Editing with a wacom tablet?

[matt9013]

I want to start getting into editing and been thinking of getting PS/LR. I've been looking at the Intous tablets from Wacom and was wondering if these work with PS/LR and if anyone here use's them to edit photos.

Any difference between the different tablets? I want to mostly do photography stuff so I would get the Intous photo but would also like to try simple drawing/manga stuff on the side.

Thanks

 

[needfx]

they definitely work great with PS
LR not really other than being a mouse pointer. could be wrong tho
I have the intuos M, but it os about 3 years old now, and doesn't see that much action
I am used to working with a soap bar but the pen is always better really

 

[thats all folks]

I'd highly recommend you spring or the Intuos Pro. the accuracy, responsiveness (of the pen and tablet) and pen feel are all much better. I actually use a tablet as a mouse replacement (not for illustrating or painting) but I've always had the equivalent of the Pro and any time I've encountered one of their more consumer priced products, it feels like I'm wearing mittens in comparison.

like a said, i mostly use it as a mouse replacement. interactions go much faster and more accurately. I've worked for many years in the video post production and design industry and everyone that didn't already use a Wacom becomes a Wacom user. One person didn't like it, but she had other issues as well.

 

[campyguy]

I've using Wacom tablets since the ADB days, I have a Intuos Pro Medium on my desk - I use it for PS, Illy, AutoCAD, statistical modeling. The tablet is on my right, and a trackpad and mouse on my left - I've been drafting, editing, and modeling with two input devices for almost 20 years now and don't even think about it any more. The Wacom tablets breath new life into image editing and drawing IMHO...

A tip, wait a bit - their new tablets will be on the street in the next 6 weeks, and they look really slick...

 

[Cheese&Apple]

I bought the Intuos Pro (medium) didn't like it and returned it. Few points to note:

• I used it for only one day so I definitely didn't give it a chance
• I've been using a mouse for about 25 yrs so I know it would take time to adjust
• The medium size felt too big – hand movement to navigate the full screen seemed too much and too far to be moving my hand around. You can shrink the active area down to a smaller size which felt better but then I thought why not get the small size (which I may do) as it takes up less room on my desk
• I didn't like the feel and sound of the pen on the plastic tablet surface (I think it's plastic) – reminded me of finger nails dragging across a chalk board. You can get their glass surface tablet (the Cintiq line) that also display the image but they're very expensive.

As previously mentioned, it will work with Lr but the real advantage is in Ps where you use brushes to a greater extent.
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I've using Wacom tablets since the ADB days, I have a Intuos Pro Medium on my desk - I use it for PS, Illy, AutoCAD, statistical modeling. The tablet is on my right, and a trackpad and mouse on my left - I've been drafting, editing, and modeling with two input devices for almost 20 years now and don't even think about it any more. The Wacom tablets breath new life into image editing and drawing IMHO...

A tip, wait a bit - their new tablets will be on the street in the next 6 weeks, and they look really slick...

Do you have a link to any information about their new tablets...I couldn't find anything.

Thanks,
Peter

 

[campyguy]

Do you have a link to any information about their new tablets...I couldn't find anything.

No links to be had so far. I own a small engineering company, we do a lot of drafting/drawing and have vendors that drop in with demos from time to time with products that aren't on the market. Check out the upcoming Cintiq and Companion (now the MobileStudio Pro) form factors and you'll get a good look at the new Intuos line, and there's a new stylus to go along with it (about 4 times more accurate). Regarding Wacom, being in the Portland area affords sneak peeks once in a while - I was a bit surprised they didn't demo it at the recent Adobe Max conference, but they did demo the new stylus and MobileStudio/Cintiq hardware. The original ADB tablet (I bought one of the Special Edition tablets, which came with the Sensiva software) and new Cintiq tablets are my favorite tablets from that company, although the Japanese-made tablets were built like tanks and rock solid when compared to the stuff they put out now...

I read over on Fast Company of MS's Panos Panay's comments on their new Surface Studio that "I don’t want to say [the Cintiq] is gone because I’m a big fan of Wacom but, fundamentally what this product is doing is replacing that.", and the next week Wacom comes out with products that make IMHO MS's nTrig tech look like child's play. The Surface Dial is pretty cool tho'!

There's the presence of the new tablets and the new stylus to offer that there's a new Intuos in the pipeline. My next buy, however, given that I will need a new Win PC with a Quadro dGPU could likely be the MobileStudio Pro 16, which I'll be able to use as a digitizer with my rMBP. Cheers, and Happy Holidays!

