top of page
No tags yet.
Tag Cloud

What is the point of a Graphics Tablet?

Graphics tablets can scare people a little. They’re just one of those things that people think they know the purpose of but can’t quite be sure and are therefore unwilling to really lend much research time too. When compared to lenses, camera bodies and filters they probably fall relatively low down on the wish list of many photographers. Graphic designers learn the true advantages quite a bit earlier, but in truth there are a huge number of benefits to be had for retouchers and photographers working in all genres of imaging and post production. In this article we examine some of those key benefits and dispel the myths surrounding the vast array of tablets available today.

A tablet allows close-to-life brush strokes for painting in Photoshop

A graphics tablet isn’t just an over-sized track-pad

Whilst it’s true that many tablet models now have a touch facility (meaning that they react to direct hand gestures and inputs) they are far more than an extension of the track-pad on your laptop. The true purpose of a tablet is not for use in navigating through the menus and files on your computer, rather they are designed for direct integration with software packages to provide a seamless interface with the associated functions. When utilising the tools in Photoshop or Illustrator etc. a tablet can be used for control of all the on-screen actions, from choosing brushes, to painting in effects and making selections and extrusions. The true advantage is that you never really have to ‘leave’ the tablet to access a Photoshop function for example; you can use the interface to perform the required action and then access menus and dialogues, all from the same surface. The key word is seamless – no more breaking your line of thought to change a Photoshop preference or change a brush size. Many functions can be accessed on the tablet itself.

It’s all about realism

One of the biggest advantages to using a graphics tablet is that you can use the stylus like you would use an actual pen, pencil or paint brush. There is a completely different feel to editing in this way than using a mouse, in that the whole experience feels so much more realistic. A mouse creates a ‘distance’ between your mind’s eye and what you are actually doing on-screen; it is very obvious that you are creating something digitally and have no real access to surface you’re drawing on. Although you can get used to this sensation it adds unnecessary barriers to your creativity, barriers which can be overcome using the interface offered by a tablet. Control over pen-pressure sensitivity allows gradations in the strength of strokes drawn and tapering of lines, creating an organic look to your drawings or brush strokes on a photograph (when masking in an effect etc.) The advantages go further than that however, as it’s also possible to set up Photoshop so that pen pressure (how hard you press on the tablet with the stylus) or pen angle can to vary the width of your strokes, meaning you don’t have to visit the brush settings sliders at the top of the Photoshop workspace to change brush size. You can even select to have pen angle control the orientation of your brush tip, mimicking exactly the feeling of rotating a paint brush in your hand. Realism of appearance, realism of experience – it’s what a graphics tablet is designed for.

Clicking the buttons next to Opacity/Flow tells Photoshop what pen presssure should control

Same software, new experience

The great thing about using a tablet is that no matter what model you use you get an entirely different feel to your software package. If you think you know the tools Photoshop has on offer without one, you have to realise that you’re not making full use of all the features available and that you can achieve even better results with the digital toolkit already in your possession. Investing in even the most basic tablet can revolutionise the way you edit your images and make you fall in love with Photoshop all over again. It can take a little while to adjust to using the pen instead of pushing your brushes around on a mouse mat, but you should very quickly fall right into step with it and once you do you’ll never look back.

Having fun with dynamic pixel-painting

For the record I use a Wacom Intuos Photo. It’s inexpensive at around £50-70 but has some great features to get you started.

Got any questions? Drop me a line and I'll answer asap.

Have a creative day :)

Peter

bottom of page