I was wondering if anyone knows anything about graphic tablets. what to look for, good brands, SIZE (4x5 6x8), etc... also do they make any where i can use my existing mouse or do i have to use the one that comes with it? ( i want my good mouse for gaming)
does anyone know about graphic tablets?
- Thread starter rjcoolpix880
- Start date
The best tablets are made by Wacom. They make two lines, the Intuos and Graphire. The Graphire are cheap but are really toy like. If you are seriously going to use it, don't waste your money. The Intuos 2 line is a different story. THey are very nice and are a professional tool. The 4x5 is rather small. I have a 6x8 which is great for what I need to do. If you were going to be "painting" and such, a larger tablet would probably be better as your strokes would more equal a 1:1 ratio with the screen. For photoshop work, I find the 6x8 great.
They all come with a mouse but you can use your own mouse or their mouse or both depending on application. You can not use them both at the same time.
They all come with a mouse but you can use your own mouse or their mouse or both depending on application. You can not use them both at the same time.
There are third party software drivers for graphics tablets that allow mice as well as graphics tablets to be connected at the same time. They switch back and forth seamlessly. One is called Virtual Tablet Interface and works with dozens of different graphics tablets both new and very old. I use a Numonics 2020 tablet with a MouseSystems three-button optical mouse.
the intuos 2 is $300! are there any other less expensive ones or are they "toys" as you say. im a student so i have no money, but at the same time i dont want to buy a inexpensive piece of junk.
Then don't buy one. Seriously, if you don't get a good, decent-sized tablet then there's no point in getting one. I've used a $400 Wacom A4 tablet imported into the UK, and it's amazing, I can see just why Photoshop people use them.
Anyway. With an A5 tablet, you're going to lose so much precision, because the tablet has to represent your entire desktop, and if it's small, then a tiny movement might mean 10-20 pixels at once.
Dopefiend
Anyway. With an A5 tablet, you're going to lose so much precision, because the tablet has to represent your entire desktop, and if it's small, then a tiny movement might mean 10-20 pixels at once.
Dopefiend
wacom is the one you should look at, I have one of those small cheap ones with 512 presure points, I like it, and I'm not loosing precision or anything because I have the wonderful zoom tool 
and according to many artists, a bigger tablet can cause trouble since you will be moving your arm alot, try asking the people at cgtalk.com if you need more info
and according to many artists, a bigger tablet can cause trouble since you will be moving your arm alot, try asking the people at cgtalk.com if you need more info
I've had the Intuos for almost 2 years now. Works great and I would definitely recommend it. If the price is too high, look for a deal on a used one from someone who doesn't do graphics work anymore and doesn't need it any longer.
Brad
Brad
I started with a Graphire and did not like it. I wound up spending the $$ on the Intuos and would have saved myself the cost of the Graphire if I had been smart. Don't waste your time on anything but the best if you are serious about it. If you can't afford it now, wait until you can.
Well most of the opinions posted so far are kind of right but not completely.
First of - ignore the Wacom Volito tablets. They have the same specs as the Graphires, but that's just on paper. The driver is severly crippled and the pressure is adjustable just with only a slider with 3 or 4 positions (more on that below).
The Graphire2 is actually a pretty good tablet and is not a toy as someone implied here. It has usable pressure sensitivity (unlike the Volito) and a decent size - should suit you if you run up to a 19" monitor. The driver has a curve that you use to adjust the sensitivity and while that sounds not really impressive it does help a great deal to make it work like you want it.
The Graphire3 which is pretty new, and comes in two sizes 4x5 and 6x8, looks like a better option than the Graphire2 (mainly because of the larger size) but for some reason Wacom decided to cripple its driver too like the Volito and it also uses a slider like for the pressure adjustment. So I would avoid it just like the Volito.
The Intuos2 is the best you can get. I recommend a 6x8 tablet if you use up to a 21" monitor. I use one 6x8 at work with a 19" and anything larger than that would really put a strain on your hand (but perhaps that depends on the way you work). The pressure sensitivity is excellent and you can get really good results. The driver of course has a curve adjustment for the pressure without which I doubt I would like the tablet so much. At first it was really hard for me to use it, but once I fiddled a little with that control it's quite just like a regular pencil or brush.
About the mouse - I find the Wacom mouse pretty useless. While it's a wireless mouse with no batteries it's not really user friendly. The movement is not recorded by the mouse and the direction you move it - it's its relative position to the tablet that defines where the mouse is.. so you can't just tilt it at an angle if you get what I mean. I don't know.. perhaps some people can use it, perhaps you will be able to get adjusted to it too.. maybe it's a personal thing..
So if you don't want to spend more than a $100 - get the Graphire2. I doubt that you would regret it. If you have $300 - get the Intuos2 6x8.
First of - ignore the Wacom Volito tablets. They have the same specs as the Graphires, but that's just on paper. The driver is severly crippled and the pressure is adjustable just with only a slider with 3 or 4 positions (more on that below).
The Graphire2 is actually a pretty good tablet and is not a toy as someone implied here. It has usable pressure sensitivity (unlike the Volito) and a decent size - should suit you if you run up to a 19" monitor. The driver has a curve that you use to adjust the sensitivity and while that sounds not really impressive it does help a great deal to make it work like you want it.
The Graphire3 which is pretty new, and comes in two sizes 4x5 and 6x8, looks like a better option than the Graphire2 (mainly because of the larger size) but for some reason Wacom decided to cripple its driver too like the Volito and it also uses a slider like for the pressure adjustment. So I would avoid it just like the Volito.
The Intuos2 is the best you can get. I recommend a 6x8 tablet if you use up to a 21" monitor. I use one 6x8 at work with a 19" and anything larger than that would really put a strain on your hand (but perhaps that depends on the way you work). The pressure sensitivity is excellent and you can get really good results. The driver of course has a curve adjustment for the pressure without which I doubt I would like the tablet so much. At first it was really hard for me to use it, but once I fiddled a little with that control it's quite just like a regular pencil or brush.
About the mouse - I find the Wacom mouse pretty useless. While it's a wireless mouse with no batteries it's not really user friendly. The movement is not recorded by the mouse and the direction you move it - it's its relative position to the tablet that defines where the mouse is.. so you can't just tilt it at an angle if you get what I mean. I don't know.. perhaps some people can use it, perhaps you will be able to get adjusted to it too.. maybe it's a personal thing..
So if you don't want to spend more than a $100 - get the Graphire2. I doubt that you would regret it. If you have $300 - get the Intuos2 6x8.
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