Hey all --

I am considering investing in a Wacom tablet for use with a list of various 2D & 3D applications.

Does anyone have any advice / thoughts on the devices?  And when it comes to tablet size: does bigger necessarily = better?

I've used very large-to-medium sized digitizer tablets in the distant past (24"x36" or better) - Summagraphics and other makes, but it's been awhile.  And I wasn't using them for graphics-oriented applications.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

I ahve the little Wacom ... i just wished i waited and got me a bigger one ....
But its a damn fine tool

I'm with BarCode.  I have a Graphire, the smaller tablet, and I've had it for several years.  I am just now beginning to understand some of the functions.  I've got a light case of carpal tunnel and arthritis so holding the pen and pressing the buttons tends to make my hand go to sleep at times, but I've had loads of fun playing with it in Paintshop Pro.

Hmmmm, if you are on a tight budget, you may consider getting a DigiPro tablet. I got a 8"x6" one for $69  (Canadian dollars) and it works great.  I have talked to several professional graphic artists, and they agree that mostly, all you need is the pressure sensitivity and the feel of holding the pen. They rarely use the angle detection, eraser, or other advanced features.

However, if money isn't an issue, Wacom tablets are of much better quality and will no doubt last longer.

There's also a new entry level for them call the Bamboo I think. Personally, I have one that's about 8"x10", and love the heck out of it.

I only have the Wacom Graphire 4 x 5, but I love it. I guess deciding on a size is personal preference..I have done images with my little one and have seen no reason to switch to a bigger one.

When I draw in rl, I use broad strokes, and at times even though I got the midle size, my tablet is too small, and I have to restrict arm movement.

I think if you are not already an artist, its easy to adapt to the smaller sizes, but I can compare my work from the larger tablet and from the smaller one, and see a world of difference.

Tablets also do eat a lot of processing time/system resources, but I see them as a investment for quite a few years, so I didn't mind spending a little more, and getting a larger tablet.

Another issue is desk space.

Wacom's been the ONLY way to go for quite some years now.

I'm, on my second intuos 9x12... and had a smaller (4x5) one before that. I absolutely love them.
Use it in combination with a regular mouse.
You can do a lot more fine brushwork with a larger tablet, if you do a lot of painting and texturing.

Interesting.  Yes, I've heard differing opinions about tablet size.  Some prefer the larger tablets, while others actually seem to dislike them: and prefer the smaller tablets.  I'm beginning to think that it's largely a matter of personal preferences & styles (plus budget size & desk space).

Quote - Wacom's been the ONLY way to go for quite some years now.

Yes.....it seems that when it comes to graphics applications: manufacturers other than Wacom are rarely mentioned.

One opinion seems to come across the board, and nearly everyone agrees:  people LIKE to use tablets for graphics.  I've yet to see anyone say that they would prefer not to use a tablet.  Although I suppose that there are a few.

Totally. I got the tablet just so I could test it out with the software I amdeveloping, but now I use it in place of a mouse for most things. It took a day or two to get used to, but once I did, I was double clicking icons, dragging stuff and doing everything I would do with a mouse. However, I would not recommend playing Quake with a tablet :D

Intuos 3 6x9 - pretty much mandatory for drawing and painting applications like Photoshop, and also EXTREMELY nice for Zbrush and some modeling applications - I like it for styling dynamic hair in Cinema 4D, and painting in Bodypaint.  For Poser I've found it's much easier to use a mouse though.

I have one of the big (A4) Wacoms and I hate it.  If it wasn't for the fact that I "liberated" it from a former employer I'd be one very unhappy bunny.

Quote - I have one of the big (A4) Wacoms and I hate it.  If it wasn't for the fact that I "liberated" it from a former employer I'd be one very unhappy bunny.

Are you saying that you dislike tablets in general, or just large tablets?

Dislike them in general.  I can use a brush, pencil, pen, chalk, pastel, charcoal, even a pointed stick but I cannot get on with a tablet.