 

[Laird Knox]

I picked up an earlier version of one of the Monoprice tablets. It works well but I did set the active region to about a 1/3 of the drawing area. I used it for some extensive portrait retouching for a class but haven't gotten it set back up since I recently moved. It was really handy for frequency separation retouching. Much easier to make natural brush strokes but it does take some time to get used to.

I think I paid around $35 for mine. even at $42 they are still a bargain. I haven't used Wacom but understand they compare favorably in performance.

 

[matt9013]

No links to be had so far. I own a small engineering company, we do a lot of drafting/drawing and have vendors that drop in with demos from time to time with products that aren't on the market. Check out the upcoming Cintiq and Companion (now the MobileStudio Pro) form factors and you'll get a good look at the new Intuos line, and there's a new stylus to go along with it (about 4 times more accurate). Regarding Wacom, being in the Portland area affords sneak peeks once in a while - I was a bit surprised they didn't demo it at the recent Adobe Max conference, but they did demo the new stylus and MobileStudio/Cintiq hardware. The original ADB tablet (I bought one of the Special Edition tablets, which came with the Sensiva software) and new Cintiq tablets are my favorite tablets from that company, although the Japanese-made tablets were built like tanks and rock solid when compared to the stuff they put out now...

I read over on Fast Company of MS's Panos Panay's comments on their new Surface Studio that "I don’t want to say [the Cintiq] is gone because I’m a big fan of Wacom but, fundamentally what this product is doing is replacing that.", and the next week Wacom comes out with products that make IMHO MS's nTrig tech look like child's play. The Surface Dial is pretty cool tho'!

There's the presence of the new tablets and the new stylus to offer that there's a new Intuos in the pipeline. My next buy, however, given that I will need a new Win PC with a Quadro dGPU could likely be the MobileStudio Pro 16, which I'll be able to use as a digitizer with my rMBP. Cheers, and Happy Holidays!

Are the new tablets cheap/for beginners or are they the expensive ones for the pros? Only looking to spend $150 at max.

Also am I table to trace with a Wacom tablet? Like find a picture I like online, trace it and than delete the original so just my work is shown with any tablet?

 

[Cheese&Apple]

No links to be had so far. I own a small engineering company, we do a lot of drafting/drawing and have vendors that drop in with demos from time to time with products that aren't on the market. Check out the upcoming Cintiq and Companion (now the MobileStudio Pro) form factors and you'll get a good look at the new Intuos line, and there's a new stylus to go along with it (about 4 times more accurate). Regarding Wacom, being in the Portland area affords sneak peeks once in a while - I was a bit surprised they didn't demo it at the recent Adobe Max conference, but they did demo the new stylus and MobileStudio/Cintiq hardware. The original ADB tablet (I bought one of the Special Edition tablets, which came with the Sensiva software) and new Cintiq tablets are my favorite tablets from that company, although the Japanese-made tablets were built like tanks and rock solid when compared to the stuff they put out now...

I read over on Fast Company of MS's Panos Panay's comments on their new Surface Studio that "I don’t want to say [the Cintiq] is gone because I’m a big fan of Wacom but, fundamentally what this product is doing is replacing that.", and the next week Wacom comes out with products that make IMHO MS's nTrig tech look like child's play. The Surface Dial is pretty cool tho'!

There's the presence of the new tablets and the new stylus to offer that there's a new Intuos in the pipeline. My next buy, however, given that I will need a new Win PC with a Quadro dGPU could likely be the MobileStudio Pro 16, which I'll be able to use as a digitizer with my rMBP. Cheers, and Happy Holidays!

Thank you for the detailed response and great information campyguy...much appreciated. I'll keep my eye on this as I do think a tablet is the way to go. I just need to find the right fit for me.

~ Peter

Also am I table to trace with a Wacom tablet? Like find a picture I like online, trace it and than delete the original so just my work is shown with any tablet?

I suspect that this may be a bit of of touchy subject and question matt9013 given that many people who post their work on-line do have a sense of proprietary ownership of their work.

 

[matt9013]

Thank you for the detailed response and great information campyguy...much appreciated. I'll keep my eye on this as I do think a tablet is the way to go. I just need to find the right fit for me.

~ Peter



I suspect that this may be a bit of of touchy subject and question matt9013 given that many people who post their work on-line do have a sense of proprietary ownership of their work.

Yeah, when I say tracing I mostly meant drawings like anime, comics etc? Trace the outline of Iron Man and make my own armor etc for fun. Would never sell them or anything like that and I don't plan on tracing actual photographs. More of a learn to draw manga by tracing some pictures.

