Tablet recommendations

Wat, at that price!

PDM

wrote in message
On Feb 8, 10:42 am, "PDM" <pdcm99[deletethisbit]@tiscali.co.uk> wrote:

I’vr got two sized tablets: A4 and A6. I rarely use the larger as there isn’t any room for it. The smaller tablet sits on my desk where the the mousmat normally sits. It works fine there. I only use the other tablet when
I need to use long strokes such as in painter or similar. And then it sits on my knee.

PDM

I want one of these:

http://www.inition.co.uk/inition/product.php?URL_=product_ff haptic_sensable_phantomdesktop&SubCatID_=0&cur=USD

Only 13000usd – not having one is my excuse for not making great artwork.

I think I will finally get a tablet (mainly for photoshop, but I might use it in AE and Illustrator too).

I really do not know how to size it. Would 6×8 be big enough for non-pro use? That should fit nicely on my desk.

How about the 6D pen? Is that a worthy upgrade?

Thanks in advance,

—
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in comp.graphics.apps.photoshop…)

wrote:

I think I will finally get a tablet (mainly for photoshop, but I might use it in AE and Illustrator too).

Wacom seems to be a popular choice.

I really do not know how to size it. Would 6×8 be big enough for non-pro use? That should fit nicely on my desk.

6×8 would be plenty enough. Me? I upgraded from somewhere around 12"x12" to 4×6" and more happy wth the 4×6 than 12×12

How about the 6D pen? Is that a worthy upgrade?

Never have anything more than the standard pen comes with the tablet so I have no idea. And I believe I have upgraded or owned around 6-7 tablets (started using tablet sometime in 80’s)

Thanks in advance,

Welcome in advance.

On Feb 8, 7:06 pm, wrote:

I think I will finally get a tablet (mainly for photoshop, but I might use it in AE and Illustrator too).

I really do not know how to size it.  Would 6×8 be big enough for non-pro use?  That should fit nicely on my desk.

How about the 6D pen?  Is that a worthy upgrade?

Thanks in advance,

—
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in comp.graphics.apps.photoshop…)

When you draw, do you draw mostly with your wrist and fingers or more with your arm? If you use your arm and large flowing motions, you will want a large one. If, like me, you barely move your arm then you will be more satisfied with a smaller one. That said, Wacom tablets (and probably the others too) come with pen and mouse modes, that is, relative or absolute movement modes. I have never used mouse (relative) mode but presumably you could configure the large tablets to accept smaller movements. I use a 4×5. It is small but well suited for the way I work.
Another important consideration is the number of buttons. If I could change one thing about my tablet, it would be more buttons. And for my purposes, they need to be real buttons, not the kind that are assignable and selected with the stylus – I need to be able to select them with the thumb of my left hand. My tablet has 6 buttons, counting the touch strip, and I would like to have around 30.
The type of nib you get is more important, IMO, than the stylus. The nib determines the texture and friction – and thereby surface wear. If you want the feel of a 4b on drawing paper, you can get it, but you will spend more on nib and surface replacement. I no longer use the Wacom surfaces. Now I just get clear acrylic sheets from the hobby store and scuff them up a little, they work fine.
One last thing, if you have not used a tablet before, don’t expect to cotton to it right away. The adjustment for me was roughly equivalent to learning to type – a few months of continuous use.
One last last thing, I bought mine with a mouse. It has sat on the shelf unused ever since. I still keep a mouse attached, but it is on the left side, and I only use it to launch a dos program that stops and restarts the wacom service when it hangs up in Maya. So I could have saved around sixty dollars on the mouse if I had known I would never use it.

On Feb 8, 10:42 am, "PDM" <pdcm99[deletethisbit]@tiscali.co.uk> wrote:

I’vr got two sized tablets: A4 and A6. I rarely use the larger as there isn’t any room for it. The smaller tablet sits on my desk where the the mousmat normally sits. It works fine there. I only use the other tablet when I need to use long strokes such as in painter or similar. And then it sits on my knee.

