{{More citations needed|date=August 2025}}'''Ink Serialized Format''' or ('''ISF''') is a [[Microsoft]] format to store written ink information. The format is mainly used for mobile devices like [[Personal digital assistant]]s, [[tablet computer|tablet PC]]s and [[Ultra-Mobile PC]]s to store data entered with a [[Stylus (computing)|stylus]].
The format is mainly used for mobile devices like [[Personal digital assistant]]s, [[tablet PC]]s and [[Ultra-Mobile PC]]s to store data entered with a [[stylus]].
An ink object is simply a sequence of strokes, where each stroke is comprised of a sequence of points, and the points are X, and Y coordinates. Many of the new mobile devices can also provide information such as pressure, and angle. In addition, it can be used to store custom information along with the ink data.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ink Serialized Format Specification |url=https://download.microsoft.com/download/0/B/E/0BE8BDD7-E5E8-422A-ABFD-4342ED7AD886/InkSerializedFormat(ISF)Specification.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250803024710/https://download.microsoft.com/download/0/B/E/0BE8BDD7-E5E8-422A-ABFD-4342ED7AD886/InkSerializedFormat(ISF)Specification.pdf |archive-date=August 3, 2025 |access-date=August 2, 2025 |website=Microsoft Downloads |format=PDF}}</ref>
== Availability ==
Its specification is freely available for [httpdownload.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ink Serialized Format (ISF) Specification |url=https://downloadlearn.microsoft.com/downloaden-us/0uwp/Bspecifications/E/0BE8BDD7ink-E5E8serialized-422Aformat |url-ABFDstatus=live |archive-4342ED7AD886url=https:/InkSerializedFormat(ISF)Specification/web.xps download]archive.org/web/20250803024658/https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/uwp/specifications/ink-serialized-format |archive-date=August 3, 2025 |access-date=August 2, 2025 |website=Microsoft Learn}}</ref> Microsoft has added the ISF format to its technologies available under the [[Microsoft Open Specification Promise|Open Specification Promise]] making ISF related technology patent claims available for everybody to use or implement ISF.
This allows for ISF format to be used even together with a more restrictive [[open source software]] licensing like [[GPL2]].{{citation needed|date=April 2013}}
== See also ==
* [[InkML]]
== External links ==
* [http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms700674(VS.85).aspx IntergratingIntegrating Ink on mobile devices] – Ink article on [[MSDN]]
