Using Kurzweil 3000

How to highlight in Kurzweil Reader

Kurzweil allows you to highlight content in documents by selecting multiple highlighter colours. Additionally, you are provided options to circle and cross out text from within the Highlighter Tools menu. To highlight, circle, cross out content:

1. Select the Highlighters button on the toolbar to open the Highlighter Tools menu.

2. There are two options to enable highlighting:
   1. Select Interactive Mode which allows you to choose one of four colours after highlighting text.
   2. Select one of the following tools: Highligher, Circle, or Cross-out.
3. In the document, drag the text you would like highlight. 
4. When you are done, open the Highlighter Tools menu and select the cursor.

Overview of the Highlighter Tools menu

The Highlighter Tools menu allows you to access:

• Interactive Mode: this gives you access to four colour options when highlighting text in your document. Simply highlight text in the document and then choose a colour.
• Formatting Tools:
  • Highlight Mode Off - select the cursor to turn off highlighting
  • Select Highlighter Color - choose between six highlighter colours
  • Select Shape Color - choose between red and blue circles
  • Cross-out - select to apply cross-out formatting to text
  • Erase Highlights - select to erase any unwanted highlighting
  • Undo Last Highlight - erase the last highlight
• Highlighting Options: allows you to:
  • Delete all Highlights on This Page
  • Customize Highlighters - provides access to the Customize Highlighter/Extract Options menu
• Export Highlights: there are three options for exporting highlights
  • Study Guide
  • Column Notes
  • Vocabulary Study Guide

Using the Customize Highlighter/Extract Options menu

The Customize Highlighter/Extract Options menu is a great way to make highlighting work for your studying and research workflow. It allows you to label highlighter colours and optimize formatting prior to exporting.

Here's an overview of the options available:

• Extract Color - use the check boxes to choose which colours you would like exported.
• Caption - allows you to label colours.
  • A good idea is to set the caption to match the intended purpose for each colour. For example, in the image below the captions have been changed to match the table columns when exporting highlights to column notes.
• Indent (in) - preformat list indentation prior to exporting to create list hierarchies depending on which highlighter is used.
• Prefix - set the prefix for lists prior to export.
  • Note: both Indent and Prefix settings can help you to organize you highlights into an organized list when you export highlights to Study Guides.
• Column - set which column you would like colours exported to when using Column Notes and Vocabulary Study Guide.

How to add a Note to your document

Adding Notes to your document are great tools to use when studying and doing research. See below for more details on the different types of notes available and some of the options in the Document Notes menu. 

To get started adding Notes to your document:

1. When you are in Kurzweil Reader select Notes to open the Document Notes menu,
2. Select which type of Note you want to create by clicking on the appropriate button.
3. Drag your cursor anywhere in your document and click to place your Note.
4. Begin typing or dictating your Note.

Additional Kurzweil features that can be used to create Notes:

• Document Tools such as Spell Check and Word Prediction
• Reference Tools to translate, define, or look up synonyms
• Notes can be moved and resized

Using the Document Notes menu

Selecting the Notes icon brings you to the Document Notes menu which allows you to create the following note types:

• Sticky Notes: text-based notes similar to text notes but allow you to choose the colour of the background.
• Text Notes: text-based notes with a white background.
• Bubble Notes: allow you to create simple text-based notes or to create question types. Questions can even include images. Good for testing yourself on readings.
• Voice Notes: allow you to use your microphone to dictate notes. 
  • Note: you may have to provide Kurzweil access to your microphone.

Overview of the other options available in the Document Notes menu:

• Select Note (cursor icon) - select this when you are done adding notes.
• Delete Note - allows you to select a note from your document that you would like to delete.
• Print Note - allows your to select a note from your document that you would like to print.
• Formatting options -  for Sticky or Text Notes you can set formatting such as bold and italics. You can also set font size, colour, and type.
• Hide - select either Hide Sticky Notes or Hide Text Notes to hide all notes of that type.