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Purchasing a Tablet

BreederCreature

BreederCreature

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 17, 2007
52
0
CT, USA
I've been thinking of purchasing a Wacom Graphire (4x5) tablet.

I want to edit photos, draw cartoons, and design graphics for clothing.

The Graphire tablet fits my budget nicely, but I'm just wondering if I should save up for something that would fit my needs more, unless all I need is in this product.

Any advice? Thanks!
 
I've been looking at them too, but just one question:

I've got a standard screen on my PB but I just bought a widescreen external monitor that I will use for a new computer I'm getting this year.
I like the 4X5 but will it work OK for a widescreen even though the dimensions are off? There is a 4X6 but it costs twice as much.
 
erickkoch said:
I like the 4X5 but will it work OK for a widescreen even though the dimensions are off?
Click to expand...
Yes. With both the Intuous and Graphire family, you can optionally go into System Preferences and force proportions, so that when you draw a circle you get a circle, not an oval, on the screen. With this feature enabled on a wide screen, a small portion of the tablet's control area along the bottom (that is, nearest you) will go unused so that the proportions match.

You can also tell the tablet to only work on any arbitrary portion of the screen, but this is less useful unless you'll be switching between a tablet (the pen tool) and mouse.
 
A tablet is a wonderful tool! Since I have a job that requires heavy graphics use I settled on buying a bigger tablet, the Intuos 9x12, it was expensive, but it was well worth it.

I wrote a review on it here if your interested. Now this is a different model, but I wrote about some nice Mac OS X features and preferences you can change.

Since the tablet I have is 9x12 and my iMac is 20-inch the aspect ratio is off, but the only way you're going to be able to notice is if you trace something. I hope you enjoy your new tablet. It's a fantastic tool for any artist. :D
 
i used one of the smallest tablets while i was in college. it was great, it didn't matter that it was so small. i had to get that one because of my budget at the time, but you can use it to do so much, you get used to using it and then it's so natural - you wonder how you ever worked without one.

now i got a larger one since i've got a job, which has taken me some getting used to. but i wouldn't say it's expensive. if you bought the cheapest one you could find, i bet you'd be complaining about it being buggy and breaking down. i wouldn't buy any tablet besides Wacom.

just get the best tablet that you can afford, then put it to use. you can always buy bigger and better later on, if needed.
 
Hey, i just searched through here
I just got a graphire3 4x5 tablet,i have used it once or twice, i find its pretty hard to get used to, but i am sure after a week or two of practice it should be pretty solid, the only problem is that it is a tad hard to draw long lines, because its so small.. but oh well! I will learn, so will you!
Good luck

Star.
 
I bough the graphire 4x5 and I will say it takes a bit of getting used to. The active area is too small sometimes as well, but I've only had it for a few weeks, so I'm still new with it.

Here's some stuff I've made with it recently:
BunnyManandTheCity.jpg


Hands.jpg


HeadFullOfClouds.jpg


l_35c278e545403a55a8fff58fedd4b513.jpg
 
I dunno, my mom scored one for me when a computer store in my home town went outta business. I play with it occasionally, and I've honestly tried to get used to it. But at the end of the day I just prefer a mouse.
 
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