Getting started with the wacom graphics tablet. How to use a graphics tablet? Features of work

29.06.2019 Windows 8

We looked at how to use a tablet to significantly increase the efficiency of retouching.

Today we will talk about the first steps after purchasing a tablet, about what you need to do for comfortable work.

I will illustrate the material using the example of setting up my old Wacom Bamboo tablet.

So, let's move on to the first step.

Step 1. Install the tablet driver

Do not rush to immediately connect the tablet to your computer after purchase! First you need to install the driver so that the tablet works correctly and all its settings become available.

The driver for any tablet can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website in the Support section.

Download the driver specifically for your tablet model.

Step 2: Set Orientation and Keys

Find the installed driver in the list of recent programs and run it.

A settings window will open. Its appearance may differ depending on the tablet manufacturer and driver version.

First you need to adjust the orientation of the tablet, depending on whether you are right-handed or left-handed. By default, the tablet is configured for right-handed users.

Next you need to configure, if necessary, function keys Express Keys. These keys are programmable. That is, each one can be assigned a specific action from the drop-down list.

This is very convenient and helps speed up your work.

Step 3: Set up your tablet pen

The most important thing here is to check that the tablet is working in pen mode and not mouse mode. Otherwise, you will not be able to use the main advantage - sensitivity to pen pressure on the working surface.

Go to the tab Feather and check the tablet's operating mode.

You also need to adjust the pen sensitivity. For example, to work with wider brush strokes in Photoshop, you'll need to move the Pen sensitivity in closer to the position Soft. Conversely, to work with fine strokes and lines, move the control closer to the position Hard.

Click on the button Display to the right of settings Pen mode. Here you need to enable proportional scaling and uncheck the option Use Windows handwriting input.

Step 4: Disable touch input

Go to the tab Touch options and uncheck the option Enable touch input.

This must be done, otherwise during the retouching process in Photoshop, the tablet will react not only to the pen, but also to hand movements on the surface of the tablet, and in an unpredictable way. By disabling touch input, you will get rid of this problem.

Now you can get to work. Launch Photoshop, open the photo for retouching, take the tablet pen and try using it instead of the mouse during the retouching process. If you don’t have your own sources for retouching, you can try your hand at this photo.

You can attach the retouching results in the comments, after first reducing the size to 2000 pixels. on the long side, or post it on the forum.

As an example, I suggest looking at the result of retouching a photo with creative makeup. Here, the models applied special makeup that gave their skin a golden hue and emphasized the highlights on their skin.

I wish everyone creative inspiration and pleasant work with a graphics tablet!

The modern technology market is rich in a variety of devices that differ in functionality, purpose, and price. One of them is a graphics tablet. The device allows you to enter a design with your hands and a pen onto a special surface with further display on the computer. The main thing is to know how to use a graphics tablet. Instructions are presented in this article.

How does the device work?

The tablet is presented in the form of a workspace that transfers the result of touching it to the computer. Using a stylus, you can perform actions similar to those of a regular computer mouse, but there are many more possibilities when you consider drawing and writing.

You won’t be able to accurately work out the thickness of the drawing lines with a mouse. It turns out that the pen will be used as a full-fledged control tool. A person draws as on ordinary paper. But the result is immediately visible on the monitor. There is another useful benefit. For example, to accurately draw a certain area, a sheet of paper cannot be scaled, but this can be easily done with the image on the monitor.

The difficulty may not be simply getting used to the fact that pen movements are performed on a tablet, and the result is visible on the computer. To do this, you need to constantly raise your head to look at the screen. High-quality electronic pens or pens respond well to pen pressure. Some devices are combined with a display; the result of the work is immediately displayed on them. Each technique comes with instructions on how to use a graphics tablet.

Preparation

How to use a graphics tablet? This procedure is simple:

You need to connect the device to the PC.
Then you need to make sure that the OS has detected the tablet.
Then you need to install the drivers that are included with the device. If the equipment is used, then it is unlikely to have documentation, that is, drivers must be downloaded from the Internet.
It is necessary to adjust the operation and sensitivity of the pen.

Drawing

After completing the above settings, you can start drawing. Many people think it is difficult. But, in fact, it is as easy as with a piece of paper and a pencil. The difference is that you have to work with an electronic device.

The user may need special programs. Then you need to install them yourself. For example, the Photoshop application is considered a drawing program.

