51 / INPUT
Stroke Tapering
The problem
A constant-width mark looks stamped on, not drawn — tips never thin as a pen would land or lift.
The solution
Width is derived from distance from start and distance to end, thinning inside the taper regions.
This mechanic is best experienced with a pointer.
Experiment
Task: Draw a freehand stroke across both surfaces.
NAIVE
Draw a freehand stroke
THOUGHTFUL
Draw a freehand stroke
Play with the values
48px
64px
Taper easing
Cap behavior
How it works
Seen in
Drawing apps
Ink tips thin at land and lift so marks feel hand-drawn without pressure hardware.
Note apps
Handwriting strokes taper naturally at the ends of each glyph.
Whiteboards
Annotation strokes look intentional instead of uniformly thick tubes.
Signature pads
Signatures keep character while tips resolve cleanly into points or soft caps.