 

[campyguy]

Are the new tablets cheap/for beginners or are they the expensive ones for the pros? Only looking to spend $150 at max.

Also am I table to trace with a Wacom tablet? Like find a picture I like online, trace it and than delete the original so just my work is shown with any tablet?

Sadly, the new tablets at the "pro" level are never inexpensive. Wacom holds most of the patents regarding this type of tech, with some now publicly available but most are not. However, if the type of drawing you've expressed interest in is your main focus the "Intuos" (formerly Bamboo) tablets will likely suit you - they're not as precise, but that's not necessarily what you're looking for IMHO, and the non-Pro tablets are perfect for that.

A better solution for tracing is buy a used Intuos 4 tablet (or maybe a lightly-used 3) in the size you prefer - I'm fine with a Medium tablet. The 3 and 4 both had a "peelable" overlay, which could was fixed at the top and acts as an onionskin, under which a hand drawing or graphic could be placed under, for tracing. I would suggest the Intuos 4 for a couple of reasons - they're likely within your budget and Wacom still sells the replacement overlay Surface Sheet. Wacom also still supports that tablet nicely with drivers, and it's not a huge drop down in performance from the current tablets. FWIW, I always use Medium tablets and they always run in the mid-$400s, but I can write them off; I don't like the Small or Large tablets - like Goldilocks, the Medium tablet is "just right" for me and my uses.

As an alternative to tracing, with the current tablets that don't have a clear overlay I scan them and import the image into Illy or PS and trace directly over them in a new layer, but again, I'm used to using multiple input devices and have a bit of practice at this under my belt. Cheers!

 

[matt9013]

Sadly, the new tablets at the "pro" level are never inexpensive. Wacom holds most of the patents regarding this type of tech, with some now publicly available but most are not. However, if the type of drawing you've expressed interest in is your main focus the "Intuos" (formerly Bamboo) tablets will likely suit you - they're not as precise, but that's not necessarily what you're looking for IMHO, and the non-Pro tablets are perfect for that.

A better solution for tracing is buy a used Intuos 4 tablet (or maybe a lightly-used 3) in the size you prefer - I'm fine with a Medium tablet. The 3 and 4 both had a "peelable" overlay, which could was fixed at the top and acts as an onionskin, under which a hand drawing or graphic could be placed under, for tracing. I would suggest the Intuos 4 for a couple of reasons - they're likely within your budget and Wacom still sells the replacement overlay Surface Sheet. Wacom also still supports that tablet nicely with drivers, and it's not a huge drop down in performance from the current tablets. FWIW, I always use Medium tablets and they always run in the mid-$400s, but I can write them off; I don't like the Small or Large tablets - like Goldilocks, the Medium tablet is "just right" for me and my uses.

As an alternative to tracing, with the current tablets that don't have a clear overlay I scan them and import the image into Illy or PS and trace directly over them in a new layer, but again, I'm used to using multiple input devices and have a bit of practice at this under my belt. Cheers!

Yeah, I figured I would be using layers when tracing. So my guess is import photo as layer 1, layer 2 is my tracing and than I delete layer 1 and just see my work? Is that correct?

I'll mostly be using a Wacom for photo editing but I'm just getting into it so I'm no expert but I would also use it to draw for fun, maybe even get anime studio or something.

Also I have an iMac so no disk drive. The free software I get with a wacom can I just download off the site and enter the registration code I get to "purchase" the software?

 

[CrickettGrrrl]

Yeah, when I say tracing I mostly meant drawings like anime, comics etc? Trace the outline of Iron Man and make my own armor etc for fun. Would never sell them or anything like that and I don't plan on tracing actual photographs. More of a learn to draw manga by tracing some pictures.

Re tracing images & then drawing your own adaptations: you import in your graphics program and then use layers above your scan/import file.

If you're really into manga, you might like to check out Clip Studio Paint which has a great drawing & brush engine and is geared to that sort of thing. Actually, I prefer CSP to Photoshop for raster illustration (non-manga).

FWIW, Ray Frenden reviews all sort of tablet gear and several years ago I bought a mid-size Huion 610 for less than $70 based on Frenden's recommendations. It works great, has pretty decent pressure sensitivity, and I like the size much better than the small 4x6 Wacom tablet I had before because the 610 maps perfectly to my iMac screen.

After using a tablet, I can't imagine using a mouse to retouch photos anymore. And all it takes is a couple hours of drawing effort on your part, for a couple days straight, and you'll get used to it very quickly. The surface being slicker than paper doesn't bother me now. Initially I taped a sheet of smooth vellum over the tablet but it wore down the stylus nibs quickly & frankly, annoyed me more than the slick surface.
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Yeah, I figured I would be using layers when tracing. So my guess is import photo as layer 1, layer 2 is my tracing and than I delete layer 1 and just see my work? Is that correct?