Choice

When purchasing a tablet, you need to consider the following nuances:

Size. It is measured in the same format as sheets - A4, A5. The comfort of drawing depends on the size of the sensitive area. But, as the size of the device increases, the cost increases. If a professional needs A4 format, then an ordinary user can purchase a compact model.
Proportions. It is best that the aspect ratio of the equipment matches that of the monitor. Now there are drivers that automatically adjust the dimensions to the width of the computer screen. But, if it is wide and the tablet is not, then one of the parts of the graphics device may be inactive. And when the image is stretched, it becomes distorted.
Permission. The dots per inch (DPI) determines how precisely the pen's touch will be perceived. Therefore, the higher this parameter, the better. For home use, 2 thousand dots per inch will be enough. For professional use, higher values are required - 5080 dpi.
Sensitivity to pressure. This parameter indicates how much pressure the device recognizes based on the pressing force. For normal use, 512 pressures are required, and for professionals - 1024.
Tilt angle sensitivity. This feature may only be required by some users.
Method of connecting to a computer. The tablet connects using USB, Bluetooth or wireless interfaces.

Who needs it?

How to use a graphics tablet may be of interest to people of different professions:

Artists and designers. The work of these people is related to drawing. Web designers also carry out creative activities on the computer. Graphic drawing with a pen on a digitized sheet makes the procedure easier, more enjoyable and precise. The process will be much more natural. If you are interested in how to use a graphics tablet for drawing, then the above procedure will help.
For photographers. They need such a device. The device is used for photo processing - the pen allows you to remove various errors and correct the frame for each pixel.
Businessmen and office workers. They also need to know how to use a graphics tablet. Although they will not need photo retouching, it is still advisable to master the basic nuances of the work. A tablet of this type is required to create an electronic signature, which can be done with a stylus. Although it is not profitable to buy a device for one purpose, it can also work with other tasks. For example, a tablet makes it convenient to edit documents, make edits, create presentations and other work.
Children and youth. The child will be interested in mastering drawing with the help of new technologies. It is enough to familiarize him with the principles of operation.
Individuals who want to develop and spend a lot of time at the computer. They would do well to know how to use a Bamboo graphics tablet or another brand of device. Even if a person is not a designer, technology will help if you constantly have to work with a computer. The device will allow you to take a break from the mouse and keyboard. In addition, it can be used by those who simply love to draw.

Conclusion

People of all professions who have to deal with such devices need to know how to use a Wacom Intuos graphics tablet and other brands of equipment. And non-specialists can have a good time with them.

Find out more about the ExpressKeys, Touch Ring, Radial Menu, and included wireless settings.

To explore and customize your Intuos pro tablet's controls, open the Wacom driver window: on Apple Mac computers, open System Preferences; on Windows computers, open Control Panel - and in both cases, launch the module Wacom tablet. Selecting from the list Device connected tablet, click the icon Functions on the list Tool- and you can start.

Setting up ExpressKeys ☆

Let's start by asking why ExpressKeys are needed at all? Often, when working with a graphics tablet, the traditional keyboard is put aside: there is simply not enough space on the table for it - especially when working with an Intuos pro size M or L. However, all graphics editors are controlled to one degree or another through keyboard shortcuts and modifier keys. To provide easy access to frequently used keyboard shortcuts, Wacom tablets are equipped with auxiliary buttons.

When enabled Show Express View All you have to do is touch any ExpressKey button and you will see an on-screen hint of what commands each button performs. The buttons you are currently touching will be highlighted in orange.

Setting up Touch Ring ☆

The Touch Ring is extremely convenient for performing a sequence of similar commands. For example, to enlarge an image, you most often need to press Ctrl-+ or ⌘+ several times. But it is more convenient to execute this command using the touch ring.

To put it simply, the Touch Ring is divided into several segments that respond to touch. As we move our finger around the ring, we close first one contact, then another - and the resulting series of electrical impulses is transmitted by the Intuos pro driver to the active program as a sequence of presses of the same key combination, which is set in the tablet settings.

It is noteworthy that the Touch Ring distinguishes the direction of finger movement. Therefore, two commands can be assigned to the same touch ring state at once. For example, when moving your finger clockwise, emulate the Ctrl-+ keys, and when moving counterclockwise, emulate Ctrl--. In fact, the result is a very natural process: turn the ring to the right - the picture increases, turn it to the left - the picture decreases.

When enabled Show touch ring options You will see an on-screen prompt every time you press the center Touch Ring button. The current state of the ring will be highlighted in orange, in exact accordance with the LED indexing on the tablet itself.

Setting up the radial menu ☆

So we got to this, at first glance, incomprehensible instrument. But imagine the situation. You've already assigned the basic commands to the ExpressKeys and Touch Ring. However, there is also a whole pack of software functions that you use much less often - but for them it is very inconvenient to reach for the keyboard. It is for such cases that the radial menu comes in handy.