PDM

I want one of these:

http://www.inition.co.uk/inition/product.php?URL_=product_ff haptic_sensable_phantomdesktop&SubCatID_=0&cur=USD

Only 13000usd – not having one is my excuse for not making great artwork.

com writes:

On Feb 8, 7:06

wrote:

<snip>

Thank you Ron and Joe.

I ordered the 6×8, and am prepared for a long learning curve. But by most accounts it will be worth it.

I don’t like large size so I settled for the 4×6 and be;ieve it or not I won’t trade for 12×12.

Here is few thing you *might* wanna do.

1. Because Wacom uses a pretty cheapie plastic which can be easily scratch (at least on my first Wacom), so I would suggest to cover the drawing surface with a better plastic to protect the original platic. I tape a piece of Laminate sheet over the drawing area.

2. The NIB is also made of cheapie plastic too, so if you use pen only (I use pen for everything, or no mouse) then the NIB may wear out in 2-3+ years or so (depending on how much and how hard you press, and I slightly touch the surface). And you may have to rotate the nib once every few months for even wear.

3. I would suggest to learn to use pen for everything. It may be hard on the first few days, and if you keep on using pen only for 2-4 weeks then you should be able to get rid of the mouse.

Just pay attention and learn to control the POINTER/Cursor instead of comparing the difference between Mouse vs Pen, then you should be able to learn quicker.

About Wacom, I have used 4-5 bigger tablets before Wacom (for CAD started with PUCK and wired then wireless pen with batteries etc.) and I can tell ya the plastic felt like real drawing paper, much better marterial which you can draw on it for years without a single scratch. And the nib was lot harder marteral too.

On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:24:13 -0600, Joe wrote:

wrote:

<snip>

Thank you Ron and Joe.

I ordered the 6×8, and am prepared for a long learning curve. But by most accounts it will be worth it.

I don’t like large size so I settled for the 4×6 and be;ieve it or not I won’t trade for 12×12.

Here is few thing you *might* wanna do.

1. Because Wacom uses a pretty cheapie plastic which can be easily scratch (at least on my first Wacom), so I would suggest to cover the drawing surface with a better plastic to protect the original platic. I tape a piece of Laminate sheet over the drawing area.

2. The NIB is also made of cheapie plastic too, so if you use pen only (I use pen for everything, or no mouse) then the NIB may wear out in 2-3+ years or so (depending on how much and how hard you press, and I slightly touch the surface). And you may have to rotate the nib once every few months for even wear.

I recently purchased a Wacom Bamboo. It came with a nib in the pen and three spare nibs. According to you, that should last me for 8 years.

—
Tony Cooper – Orlando, Florida

Joe writes:

F

wrote:

snip>

Thank you Ron and Joe.

I ordered the 6×8, and am prepared for a long learning curve. But by most accounts it will be worth it.

Joe> I don’t like large size so I settled for the 4×6 and be;ieve it or not I Joe> won’t trade for 12×12.

It just came today, I have not had time to install it yet.

I am wondering if I should have gotten the 6×11, not so much for the size as for the geometry. I have dual wide screen (1920×1200) monitors. Will I only be using a narrow strip across the tablet and lose much of the top and bottom?

If so, perhaps I should return it and get the wider version.

Joe> Here is few thing you *might* wanna do.

Joe> 1. Because Wacom uses a pretty cheapie plastic which can be easily scratch Joe> (at least on my first Wacom), so I would suggest to cover the drawing Joe> surface with a better plastic to protect the original platic. I tape a Joe> piece of Laminate sheet over the drawing area.

Joe> 2. The NIB is also made of cheapie plastic too, so if you use pen only (I Joe> use pen for everything, or no mouse) then the NIB may wear out in 2-3+ years Joe> or so (depending on how much and how hard you press, and I slightly touch Joe> the surface). And you may have to rotate the nib once every few months for Joe> even wear.

Joe> 3. I would suggest to learn to use pen for everything. It may be hard on Joe> the first few days, and if you keep on using pen only for 2-4 weeks then you Joe> should be able to get rid of the mouse.

Joe> Just pay attention and learn to control the POINTER/Cursor instead of Joe> comparing the difference between Mouse vs Pen, then you should be able to Joe> learn quicker.

