Wacom Tablet v Mouse

[Scott Rosenberg]

hey guys, are any of you using a tablet instead of a mouse for photoshop work? i've never tried one in my digi darkroom, but saw one at my local shop for the first time last week and was intrigued.

i'd love to hear impressions from those that are currently using them and those that tried them and went back the the venerable old mouse. if you are using them, with model do you prefer... there seem to be several:

http://www.wacom.com/productinfo/

thanks,

[Nate Battles]

I tried a Wacom 6x8 at a friends house. It was really unusual at first, but I started to get used to it. The size felt small however, I think that if I were to get one, I'd get the largest one I could afford and had room for. I think I would really enjoy using one for dust spotting/healing brush work. It's like anything you're not used to - at first it feels weird, but it feels normal after more use.

[eric black]

I personally use a trackball and was never able to make the transition to the Wacom. I had one that had about an 8x10 tablet and after a couple of months sold it and have never had any regrets.

[Harold_4074]

Space and funds permitting, the larger the tablet the better. The pressure-sensitive pen is wonderful once you get used to it, particularly for dust spotting and creating selection lines---much more intuitive than a mouse, although the Wacom mouse on its tablet is also a lot better than something like a conventional mouse designed mostly for left-right/up-down cursor movement.

[Jonathan Block]

I've used both, and prefer the tablet. It allow for fast touchups and if you're doing a lot of post-process, say, clearing the skin of one of your fashion models, nothing goes faster. But like anything, it takes getting used to.

[jetcode]

hey guys, are any of you using a tablet instead of a mouse for photoshop work?

The Wacom tablet is really nice. The one downside is that you have to position the pen up high and to the left if you want to select a large area precisely. Alternately you can zoom an image out until you can manage the selection. You can also buy a larger tablet. Once you begin using the healing tool with the pen for the healing tool you will never want to go back.

Joe

[MenacingTourist]

Using a mouse to draw is like drawing with a potato :)
I've been using photoshop (professionally) almost everyday since 1993 and I use a wacom tablet (5 years) when I have to draw, paint, or do anything where a deft touch is needed. Otherwise I just use the mouse.

My 2 cents.

Alan.

[Ted Harris]

The tablet is great, a trackball is also a huge improvement over a mouse.

[Frank Petronio]

I have always used them and have gotten progressively smaller ones each time I rebuy (4x since 92-93). Smaller is more efficient and the cheaper prosumer $99 one is everything I need. The more expensive ones have a slightly nicer pen and plastic, but I doubt you can distinguish between 512 or 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity.

If I were drawing from life a big tablet might be better but we're talking abut retouching and general work, so why move your arm across a lot of real estate? Other than for exercise...

If you get one, take the mouse and put it in another room and go cold turkey for a week. It will be awful the first day, and then get better. Don't over wack the control panels, the defaults are usually fine.

Once you have it under control, reintroduce the mouse as it can sometimes be better for office work and web surfing.

Using both but using the pen more is probably better at preventing Carpal Tunnel and such...

But what do I know? ;-P

[thedeep]

smaller is definitely better for retouching/photoshop work. I have a 12x12 and a 6x8, and use one at work all the time---there really isn't a point in moving your hand a foot when a few inches will suffice (there is usually a default one to one mapping between the physical tablet position and the desktop).

[Brian Ellis]

I've used a Wacom for about 4-5 years so mine isn't the most current version. The only thing about it that I like better than a mouse is using the pen to make selections occasionally. I don't use any of the controls on the pad, I tried them for a few months after getting the tablet and didn't find that they provided any significant benefit when working in Photoshop and they were more cumbersome for other purposes. I agree with Frank about the size, I don't think there's any real reason to get the biggest one for photo work, I think it would just cause you to move your hand and arm around more without any real benefit. The working area of mine is about 6x9 inches and I've liked that size - big enough that you aren't going over the edges of the pad all the time but not too much arm and hand movement.

[Walter Calahan]

I had one, but it died. Still use a mouse. Didn't get another. Running a two monitor system, I was always lost on the Wacom.

[Ron Bose]

I use a 6x8 Intuos. i talked to Wacom's Customer support and they recommended the 6x8 for photoshop. They said bigger isn't necessarily better ...

[jetcode]

I use a 6x8 Intuos. i talked to Wacom's Customer support and they recommended the 6x8 for photoshop. They said bigger isn't necessarily better ...

Mine is a graphire. The pad is 3.5" x 5" and it doesn't have any buttons. This must be the smallest of them all. I need to upgrade to the 6x8 so I don't have to do maneuvers to select a reasonable chunk of image.

[David A. Goldfarb]

My sister is an animator, so she does this stuff all the time and says she prefers a medium-sized tablet--6x8" if I remember correctly. I suppose there is a good deal of personal preference with these things. If you draw a free hand portrait on a sketchpad at a size that feels natural to you, about how large a page would it fill? 4x6"? 6x8"? 10x12"?

