Paperlike iPad Screen Protector REVIEW

An amazingly different experience with the iPad

I love my iPad Pro, I love the big screen I love the Magic Keyboard and most of all I love the fact I can draw on it without wasting paper when I want to jot down a simple drawling or idea. What I have never been a big fan of is the glare and slick surface that I feel makes the drawling feel different. Now thanks to a company called Paperlike this is a thing of the past.

DETAILS

Paperlike is a screen protector for the iPad that allows creators to write and draw as they would on paper. With Paperlike, users find they have improved precision and the tactile feel of using paper rather than a glossy, smooth piece of glass. The screen protector is optimized to create the right amount of friction and stroke resistance for optimal accuracy. It’s designed to make artists feel as though they are writing on pages in a sketchbook and not on an electronic tablet. In addition to being able to draw better, Paperlike also makes it easier to write out notes by reducing muscle fatigue that is usually caused by writing on a glass tablet. The screen protector makes the iPad feel like a notebook. Paperlike not only makes the surface of the iPad feel more like paper, it also enhances your viewing experience by providing a matte, anti-glare finish. Paperlike has Nanodots technology built into it. These are microbes that are distributed across the screen protector that make Apple Pencils vibrate so it feels like your are writing on paper.

USER EXPERIENCE

The Paperlike comes in a cardboard sleeve that is decorated with abstract images of artists. When you open the sleeve you will find the Paperlike screen protector and the installation kit that comes along with it. There is a link included on the Help Stickers (and packing slip if you have one) that directs you to a How-To Video on use.paperlike.com. That page includes the aforementioned video as well as a written step-by-step installation guide. To be honest, it’s very similar to other plastic-like screen protectors. When it comes to screen protectors, I usually prefer glass ones because the installation is a lot easier given the rigidity of the material used. With plastic screen protectors, you run the risk of them folding or otherwise laying incorrectly.

The Paperlike comes with guide stickers, which I found very helpful. You place them in three places around the screen protector and use them to lay the screen protector in just the right spot. I also found it very helpful to have the ‘help’ sticker available as the handle of the screen protector so to speak. After you have the stickers in place, the next step is to clean the screen of your iPad completely. You want make sure all smudges and dust are removed before adhering the screen protector to the face of the iPad. The wet wipes that come with the Paperlike are pretty standard screen wipes. If you have another screen cleaner you like to use, then I suggest using it first and finish with the provided wet wipe. Once the screen is clean and dust-free, you are instructed to peel off the film from Side 1 (sticky side/faces the screen of the iPad) and press it to the iPad screen.

At this point, you will want to press out any air bubbles you might see under the screen protector. Some screen protectors include a card to help with this, but Paperlike did not. They state that they feel that it’s unnecessary since most people have at least one credit card available. And, that’s exactly what I used. I would say you should use some caution about how hard you press because it is, after all, still an iPad. After you have all the bubbles pressed out you can remove the protective layer of film from Side 2 (matte side of the screen protector/faces outward). At this point, you’re done with installation. If you are familiar with screen protector installation – plastic film style in particular – this is a pretty standard process.

One of the things I noticed right away with this screen protector is its ‘feel’. It’s got a really nice smooth texture to it, but it’s not smooth like the naked iPad Pro screen. After installation, I couldn’t wait to get my Apple Pencil on it. The pencil glided across the surface like a puck does across an air hockey table. Writing with the Apple Pencil seems effortless now and I find myself using it more than I did before the Paperlike. In addition to that, the matte surface of the Paperlike makes the touchscreen more enjoyable, too. I feel like fingerprints and smudges don’t show up nearly as bad as they do on the plain surface of the iPad. Finally, the glare from lights is virtually nonexistent thanks to the matte surface of the Paperlike. I have actually included an image of what direct overhead lights look like on the Paperlike. While you can still tell there are lights present, the light has been extremely dulled down.

CONCLUSION

It’s hard to imagen a simple screen protector changing your experience on the iPad as much as the Paperlike does. From removing glare to truly feeling different in the hands and with the Apple Pencil, Paperlike is designed well and has been making me love my iPad even more. I don’t say this a lot but when I do I mean it. Apple should have made the screens on the iPad Pro feel the way the Paperlike screen protector does. I truly hope that Paperlike develops options like this for the iPhone and even the MacBook Pro. Even though the MacBook Pro doesn’t have a touchscreen, the antiglare properties would make it worth the addition to its screen. I have used a lot of different styles of screen protectors over the years none of which have felt like the Paperlike.

For more details, visit Paperlike, Facebook, and Twitter.