Thank you for this advice. I saved it, and hopefully it will help.

Joe> About Wacom, I have used 4-5 bigger tablets before Wacom (for CAD started Joe> with PUCK and wired then wireless pen with batteries etc.) and I can tell ya Joe> the plastic felt like real drawing paper, much better marterial which you Joe> can draw on it for years without a single scratch. And the nib was lot Joe> harder marteral too.

Were the older ones the better ones? I know nothing of the history of these products.

Thanks again,

—
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in comp.graphics.apps.photoshop…)

wrote:

Joe writes:

F

wrote:

snip>

Thank you Ron and Joe.

I ordered the 6×8, and am prepared for a long learning curve. But by most accounts it will be worth it.

Joe> I don’t like large size so I settled for the 4×6 and be;ieve it or not I Joe> won’t trade for 12×12.

It just came today, I have not had time to install it yet.
I am wondering if I should have gotten the 6×11, not so much for the size as for the geometry. I have dual wide screen (1920×1200) monitors. Will I only be using a narrow strip across the tablet and lose much of the top and bottom?

If so, perhaps I should return it and get the wider version.

Whatever tablet size will fit whatever screen size, or even if you have 2×2" tablet it will fit 20" or 40" screen.

I am still using CRT so I don’t know how the regular tablet works on wide screen, but I don’t think it will make mucu or any different. I know I like smaller size, and I am happy with the 4×6"

Joe> Here is few thing you *might* wanna do.

Joe> 1. Because Wacom uses a pretty cheapie plastic which can be easily scratch Joe> (at least on my first Wacom), so I would suggest to cover the drawing Joe> surface with a better plastic to protect the original platic. I tape a Joe> piece of Laminate sheet over the drawing area.

Joe> 2. The NIB is also made of cheapie plastic too, so if you use pen only (I Joe> use pen for everything, or no mouse) then the NIB may wear out in 2-3+ years Joe> or so (depending on how much and how hard you press, and I slightly touch Joe> the surface). And you may have to rotate the nib once every few months for Joe> even wear.

Joe> 3. I would suggest to learn to use pen for everything. It may be hard on Joe> the first few days, and if you keep on using pen only for 2-4 weeks then you Joe> should be able to get rid of the mouse.

Joe> Just pay attention and learn to control the POINTER/Cursor instead of Joe> comparing the difference between Mouse vs Pen, then you should be able to Joe> learn quicker.

Thank you for this advice. I saved it, and hopefully it will help.
Joe> About Wacom, I have used 4-5 bigger tablets before Wacom (for CAD started Joe> with PUCK and wired then wireless pen with batteries etc.) and I can tell ya Joe> the plastic felt like real drawing paper, much better marterial which you Joe> can draw on it for years without a single scratch. And the nib was lot Joe> harder marteral too.

Were the older ones the better ones? I know nothing of the history of these products.

Those weren’t Wacom but from other manufactures (no longer exist) those made tablet for CAD users, then for graphic program later. Besides some popular CADs it was pretty hard to find driver supported some graphic program.

Thanks again,

Joe writes:

wrote:

Joe writes:

F

wrote:

snip>

Thank you Ron and Joe.

I ordered the 6×8, and am prepared for a long learning curve. But by most accounts it will be worth it.

Joe> I don’t like large size so I settled for the 4×6 and be;ieve it or not I Joe> won’t trade for 12×12.

It just came today, I have not had time to install it yet.
I am wondering if I should have gotten the 6×11, not so much for the size as for the geometry. I have dual wide screen (1920×1200) monitors. Will I only be using a narrow strip across the tablet and lose much of the top and bottom?

If so, perhaps I should return it and get the wider version.

Joe> Whatever tablet size will fit whatever screen size, or even if you have Joe> 2×2" tablet it will fit 20" or 40" screen.

Doesn’t that mean that angles on the pad and angles on the screen would be very different? I would guess that would be hard to get used to.

Joe> I am still using CRT so I don’t know how the regular tablet works on wide Joe> screen, but I don’t think it will make mucu or any different. I know I like Joe> smaller size, and I am happy with the 4×6"

Joe> Here is few thing you *might* wanna do.