I'm one of the old school digital artists who learned to draw with a mouse.  I think the tablet throws me because my hand expects it to respond like a pen of pencil but it doesn't.  It responds like a graphics tablet.  :)

Interesting.  I've used a mouse for pretty much everything for years.  Many moons ago, I used large digitizer tablets with applications like Intergraph, Intergraph Microstation, and AutoCAD.   Early-on, the tablets were more-or-less required for those applications.  But the day came when all of the menu functions were moved to the screen, and then tablets became superfluous.  So it's been 100% work with the mouse since then.  At least at my day job(s), and when I wasn't in the field.

I've never used a tablet with graphics apps.  But I'm planning to try it.

Thanks again to everyone who has responded.  You've all provided food for thought.

It definitely takes getting used to, having your eyes on the screen while your hand moves a pen.  However if you can use a mouse, you have all the mental wiring for using a pen.

i'm on a wacom intuos 3, and i luv it, wouldn't be without one again, one thing though is if you wish to replicate pencils and pens and such, then you are gonna have to spend some time making your own brushes in photoshop / painter.

if you have experience with traditional tools, then you will never quite feel at home with a wacom, because you just don't get to use your fingers the way you would traditionally, but a mix of a Wacom and Painter X is about as close to the real thing as you are gonna find.

it does take a while to get used to it though, but is definately a massive improvement over using a mouse.

and i am pleased to hear that ZBrush can use a wacom too, as i plan on getting Zbrush 3.1 soon. 'nother bonus.

so my advice is if you can afford one, get one.

Of all 3D apps, I think Zbrush makes the best use of a pen tablet by a huge margin.  Cinema 4D has a "Brush" tool that is somewhat like sculpting in Zbrush, and it shines there too (pressure dependent).

I have a Graphire 6x8 and really enjoy the pen.  It is still taking me a while to get use to, but I am trying to use it on everything I can just to get better at it.  I had a smaller one a long time ago and am glad I got my new one.  I went for a little larger size that fit my area and my needs.

Sharen

thanks for that info pjz,

i am luvin' the look of ZBrush 3.1, so am very pleased to hear you say the wacom works so well with it, just a shame i'm gonna have to wait till after xmas to buy it, as i can't wait to start playing with that app!!

'tis the season to start saving!!.......tra....la....la..la.la...........la...la ...la..la!!!

I had the smallest Wacom Intuous 2 at one time, I think it was a 3 x 5. It looked like a good size but the working area was actually only 3" x 5" which I found impossible to work when it came to trying to relate that size space to a 17" monitor. Plus I think there was something wrong with it because it wouldn't hold it's install and practically everytime I went to use it I had to reinstall the program and drivers.

Earlier this year I bought a new Wacom Inutous 3  6 x 8 and TBH it's being used as a giant coffee coaster.

Trying to equate a 6 x 8 inch area to a 22 inch monitor seems impossible to me, not to mention that I can't get my brain around using a "pen" instead of a mouse. Not to mention the "disconnected" feeling of working on one surface while having to watch another.  I just seem to manage better with a mouse, even for fine details.

IMHO I think it's better to get the largest tablet that you can afford.

I work with a Graphire 6x8 also and love it! It is a tool worth every penny!

I'm gettin' the feeling that a Graphire 6x8 might be a good place to start.

Quote - Dislike them in general.  I can use a brush, pencil, pen, chalk, pastel, charcoal, even a pointed stick but I cannot get on with a tablet.

I'm one of the old school digital artists who learned to draw with a mouse.  I think the tablet throws me because my hand expects it to respond like a pen of pencil but it doesn't.  It responds like a graphics tablet.  :)

Comparing to my handwork, drawing, sketchingby hand, vs the graphics tablet, my freehand work is a LOT LOT LOT better then what comes out with the tablet... but what comes out using a tablet is still a TON better then using a mouse.

I do a paper drawing forst, if I want precise linework. Bowever, for painting style brushwork, color infills, smudging and blending, tablet works great.

Quote - I'm gettin' the feeling that a Graphire 6x8 might be a good place to start.

