Graphics Tablet Suggestions

After far too many years of hard use my ancient graphics tablet has finally given up the ghost.

What I am looking for is a nice balance between cost and available tools.Yeah I know that isnt specific but I have some flexibility here.

So my question is what tablets are you designers out there using on a day to day basis. What do you like about them? What bugs you about them? Would you buy the same one again? Tips, Tricks and suggestions for what to look for most greatfully acepted.

-Dark

You really can't go wrong with a Wacom tablet. They're a bit more expensive that others but they last forever. The most important feature in a tablet is to get one that doesn't use batteries in the pen. They drain slowly over time even when the tablet isn't in use and it can be a very big hidden cost in other tablet brands. My advice is to just go for a Wacom. I've had the one I'm using now for over a decade and it still works as well as the day I bought it.

Give me Wacom or give me nothing at all! Yes, it's that important.

As Chip already said, and probably about a thousand others will echo before this thread is done, you can't go wrong with Wacom. I'll actually go a step beyond that, though, and state that you can't go right with anything else, by comparison. No one else even comes close the technology Wacom offers. The phrase "night & day" barely scratches the surface of the the difference in performance, reliability, and quality between a Wacom tablet and any other. You literally would be better off with no tablet at all than to get something besides a Wacom. (And no, I don't own any stock in the company, nor am I on their payroll. )

Their flagship line is called Intuos. I have two Intuos 3's myself. My main one is the big 12x19", which I absolutely love. I've also got a smaller 6x8", which I use for travel. Both are fantastic.

Before I had these, I had a 4x5" Graphire 3 for many years. It too was excellent. Graphire at the time was the entry level line.

As Chip said, Wacom tablets last forever. The only reason I don't have the Graphire anymore is I gave it to a friend when I got my second Intuos.

They've now changed the name of most of the Graphire line to "Bamboo Fun" (silly name, but still great tablets). The only one left that still carries the Graphire name is a wireless version, which I wouldn't recommend. Stick with the wired ones. (Note: the pen is wireless on all models; by "wired" and "wireless" I'm referring to the tablet itself, which connects to the computer either via USB cable or via Bluetooth.)

There's also one called Bamboo (no fun), which I don't recommend because it does not incorporate an eraser on the pen. You'd be surprised how handy that eraser really is. You'll find yourself using it constantly as you paint/draw.

The biggest difference between the Intuos and the Graphire/Bamboo Fun is that the Intuos senses both the pressure and tilt of the pen, while the Graphire/Bamboo Fun senses pressure only. Also, the Intuos has double the pressure sensitivity, and it has more accessories available for it (airbrush, 6D art pen, engineering mouse, etc.). Either one is an excellent device.

Bamboo Fun is $99 (US) or $199, depending on the size. Intuos 3 starts at $199, and goes up to $749, again depending on the size. If you can afford an Intuos, it's well worth it. If you'd rather spend a little less, a Bamboo Fun will still be a great tool. Either way, you'll love it.

Size is entirely dependent on personal preference. I recommend going as big as possible, but that's just me. It really depends on your drawing style. When I do RL artwork, it's usually on big paper, so I'm used to big arm movements for drawing. Someone who draws more often on letter size paper, or in smaller sketch books, would likely prefer a smaller tablet.

Whatever you get, just to say it one more time, make sure it's a Wacom.

Can I derail this thread for a minute?

Chosen, you may not own stock in Wacom but you have just about sold me one. My question is would a Bamboo Fun be worth $100 to someone like me. You know I'm a novice and by any standards I would not ever consider myself an artist. I love playing around making textures (some are darn good.........most are mediocre). I have no intentions of ever trying to make pro quality textures to put up for sale.......though I do enjoy giving my stuff away to people to who want them. You also know I'm hard headed and stuborn.........would an entry level Wacom be worth my money? I know you can only give your opinion but I want to hear it.

Thanks.

to adapt the old joke about divorce:

Q: Man why do wacoms cost so much?

A: Because they're worth it.

Careful! He sold me one too in the last Wacom thread! and I've never ever used the damn thing. He owes me money!!




Seriously though, I do plan on using it one day.

I've since noticed that some people don't know how to draw free flowing lines with a mouse and so a tablet would be ideal for them. As for pressure sensitivity, I can take it or leave it.

Over the years, I've owned five Wacoms. I started with an incredibly bulky and heavy first generation 12" model, then moved to a smaller 4"x 6" Intuos (that was too small), a larger Intuos 2 and Graphire, and presently an Intuos 3 (6"x11", the perfect size for me) for wide screens and travel with a laptop. Out of those five, I still own the last three, and they all work flawlessly. The Intuos 2 is being rebuilt at the moment (a steampunk project), but when it is reassembled it will work virtually the same as it did before.

