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How to Delete a Drawing or Ink in Microsoft OneNote

Elise Williams Oct 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to know how to remove entire drawings or specific handwritten ink strokes within a digital notebook.

How to Delete a Drawing or Ink in Microsoft OneNote

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing or cleaning up handwritten notes, annotations, and drawings within a OneNote page.
Observed behavior: The user needs to find the appropriate tools to accurately target and remove unwanted digital ink from their document.

Before you start

Ensure you are viewing the correct notebook page and have the Draw tab visible on your top ribbon menu before attempting to edit or remove any ink.

Solution 1Recommended

Using the Lasso Select Tool to Delete Entire Drawings

The Lasso Select tool is the most efficient way to grab large areas of handwritten ink or complete drawings so you can delete them all at once.

This method is ideal when you want to remove an entire diagram, a large block of handwritten text, or multiple overlapping strokes simultaneously without having to erase them line by line.

Navigate to the Draw Tab

Open your OneNote notebook and click on the 'Draw' tab located in the top ribbon menu.

Activate Lasso Select

Click on the 'Lasso Select' tool from the menu options.

Select the Ink

Use your mouse, finger, or stylus to draw a circle completely around the specific ink strokes or drawing you want to remove.

Delete the Selection

Right-click the highlighted area and choose 'Delete' from the context menu, or simply press the Delete key on your keyboard.

Using the Lasso Select Tool to Delete Entire Drawings

Quick Deletion: Once selected with the Lasso tool, you can also cut the drawing using Ctrl + X if you wish to paste it onto another page.

Solution 2

Erasing Individual Strokes with the Eraser Tool

If you only need to remove a small mistake or a single line, the Eraser tool allows for precision editing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover a drawing if I accidentally deleted it in OneNote?

Yes, immediately after deleting the ink or drawing, you can press Ctrl + Z on Windows (or Cmd + Z on Mac) to undo the deletion and instantly restore your drawing to the page.

Why can't I select my drawing with the Lasso Select tool?

Make sure the item you are trying to select is actually digital ink drawn using OneNote's drawing tools. The Lasso tool only selects native digital ink, text boxes, and specific objects; it cannot select parts of an inserted image or screenshot.

Is there a way to delete all ink on a OneNote page at once?

While there isn't a dedicated 'clear all ink' button, you can quickly delete all ink by zooming out, using the Lasso Select tool to draw a large circle around all the annotations on the page, and then pressing the Delete key.

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