Pressure Sensitive and Accurate!
Written: Mar 03 '01 (Updated Mar 14 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to install, great interface for graphics applications
Cons: Pen recognition glitch
The Bottom Line: Being pricey, I believe you should only buy the tablet size you really need. 6x8 works great for Photoshop. Buy it if you need control in graphics apps.
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| jivemunki's Full Review: Wacom Intuos Tablet Series |
Ever try to create a selection marquee around a complex image? Well, being left handed, my right mousing hand wasn't doing the trick. So I bought the Wacom Intuos 6x8 Tablet and have been very pleased.
I use it primarily in Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro. Two of the advantages I utilize the most are pen accuracy and pressure sensitive support. If you are buying this as an embellishment for your graphics editor, please read on.
Accuracy:
The driver (latest drivers are supported on their website) includes (to name a few) adjustments for "tilt" the preferred angle at which you hold the pen, the tablet "quick keys" (programmable areas at the top of the tablet), as well as "tip feel" the pressure that any individual would use the pen. These are customizable - there is also provision for setting preferences and behavior in specific programs themselves.
Since I do alot of photo editing it was important for me to have the accuracy of the pen and the lasso tool to aid in creating masks, feathered selections, and paintbrush control. You will get that with this pen. Although it has pen buttons that you can control with the rocking of your fingertips, I personally find them awkward and tend not to use them - other users may not have this problem.
Pressure sensitivity:
If you are a frequent mask user in Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro you will like the flexibility that pressure sensitivity will allow. Say you're creating a custom mask with a painting tool set to allow pressure sensitivity - you can set it to vary opacity, stroke, even color for mask creation. This finally allowed me to create masks that were semi-transparent as well as custom shaped - you can imagine the possibilities.
If you frequently render 3D models the pen is great for creating custom textures and maps. Using the editing tools such as "push" or "smudge" really have a real-time feel between tablet and monitor.
Have some fun:
The tablet also comes with a transparent overlay where you can slide a picture under, trace-away, apply some filters and viola - ART! Use a pencil type tool set to pressure and you will have some neat results.
The tablet (bought in Mar 99) came bundled with Painter Classic, replacement nibs, the pen and has a serial connection. Driver is easy to use and can be found in your Windows Control Panel.
The only CON I mentioned was that sometimes if i drop the pen on the tablet, the hardware thinks I've added a new pen and I have to go back in the control panel to delete it. It only happens once in a while, I can live with it.
Hope this helps in your tablet search.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 279
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Epinions.com ID:
jivemunki
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Location: Chicago, IL
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
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