line thickness not drawing as set

Hi Naomi,

It's really odd that the default size for the pen thickness isn't setup when you draw a line using the Drawing tab, and changing it makes no difference. However, to isolate your concern and to provide an accurate information, we would like to know if you're using OneNote application or OneNote online.

We're looking forward to your response.

Hi, Naomi,

Did you get the issue resolved? If no and still needing assistance, please reply back to this thread with Answers to Carlos' questios. Thank you.

Thank you, Naomi,

1) Try a repair of the Office Software

Repair an Office Application

2) There is a second option in the link above to Uninstall/Reinstall the software

3) Solution in Related Thread

Solution: To change the thickness of the pen, go to the Draw tab in OneNote, and then on the menu for selecting the various pens (Under the "Tools" category), click to expand the selection of various pens. Then, click More Color & Thickness Options, and you will be able to change the thickness/color! The other button for Color & Thickness only controls the color/thickness of shapes that you draw, which is kinda confusing to the end-user.

4)  Workaround: After inserting the shape and having it get thicker, select and resize it while pressing alt. That should change it back to the correct thickness.

1. Have tried to sources the repair option but OneNote2016 isn't in the list, only the OneNote app which I don't use. There also isn't an option to repair. 

2. I am reluctant uninstall just yet as last time I did that I lost several months of work as it deleted the backup also.

3. I have done this. My default pen size is 0.35 mm but it doesn't draw that size as shown in the picture above. Are these instructions for OneNote 2016 or the OneNote App?  I don't have a "tools" category. I have gone through all the defaults and checked they are all 0.35 mm but it still draws all lines and shapes at about 3 mm instead. Here I have done a quick line squiggle and immediately a line without changing pens and it is significantly thicker.

4. I have been lasso selecting the line and as soon as I drag it, it default resizes. It is also extremely time consuming as I use the line feature a lot in my working and this is what I want to change back to it drawing correctly to start with

Are you accessing this app from another (Administrative) account? Have IT Techs look into permissions for the app.

Your recommended backup strategy is to rely on the backup and retention methods in place by the company hosting your Exchange account.

Backup & Restore all Outlook data

Easus related document

I advise unintstalling/reinstalling the app 

In Office 2016 > Open an Office App > Click File > Feedback

You might also post to One Note's Suggestion Box

Fixes or workarounds for recent Office issues

So I found a way to repair/reinstall the software. I had to use Office 365 (as OneNote isn't listed as a separate program.)

I tried to draw a line and immediately it worked! Finally the line size needed. Great... until I did it again and it straight away went to the thicker line. So still not a success. Anything else I can try?

Try these steps: They were used in Office versions 2010 and 2003 I believe.

1) First, right-click anywhere in the Quick Access tool bar (located below File, Edit tabs)

Select "Customize Quick Access Tool Bar" option.

Under "Choose Commands From", click drop down menu and select "Popular Commands."

In window below, scroll down and select "Ink Styles". To the right of the window, click "Add."

"Ink Styles" should now appear in the window to the right. Click "OK" at bottom of window.

In the main screen of OneNote, click the "Ink Styles" icon (looks like three diff. colored pens) and hover over each of the pens under "Favorite Pens". When you hover, the pen thickness will appear in small grey box.

The thinnest pen size is 0.25 mm. To make it one of your accessible favorite pens (Numbered 1-8), right click the thinnest pen and click "move up."

Repeat above step until thin pen is at position #1. This is now "Favorite Pen 1".

2) On the Standard toolbar, click the arrow next to Pen , and then, on the shortcut menu, click the felt-tip pen or highlighter that you want to customize.

Click the arrow next to the Pen button again, and then click Customize Current Pen.

In the Customize Current Pen dialog box, do any of the following:

• In the Pen name box, type a new name for the current pen.
• In the Pen color list, click a new color for the current pen.
• In the Pen thickness (mm) list, enter a new stroke size (in millimeters) for the current pen.