Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 8:57 am Post subject: Looking at Wacom tablets...
I apologize if this is posted in the wrong forum, but it seems to apply to techniques, so...I'm looking at Wacom tablets and hoping to buy one soon. My primary use would be for digital painting in Photoshop and the 6x8 size seems to be about right. Can anyone make any suggestions about whether I should go with Intuos or Graphire? I'm leaning toward the Intuos3 6x8, but that can get a bit pricey, even with academic discounts.
So I guess I have two questions. a) Does the Graphire series have what it takes to allow high-quality digital painting? b) Is there some way to find tablets for a lower price (I qualify for most academic discounts)?
Thanks! _________________ Interested in showcasing your special effects or learning some new ones from the masters? Check out PSFX!
Well, I have a Intuos 4"x5" at work and I love it, simply love it. However, if I had the Graphire, I'm sure that I'd love that one too. The biggest difference's between the two are the levels of pressure sensitivity for when you press or touch the pen tool to the tablet. The intuos has 1.024 levels of pressure, and the graphire has 512. With that said, unless you're super artistic, like drawing highly detailed people with skin tone and everything, I'd go with the graphire. The intuos also has the "shortcut" buttons that allow you to press them and Photoshop will either zoom in or out, or substitute one of the following keyboard keys; ctrl; alt; space bar; and I believe shift. Pretty handy, but I don't really use them, as I still have one hand on the keyboard for those keys. Having that design is meant to make it so you can use just the tablet, and not the keyboard, but if you're getting a 6x8, then it'll be a little awkward to have that sitting between you and your keyboard. Check them both out. I've used them both, and as far as the pressure level difference's, I really didn't notice. Aside from all of this, it's your decision to make. I'd check them both out at www.wacom.com and go from there. My advice, bang for the buck, get the graphire. If you are super artistic, and can draw things with inticate detail, then get the intuos. If it were me, I'd get the graphire.
For where to buy them, well, that's on you. Some colleges will let students buy things (software, hardware etc.) directly through the school, or through a company that will give them a student discount. It's up to you to buy it from a reputable business.
If you have anymore questions, let me know, as I work with a tablet every day, and there is a graphics shop across the hallway from me at work that uses the intuos 6x8 every day.
BTW--if you are going to be drawing on paper first, then copying it to a program (photoshop, corel draw), then you should get a bigger tablet, as you can tape the paper on your tablet and trace it. Also, the intuos has a flap that will let you put a paper under it to trace, I don't know if the graphire does, but either way, tape would work fine. _________________ All gave some, some gave all.....Lest we forget that war produces veterans, wounded both mentally and physically, and it is our job to help them now, as they have already helped us all in ways we will never know, and in ways that we take for granted every day.
Thank you very much for your reply. That's interesting that many people don't really notice the pressure sensitivity difference between the Graphire and the Intuos; I've heard other people say that, too. Although I've worked with Photoshop for four or five years, I haven't done much of any digital painting, so I think I'd probably be satisfied with the Graphire. However, I've enjoyed conventional drawing for as long as I can remember, and my work is usually very detailed. So I don't want to miss out on that extra degree of control I might have with the Intuos.
Anyway, I think I'll have an opportunity soon to try out one or both of these series and see how they feel. That will help me make my decision.
Thanks again for your help. If anyone else has wise counsel for me, I'd appreciate it... _________________ Interested in showcasing your special effects or learning some new ones from the masters? Check out PSFX!
Oh, and I forgot to mention, the intuos comes with 3 different tips that each give you a different feel for the pen and tablet. One time is "springy", and actually feels similar to a paint brush, the other is rough, and is similar to drawing on textured paper or drawing with a crayon or (colored) pencil, and the other is a standard tip that feels like a regular pen or pencil. I'm sure that you could buy the tips for the graphire too.
Back to the pressure, there's a big difference between 512 and 1,024 levels of pressure, almost as much difference as in the price, like double the pressure levels, double the price, LITERALLY!!!!! This is how I'd look at it....can I draw 1,024 different thickness lines on a paper or a computer? I should think that having 1,024 levels of pressure would be to much control and I would get mad when I was trying to draw a thin line, and the tablet was so sensitive that it kept making the line thick in different places. I hope that makes sense.