The radial menu itself looks like a circle divided into eight segments, with a cross button in the middle. To call this circle, you need to assign the corresponding command to the side rocker key on the pen or to any ExpressKeys button on the tablet. And then everything is simple: just click on the required menu segment and get the result.

Assigning commands to Radial Menu items is the same as when customizing pen buttons and ExpressKeys. Through the radial menu, you can execute preset commands, keyboard shortcuts (including calling multimedia commands, which is still not available for ExpressKeys and the TouchRing) and launch applications.

The most interesting item in the command drop-down list is Submenu. If you assign this item to a specific radial menu segment, it will become an entry to that same radial menu. In essence, this will be a group of commands, like in regular application menus, only the shape of this group will be round.

To go to setting up the created submenu (it is marked with a triangle marker), in the list on the left, click on the item of the same name, which is located under the “root” element Top. Now you can create a nested menu using the same principle.

At a minimum, a radial menu can contain only eight different commands. If you use nested menus to the maximum (three levels of nesting are allowed), you will have as many as 512 commands at your disposal! Of course, to organize such a huge amount into a convenient system, you will have to try - but in the end this will turn the tablet not only into a tool for drawing and retouching, but also into a universal computer control center.

Setting up the wireless module ☆

Working with a wireless tablet is a joy. But, as with any stand-alone device, battery life becomes an important factor. Therefore, in the tab Without cable The time scale will come in very handy, after which Intuos pro will turn itself off.

Consider in what mode you are working with the tablet. If you frequently take long breaks, move the scale slider toward the left end to make the tablet turn off faster. If you draw for a long time, only occasionally being distracted by other things, you should increase the idle time so that you don’t have to constantly wake up the tablet.

At the same time, do not forget about the button to manually turn off the tablet, which, after installing the wireless kit, is located at the end of the device next to the USB connector. If you know that you are leaving now, and the tablet will still be waiting for you for some time, it is better to turn it off yourself and save battery power for the future, for useful work. :)

Completion follows...

In addition to setting up the pen and functions of the Intuos pro tablets, it remains to learn about setting up multi-finger gestures (the notorious multi-touch).

For technical questions, contact the official Wacom service center at [email protected]- We will be happy to clarify for you all the points that remain unclear to you.

Enjoy using your Intuos pro tablets! Join us in the Wacom Creative Communities at

Wacom, founded back in 1983 in Japan, occupies a leading position in the graphics tablet market. All thanks to patented technology for transmitting energy using electromagnetic induction.

The company's goal is to realize harmonious interaction between a person and a personal computer. Therefore, a graphics tablet from Wacom has become one of the important tools for every artist.

Wacom company logo

Description of Wacom tablets

After many years in the graphics tablet industry, Wacom has achieved excellence. They produce easy to use tablets that suit every user depending on their requirements.

All company products are divided into three groups:

designer tablets
office and home tablets
business tablets

Designer tablets are the most popular group in the graphics technology market. Therefore, Wacom has released a special professional line - the IntuosPro graphics tablet for drawing and the Cintiq interactive pen display screen.

IntuosPro graphics tablets

The Wacom Grip Pen, included with the tablet, has a sensitive tip - 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, recognizes a minimum pressure of 1 gram. The built-in sensor of the position of the pen in space allows you to determine the angle of inclination up to 60 degrees.

The tablet itself has a convenient Touch Ring button and a set of custom keys that can be assigned, for example:

brush selection
color selection
switch between instruments

Standard Wacom pen for IntuosPro

For user convenience, the tablet software includes a special display function - Heads-Up-Display, which allows you to quickly reconfigure the tablet without interrupting your work. The tablet has a built-in Wi-Fi interface that allows you to use the tablet at a distance of 10 meters from the workplace.

The Cintiq combines the technology of the IntuosPro tablet, but lets you do your work right on the tablet's interactive display. Depending on the size, the graphics tablet weighs from 1.2 kg to 29 kg. The smallest tablet in this family is 13 inches, but even it does not have a battery; the tablets are powered via the network.

Cintiq range

Depending on the modifications, different operating systems may be installed on these devices, for example:

Microsoft Windows XP, 7, 8
Mac OS X 10.4, 10.5, 10.6

The monitor is based on H-IPS Active Matrix, from 13.3 to 24.1 inches. Regardless of the size of the device, the screen has a FullHD 1920×1080 WUXGA resolution and supports 24-bit color (16.7 million colors).

Wacom also has a universal stylus, the Bamboo Stylus. The Bamboo stylus fits most tablets and mobile devices with a capacitive touch display, and also functions as a regular ink pen. And importantly, the genius graphics tablet also supports this stylus, although Genius is a direct competitor to Wacom in the market for devices of this type.