Joe> 1. Because Wacom uses a pretty cheapie plastic which can be easily scratch Joe> (at least on my first Wacom), so I would suggest to cover the drawing Joe> surface with a better plastic to protect the original platic. I tape a Joe> piece of Laminate sheet over the drawing area.

Joe> 2. The NIB is also made of cheapie plastic too, so if you use pen only (I Joe> use pen for everything, or no mouse) then the NIB may wear out in 2-3+ years Joe> or so (depending on how much and how hard you press, and I slightly touch Joe> the surface). And you may have to rotate the nib once every few months for Joe> even wear.

Joe> 3. I would suggest to learn to use pen for everything. It may be hard on Joe> the first few days, and if you keep on using pen only for 2-4 weeks then you Joe> should be able to get rid of the mouse.

Joe> Just pay attention and learn to control the POINTER/Cursor instead of Joe> comparing the difference between Mouse vs Pen, then you should be able to Joe> learn quicker.

Thank you for this advice. I saved it, and hopefully it will help.

Joe> About Wacom, I have used 4-5 bigger tablets before Wacom (for CAD started Joe> with PUCK and wired then wireless pen with batteries etc.) and I can tell ya Joe> the plastic felt like real drawing paper, much better marterial which you Joe> can draw on it for years without a single scratch. And the nib was lot Joe> harder marteral too.

Were the older ones the better ones? I know nothing of the history of these products.

Joe> Those weren’t Wacom but from other manufactures (no longer exist) those Joe> made tablet for CAD users, then for graphic program later. Besides some Joe> popular CADs it was pretty hard to find driver supported some graphic Joe> program.

Thanks again,

—
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in comp.graphics.apps.photoshop…)

wrote:

Joe> Whatever tablet size will fit whatever screen size, or even if you have Joe> 2×2" tablet it will fit 20" or 40" screen.
Doesn’t that mean that angles on the pad and angles on the screen would be very different? I would guess that would be hard to get used to.

You can adjust the mapping from the tablet to the screen, so you can make the used active tablet area have the same aspect ratio as the monitor(s). A little bit of inaccuracy is compensated for naturally by your brain.

The strange thing is that when mouses first came out, people tried to use them like pens. Now one’s first reaction to using a pen tablet is to try use it like a mouse!

Andrew

wrote:

<snip>

Joe> Whatever tablet size will fit whatever screen size, or even if you have Joe> 2×2" tablet it will fit 20" or 40" screen.
Doesn’t that mean that angles on the pad and angles on the screen would be very different? I would guess that would be hard to get used to.

It should, but I guess (since I don’t have neither) the difference is so little for you to feel it. Besides you can always remap the working area to your own need (I don’t think it’s necessary). IOW, when I was using large tablet, on some aps I had setup to use a small part like 1/4 or 1/8 of the whole working area.

So to me, I pay attention to the pointer/cursor not letting my brain reminding me about the different.

"Andrew Morton" wrote:

wrote:

Joe> Whatever tablet size will fit whatever screen size, or even if you have Joe> 2×2" tablet it will fit 20" or 40" screen.
Doesn’t that mean that angles on the pad and angles on the screen would be very different? I would guess that would be hard to get used to.

You can adjust the mapping from the tablet to the screen, so you can make the used active tablet area have the same aspect ratio as the monitor(s). A little bit of inaccuracy is compensated for naturally by your brain.
The strange thing is that when mouses first came out, people tried to use them like pens. Now one’s first reaction to using a pen tablet is to try use it like a mouse!

Andrew

I agree (see other message) with you about mapping and mouse. For some reason we often try to find an easier to make more excuse for our crazy brains.

My grand-daughter was the only one I have ever seen can pick up the pen and do with very little or without problem, or she was right at home within less than an hour or so. I guess because she has been seeing me using pen whole her life?

Me? I have a tablet for my desktop and one for my laptop, and when she left for college she asked me for the one I used on my laptop (I don’t use laptop often) so I gave it to her, then later I bought another one for the laptop.