Just some food for thought. _________________ All gave some, some gave all.....Lest we forget that war produces veterans, wounded both mentally and physically, and it is our job to help them now, as they have already helped us all in ways we will never know, and in ways that we take for granted every day.
That's an interesting way to think of it. I hadn't thought of it in that light. Perhaps the 1024 levels would be too much control...
I have a short-lived opportunity to buy an Intuos2 6x8. Have you (anyone else reading this) ever worked with the Intuos2? How does it compare with the Intuos3? (I'm aware of the technical differences--lower resolution, smaller pen, and lack of buttons on the pad--but I want to know how noticeable the differences are.) Is it worth it to buy an Intuos2? _________________ Interested in showcasing your special effects or learning some new ones from the masters? Check out PSFX!
I just tried out an Intuos3 6x8, and it was very nice. If money weren't an issue, I'd buy it right away. But the 4x5 size is $90 less...so I'm trying to decide if the smaller size would be a problem. Anyone have any input? I have a fairly large flat screen monitor, and I'll mainly be using the tablet for painting in Photoshop. _________________ Interested in showcasing your special effects or learning some new ones from the masters? Check out PSFX!
Nah. Shouldn't be any problems with having a smaller tablet. I love my small tablet. I origanally bought a tablet because I was starting to develope carpel tunnel syndrome (sp?), and since I've used a tablet, it's gone away. I had a larger tablet, but didn't like the fact that I had to move my whole arm to get the mouse from 1 side of the screen to the other. Since I've got this 4x5, I'm in love all over again. I only need to move a few inches to move the mouse around my entire monitor (at work I have a 20 in monitor). I actually have more control when trying to do detailed work with the tablet, because I can move just my fingers and not my hand, wrist or entire arm. _________________ All gave some, some gave all.....Lest we forget that war produces veterans, wounded both mentally and physically, and it is our job to help them now, as they have already helped us all in ways we will never know, and in ways that we take for granted every day.
I did notice that the 6x8 makes it rather difficult to access menus and scrollbars, at least for someone who's never used a tablet before. I'm sure I'd get used to that, but it is a bit inconvenient.
On the other hand, since the stylus will be basically just for drawing and painting (I'll probably use my mouse for web browsing, etc.), I don't want to buy a tablet with not enough surface area. It just seems kind of odd that many professional digital painters use 12x8 tablets, and here I am considering a 4x5, you know? I don't want a 12x8; that seems TOO big. But you get the idea.
I'm not a professional painter (yet ), but I'd like to have room to expand my creative abilities. I draw extremely detailed artwork with pencil and paper. Although part of why I want to work in the digital realm is to free up my attention to detail and focus more on the big picture, I do want the capability to do all that fine detail work.
Man, I wish the Apple Store had a 4x5 I could try... _________________ Interested in showcasing your special effects or learning some new ones from the masters? Check out PSFX!
Well, I decided to go for it and buy the 4x5. Should arrive the day after tomorrow...maybe even tomorrow, if I'm lucky. Thanks to Amazon's 30-day return policy, I can give it back if I find the size is too small. I'll just have to see...
Thanks for your help, Steve. _________________ Interested in showcasing your special effects or learning some new ones from the masters? Check out PSFX!
Oh, I wish I'd bought this tablet sooner! It just arrived and it's awesome! I don't think the size will be a problem at all, even for detailed work on a moderately large monitor. But if I decide I need the 6x8, I've got 30 days to make the change.
I don't think that's gonna happen. _________________ Interested in showcasing your special effects or learning some new ones from the masters? Check out PSFX!
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), but I'd like to have room to expand my creative abilities. I draw extremely detailed artwork with pencil and paper. Although part of why I want to work in the digital realm is to free up my attention to detail and focus more on the big picture, I do want the capability to do all that fine detail work.