Wacom has unique proprietary technology that no one else has been able to exactly duplicate. Wacom tablets are one of a kind.

The one that just died is the bottomof the line Wacom 1st Gen. In fact it runs off an old style PC serial port . LOL

To everyone tyvvm for all the really fantastic info. Think I will be looking at an intuos only question at this point is how much intous can I squeeze in my budget.

Peggy, I'd say it's worth for anyone with more than a passing interest in digital art. And I think it's safe to assume by now that your interest is anything but passing.

The one caveat I'll throw out is that it does take a few days to get used to using a tablet for the first time. The biggest sticking point for most people is the absolute positioning of the pen vs. the relative positioning everyone's used to with a mouse.

If you're like the majority of the computer-using world, you probably make relatively short movements with your mouse. To draw a long line, you likely move the mouse just a little bit to draw a segment, and then you pick the mouse up, put it back where it started, and move it again to continue the line. But with a tablet (in pen mode), it doesn't work that way. If you pick up the pen and then trace back over the same area, you'll end up just drawing in the same place twice. Every spot on the tablet is fixed to an exact point on the screen. So if you want to draw a line from one end of the screen to the other, you draw from one end of the tablet to the other. There's none of the repetition of mouse drawing.

When you're used to a mouse, you sort of develop a certain comfort zone for the maximum "safe" range of motion of your arm. The first few days you use a tablet, you'll find yourself instinctively trying to keep your movements within that same distance. You'll catch yourself trying to do the lift & repeat thing constantly. It takes a little while to loosen up, to develop the new habit of moving your hand fluidly across the whole tablet. But once you get there, it's all good, and you never look back.

Give it a go for a few weeks. If you get it from some place with a good return policy, there's nothing to lose. I think Best Buy, for example, gives you 30 days with no restocking fees. You can also always eBay the thing to get at least good portion of your money back. I think you'll find, though, that once you start using the tablet in earnest, you won't be able to live without it.

I will thoroughly second that. I've had a tablet (Wacom Intuos3 6x for about a month and a half now. I finally realized that nearly everyone who was serious about graphics at all used them, and my Photoshop tutorial book was continuously talking about all the spiff things one could do with a tablet.

The first day, I was nearly in tears. I couldn't get it to behave at all, pressure sensitivity seemed to mean lack of brush control, simple movements seemed to require my arm to go halfway across the room, and my arm ached. It was truly awful, I kept grabbing the mouse and using it, finding it frustrating as well, then plopping my standard optical mouse and pad on top of the tablet and using it.

I remember thinking, "I've bought a $350 mousepad".

But before putting it up on Ebay, I did the unthinkable and reasoned. If EVERYONE else was using a tablet, there must be something to it. So I put the optical mouse away and forced myself to use it for an hour a day. This might sound silly, but over the morning tea, I would play this flash videogame that required me to draw circles around moving thingees:
http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g3/floats.htm
That really helped with the eye/hand coordination.

Now, I have no idea how I ever textured without it. It's hard to describe, but it's the difference between trying to sketch with a nice charcoal pencil or a wide tip felt pen. The latter has its uses, of course, but being able to instantly and intuitively control the strength of the pencil through angle and pressure allows for much more subtlety. Even leaving aside the pressure sensitivity, that absolute positioning I once hated so much now allows for precise control over where the pen is on the screen.

In short, save the pennies, get a tablet, expect a week of learning curve but don't give up

I use an Aiptek Slim Tablet 600U and allthough its not a wacom it does what I need it to do (other than be a mousepad), it was really affordable too.

-whyroc

Actually, I use a track ball.

Okay I'm saving my pennies for a Bamboo Fun pad (maybe some of my economic stimulus money will be what I use to help the economy with ).........and when I wind up spending 800 bucks on some high end, fancy pad I'm going to blame you, Chosen!!!

Thanks for your input.

I have the Wacom Intuos3 (I think the 6"x11", and it really is quite wonderful. The technology amazes me, for one thing, but it just works so damn well with Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro. This is the only tablet I've owned, but I chose it over others because of the sensitivity and the angle detection.

It also comes with a cool little mouse that uses the tablet as a 1:1 mousepad.

Dude! I used to have an Aiptek tablet. Worked beautifully! Time took its toll eventually.

