Anoto Digital Pen and Paper technology works by remembering what has been written or drawn on paper printed with the unique, almost invisible Anoto dot pattern, and transmits this data back to a PC or server. The digital pen writes like a normal ballpoint pen, but has a tiny infrared camera at its tip. Any paper can be used with a digital pen if the Anoto dot pattern is added to the layout at the time of printing. The dot pattern consists of a number of barely visible dots that can be read by the digital pen. The pen reads the pattern and registers what and where the user writes. The Anoto dot pattern can be generated using a standard printer.

The technology is ideally suited for forms-based processes such as those commonly used within education, health and social care and facility management.