I'll mostly be using a Wacom for photo editing but I'm just getting into it so I'm no expert but I would also use it to draw for fun, maybe even get anime studio or something.

Re deleting the original layer, you can do that, or you can simply toggle the layer to hide it. The layer icon that looks like an eye.

 

[matt9013]

Re tracing images & then drawing your own adaptations: you import in your graphics program and then use layers above your scan/import file.

If you're really into manga, you might like to check out Clip Studio Paint which has a great drawing & brush engine and is geared to that sort of thing. Actually, I prefer CSP to Photoshop for raster illustration (non-manga).

FWIW, Ray Frenden reviews all sort of tablet gear and several years ago I bought a mid-size Huion 610 for less than $70 based on Frenden's recommendations. It works great, has pretty decent pressure sensitivity, and I like the size much better than the small 4x6 Wacom tablet I had before because the 610 maps perfectly to my iMac screen.

After using a tablet, I can't imagine using a mouse to retouch photos anymore. And all it takes is a couple hours of drawing effort on your part, for a couple days straight, and you'll get used to it very quickly. The surface being slicker than paper doesn't bother me now. Initially I taped a sheet of smooth vellum over the tablet but it wore down the stylus nibs quickly & frankly, annoyed me more than the slick surface.
[doublepost=1479867149][/doublepost]


Re deleting the original layer, you can do that, or you can simply toggle the layer to hide it. The layer icon that looks like an eye.

Thanks, that clip studio paint looks awesome and exactly what I wanted for my manga drawings. I'll look into the Huion brand as I have heard that name before while reading about Wacoms.

Hiding the layer does seem easier than deleting. Never thought about that.

 

[campyguy]

Yeah, I figured I would be using layers when tracing. So my guess is import photo as layer 1, layer 2 is my tracing and than I delete layer 1 and just see my work? Is that correct?

I'll mostly be using a Wacom for photo editing but I'm just getting into it so I'm no expert but I would also use it to draw for fun, maybe even get anime studio or something.

Also I have an iMac so no disk drive. The free software I get with a wacom can I just download off the site and enter the registration code I get to "purchase" the software?

+1 on what CrickettGrrrl wrote, even if I'm a Wacom and Adobe user. Her description of technique is spot-on. My only experience with tablets is with the now-dead CalComp (of which Wacom owns the tech to having snapped them up years ago) and with Wacom.

My preference for the advanced Wacom tablets runs that way because I buy a couple of their specialized styli - I also use their Airbrush and their various nibs (which give different "feels" - 10 ship with the Pro, and more are available on their web site's Store portal).

As to SW, they include a suite that's available upon registration and some trials are included with the registration. I use other apps, and didn't bother with registering my last tablet. The app that CrickettGrrrl offered is used by some of my friends and they rave about it - I'm more of a technical drawing person, so I'm a poor resource in that regard. Cheers!

 

[matt9013]

+1 on what CrickettGrrrl wrote, even if I'm a Wacom and Adobe user. Her description of technique is spot-on. My only experience with tablets is with the now-dead CalComp (of which Wacom owns the tech to having snapped them up years ago) and with Wacom.

My preference for the advanced Wacom tablets runs that way because I buy a couple of their specialized styli - I also use their Airbrush and their various nibs (which give different "feels" - 10 ship with the Pro, and more are available on their web site's Store portal).

As to SW, they include a suite that's available upon registration and some trials are included with the registration. I use other apps, and didn't bother with registering my last tablet. The app that CrickettGrrrl offered is used by some of my friends and they rave about it - I'm more of a technical drawing person, so I'm a poor resource in that regard. Cheers!

Cool, do these Wacom Intous come out yearly or anything. I don't want to buy one now and than find out a few months later a new updated one is released. Though I read that the hardware is usually the same and it's the software that changes.

 

[campyguy]

Cool, do these Wacom Intous come out yearly or anything. I don't want to buy one now and than find out a few months later a new updated one is released. Though I read that the hardware is usually the same and it's the software that changes.

New Wacom tablets generally come out every 3 years or so, I've been buying them for about 20 years. The hardware does change, generally significantly - with the new pens, the resolution of the new Pro Pen is increasing 4x according to the PR for the Cintiq - and the Intuos Pro uses the same styli. I'll offer that it's the software that generally remains the same with Wacom tablets - the current Pref Pane and the same utility from 4-5 years ago pretty much has remained the same. The newer hardware should pretty much reduce parallax and response time to pretty much zero...

