Whats the best size graphics tablet to get?

Attached Link: Past tablet threads

I ust the Wacom Intuos 3, 6 x 8" and love it.  I have nothing to compare it too since it is the only tablet I have used.  I couldn't live without it....well, I could, but why would I want to? 

Suzanne

*"well, I could, but why would I want to?  "

*LOL...and indeed...I did once for a year as I had developed a bad habit of gripping the stylus like it was gonna run away so I traded it for a midi system as I was doing music  but as I calmed down I became easier on pens so I figured I'd trade back, friend was ammenable and I did, and will NEVER do that again....I now have 2 in case something happens to 1 stylus I at least have a spare...LOL

Funny thing, when I bought my Wacom, I was doing very well with the mouse.  I wanted to have a more natural feel to my strokes. 

Well, it took a year before I really did anything with it. I felt a bit intimidated.  Then, one day, I picked it up and it felt great.  I haven't gone back to using the mouse 100% of the time.  I do use it for some fast touch, but I really prefer the tablet to the mouse.

I would advise anyone starting out to just dive in and don't be intimidated.

Also, to be a bit more specific for muller252, the size of the tablet depends on how you make strokes.  If you use long swashes of strokes, like going across most of a canvas, you may want a larger one.  However, I find the 6 x 8 a good fit.  I suppose that for someone who does minute detailed strokes, a smaller screen would be sufficient.

That said, working in PS with Navigator, you can zoom out to cover more space with a stroke, so I don't see why anything more than a 6x8" screen would be needed.  It may be more a personal preference issue for many.

I've got the intouds3 6x8 and love it - also have the 4x6 for my laptop. I was very surprised that I could adjust so quickly every time I use it, so it's surprisingly not a problem.

A friend of mine has the big one (9x12?) and won't go any smaller. While that just seems entirely too big for me (and would take up all my desk's real estate, BTW - it's HUGE!), he loves it.

Yeah, I've gotten to the point where I now even do about half my online and regular selecting and clicking with the tablet - I've dropped the mouse for a lot of things (I was at a PS seminar and the guy used his tablet for EVERYTHING - I thought he was nuts, but here I am now... oh well...).

I would probably advise the 6x8 flavor of whatever you get (Wacom, Aiptek, etc.).
Hope that helps - good luck!
-Lew ;-)

Ya-know?...what's really weird?

Is that I bought my Wacom tablet (With Stylus Mouse and Driver) still seal wrapped in the box... at a Yard sale for $3.00 USD...a few years ago. (I talked the guy down from $5.00)

Anyway...I brought it home...Installed it...and Y'no I've probably picked that thing up about 3 or 4 times since then?

I've updated the drivers once...lol

...Yet it sits right here...at arms length...ready to "use".

I don't know what it is, but every time I've picked it up...I've put it back down within about a minute...then I don't even think about it for months.

I should probably sell it or something...it just uses up a USB port and takes up room on my desk.

shrugs

Oh well...

Now...Try takin away my Trackball (Logitech Marble Mouse)...and someone is gunna end up hurt.

I just hope it's not me.

8 )

Tom

This is so weird - I've been wondering about Trackballs for years now! Does it really work that well? I can't see myself just rolling a little ball on a joystick base (just the way i look at it - I know tons of research has gone into the design to make it fit to your hand and all, but I just see a joystick base).

Yeah, when I first got my tablets I had to force myself to use the (and kept going back to the mouse, cussing all the way). It actually took a few weeks to get the hang of it, and then the mouse became more and more obviously clumsy in comparison.

It takes a little while - but once you get used to it, it's like drawing on a paper pad - no kidding!
-Lew ;-)

My dog recently distroyed my Mighty Mouse (Mac).  I currently using a Mac Pro laptop.  A new one will come the Mac Pro desktop I hope too buy as soon as the Leopard OS is released this month.

The point is that I have to use a trackpad, and I am going nuts.  It hovers and picks up stuff I don't want.  This is really difficult with e-mail getting deleted.  I know it is just me doing something wrong.
Can't wait to get my new Mighty Mouse, etc.

I had the same reaction Hawkfyr, didn't use my tablet for a very long time and thought i made a stupid purchase, that I didn't need it.  What turned me around was that I did a painting that I needed to do some fine detail work.  The mouse just wasn't cutting it.  So, I picked up the tablet, and it was so easy to accomplish what I wanted to do.  I began using it only for fine detail work, then a little more, and all of a sudden I found I was really into the tablet.   Now, I catch myself with the mouse in hand, and I laugh (habit), then quickly grab my tablet.

Once I begin using it on a painting, i tend to use it for everything during that session, navigating files, clicking in general.

I wouldn't get rid of your tablet, Hawkfyr, try what I did, doing something that is a little more dificult  when using a mouse, then use the tablet and see the difference.  It might not be dramatic at first.  It grows on you.