On 12 Feb 2009 21:51:29 -0500, wrote:

Were the older ones the better ones? I know nothing of the history of these products.

Wacom quality still seems to be quite good, IMHO, and I like them because they have a history of revving the drivers for their older units for a long time – 5 years or more.

I used a Wacom 6×8 on the Mac, then (being a scribbler, not a drawer) a smaller 4×5 when I switched to Windows. In December I got a bamboo for $80 USD which is IMHO is very comparable in quality to the previous models, though the software does not have the large number of mapping options of the older ones.

Re the aspect ratio – I would not be concerned about it – the resolution is very high. What you may find is that you want the greater amount of elbow room that a larger tablet would give.
—
Mike Russell – http://www.curvemeister.com

Mike Russell writes:

Mike> On 12 Feb 2009 21:51:29 -0500, wrote:

Were the older ones the better ones? I know nothing of the history of these products.

Mike> Wacom quality still seems to be quite good, IMHO, and I like them because Mike> they have a history of revving the drivers for their older units for a long Mike> time – 5 years or more.

Mike> I used a Wacom 6×8 on the Mac, then (being a scribbler, not a drawer) a Mike> smaller 4×5 when I switched to Windows. In December I got a bamboo for $80 Mike> USD which is IMHO is very comparable in quality to the previous models, Mike> though the software does not have the large number of mapping options of Mike> the older ones.

Mike> Re the aspect ratio – I would not be concerned about it – the resolution is Mike> very high. What you may find is that you want the greater amount of elbow Mike> room that a larger tablet would give.

I just installed it a couple of hours ago. I do not notice the mismatch in aspect ratio (which is extreme). It seems to be a good size for me.

It certainly does take some getting used to. I have come a long way in these two hours, but I still have a long way to go.

One annoyance is that I got the 6D artpen, and the rotation sensing does not work in PS CS4. It works fine in Illustrator. I have posted to the adobe forums about it.

There are some other settings in the Shape Dynamics Angle drop down that I do not understand, Direction and Initial Direction. Does anyone know what those are supposed to sense? Tilt sensing works fine, but I do not know what I would want to use it for.

—
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in comp.graphics.apps.photoshop…)

wrote:

Mike Russell writes:

Mike> On 12 Feb 2009 21:51:29 -0500, wrote:

Were the older ones the better ones? I know nothing of the history of these products.

Mike> Wacom quality still seems to be quite good, IMHO, and I like them because Mike> they have a history of revving the drivers for their older units for a long Mike> time – 5 years or more.

Mike> I used a Wacom 6×8 on the Mac, then (being a scribbler, not a drawer) a Mike> smaller 4×5 when I switched to Windows. In December I got a bamboo for $80 Mike> USD which is IMHO is very comparable in quality to the previous models, Mike> though the software does not have the large number of mapping options of Mike> the older ones.

Mike> Re the aspect ratio – I would not be concerned about it – the resolution is Mike> very high. What you may find is that you want the greater amount of elbow Mike> room that a larger tablet would give.

I just installed it a couple of hours ago. I do not notice the mismatch in aspect ratio (which is extreme). It seems to be a good size for me.
It certainly does take some getting used to. I have come a long way in these two hours, but I still have a long way to go.

One annoyance is that I got the 6D artpen, and the rotation sensing does not work in PS CS4. It works fine in Illustrator. I have posted to the adobe forums about it.

There are some other settings in the Shape Dynamics Angle drop down that I do not understand, Direction and Initial Direction. Does anyone know what those are supposed to sense? Tilt sensing works fine, but I do not know what I would want to use it for.

Just DO NOT touch the mouse for few days then continue for 1-2 or 3 weeks then you should be fine. Or you should be able to go without mouse within 2-3 days, but weeks to complete confortable holding the pen in your hand while typing etc..

As some of us have mentioned, don’t think or try to compare between mouse vs pen, but just learn to control the POINTER/Cursor. Or better yet, just treat it as a regular pen and writing on a regular piece of paper.

Joe writes:

wrote:

Mike Russell writes:

Mike> On 12 Feb 2009 21:51:29 -0500, wrote:

Were the older ones the better ones? I know nothing of the history of these products.

