Graphics Tablet

**Brian Ellis** · 9-Oct-2010, 08:16

I've had a Wacom Intuos III for years. For me it was a waste of money, I still use a mouse most of the time. I bought it mainly to be able to use the pen for making fine selections with the lasso tools but as I've become more knowledgeable about Photoshop I rarely make selections that way any more. There was nothing else about the tablet that I found useful.

I'm not so sure about using the pen to relieve your wrist stress. I'm no doctor so I don't know what different muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc. are used with the pen vs. the mouse but when I hold the pen in my hand and use it on the tablet my hand and wrist feel about the same as when I hold the mouse.

Mine is 9x6 or something like that. I got that size rather than the larger size because I figured I wouldn't have to move my arm and hand around as much with the smaller area.

**Frank Petronio** · 9-Oct-2010, 09:00

You mainly want it for the brush tools, they are pressure sensitive and you can greatly improve your burning/dodging, masks, color-only painting, etc. The new selection tool in CS5 works really well with it for hair and distant trees for example.

**Richard Wasserman** · 9-Oct-2010, 09:27

Well, I was at Calumet this morning and they have refurbished medium size Intuis 4 tablets at a savings of about $55.00 over new ones, so I bought one. I don't have it set up yet, but I'm hoping it will work out well for me. Time will tell....

Thanks everyone for your input, it was invaluable.

**Daniel_Buck** · 9-Oct-2010, 09:43

once you get used to it, you'll love it

**Peter De Smidt** · 11-Oct-2010, 11:18

I have a 6" x 9" Wacom Intuos3. I like it.

**tbeaman** · 12-Oct-2010, 02:26

My girlfriend is a professional animator/illustrator and is perfectly happy with her little Wacom Bamboo.

**Ivan J. Eberle** · 12-Oct-2010, 05:58

Spotting/cloning alone would make it worthwhile versus a mouse but the fine adjustments one can make to adjust contrast of individual eyelashes/hairs (IOW apparent sharpness) make my Wacom invaluable (Intuous 3).

**Richard Wasserman** · 12-Oct-2010, 06:47

It's going to take a while, but I'm learning! I find it much more comfortable than a mouse, my hand and arm pain seem to be diminishing, which was a major goal of getting the tablet. Now I need to learn more of what it can do as well as vastly improve my Photoshop skills.