And for the price.... Wow!  It would be a bummer if you found you could use it later, and be left with a big financial outlay.

Suzanne

Back to my original question. Whats the best size to get?

Hmmmm!   I thought your question was answered in the above comments.  Depends a lot on what you use it for, your type of strokes, your personal preference.

As I said above, 6 x 8 is sufficient for me.  But, also above is a comment about someone uning nothing less than 9 x 12.

You will have to decide based on what you learn from reading the comments, past and present.

Thanks artwithin, it was answered , but I was just hoping to tease some more comments. I'm looking at the intuso3 A5.

I'm not sure you can "tease" more comments.  This question has been asked so many times in multiple forums that people are probably tired of repeating themselves.  That is why I gave you the link to some related threads.

Sorry, I can't speak to A5 size, I only go by inches.  I'm a dummy in that area.

Best Wishes in your purchase and use of a tablet.

Suzanne

If you work with dual monitors or have a real large one with the new wide display you might like the 6 X 11, I have the Intous 3, 6 X 11 and love it and the default map fits both monitors perfectly allowing me to use one as the canvas and the other for pallets ( Painter, PSP, & PS) with no distortion to the proportion ratio.

But , my earlier version were the small one and they were just great, so I get the one I could afford and had room on my desk for, on the Wacom site there is a quiz to help you select the one that would work best for your situation.
Edie

at the office i have three monitors spanning so i use a 9x12 but at home where space is a luxury i use an old 4x6

i guess it's really a matter of size VS features VS price...

for me, the company paid for the 9x12 so i wasn't gonna turn it down, but at home i was perfectly happy with the pressure /sensitivity level in the 4x6 that the additional price for a 6x8 or 6x11 didn't warrent it.

I'm with Suzanne on this, short of getting "Consumer Report" to tell you which is the best buy, it STILL comes down to personal choices.

I've had a Dual Monitor set-up for several years now...and my Tablet is a small (either 4x5 or 4x6) Wacom Graphire (Same as in the image except mine is Indigo).

And it makes it very difficult to utilize both monitors on such a small tablet.

I'll have to look in to the driver to see if there is a way to make this set-up less cumbersome.

Thanks for bringing up the Dual Monitor subject as It jarred my memory into recalling that the combination of the small tablet and the Dual Monitor set-up made using the tablet very frustrating to say the least.

Thanks

Tom

Attached Link: Logitech Marble Mouse

Hi Lew,

I'm not sure if folks who use regular Mice realize how often they lift up the mouse and re-locate it to continue dragging or getting the pointer to a particular location.

Perhaps it's because they have become so used to doing it....that they don't even realize they are doing it anymore.

My use of a trackball started Way back it the Bryce 2 and 3 days( before the wheel-mouse was mainstream)...when I realized how frustrating it was when I wanted to re-position or scale an object by dragging it, only to realize my mouse had reached the end of the pad, and I had to "Lift" the mouse up off the pad...then move it back to a place where I could continue the drag.(Many times losing the object during the process)

The Trackball solved that problem (as well as many others) because all I had to do was keep rolling the ball until I got the object to where I wanted it (or scaled to an appropriate size for it's distance from the camera).

The trackball also solved my limited space on my desk problem I had back then....The trackball "Never Moved"...it stayed in the same place on my desk...and I never had to move my arm or even my wrist to use it...all I had to do was use my index finger to roll the ball, and use my thumb to left click...and use my middle or ring finger to right click.

After a decade of using the trackball...I find it difficult to use any other mouse or pointing device.

The particular trackball I use (Logitech Marble Mouse) is difficult to find in stores anymore...so when I do find a store that sells them still...I usually buy up the remaining inventory for my other computers so I'll have some extras in case Logitech discontinues it altogether.

I even attach them to my Laptops, and I've found they offer a great advantage over your opponent while playing games.

The only machine that I have an additional mouse attached too (A wireless media keyboard and mouse combo), is a machine I have set up dedicated to Audio and Video Media only. I find the wheel easier to navigate local audio/video, and Play-list's.

But the trackball remains my weapon of choice for working in any 2D or 3D applications. (OR Games)

Try one (The one I use is only about 20 bux) and see if you find it easier to work with in Graphics apps...Especially 3D apps.

It's also Symmetrical so it's perfect for Right and Left handed users.

Tom

Tom you can map the tablet to the ratio aspect of the two monitors it just reduces the tablet active size on the monitors, until I got my 6 X 11 I did that and used the other third of the second monitor for other stuff and the mouse on it.
Edie

Thanks Edie,
I'll have to look into that.

I really would like to use the tablet, and I'm aware that it will take some learning and getting used too, but if it "Adds" to my work flow...it'll be worth it.

Who knows...if I really start to like it...I'll use this one for one of my single monitor systems...and buy a bigger one for my dual monitor set up.