2nd to Wacom, I'd go with Aiptek or AceCAD.

I picked up a Genius 12x8 tablet for about $60. My only complaint- the tip feels "soft".

For anyone who is "thinking about it" but not sure... go with a cheaper option first. With Gas & Food at an all-time High, I can't see most people spending $100 or more on a hobby they might not stay with. If you can drop $100 or more and not think about it- get a Wacom. If you've stuck with SL long enough, it can be a useful tool.

I'd go with Wacom except for 2 reasons: Price, and I'm really hard on hardware.

Not kidding. I've smashed $100 joysticks for pissing me off. I've had Tablets die after a heavy night of drinking- they dont handle spilt beer too well. Headphones? I've lost count.

There's a reason I keep the PC out of reach!

*** EDIT***

Just looked around & saw the best advice one can give:

"It's not the tool, its the artist". So whether its Wacom, AceCAD, AipTek, or others.... "the best" wont necessarily make you "the best". Go within your budget. Learn. Create.

I own a Wacom Cintiq 21UX, and although I don't use it to it's full capacity yet (still learning and getting used to it) it's made a huge difference to the quality of my end product. I find myself relying less and less on photographs and adding more hand drawn elements to my skins.

It's an expensive tablet, but I decided to take the plunge because I had problems with the hand eye coordination on my old Graphire.

I'm thrilled with my purchase and can highly recommend the product.

whoah that game is a great find, very good for practicing with, thanks!

I am using a Bamboo Fun pad - saved a little money until I knew what I really wanted. It does have pressure sensitivity and mine does have an eraser. It was automatically oriented to the screen on set up and is very intuitive to use. Will upgrade one day but for now it works great.

I'm jealous! I will get one too!

Another vote for Wacom, here. I use mine extensively for custom texture creation. The pressure sensitivity is a must when painting realistic detailing. I have the small size Graphire II, and it's invaluable to me.

Me too. I got the mid-sized model that cost me something like $150. Yes, it does have pressure sensitivity and an eraser. Someday I will trade up to a model with more bells and whistles, but the Bamboo Fun is giving me a relatively low-cost way to see what the Wacom tablets are like before I commit to megabucks. So far, I love it.

I also use Bamboo Fun. The smallest (What size was that again?) It's fantastic for what i do, which is a bit of everything =). I am in no hurry to upgrade. One thing I can say (as many others have) is GET A WACOM! They are in a class by themselves technology-wise. While other brands might be fine for doodling or even handwriting recognition Wacoms are for the artist. Even the bamboo/bamboo fun is superior to larger and even more expensive tablets. You will want at least the quality of pressure sensitivity the Bamboo Fun provides. If you're super picky maybe more.

If I suddenly strike it rich I'm getting a Cintiq!

I just got a wacom last friday. I'm in love.

I bought my young daughter (9) the 'Corelli' graphics tablet (USB) for kids from Ebay, which turned out to be a Wacom!.
Its only a small one but she likes it. I even use it myself for messing around with.
It has something like 256 or 512 levels of sensitivity on the nib and has the famous 'Wacom' quality of course!

She uses it with Sketchbook' (older version) and 'TwistedBrush'
Sketchbook is designed to be used with a GFX tablet

This program is great for the tablet.. soooo much fun!

http://www.ambientdesign.com/artrage.html

This one is my 2nd favorite;

OpenCanvas:

http://www.portalgraphics.net/en/

-whyroc

I've always thought just saying "Wacom" was the only choice is like saying "Use only Windows" or "Mac".

Try. Experiment. See what you like. What works for you. Wacom- Top of the Line. Others- depends.

They all do the same.

I've spent $50, got a 8x12 tablet w/ 1024 levels of sensitivity, works as a mouse. Doesnt have the eraser end. Takes 1 AAA battery every 3-6 months with heavy use. Not like people cant afford a single battery. And it works. Other than a battery every so often and lack of an eraser tip, it works the same as a $400+ Wacom.

SO! Show me a Wacom 8x12 tablet NEW for that price

Part of the problem with SL is showing people they dont NEED to spend mega-$$$ to be successful. I can name 12 or more people turned off by the idea of spending a ton of $$ to do stuff in SL.

The thing is to show new people how, with little money, they could be the next "big success" in Second Life.

Kinda reminds me of something a few days ago.

A librarian was asking me about MS Office & Publisher. She didnt want to buy the whole thing over again. I suggested OpenOffice.

She never knew there were cheaper alternatives that worked just as well. And she was quite thrilled to know she didnt have to cough up $400 or more for something.