How do you create text and image occlusion flashcards manually?

Tomaru includes built-in tools for creating text flashcards and image occlusion flashcards manually. Custom card creation allows you to define exact study parameters, mask specific regions on diagrams or maps, and integrate personalized entries directly into your main FSRS-6 schedule.

Why create flashcards manually?

While automated text parsing and pre-built lists streamline card collection, creating a card by hand provides distinct learning value.

Deciding what information belongs on the front and back of a card requires active cognitive processing. To build an effective card, you must isolate the precise concept or term you want to retrieve from memory. This act of extraction clarifies understanding before review even begins.

In Tomaru, manually created cards are first-class study items. They sit in the exact same schedule as official lists and draw on central library assets—such as neural speech audio—whenever applicable.

What problem do image occlusion cards solve?

Not all information translates effectively into text definitions. When studying diagrams, maps, anatomical figures, process charts, or textbook tables, the key learning objective is remembering which label corresponds to a specific visual location.

Converting a complex visual structure into plain text descriptions removes spatial relationships and alters the nature of the recall task.

Image occlusion solves this problem by placing visual masks over specific regions of an image, testing whether you can recall what lies beneath a given label without altering the surrounding visual context.

How do you create image occlusion cards in Tomaru?

In many flashcard environments, creating image occlusion cards requires installing third-party extensions on desktop software. Tomaru builds image occlusion tools directly into its mobile app, allowing you to create visual cards on your phone where you actually study.

To create an image occlusion card in Tomaru:

1. Upload or select an image on your phone.
2. Draw masking shapes directly over the labels, regions, or text blocks you want to test.
3. Choose what the back of the card displays: nothing, the original unmasked image, or a different reference image.

An image occlusion card carries its masked regions on a single card, entering your active review schedule seamlessly.

Are there limits on creating manual flashcards?

No. Creating manual text cards and drawing image occlusion cards is completely free and unlimited for all Tomaru accounts. Manual card creation does not draw from weekly metered generation limits.

To review feature tiers and subscription allowances, read our guide on is Tomaru free, or review standard field structures in anatomy of a card.

Related questions

Do manually created cards follow my FSRS-6 review schedule?

Yes. Manual text entries and image occlusion cards enter your primary study queue and follow your personal FSRS-6 review intervals.

Do I need desktop software to create image occlusion cards?

No. Tomaru includes native image occlusion tools directly inside its mobile app, allowing you to draw masks directly on your phone.

Why are manually created cards equal to installed library cards?

Manually created cards sit in the same FSRS-6 review schedule as pre-built lists and draw from the same central library content, ensuring they function as full study entries rather than simplified secondary cards.