Pen works fine when only the pen is making contact with the screen. However, when my palm is resting on the screen, the pressure detection of the pen becomes extremely inaccurate. As soon as skin (palm, fingers, etc) makes contact with the screen, the pressure curve of the pen becomes a staircase, as if the pen could only detect 5-20 levels of pressure, instead of 4096 like it's supposed to. Here's a screenshot from the Surface app: ![](https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/cdc3b0c5-bfcc-4409-b0a1-318885287f48?platform=QnA And here is how it looks like when drawing: Is this normal? How can I fix it? Device : Surface Pro 7 Model 1866 i5 (8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) OS : Windows 10 Home Version 1903 build 18362.449 (edit: I've since updated to 1909 build 18363.628, issue persists) Pen : Microsoft Surface Pen Model 1776 (Burgundy) I have: paired my pen unpaired and repaired the pen via Bluetooth options rebooted the Surface Pro soft reset the Surface Pro (volume+ and power buttons down for 15 seconds) removed and reinserted the battery into the pen (only way I could think of turning it off and on again) checked Windows Updates checked for app updates via Windows Store run the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit, no problems detected tried with and without Settings → Devices → Pen & Windows Ink → Ignore touch input when I'm using my pen set the correct hand I'm using from pen settings tried in multiple different apps, including Surface app, Adobe Photoshop, Krita, Sketchable, Autodesk SketchBook and others — same problem everywhere tried calibrating the pen (search "calibrate" from start menu and choose pen calibration), a dialog opens after choosing "Calibrate..." → "Pen input", asks for permission, and just makes a sound and closes after I grant permission, so I'm not sure if it's not working correctly, but nothing changed either way — tried to do this multiple times, rebooting in between, but doesn't seem to do anything

Surface users and others. My Asus works perfectly without palm contact. I thought I had solved my problem but no I just work a lot with my screen on a stand without hand contact. Off my stand with palm touching I have contact problems in Word and Excel, and in Adobe Reader when marking up with pen. In PowerPoint, One Note, Sketchbook and Stickies, no random marks or wobbly lines at all. Three things I've noted, Seems to have to do with the system timing in catching focus for input - if pen is already touching, palm is ignored; if palm touches first, it's bit of a lottery, and depends which bit of palm touches. In Word and Excel, you can write with a finger even if you don't want to (I need find registry code to ensure that is off). In the others, you have to click something to enable writing by finger. Has anyone noted a change in pen behaviour for right click/drag? That is driving me nuts! Select word, right press and hold to drag, 50% of the time it drags the page. That since January. I have not changed settings for that but it is definitely another timing thing and very variable. I've been chatting with a chap with an Asus Transformer who has basically lost the ability to take notes without using something like a tissue under his hand He's not sure when his started having a problem. I know mine exactly: Mine started on 12/12/2019 right after some KB and 1909 update ***Just noticed something crazy in Word. If you turn off "Use pen to select and interact with content by default" in Advanced settings, the pen only writes (no longer acting as a mouse), no palm problems and no writing with finger! BUT if you click on the Draw icon with your finger, you can write with it AND the pen and when using the pen the palm rejection problem is back with a vengeance.🥴 Why do Microsoft keep breaking stuff that works?!!!

I too am sorry but exactly like TrStephan, I also only have the jittering when my hand is on the screen. When hand is off, the pen works perfectly fine. It seems to me as if the issues may in fact very well have the same root.

Guys, can you please stop posting unrelated issues here? This thread is about pen pressure accuracy on the Surface Pro 7. This thread is not about pen *jitter.*The firmware update that fixed jitter on earlier Surfaces does not fix pressure accuracy on the SP7. There are no issues with jitter on my SP7, so that is clearly a different issue. I'm sorry for that. Since my jitter only occurs with my palm touching the screen and strongly correlates with my pressure accuracy issues, I've assumed that both issues have related root cause, if it's not the same issue. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/surfpronew-surfdrivers/surface-pro-intermittent-pen-inaccuracy-when-hand/28ef8566-0003-4c68-a964-6c2562423eb0 perhaps this helps you.

Guys, can you please stop posting unrelated issues here? This thread is about pen pressure accuracy on the Surface Pro 7. This thread is not about pen *jitter.*The firmware update that fixed jitter on earlier Surfaces does not fix pressure accuracy on the SP7. There are no issues with jitter on my SP7, so that is clearly a different issue. I'm sorry for that. Since my jitter only occurs with my palm touching the screen and strongly correlates with my pressure accuracy issues, I've assumed that both issues have related root cause, if it's not the same issue.

the jitter is somehow tolerable when surface is used alone, connecting anything to it that has anything to do with electricity makes the whole thing go crazy! I've also tested few different cables and chargers all producing the same result :( Apparently it is possible that "dirty power" can affect the digitizer (it was discussed earlier in this thread too). If you're sure the charger is not faulty, maybe the power controller in the tablet itself is -- send it in for repairs if it's still under warranty.

