Just been offered a Wacom A4 (28cm by 20cm) tablet for little money late model. Having never used one is this too big or should I snap her hand off ?


Cheers

Snap her hand off!!! What do you have to loose? For little money, if it doesn't please you then sell it.....For little bigger money. :D
DJ

Once you have used a graphic tablet you'll wonder how you ever managed without it!

I only have an A5 model and thats probably quite old as well. As long as it comes with all its leads, software etc. I don't see how you could go wrong.

Maybe they would allow you to try it out first to check that it is all working. The software if not included could probably be down loaded from the web.

If you go for it I would be interested in hearing how you got on with it being A4.

Clare

Chris,
When it comes to size, I've noticed that what ever a user gets used to seems to be the perfect size for them. So I wouldn't worry too much about the size. I think you could get used to the larger size just as easily and wonder how you worked on a smaller one.
DJ

Well....if you really do not want it I can send you my address!

I would grab it...you are lucky to have that fall into your lap!

Thanks all It seems that I should dive in whatever. I'm going to view it tomorrow. Its a fairly new model so does it draw power from the USB connection?

Keep calm Uncle Greg!

The beast has arrived at castle H. It's an A4 USB model with most of the bits and pieces mouse etc still sealed in their wrappers musn't have been used much, spare pen and nibs thrown in.

The only software apart from drivers etc is Coral 'Painter' which I've no experience of only ever having used Coral Photopaint which crashed with alarming frequency!

I'll have a look back through the threads as I recall some Wacom chat earlier this year.

Cheers...

I have been using my painter disc as a Frisbee...:D Actually, it's not a bad little program to play with. So when do we get to see some wonderful tablet work from you? ...I'm sitting here with my little Graphire...very jealous of you!

All I think you'll get for the moment are some wonderful curses as I do battle with it Greg! It's installed OK after a little struggle with 2K. I'm now crashing about in the software like 'a bull in a china shop!'

Chris, check the Wacom ads in magazines. I think they still have their free cd offer. I received mine a few months ago and found some interessting stuff on it. And did I mention it's free? Dont know if the ship over the pond but would be worth finding out.

Bob

Bob, Thanks for mentioning that Cd, I was in my local library today and one of the photo mags mentioned it. I'll have another look although I haven't seen it mentioned on the Wacom UK site.

I have little doubt that you'll be happier than a pig in . . . .oh well. You'll like it if you give it a chance. :)

After the Wacom arrived I went on the hunt for more info. Apart from the obvious Wacom sites this one crossed my bows. The site essentially revolves round Kolle's book but the download gives chapter and verse on tablet setup, might be of interest to other users.

http://www.iril.no/gts_samplechapter.htm

Great find Chris. Thanks. I downloaded the PDF and saved it in my tutorial file.
DJ

Nice thread folks!

Can anyone comment in more detail on smaller tablets like the A5 graphire?

My concern is this - the larger tablets have better sensitivity (double), will precision retouching be possible with the graphire or will it seem to stutter or something?...I am not concerned with painting or natural media simulation as such - just general Photoshop retouching and manipulation for a magazine prepress setting.

Are the smaller tablets restrictive to sweeping movements? Or when you are zoomed in on the image and retouching does it not matter and you have more than enough room to play?

I know I will miss not having hotkeys on the entry level tablet and I really wonder how attempting to draw bezier pen paths will go (there is always the mouse)...in the past very minor casual use of pens/tablets has seemed alien, even when moving around the desktop in the OS and not even in Photoshop, but I guess in hindsight a mouse was alien at first too and a pen seems to be more logical.

Am I worried over nothing?

Stephen Marsh.

Party who sold me the Wacom arrived today and handed me another packet of pen 'nibs' having checked the price of these replacements in the UK am wondering whether to rent safe deposit box for them!!

Stephen M, I can't help you on the Graphire queries but if nothing appears here I'd suggest a search or post on Wet Canvas as tablets are used a lot by members and there are specific forums that could provide an answer.


Cheers...

Stephen,
Never having owned anything BUT a graphire, I don't know that I can adequately answer your question. However, I have had no problem with retouching at all. I have not noticed any stuttering of any sort. I have a pretty heavy hand, but even a light touch seems very smooth to me.

I don't consider myself an artist and don't do much "sweeping" motion with my whole arm involved, just my wrist. The smaller size (4x5") does restrict "large" sweeping motions simply because of it's size. So, if you're used to doing that, it might take some getting used to. Personally, I've tried the larger sizes and actually prefer the smaller one. That's just the way I work, I guess. I've never felt restricted by the size.