Mike> Wacom quality still seems to be quite good, IMHO, and I like them because Mike> they have a history of revving the drivers for their older units for a long Mike> time – 5 years or more.

Mike> I used a Wacom 6×8 on the Mac, then (being a scribbler, not a drawer) a Mike> smaller 4×5 when I switched to Windows. In December I got a bamboo for $80 Mike> USD which is IMHO is very comparable in quality to the previous models, Mike> though the software does not have the large number of mapping options of Mike> the older ones.

Mike> Re the aspect ratio – I would not be concerned about it – the resolution is Mike> very high. What you may find is that you want the greater amount of elbow Mike> room that a larger tablet would give.

I just installed it a couple of hours ago. I do not notice the mismatch in aspect ratio (which is extreme). It seems to be a good size for me.
It certainly does take some getting used to. I have come a long way in these two hours, but I still have a long way to go.

One annoyance is that I got the 6D artpen, and the rotation sensing does not work in PS CS4. It works fine in Illustrator. I have posted to the adobe forums about it.

There are some other settings in the Shape Dynamics Angle drop down that I do not understand, Direction and Initial Direction. Does anyone know what those are supposed to sense? Tilt sensing works fine, but I do not know what I would want to use it for.

Joe> Just DO NOT touch the mouse for few days then continue for 1-2 or 3 weeks Joe> then you should be fine. Or you should be able to go without mouse within Joe> 2-3 days, but weeks to complete confortable holding the pen in your hand Joe> while typing etc..

Joe> As some of us have mentioned, don’t think or try to compare between mouse Joe> vs pen, but just learn to control the POINTER/Cursor. Or better yet, just Joe> treat it as a regular pen and writing on a regular piece of paper.

It does wobble a bit and double clicking is hard. But it is getting a lot steadier. I put the pen down to do long typing (emails, writing code…).

BTW, in PS CS4, the rotation is broken. This is according to Chris Cox who still posts in the Adobe Forums.

Hopefully it will be fixed with an update, rather than waiting for CS5 or CS6.

—
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in comp.graphics.apps.photoshop…)

wrote:

<snip>

Joe> As some of us have mentioned, don’t think or try to compare between mouse Joe> vs pen, but just learn to control the POINTER/Cursor. Or better yet, just Joe> treat it as a regular pen and writing on a regular piece of paper.
It does wobble a bit and double clicking is hard. But it is getting a lot steadier. I put the pen down to do long typing (emails, writing code…).
BTW, in PS CS4, the rotation is broken. This is according to Chris Cox who still posts in the Adobe Forums.

Hopefully it will be fixed with an update, rather than waiting for CS5 or CS6.

Wacon should give you all options to configure what ya wanna do with your pen. And Double_Click should be easier than mouse as you can just press down the nib twice (Tip Double Click Distance) as well as you can figure the BUTTON for Right_Click and Double_Click

wrote in message

I think I will finally get a tablet (mainly for photoshop, but I might use it in AE and Illustrator too).

I really do not know how to size it. Would 6×8 be big enough for non-pro use? That should fit nicely on my desk.

How about the 6D pen? Is that a worthy upgrade?

Thanks in advance,

—
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in comp.graphics.apps.photoshop…)

Re: Tablet recommendations

wrote in message
news:…

I think I will finally get a tablet (mainly for photoshop,

but I might use it in AE and Illustrator too).

I really do not know how to size it. Would 6×8 be big enough

for non-pro use? That should fit nicely on my desk.

How about the 6D pen? Is that a worthy upgrade?

Thanks in advance,

—

Andrew Hall

(Now reading Usenet in comp.graphics.apps.photoshop…)

Hi Andrew,

I have a Wacom 6×8 which I use professionally in my wide format printing business.

I use it mainly for selecting in Photoshop. I think it is a good size for this

purpose. I would recommend that you consider a wirless keyboard and mouse so that

you can put them to one side when you want to use the tablet. Can’t help you with

the stylus question as I have only used the one that came with it. To get a more

realistic feel when drawing, I place a sheet of paper on the tablet for friction.

Jason Radich.