Surface Pro 7 pen pressure issues with palm rejection

Anonymous

Pen works fine when only the pen is making contact with the screen. However, when my palm is resting on the screen, the pressure detection of the pen becomes extremely inaccurate. As soon as skin (palm, fingers, etc) makes contact with the screen, the pressure curve of the pen becomes a staircase, as if the pen could only detect 5-20 levels of pressure, instead of 4096 like it's supposed to. Here's a screenshot from the Surface app:![](https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/cdc3b0c5-bfcc-4409-b0a1-318885287f48?platform=QnAAnd here is how it looks like when drawing:

Is this normal? How can I fix it?

Device: Surface Pro 7 Model 1866 i5 (8GB RAM, 128GB SSD)

OS: Windows 10 Home Version 1903 build 18362.449 (edit: I've since updated to 1909 build 18363.628, issue persists)

Pen: Microsoft Surface Pen Model 1776 (Burgundy)

I have:

paired my pen
unpaired and repaired the pen via Bluetooth options
rebooted the Surface Pro
soft reset the Surface Pro (volume+ and power buttons down for 15 seconds)
removed and reinserted the battery into the pen (only way I could think of turning it off and on again)
checked Windows Updates
checked for app updates via Windows Store
run the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit, no problems detected
tried with and without Settings → Devices → Pen & Windows Ink → Ignore touch input when I'm using my pen
set the correct hand I'm using from pen settings
tried in multiple different apps, including Surface app, Adobe Photoshop, Krita, Sketchable, Autodesk SketchBook and others — same problem everywhere
tried calibrating the pen (search "calibrate" from start menu and choose pen calibration), a dialog opens after choosing "Calibrate..." → "Pen input", asks for permission, and just makes a sound and closes after I grant permission, so I'm not sure if it's not working correctly, but nothing changed either way — tried to do this multiple times, rebooting in between, but doesn't seem to do anything

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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87 answers

Anonymous

2020-02-11T10:31:51+00:00
Surface users and others. My Asus works perfectly without palm contact. I thought I had solved my problem but no I just work a lot with my screen on a stand without hand contact.
- Off my stand with palm touching I have contact problems in Word and Excel, and in Adobe Reader when marking up with pen.
- In PowerPoint, One Note, Sketchbook and Stickies, no random marks or wobbly lines at all.
Three things I've noted,
- Seems to have to do with the system timing in catching focus for input - if pen is already touching, palm is ignored; if palm touches first, it's bit of a lottery, and depends which bit of palm touches.
- In Word and Excel, you can write with a finger even if you don't want to (I need find registry code to ensure that is off). In the others, you have to click something to enable writing by finger.
Has anyone noted a change in pen behaviour for right click/drag?

That is driving me nuts! Select word, right press and hold to drag, 50% of the time it drags the page. That since January. I have not changed settings for that but it is definitely another timing thing and very variable.

I've been chatting with a chap with an Asus Transformer who has basically lost the ability to take notes without using something like a tissue under his hand He's not sure when his started having a problem.

I know mine exactly: Mine started on 12/12/2019 right after some KB and 1909 update

***Just noticed something crazy in Word. If you turn off "Use pen to select and interact with content by default" in Advanced settings, the pen only writes (no longer acting as a mouse), no palm problems and no writing with finger!

BUT if you click on the Draw icon with your finger, you can write with it AND the pen and when using the pen the palm rejection problem is back with a vengeance.🥴

Why do Microsoft keep breaking stuff that works?!!!
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Anonymous

2020-02-10T22:57:20+00:00

I too am sorry but exactly like TrStephan, I also only have the jittering when my hand is on the screen. When hand is off, the pen works perfectly fine. It seems to me as if the issues may in fact very well have the same root.
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Anonymous

2020-02-10T22:36:18+00:00

Guys, can you please stop posting unrelated issues here? This thread is about pen pressure accuracy on the Surface Pro 7. This thread is not about pen *jitter.*The firmware update that fixed jitter on earlier Surfaces does not fix pressure accuracy on the SP7. There are no issues with jitter on my SP7, so that is clearly a different issue.

I'm sorry for that. Since my jitter only occurs with my palm touching the screen and strongly correlates with my pressure accuracy issues, I've assumed that both issues have related root cause, if it's not the same issue.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/surfpronew-surfdrivers/surface-pro-intermittent-pen-inaccuracy-when-hand/28ef8566-0003-4c68-a964-6c2562423eb0 perhaps this helps you.
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Anonymous

2020-02-10T22:27:53+00:00

Guys, can you please stop posting unrelated issues here? This thread is about pen pressure accuracy on the Surface Pro 7. This thread is not about pen *jitter.*The firmware update that fixed jitter on earlier Surfaces does not fix pressure accuracy on the SP7. There are no issues with jitter on my SP7, so that is clearly a different issue.

I'm sorry for that. Since my jitter only occurs with my palm touching the screen and strongly correlates with my pressure accuracy issues, I've assumed that both issues have related root cause, if it's not the same issue.
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Anonymous

2020-02-10T22:09:46+00:00

the jitter is somehow tolerable when surface is used alone, connecting anything to it that has anything to do with electricity makes the whole thing go crazy! I've also tested few different cables and chargers all producing the same result :(

Apparently it is possible that "dirty power" can affect the digitizer (it was discussed earlier in this thread too). If you're sure the charger is not faulty, maybe the power controller in the tablet itself is -- send it in for repairs if it's still under warranty.
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