[Greg Lockrey]

It really is a matter of preference...but I hate those Wacom tablets and I draw and paint all the time. Just never got used to doing so on the screen.

[Scott Rosenberg]

wow... thanks for all the good advice here, fellas. sounds like the 6x8 would be a good place to start. if i find it's not for me, the investment was minimal.

thanks!

[Daniel_Buck]

I use a wacom (intuos 3, 6x9) for my blending/mask painting, but other than that I use a mouse. The sensitivity levels on the wacom are very nice, makes for a very easy time when painting soft masks and things. If my hand/wrist starts to hurt a bit at work, I'll switch over to a tablet. But since I've been doing my mask painting with a tablet at home, I've yet to have problems with my wrist at work when I'm working in other programs.

I'm not a good drawing person at all, but I guess it's much easier with pen than a mouse, and the sensitivity levels alone are worth the price!

[Daniel Geiger]

Have a 4x5 and a 6x8 Graphire (cheaper version); bought the 4x5 because the whole tablet was cheaper than a replacement pen (go figure). Prefer the 6x8 and use it also for general getting around the computer, so the mouse is just parked there. The 6x8 is plenty for my 30 inch screen.

For spotting, nothing beats the pen. Initially takes a bit to get used to, but won't be long.

[Stephen Best]

I use an Intuos3 6x8 (PTZ-630) *with* the Wacom mouse and flip between the pen and mouse as required. I run a dual monitor setup with the pad mapped to both displays in mouse mode, and just the second (image) display in pen mode. It takes a bit of work setting up all the buttons how you want but I couldn't work without it. Prior to this I had a 12x12 pad and that was a mistake ... did wonders for my arm muscles though. If I was running a widescreen display I'd be tempted by the newer wide version (PTZ-631W). Just make sure you have plenty of desk space coz they're not small. Get one!

[Gordon Moat]

I have been using a WACOM tablet since late 1994. After working on nearly every size and variation they have made over these years, I have largely found a preference for the 6x8 tablet (currently using a Graphire 4). The smaller one is more portable, and requires less hand movement, and the larger ones require more arm movement. However, it depends upon what you want to work on with the tablet.

It can take a while at first to get use to one. The most common mistake is to press too hard, since a very light touch will suffice for nearly everything. A nice thing is that you can also lift the pen and the pointer will jump from one screen location to another. Trying to drag the pen tip around like a mouse can get tiring.

To me trying to draw or do image edits with a mouse is like trying to draw a picture with a bar of soup. Since starting with a WACOM over ten years ago, I have not used a mouse at all for my work. Other than a trackpad (usually built onto laptops), I have used no other device than a WACOM tablet. Highly recommend getting one.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Scott Rosenberg]

again, thanks fellas. one additional question... i currently have 2 21" lcd displays set up next to one another. the desktop is configured to stretch across both displays, making one large virtual screen.

given this, do you think the 6x8 is the best size, or would something like a 6x11 be a better option?

[Greg Lockrey]

..... is like trying to draw a picture with a bar of soup.

Some of my best selling watercolors were done with 2" flat brushes.;) ;)

Someday when I get truly inspired (meaning: can afford it) I'm going to use $60 paint straight out of the tubes to make my statment. :)

Back on topic: I tried the larger version also, the 6x8 is better and it sould be sufficient. It is surprising the coverage you can get with a 6x8. When it come to retouching the file, I'm a minimalist and the mouse is enough for me, but I can see where the Wacom has it's advantage if your'e manipulations are extensive and once you get the hang of it.

[Daniel_Buck]

I run a dual monitor setup with the pad mapped to both displays in mouse mode, and just the second (image) display in pen mode.
I do the same, have the pen mapped to just my monitor that displays the image, switch tools with hotkeys or just move the mouse to change tools or move layers. Works out nicely.

And you are right, the larger tablets often are to complicated to use because they are to big, and alot of folks just map them down smaller, or get a smaller tablet. We have some large ones at work for use on some of the higher end compositing machines (flame) they are just to big for most people, me included! :-) Good thing to bring up when discussing wacom tablets, the 8 or 9 inch wide tablets are usually best for most folks.

[fstop]

I'm left handed and was taught to use a mouse in school with the right hand, so any critical selection work with the mouse was really bad. I did pick up a Wacom this summer and never looked back. Still mouse with my right hand and draw with my left.

[PViapiano]

Graphire 4x5...I love it when I use it, which isn't very much at the moment. But I plan on using it much, much more in the future for retouching, healing, dodging and burning...

[Steve Gledhill]

again, thanks fellas. one additional question... i currently have 2 21" lcd displays set up next to one another. the desktop is configured to stretch across both displays, making one large virtual screen.

given this, do you think the 6x8 is the best size, or would something like a 6x11 be a better option?

Scott - this is exactly what I have (6x11) and it works very well with the full 2 screen desktop mapped to the full tablet area. You need to commit to giving it a go to get used to it though, then you'll wonder how you ever managed with a mouse!