As far as drawing bezier curves - if you can do it with a mouse, it seems to me it will be infinitely easier with any size tablet. That being said, it seems that some people have an easier time learning to use a tablet than others. For me, the first time I had the pen in my hand I was hooked and never looked back. Don't even use a mouse for getting around the desktop any more! (In fact, the only reason I keep a mouse around is so that my husband can find his way around my computer if he needs to - he's never figured out my tablet! ;) )

It sounds like you're used to (maybe even own?) a larger tablet though - why are you thinking of moving to a smaller one?

Jeanie

Chris, Jeanie - thanks for the reply.

My situation is that I have access to a first gen. Graphire with mouse - but it is missing the pen. I bought a replacement pen today - $77AU (no spare nibs)...altough that's something I did not consider before. I was not sure if it was going to be worth bothering with so thus my post. It has been a while since I have used a tablet, but I have used the large models some years ago - although I was never that comfortable with them due to limited use.

Before moving to desktop systems, the proprietary graphics workstation I used to use had both a digitizer tablet/puck for tracing or plotting points as input, or mouse type movement. The main control was via a trackball - this was a large (baseball size) heavy duty slick industrial plastic ball which you could slap around for very fluid quick moves or roll with very fine precision...I have not found a desktop trackball that even comes close in todays desktop settings.

For the last decade I have been using a mouse with very infrequent tablet use - so I have some learning to undo...

After a couple of hours use I am feeling more comfortable with the tablet - but I really have to be very careful not to accidentally press the pen (or even brush the tablet surface by mistake) while using the rubber stamp and there are other learning curve issues but it is not feeling too bad and the size of the tablet seems OK.

My major concern so far is the pressure sensitivity when clone stamping - I have to press too hard to get a good cover of a dust spot - which is a simple matter for a mouse...I will have to spend a lot of time exploring the driver software.

Stephen Marsh.

What surprised me with the Intuos was the fact that you can drive the whole program your using via the pen controls, I assumed it was purely for manipulation of the visible area of the jpeg, tiff whatever. I put a link to a setup tutorial further back on this thread but I fear it isnt orientated to Graphire configuration.


Cheers...

Stephen

Have you gone into the setup on the control panel for the wacom tablet? - you can set up the sensitivity of the pen in there.

Clare

jeaniesa
"I don't consider myself as an artist"

Having looked at your gallery I have to say I disagree - The images you create are certainly art - which makes you an artist! - and one with a lot of tallent.

Thanks, Clare. :blush:

Stephen, You definitely want to go into the Wacom setup dialog (you can find it in the Control Panel) and set the pressure setting to your liking. There is actually quite a bit of control over that, so you should be able to find a setting that's comfortable for you.

Jeanie

Thanks to those who replied - I have been playing with the Wacom CP, there is a now a shortcut on the taskbar on my PC and on the Mac it is always easy to get to the CP for tweaking.

I have to sheepishly admit that I was so busy with the Wacom controls that I forgot to check the Photoshop ones. Doh! <g>

I like the look of the upper models pen - it seems to be easier to grasp than the skinny Graphire one (and I do not have sausage fingers by any stretch of the imagination <g>).

When I was a kid you could purchase little soft plastic slip on corrective devices (triangular) to force children to hold pens correctly when writing...I might have to go looking for one of those to slip onto the pen for a better grip, although this may make using the duobutton harder (I dont have an opinion on this as of yet, I am still too clumsy and it's use makes the nib move). As for the eraser, I think it is easier just to switch to the proper Photoshop earaser tool rather than flipping the pen over...

It has been too long since I have used a tablet - but I am enjoying my return to the tablet.

Thanks for all the personal attention and the great thread.

Stephen Marsh.

I have quickly kocked together some half inch high subtly tapered wedges (bit like a door stop) out of some electrical goods packaging foam and attached these two soft 'feet' with double sided tape to the bottom of the Graphire pad so that the tablet surface has a slight slope to it, perhaps around 5 degrees...I find this much more comfortable on the writst than having the tablet perfectly flat on the desk (Intuitos envy)!

Having lot's of fun with my new 'customized' toy. What's next - racing stripes or hot rod flames? <g>

Stephen Marsh.

Sounds like you're well on your way to never putting the pen down again. ;) Have you considered trying to create a pen grip out of the packaging foam? Hmmm - perhaps I'm thinking of a different kind of foam than you used for the tablet "feet", so perhaps that wouldn't work. I'm thinking of a dense type of foam that is used over here for sleeping pads while camping. (And I'm sure a ton of other uses, but that's what I'm most familiar with.)

Jeanie

Here's a makeshift solution. Cut a slot on those foam gips for pencils.

Angue - I really LIKE your attachment!!!

Being a professional keyboard/mouse user (now pen/tablet) - I have not kept up with all the accessories you can kit your pencils out with...thanks for the info, now I know what to look for.

Cheers.

Stephen Marsh.

I know that on some of the Wacom pens you have the option of removing the side switch and replacing the aperture left with a sleeve.