 

[sarge]

Sadly, the new tablets at the "pro" level are never inexpensive. Wacom holds most of the patents regarding this type of tech, with some now publicly available but most are not. However, if the type of drawing you've expressed interest in is your main focus the "Intuos" (formerly Bamboo) tablets will likely suit you - they're not as precise, but that's not necessarily what you're looking for IMHO, and the non-Pro tablets are perfect for that.

A better solution for tracing is buy a used Intuos 4 tablet (or maybe a lightly-used 3) in the size you prefer - I'm fine with a Medium tablet. The 3 and 4 both had a "peelable" overlay, which could was fixed at the top and acts as an onionskin, under which a hand drawing or graphic could be placed under, for tracing. I would suggest the Intuos 4 for a couple of reasons - they're likely within your budget and Wacom still sells the replacement overlay Surface Sheet. Wacom also still supports that tablet nicely with drivers, and it's not a huge drop down in performance from the current tablets. FWIW, I always use Medium tablets and they always run in the mid-$400s, but I can write them off; I don't like the Small or Large tablets - like Goldilocks, the Medium tablet is "just right" for me and my uses.

As an alternative to tracing, with the current tablets that don't have a clear overlay I scan them and import the image into Illy or PS and trace directly over them in a new layer, but again, I'm used to using multiple input devices and have a bit of practice at this under my belt. Cheers!

TOTALLY AGREE. I have an old Intuos3 running on El Capitan and it works like a charm. Wacom has updated drivers that will keep these legacy products running at least as far as El Cap. As mouse just doesn't cut the mustard if you're using Painter/Illustrator/Photoshop. I have a medium Intuos3 and a large Intuos 4. I like them both but wouldn't even consider something smaller -too restrictive in my opinion.

 

[HBOC]

I have had the Intuos Pro medium for years now, and it really changed the way i edited! Things are just so much easier and quicker. I got mine at Fry's for $249 (open box). Look on eBay, i see them on there for good deals.

Down the road i want to get the more expensive one where it has built in HDD, so you edit directly on the tablet - but can't justify the $900+ on it right now (well i can, my wife cannot ) .

 

[campyguy]

Cool, do these Wacom Intous come out yearly or anything. I don't want to buy one now and than find out a few months later a new updated one is released. Though I read that the hardware is usually the same and it's the software that changes.

Near the end of a really long day, just got to my personal emails, which include some sale-related items. The item that caught my eye is a promo from Fry's for the current Intuos Pro tablets - the tablets were discounted a fair amount at a sale price plus a promo code, up to $150 off for the large tablet. I *never* see these tablets go on sale - it's gotta be time for the new stuff, get your credit cards out!

 

[matt9013]

Got the Intous for Christmas and love it so far. Haven't done to much editing as I can't seem to register the product to get the free software yet and I don't have LR or PS yet.

Drawing is really fun though.

 

[campyguy]

Cool, do these Wacom Intous come out yearly or anything. I don't want to buy one now and than find out a few months later a new updated one is released. Though I read that the hardware is usually the same and it's the software that changes.

New Intuos Pro tablets were announced at CES today, as I had offered a bit ago:
https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/04/wacom-intuos-pro-pen-tablets/
http://wacom.com/en-us/products/pen-tablets/intuos-pro

and the new Paper Edition:
http://wacom.com/en-us/products/pen-tablets/intuos-pro-paper

Medium and Large sizes only are "available soon", the small-sized tablets are done-and-dusted now it appears…

 

[Badrottie]

I have a Wacom Intous 4 just almost like Intous Pro tablet I really like it but the software is kinda buggy.
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New Intuos Pro tablets were announced at CES today, as I had offered a bit ago:
https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/04/wacom-intuos-pro-pen-tablets/
http://wacom.com/en-us/products/pen-tablets/intuos-pro

and the new Paper Edition:
http://wacom.com/en-us/products/pen-tablets/intuos-pro-paper

Medium and Large sizes only are "available soon", the small-sized tablets are done-and-dusted now it appears…

Wacom still sell Intous Pro S small tablet

 

[campyguy]

Wacom still sell Intous Pro S small tablet

You're alluding to the older product line, being cleared out in sales. I was alluding to the new product line - for which I included links; different form factor/interface/stylus but identical name.

 

[matt9013]

Got my software all loaded up except one of them as it said I used all my downloads when it wouldn't work. So now I gotta e-mail support again.

Software wise it looks better than the free ones I've been using. Looking forward to diving into it and getting a feel for editing pictures before I make the jump to PS/LR.