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iPad Pro Screen Protectors w/ rough surface for drawing w/ Pencil?

robotic.

robotic.

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 21, 2016
15
2
I have escaped from the zoo.
My tablet broke recently and I'm thinking about getting an iPad Pro 12" to replace it... there's just one problem. I've tried out the apple Pencil on a Pro in the Apple store, and while the experience was fine, the surface was weirdly slick. Definitely not an optimal surface for drawing.

Are there any screen protectors out there that have some good tooth to them? I've seen loads of tempered glass ones, but I doubt those would help at all. I don't mind sacrificing a bit of image quality for a more tactile surface.
 
I've tried a matte/anti-glare screen protector with mine (well 3 different ones so the make isn't important) they definitely do offer a bit more of a tactile feel when using the Pencil. If you don't mind that they do cause a slightly softer image overall.
 
TrueBlou said:
I've tried a matte/anti-glare screen protector with mine (well 3 different ones so the make isn't important) they definitely do offer a bit more of a tactile feel when using the Pencil. If you don't mind that they do cause a slightly softer image overall.
Click to expand...

What were the brands? And did you notice any significant difference in one being rougher than the others?

I've had a really hard time trying to figure out which screen protector is right for this... since it's not like most screen protectors advertise their roughness, most people would see it as a flaw (;-_-)
 
I tried Tech Armour, TekNet and Skinomi. To be honest, there was no discernible difference between them. They were all much of a muchness, I often think many of them come out of the same factory and just get different packaging.
 
Even Zagg's Invisible Shield has a big of a tactile feeling on it.
Then again, it's made of pliable plastic, so repeated dragging across the surface might cause a rip.
 
I'm not a fan of the Zagg style protectors myself. I like them for the rear of my device to prevent scratches and provide grip. But I don't like the feel for on the screen. It's like dragging your finger across rubber, too sticky.
 
TrueBlou said:
I tried Tech Armour, TekNet and Skinomi. To be honest, there was no discernible difference between them. They were all much of a muchness, I often think many of them come out of the same factory and just get different packaging.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info! I ordered Tech Armor before seeing this post just because it's cheap, it's good to know that it has some grip...

xsdeus said:
Even Zagg's Invisible Shield has a big of a tactile feeling on it.
Then again, it's made of pliable plastic, so repeated dragging across the surface might cause a rip.
Click to expand...

Ha, yeah, I thought of that too... but that's not exactly what I mean when I say "roughness" or "tooth". It's more like the feeling of paper that I'm talking about. I think Invisible Shield would just be a kinda... goopy sort of feeling, you know?

Anyway, personally, having used an Invisible Shield for about a year on my previous iPad... you couldn't pay me to do it again. Maybe they have changed somewhat from when I bought it (several years ago), but it got so gross when I used it. Like, it didn't really protect from finger prints and oil, it just kinda absorbed them. Totally gross.
 
I might order the iCarez HD Anti-Gare protector based on feed back from a reviewer that found it to work well for sketching, giving similar experience to a Cintiq Companion surface feel.

Jump to 4:30 mark to see the comments about the Nib and Screen in this video:

 
TimothyB said:
I might order the iCarez HD Anti-Gare protector based on feed back from a reviewer that found it to work well for sketching, giving similar experience to a Cintiq Companion surface feel.

Jump to 4:30 mark to see the comments about the Nib and Screen in this video:

Click to expand...

I ordered a Tech Armor Matte protector, which was pretty cheap ($10 for 2) and have found it really nice, pretty similar to the feel of my old Wacom. But, as Trueblou pointed out, probably all the cheap Matte screen protectors are actually the same. So you will probably be fine with whatever!

My one piece of advice, having used the iPad as a tablet for a few weeks now, is get Astropad! Apps like Procreate and Paper can do amazing things, but there's still a world of difference between them and Photoshop, at least for me. (I'm much better with Photoshop than with the iPad native apps... I can never seem to get the brunch settings how I like them.) Astropad allows you to use the iPad as you would any other tablet, with the added bonus that you can leave your computer plugged in and continue using the iPad as a tablet in another room.
 
I have the ICarez one on my iPP 10.5 and like it. I haven't used it with the Apple Pencil, but I like the way it feels when I'm touching the screen and it really does reduce glare and finger smudges.
 
I recently purchased and applied a Mr Shield matte screen protector for my 12.9 iPad Pro. It is the only matte screen protector that I've found that doesn't interfere with screen clarity and text crispness. An added benefit is that it provides an ever-so-slight resistance for the Apple Pencil that improves the feel. $8 for 3 is a good deal. It was surprisingly easy to apply it perfectly... no dust, no bubbles...especially for something of this size.
 
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robotic. said:
My tablet broke recently and I'm thinking about getting an iPad Pro 12" to replace it... there's just one problem. I've tried out the apple Pencil on a Pro in the Apple store, and while the experience was fine, the surface was weirdly slick. Definitely not an optimal surface for drawing.

Are there any screen protectors out there that have some good tooth to them? I've seen loads of tempered glass ones, but I doubt those would help at all. I don't mind sacrificing a bit of image quality for a more tactile surface.
Click to expand...

Its been a couple years since this post but i hope you have come across https://paperlike.com/. That protector will give you more tooth in the surface than the standard matte protectors you find on Amazon.
 
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