choice of tablet

[bluenote]

Hello everybody,

I want to buy a tablet. As far as I know, Wacom brand is the best choice. Do you have any experience ? Thanks.

[Winger]

I have a Wacom Intuos 3 with the 6x8 surface. The whole thing is bigger than that, but it's still an ok size. I think they've come out with a new group of tablets, but I haven't checked. I really like mine. You can tell it what you want some of the buttons to do and it's so much easier to use for editing than a mouse. Mostly, I just need to get rid of dust or do relatively simple things, but it works really well and is easy to use. Selecting objects is much easier with the tablet.

[Eric Brody]

I have the medium sized Intuos 4 and love it. It is my first tablet and it did have a bit of a learning curve but now the idea of painting with a brick... I mean mouse, is inconceivable. It appears to be a very well engineered device.
Eric

[David Spivak-Focus Magazine]

I believe MAC is going to be coming out with one in January.

[Preston]

Here's the Info from Intuos...

http://intuos.wacom.com/Americas/Intuos 4 (http://intuos.wacom.com/Americas/)

I am looking into one of these, as well. So, I am interested in your thoughts on it.

Cheers,

-Preston

[jim kitchen]

I use the larger 9X12 Wacom Tablet continuously, and I have employed this device for the past ten years, where my computer's mouse simply gathers dust until it is required for non Wacom compliant processes, such as any operation from my operating system CD.

For the moment, I cannot fathom using a mouse for any operation on my computer, especially Photoshop or any of my drawing applications. I found that the pen tool and its actions happen to be a most useful accessory which fits and acts naturally within my hand. This device allows me to draw and work effortlessly within any application since the pen tool is programmable, although I keep the device's programming to a simple double click or lock. A single tap or double tap on the tablet's surface will suffice too.

My only complaint about this device happens to be that the drawing tips wear out too quickly, and I must replace them frequently. The replacement nibs follow the same economic rules as Gillette's replacement razor blades... :)

jim k

[Gordon Moat]

I have been using WACOM (http://www.wacom.com) tablets since 1995, when I was in college. After using many of these, in a variety of sizes, I am currently using a 6x8 Graphire 4. The current models are the Bamboo and Intuos. There is also a wireless Graphire version and a Cintiq with built in display, neither of which I would really recommend, though they work nicely.

On the even smaller than 6x8 tablets, you move your fingers more. On the medium sized tablets, you move your hand and fingers. On the largest tablets, you move your entire arm, hand and wrist. I have used some quite large tablets, and they are much more physical; the medium sized tablets seem like a good compromise on movement to the action of the cursor.

You do not necessarily need to go with a big tablet to match a big monitor. The low end tablets have very fine control, and work well up until the larger computer monitors. When you are working at a desk, and using a 24" or larger monitor, then you might find a little advantage with the Intuos. If you are doing architecture, or product design, and using the tablet to select finite point locations, then the really large tablets might be something to consider.

They do take some getting use to when you first get a WACOM. I have seen many push too hard, and get a too firm grip on the pen, causing a great deal of fatigue. These pen tablets are completely different than using a mouse, and reward a very light grip and lots of lifting and positioning, as opposed to an instinct to push and drag like a mouse. Once you figure out the lightness of use, then they are very unobstrusive; though it might take you a while to get to that point. I would suggest using the pen for everything, even pulldown menus and navigation, when you first get the tablet; then you will get use to it faster.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

[bluenote]

I would definitely like to have one with built-in display, but they are much beyond my budget ... so medium sized Intuos 4 will probably be my choice. Thank you very much for you comment.

[Preston]

I am glad this topic was posted, and I appreciate the comments made. I'm sold. I am going to order a medium size Intuos 4 soon. I am very tired of making detailed selections, or mask painting with a 'brick'. The tablet sounds great!

-P

[Brian Ellis]

I've been using a Wacom Intuos 6x8 tablet for about 6 years. It's o.k. but it doesn't do all that much for me. I mostly just use the pen for drawing fine selection lines. When I first got it I tried using some of the other tools and thought they were more inconvenient to use than a mouse and keyboard shortcuts. I'm not selling this one but I won't bother with another when it goes. This doesn't mean it's a bad product, just that I didn't find it very useful.

[IanMazursky]

I have been using wacom tablets since 99. I couldn't think of a better way to retouch.
Once i started using them, i never went back to a mouse. It was like a light bulb going on!

The new Intuos 4 tablets are fantastic and they look cool. I sold some recently to a client and they love them.
I personally have a 9x12 Intuos 3, a 6x8 and 9x12 Intous 1.
The good thing is that last almost for ever. One of my friends has had his for way over a decade. I think it was a serial model. Still works perfectly.