It's a very good size for me as I have mine right next to my keyboard and my keyboard is on a keyboard drawer and all fits nicely and at the right height  to work comfortably.

Yeah, and just the subtle differences in pressure (varying opacity and or size) can make a world of difference. It makes drawing with a mouse feel like a sledge hammer.

I love my Wacom tablet. Zbrush and Corel Painter wouldn't be the same without it. In my experience, it is easy to use and I can draw every bit as well with one as I could on paper. My Wacom is mid-sized. I have no complaints.

Ive got an Intuos 3 9x12 and now that Ive gotten used to using it I don`t know how I ever got along without it.

Graphire 6x8 here. No desire to move back to mousing. I do lots of post-work on my images and sometimes I completely redraw them. Wouldn't even dream of doing such work with a mouse anymore. One major advantage that Wacom has over competitors: no batteries! That makes the pen lighter and saves the ever growing hassle of things with low batteries.

Love my graphire.  I suppose a larger one would be nice, but i like mine so much, i never seem to feel i need a bigger one.

i went to a digital conference a few years back and one of the speakers commented that their employees who switched to tablets had a higher production that those who only used mouses. and slightly ot on your ot, im left handed and over the years using others' computers (righties), ive gotten to where i use the mouse right handed, yet the pen naturally left. Now if only there was a system that let me use both pen and mouse at once !!!

I gather that the majority consensus on Wacom tablets is a very positive one.  Looks like the way to go.

I think that I've settled on the 6x8 as a good size, but I'm going to need to look into the differences between the Graphire vs. Intuos tablets -- beyond just the obvious price differential, that is.

I have a graphire and love it!
Best bang for the buck investment.

http://www.wacom.com/productinfo/differences.cfm

The two big differences is that the Intuos has more grades of sensitivity (1024 vs 512), more buttons on the pad itself, more buttons on the mouse, and if you have more than one pen and/or airbrush for it, it can tell them apart. 

Thanks for that link, pjz.  That's a quick and easy reference point.

This is a quick follow-up.  Thanks again to everyone who responded to this thread.

I've just installed an Intuos3 6x8.  The pen will take a little getting used to -- but after using it for about 15 minutes I can tell that the adjustment will be a fairly easy one.

Y'all have been a big help.

Have fun :)

Thanks, pjz. 

Have to agree with 12rounds -- I've had a small Graphire for a few years, and while I occasionally use the pen, I LOVE that the mouse is wireless, batteryless, and doesn't get gummed up from cat hair, ashes and other "desk debris."

Yes, I've noticed that.

I've been forcing myself to use the pen in order to get accustomed to it.  But I recognize that there are jobs which the mouse will always do better.  

At least now I have the option to choose between the two.

The tablet also has an interesting effect on a dual-monitor setup, as the tablet's scan area automatically spans both monitors.  Based upon my own experience with such an aspect ratio, I wouldn't recommend anything less than a 6x8 size tablet for dual monitors.

I was also pleased to see that the Intuos requires no external power beyond what it receives through the USB plug-in.  I've got enough power cords running all over the place already.

You'll probably find that in some games the mouse wheel behaves unexpectedly, a little irritating but nothing you can't live with (especially if you don't play games).

It's been a long time since I last played a PC game.  Not that I'd never consider doing it again at some point -- but right now I just don't have the time.

Plus I've still got the regular optical mouse hooked up.  It's nestled beside my CPU box, out of the way of the tablet -- but it's still there to use if I ever have a need for it.

Thanks for the info, though.  I'll keep that one in mind for later.  It's good to know.

I would suggest sticking to one monitor rather then a spanned system. That way you will get a much larger active area to work with.

You can also use this to switch between active monitors on the fly:

http://wacomswitch.illusoft.com/

Thank you very much for that information, ghonma - and for the link.  I'll definitely look into that utility, as spanning the tablet's scan area across two LCD widescreen monitors can be a little awkward at times.  It's not too much trouble, but I don't think that it's the best arrangement.

oh... and remember.. if you've got a cordless mouse, don't use the wacom as a mouse mat. strange things happen as they try to interact....