characters directly on your Windows PC using a digital pen, tablet, or touchscreen. It converts handwriting into typed text, supports character lookup, and often integrates with NJStar Chinese Word Processor and other applications. This guide walks you through setting up the pen, using its main features, troubleshooting common problems, and tips to improve recognition accuracy.

What you need before you start

• A Windows PC (NJStar Chinese Pen is primarily for Windows).
• NJStar Chinese Pen software installed. If you haven’t installed it, get the installer from the official NJStar site or the vendor you purchased from and follow the setup instructions.
• A compatible input device: a stylus + touchscreen, a graphics tablet (Wacom, Huion, etc.), or a Windows pen-enabled device. A mouse can work for practice, but handwriting recognition works best with a pen or stylus.

Installing and launching NJStar Chinese Pen

1. Run the installer and follow prompts. Accept any driver prompts if the installer requests permission to install device drivers.
2. After installation, launch NJStar Chinese Pen from the Start menu or system tray. It may appear as an icon near the clock.
3. If NJStar comes bundled with NJStar Chinese Word Processor, you can open that program and access the Pen from its menu or toolbar.

Understanding the interface

• Input pad / writing area: where you write characters with your pen or stylus.
• Candidate window: shows recognized characters and suggestions — click a candidate to insert it into the target application.
• Mode selector: switch between simplified and traditional Chinese, and sometimes between stroke input and cursive input.
• Settings / Preferences: adjust recognition sensitivity, handwriting style, and other options.

Basic handwriting recognition workflow

1. Focus the cursor in the application where you want the text inserted (e.g., Word, Notepad, browser text field).
2. Open the NJStar Pen’s handwriting pad.
3. Write a Chinese character clearly within the input area; lift the pen to finish each character.
4. The candidate window will display possible matches. Click the correct character to insert it into your document.
5. For multi-character words, write characters one after another; some versions allow handwriting whole words or short phrases and will segment them automatically.

Entering punctuation, numbers, and English

• Punctuation and numbers: write them normally in the input pad; many versions recognize common punctuation marks and Arabic numerals.
• English or Latin text: switch input mode to English or use your regular keyboard. Some NJStar Pen versions allow mixed-language recognition.

Character lookup and dictionary features

• Stroke order hints: some versions show stroke order to help you write characters correctly.
• Radical/lookup tools: if recognition fails, use NJStar’s lookup by radical, pinyin, or components to find the character.
• Copy-to-clipboard: recognized characters can usually be copied to the clipboard for pasting elsewhere.

Customizing settings for better recognition

• Increase pen sensitivity if strokes are being merged; reduce if you get spurious strokes.
• Change handwriting style options (cursive vs. printed) to match your writing.
• Configure language variant: choose Simplified or Traditional Chinese depending on your needs.
• Enable auto-insert or quick keys to speed up frequent actions.

Tips to improve recognition accuracy

• Write each character within the input box and lift the pen between characters.
• Use standard stroke order and clear, separated strokes.
• Slow down slightly if the software incorrectly joins strokes.
• Update drivers for your tablet or pen device.
• If recognition repeatedly fails for a character, use the radical or pinyin lookup.

Integrations with other applications

• NJStar Pen typically works with text fields in most Windows applications (word processors, browsers, email clients).
• For direct use inside NJStar Chinese Word Processor, handwriting often inserts directly into the document.
• If an app doesn’t accept input, try copying from the pen’s candidate window and pasting into the target application.

Common problems and fixes

• No handwriting pad visible: check the system tray for the NJStar icon; relaunch the program.
• Pen input not recognized: ensure the tablet drivers are installed and the device is connected. Test the pen in another program (e.g., Windows Ink Workspace).
• Poor recognition quality: recalibrate your tablet, adjust sensitivity, or try a different input mode.
• Cannot insert into a specific app: ensure the app accepts plain text input; use copy/paste as a workaround.

Advanced tips

• Practice common characters and phrases to speed up selection from candidate lists.
• Use keyboard shortcuts (if available) to switch modes quickly.
• Create custom dictionaries or user phrases if the version supports them for faster entry of names or technical terms.

Alternatives and when to switch

If you need cloud-based recognition, cross-platform support (macOS, iOS, Android), or handwriting recognition with advanced AI, consider alternatives like Microsoft IME (handwriting on Windows), Google Handwriting Input (Android), or dedicated mobile apps. NJStar remains useful for offline, Windows-focused handwriting entry and integration with NJStar Word Processor.

Final notes

NJStar Chinese Pen is a straightforward tool for handwriting Chinese on Windows. Clear strokes, correct stroke order, and device calibration are the main factors affecting success. With a little practice and adjusted settings, it becomes a fast way to input Chinese characters.