The big thing that everyone should be wary of, the pens have a rod in them (i heard it was graphite but i could be wrong).
If you drop it to hard or get angry and throw it, be prepared to buy a new one.
Years ago we had a guy working for us that every time he got mad, he would throw the wacom pen.
He broke 3 of them before we started making him pay for them. Needless to say he didn't brake anymore.
Also they need a powered USB port and wont run off a mac keyboard.

[rjphil]

I have the Wacom 12x12 tablet. I probably could have bought the next size down, but wasn't sure. I love it for Photoshop work and use it almost exclusively now. I think the only thing I use my mouse for is surfing the Web.

[Sideshow Bob]

I have the Cintiq 12WX and I like it a lot! In PS it is great for making selections, dodging and burning, spotting, etc. When I'm not using it for this, I drag the menus on to it freeing up my main monitor for just the image.
Gale

[Preston]

I ordered a Intuos-4 from B&H, and should have it early in the coming week.

Initially, I thought of getting the 'medium' size, but the footprint is too large for my workspace, and the cost is over $100 more than the 'small' size that I ordered.

Once I get it installed and navigate the learning curve, I'll report back on my impressions of this tool.

-Preston

[Lenny Eiger]

Hello everybody,

I want to buy a tablet. As far as I know, Wacom brand is the best choice. Do you have any experience ? Thanks.

I think Wacom is the only real option. It gets down to which size you like. I believe that they are essential to any top level work. Every top PhotoShop person uses them.

The issue is one of selecting, primarily. When the lasso tool is used to select with, it has a hard edge. One can "feather" this edge, but the truth is that, at any size above the smaller prints, the selection will look like a cutout. The correct way to select things might be to start with a lasso, or other tools like select by color, or channel masking - but finishing is almost always done with a brush.

The pressure sensitive quality of the brush is very useful to spray the edge with partially selected pixels that will soften and blend your correction into the image, so that it is imperceptible, and looks like it belongs. It is even more essential for removing a background on something.

Spotting is also faster and easier. One uses a larger brush that one would with a mouse, then uses the pressure sensitive feature to hit just the right amount of cloning. A light touch gets a small spot and pressing a little harder gets the larger ones... it cuts the time of spotting almost by half.

I recently did a project that involved compositing 60 images into a single image. Each image had to look like it belonged there, be seamlessly blended in. It couldn't have been done without a brush.

The 6x11 is set to match a cinema display. If you have a more square monitor, the 6x8 works... You want to have enough space so that you can set the parameters to work proportionally, so that 1 inch down is the same as 1 inch over...

Good luck, go get it, you won't regret it...

Lenny

[Sevo]

One of my friends has had his for way over a decade. I think it was a serial model. Still works perfectly.


I retired my 1994 model last year, for reasons external to the tablet itself (the new motherboard has no more serial and both USB/serial adapters insisted on assigning themselves new COM port numbers every few hours). The tablet itself still worked, and is fully supported by current drivers.

[Preston]

My Intuous-4 (small size) showed up today from B&H. After using the 'brick' for so many years, moving to a pen is a real paradigm shift.

I got the installation finished and ready to use in about 15 minutes, that included going to Wacom site to register the product.

This thing is really sensitive! I definitely have a learning curve to negotiate, which I am most happy to do. I can tell that this tool will make a big difference, once I get used to driving it.

Call me a 'happy camper'!

-Preston

[IanMazursky]

Preston,
You can adjust the sensitivity for the wacom tablet in the control panel/preferences pain.
You can play around with the settings until it fits your style.
Good luck!

[Preston]

Ian,

Thanks for the tip. I've been into the panel, and am trying different settings. I'll get there! My questions is, should I adjust the settings before, or after, my two cups of coffee? :D

I really like this tool!

Thanks, again,

-Preston

[Don Dudenbostel]

I have a medium and a small that I've been using for six or seven years and don't know how I could get along without them. I use them for very detailed work / retouching / clipping paths and almost every thing I do digitally. Some of the art directors I work with can't use them but I would be lost without one. I even carry my small one with my Mac Book Pro.

[IanMazursky]

Ian,

Thanks for the tip. I've been into the panel, and am trying different settings. I'll get there! My questions is, should I adjust the settings before, or after, my two cups of coffee? :D

I really like this tool!

Thanks, again,

-Preston

Always a good question! Sometimes the jitters help when retouching :D
The caffeine does the work for you!