Microsoft brings new pen tools and Draw tab customization to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

If you’ve been wishing for more creativity when inking in Microsoft Office apps, there’s some good news for you. Microsoft is rolling out new pen tools and a customizable Draw tab for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on Windows

The update adds the Fountain pen and Brush pen, two tools that OneNote users might already know and love. The Fountain pen lets you write with more style and flourish, while the Brush pen is ideal for expressive annotations or creative touches.

Alongside the new tools, Microsoft is making the Draw tab more flexible. You can now add, remove, and reorder your pens, pencils, and highlighters so the tools you use most are always at hand. That means less menu diving and more time actually drawing or writing.

How the feature works

Open the Draw tab, spot the two new pens, and start inking. To rearrange them, press and hold a tool, then drag it left or right.

Right-clicking (or pressing and holding) also lets you delete a tool entirely. There’s even an Add (+) button for quickly adding duplicate tools, though the Ink to Text pen is limited to one copy.

The new pen tools and customization features are available to Office for Windows users on Version 2508 (Build 19127.20000) or later. The rollout covers Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, so whether you’re jotting down notes, marking up a spreadsheet, or adding flair to a slide deck, you’ll have more control over how you ink.