Bamboo Stylus Duo with ink

Sign&save tablet from Wacom is a device that makes it possible to receive signatures directly into an electronic document. This unique product made it possible to push the competitive genius tablet into the background and strengthen the position of Wacom.

Sign&save tablet from Wacom

Wacom STU-500 is the most popular sign&save tablet model. The monochrome TFT display has 5 inches and a resolution of 640x480 pixels. The screen simulates a paper surface and displays the result in real time. Electromagnetic resonance technology allows you to determine the force of pressing in 512 levels. Powered by USB port.

Using graphics tablets (for beginners)

Drawing or other operations that can be done using a tablet are based on the correct use of the pen (stylus). So, before using a graphics tablet: take a pen, like a regular pencil, brush or pen. Function keys should be located comfortably under your fingers.

Before you start using a graphics tablet, you need to do some exercises for eye-hand coordination:

Launch any graphic editor. Select the most standard Line tool and draw a grid with square cells - cell size 20-25 mm. Initially, we use the mouse to draw.
Select the “Pencil” tool in the graphics editor and use a pen on a graphics tablet to draw a bold dot at each intersection of the grid lines.
We repeat step 2, but only draw a cross (X) at each intersection.
When we can complete the previous two steps, clear the screen and start drawing something.

It is important to know! On almost all graphics tablets, as well as on all tablets from Wacom, the pen stops working at a distance of more than 10 mm. To move the cursor without drawing, the end of the stylus should not touch the surface of the tablet, but also not exceed the maximum possible distance.

Setting up Wacom tablets

Before setting up a graphics tablet, you need to check the drivers for the device. So, bring the tablet pen to the upper right corner of the tablet and press there with the pen - the cursor on the PC screen should move there. Then move the pen to the lower left corner of the tablet and press there. If the cursor moves, the drivers are installed, otherwise reinstall or reinstall them from the disk or from the manufacturer’s official website according to the tablet model.

If the drivers are installed correctly, proceed to disabling TabletPC services. To do this, go to the “Start” menu and write “services.msc” in the search bar.

Opening system services

In the services that open, look for the “Tablet PC Input Service” service.

Selecting a service

Double-click on it with the mouse and first stop the service - click “Stop”, and then disable it - select the startup type “Disable”. Reboot the PC.

Stopping and disabling a service

All basic preparations have been completed, but before using the graphics tablet, you need to customize it for yourself.

So, to get to the settings of the Wacom graphics tablet, you need to:

go to the Start menu
open the "All Programs" menu
select the “Wacom Tablet” folder
start setting up tablet properties (Wacom Tablet Properties)

It is important to know! The settings program will not start without a graphics tablet connected to the PC.

The graphics tablet automatically adds settings to the settings for any pen you use - just bring it to the tablet. Each pen has its own personal settings.

Graphics tablet settings panel

In the settings window there is an “Application” item. It is used to determine tablet settings for each individual program. To add a program to the list, press the (+) key.

It is important to know! You need to add a program to the settings only after it has been launched.

Android graphics tablet

It is possible to connect a graphics tablet on Android (at least version 3) as a graphics tablet. But since the Android tablet is specific to the Windows operating system, its use is only possible on Linux OS.

To do this you need:

GIMP graphics editor
XorgTablet app for tablet
Drivers for tablet (only on Linux)

The graphic editor is installed as standard in the Ubuntu build on Linux. The XorgTablet application can be downloaded from http://sourceforge.net/projects/xorgtablet/files/XorgTablet/.

To use a tablet on Android, you just need to install the application on it (2), install drivers on your PC (3) and work as on a regular graphics tablet.

But there is one peculiarity: not all tablets are able to determine the level of pressure on the screen. To be completely similar to a graphics tablet, you must choose a tablet with an active digitizer and a digital pen. For example, a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet with a Wacom digitizer.

Sometimes users of tablets running Android OS have a problem: how to unlock the pattern key of the tablet if they have forgotten it.

So there are a couple of ways:

After five attempts to enter the key unsuccessfully, the tablet is blocked and prompts you to enter your Google account information. Those. You must enter your email and password, but only if the tablet itself is connected to the Internet.
If the first method does not work, then you need to do a hard reset of the tablet. As a result, all data from the tablet will be deleted, and the settings will return to the standard state. To perform a full reset, you need to hold down the power button and the volume down button on the tablet. Hold until vibration appears. After which small text will appear on the screen, and behind it two icons will appear. Using the volume keys, select “Wipe Data” and press the volume up key twice.

It is important to know! When cleaning the tablet, do not turn it on yourself; after the cleaning process is completed, the tablet will turn on itself.

Graphics tablets from Wacom