Wacom Pen Tablet and Photoshop

If you’re one who painting using photoshop or other graphic application. You may know how hard to get control on brush cursor using regular mouse. But with pen tablet you can complete control over your brush in more natural way. And clearly the faster way to work to achieve a smoother, more natural look. Wacom is leader brand in presure-sensitive pen tablet. The Pen tablet is computer input device that design to use similar to using pen writing on paper. Unlike mouse, touch screen or standard stylus (using with PDA or Tablet PC) that read only direction and position of cursor, pen tablet can read pressure, pen tilt and speed of your drawing. You can move your cursor by hover the stylus over tablet surface (not touching), tab on surface to click or draw on tablet to drag cursor. Adobe Photoshop is designed to be used with a pen tablet. Pen pressure, pen tilt, and airbrush’s finger-wheel can control attributes like opacity, size, and color. Artists can use Wacom pen stylus to painting or drawing on graphic software like they are using brush drawing on traditional canvas. You can simply press a little harder or softer with your pen for more or less effect.

Note: You can set Pen Pressure or Pen tint to control all brush attributes (such as opacity, shape size, scattering and etc.) in Brush Palette for all paint tool. For other tool that didn’t use with brush such as Magnetic Lasso tool you can turn pen pressure option on, to control size of selection area, at Tool option bar.

Still Want More?

Unlike painting on canvas, when you’re using pen tablet you have to draw on tablet surface but your eye have to directed to monitor. Unlike traditional painting that draw directly to canvas or paper. The location that you are drawing with pen tablet are indicate by computer’s cursor. So this may be unnatural and uncomfortable with some artists and may need sometime to getting use to. So have introduce Wacom Cintiq series. The High-end tablet that combine 22 inch LCD monitor with pen tablet that allow user to draw directly to monitor.

Wacom Cintiq let’s artists to use there PC in more natural way and very similar to painting in traditional canvas than other tablet with exchange with its price ($2,499 list price). For me just only traditional Wacom like graphire or intuos are more than enough.

Size Does Matter

Wacom come in 3 different series Graphire, Intuos and Cintiq. And in Intuos3 series, that is the wacom widest product line, have 4×6, 6×8, 6×11, 9×12, 12×12 and 12×19 (represent drawable area). So which one is suitable for you?

When using tablet, by default, drawing area on tablet will map to fit area of your monitor screen. So if you use 4×5 tablet with 22″ monitor when you drawing 1cm on tablet may move computer cursor for 10 cm on monitor. This may be problem when you working in detail area of your image, you may have to over-zoom the image to working in detailed area. But in-contrast you can draw long stroke easier because you can move your hand in shorter distant.

For me 4×5 tablet may be too small, but if you need mobility, it may be best choice. Other thing you have to concern when choosing tablet is the area of your work space. The larger tablet need more space make sure that you have enough space on your desk. I find out that 6×8 tablet is best size to working with photoshop, adequate size and resolution in drawing smooth stroke and it’s size still be fit in lab-top case. Or 6×11 that proportion is optimize for wide screen display. The larger tablet may suitable for paint but not retouching because you have to move your hand in long distant and this.

Note: You can overide the mapping and also customize all other tablet option , such as stylus button function, double-click speed and etc, by go to Wacom preference for MacOS or in control panel for Windows user. Mapping tab allow you to map portion of tablet surface to fit to your monitor. This will be useful when you have to trace form paper drawing or photo (You can insert paper or photo under tablet surface for tracing).

Graphire and Intuos

Although the Graphire is low-end series of wacom pen tablet, there’re aimed for starter or budgeted user, but it’s still delivers all the control you need to quickly and easily edit your digital photos , a natural feel, and adequate for all kind of photoshop work. Graphire came out with 3 colors White, Silver and Blue and also in wireless version that use blue-tooth connection up to 30 feet. Graphire Bluetooth 6×8 powered by rechargeable battery and allow you to work freely without cord, with cost around $40 higher than standard version.

The Intuos the more fancy series with higher pressure levels, higher resolution series and additional quick button on each side of tablet surface. More over Intuos offer different type of stylus and mouse for each kind of digital art, such as air brush, 6D art pen and ink pen, as optional accessory.

Compare Intuos3 – 6×8 and Graphire4 – 6×8

	Intuos3 6×8	Graphire4 6×8
Tablet Dimensions:	13.6″ x 10.3″ x .5″	10.95″ x 10.39″ x .71″
Active Area:	6″ x 8″	5.94″ x 8.22″
Pressure Levels:	1,024	512
Resolution:	5,080 lpi	N/A
Maximum data rate:	200 pps	N/A
Accuracy:	+- .01″	N/A
Tilt range:	+-60°	Not Support
ExpressKeys:	8	8
Touch Strips:	2	None
Tool ID:	Yes	No
Accessories:	Yes	No
Mouse	5-Button	3-Button
Pen:	Grip Pen	Standard Pen
Colors:	One Color	Silver, White, and Metallic Blue
Listed Price:	$329	$199
	$276.95	$166.95
	$276.99	$162.99
	$318.25	$177.05
	$319.99	$179.99
	$284.99	$159.99

*please note that the price that listed above are price at the time this article was written and may chage without any notice.

Wacom Tablets and Photoshop Training

At PhotoshopCAFE.com has released PhotoshopSecrets: Wacom Tablets and Photoshop, which is available as a DVD or as a direct download. The training DVD begins with Weston Maggio of Wacom explaining in detail how to set up a tablet, how to fully personalize it, and how to make the most of all the hidden features. In part2 – Colin Smith, an award winning designer and founder of photoshopCafe.com, will shows you how to change the way you think about Photoshop. Many people with tablets still work like mouse users, completely unaware of the power of pressure sensitivity. Colin shows you how to use pressure sensitivity to your advantage and outlines an amazing work-flow that would be impossible without a pen tablet. Users also learn all kinds of pro tips and tricks for working with the tablet.

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