---
title: "HandwritingSettings"
canonical_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/api/python/settings/handwriting-settings/"
md_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/api/python/settings/handwriting-settings.md"
last_updated: "2026-05-25T09:22:38.991Z"
description: "Settings for Handwriting. Values fall back through three levels: document → SDK → built-in default."
---

Settings for Handwriting. Values fall back through three levels: document → SDK → built-in default. Writes target the document only when set on a document's settings, otherwise the SDK globally when set on SdkSettings.

**Tags:** `Vision`

```python

from nutrient_sdk import HandwritingSettings

```

## Construction

`HandwritingSettings` is accessed through a [`Document`](../../document/) instance for per-document overrides, or via [`SdkSettings`](../sdk-settings/) for SDK-wide defaults.

```python

# Per-document override

with Document.open("input.pdf") as doc:
    settings = doc.settings.handwriting_settings
    settings.some_field = new_value          # mutate fields directly

# SDK-wide default (applies to all documents)

SdkSettings.handwriting_settings.some_field = new_value

```

Settings are configured by writing to fields on the returned object. The settings property itself cannot be reassigned — `doc.settings.handwriting_settings = other_settings` is rejected.

## Properties

### word_refining_method

```python

@property
def word_refining_method(self) -> WordRefiningMethod

@word_refining_method.setter
def word_refining_method(self, value: WordRefiningMethod) -> None

```

Controls the method used to refine detected handwritten words when AI-augmented text is available for the zone.

**Type:** [`WordRefiningMethod`](/api/python/enums/word-refining-method/)

**Default:** `WordRefiningMethod.Heuristic`

---

---

## Related pages

- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/ai-processing-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/ai-augmenter-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/claude-api-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/cad-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/content-extraction-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/conversion-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/custom-vlm-api-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/deskew-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/email-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/document-layout-json-export-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/finalizer-settings.md)
- [Document Settings](/api/python/settings/document-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/form-recognition-settings.md)
- [All public classes import directly from the top-level package:](/api/python/settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/html-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/image-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/jbig2-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/jpeg-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/instant-json-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/inference-layout-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/markdown-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/ocr-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/open-ai-picture-alt-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/open-ai-api-endpoint-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/open-ai-languages-detection-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/open-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/pdf-page-settings.md)
- [Sdk Settings](/api/python/settings/sdk-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/pdf-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/segmenter-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/reading-order-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/spreadsheet-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/table-recognition-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/tiff-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/vision-descriptor-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/vision-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/words-detection-settings.md)
- [Per-document override](/api/python/settings/word-settings.md)