Thanks again.

Tom

I NEVER thought about that - yeah, it's just become "what I do" and take it completely for granted. I'm having issues with C4D because when I use the nav tools (moving the screen around, rotating, dolly in and out, etc.) at the upper right of each window I can only scroll as far as the window in my monitor (I'm sure there's a setting to change this, I just can't find it) and this would help a lot!

BTW - for your audio and video stuff, have you checked out something like this little gizmo? You can roll back and forth on your timeline - frame by frame to just hitting "play" to fast and slow motion/shuttle to the next point you wanna get to. I think this one is around $60?

-Lew

Now that is Cool Lew,

I use Winamp mostly for playing Audio and shorter Video clips (But I use Power DVD for viewing full length Movies).

They both have a "scrubber" to move back and forth, but they are a bit fiddly and do not offer "Frame-By-Frame" capability, Like a typical Audio/Video Authoring application does.(Such as Premiere, Encore, Audition,etc.).

But that little "Gizmo" seems like it would be worth getting "Just" for that capability.

Even the Media Keyboard and Mouse combo I have doesn't offer that.

I'll have to look into that thingy for sure.

Thanks

I'll dig around C4D and see if I can find a solution to that problem.

I'm running Version 8.207 XL Bundle with the Body Paint Module.

What version of C4D are you using?

Tom

I'm running XL 9.5 w/BodyPaint as well (not only is 10 out, but I just read 10.5 was just realeased - my, the fees just keep climbing, huh?).

A buddy of mine who's a video editor lives for that little Shuttle of his - I coudn't find the one he uses - it's more of a thinner (silver - rather Logitech looking) column rather than the low-wide one in the pic above.
-Lew

muller252, I'm sure you've figured out by now, there is no right answer to your question until more specific needs start to define what "best" might mean to you. For years I used a 24" x 24" tablet and swore that it was the only way. My criteria was that I was doing a lot of painting and needed it for those big "expressive" strokes. Time went by and for a while I had no tablet. When i got one, desk space was at a premium and I was stuck with a small tablet. I don't do much "wild" painting anymore so the small (6x8) tablet has never cramped my style. I always believed a smaller tablet would not be accurate or allow for good details. So, far that has not been the case. Hawkfyr's tablet does seem like it would be too small, especially for a two monitor set up and the Graphire is a lower resolution tablet, I believe. Unless you are painting or using the tablet as your main interface control the majority of the time it doesn't seem that big tablets make practical sense anymore. I would love to hear someone explain real reasons why I might need to go back to a big tablet. Why? Because if it were true I'd want to know.

deci6el, have you read the info on Cintiq?  Is that what you used?  If not, do you see any difference and/or advantage?  I have been drooling over them, but it is way out of my ballpark and I'm not sure I see that much advantage.

I am a painter and use the Intuos 3 6 x 8, single monitor, without much problem.  My curiosity relates to my plan to paint large canvas' on my new Mac since I will have lots of RAM.

I dearly wish I could afford a good tablet. I would do more painting if I could. Especially in painter, which really does respond to the pressure differentials. But even in Photoshop, I'd use it more if I had one. I have a project I'm working on now that needs a tablet to really be done well. If I could use the mouse at the same time as the tablet, I'd love that too. When I had a cheap tablet that only works in win 98, I hated having to do menu crap with the stylus. I'm pretty good with the mouse, but a tablet would make me so much better.

I had to wait until I saved enough to buy my tablet.  I was grueling, but I did it and am so happy now.  Set up a savings plan for yourself and stash that cash until  you have enough.  It will be all the more pleasureable knowing what you had to endure to get the tablet.

No, no savings. I can't even afford food at the moment. Sucks being sick.

Cintiq, no. I did try one out at Siggraph once. Given the hours I put in, having the monitor upright and lifting my arm to paint on the screen would be debilitating. So, I would reccommend laying it flat. I'm not sure I'm sold on the idea though. I'm happy enough using an Intuos 6x8 (currently on a single screen). I've been using tablets now for 24 years and am very comfortable not having my hand in the way of what I'm drawing. The big tablets I referred to were on a Quantel Paint Box, the pen was like a soldering gun, attached with a cord and heavy, it got quite warm with use and the tablet had to be "combed" with a big magnet from time to time. Seems quite barbaric now. Because of the Quantel years I feel very comfortable using a pen with menus like Photoshop or Lightwave. It feels much faster than the mouse. Since I mouse:right-handed and stylus:left-handed its good switching back and forth and keeps one wrist from being overly taxed. I guess that doesn't clarify anything except that I'm comfortable with tablets.

Thanks deci6el!  It confirms what I thought.  And the biggest issue is that painting upright.  Oh! my poor shoulder bursitis.  ;-)))  I do fine with my Intuos 6 x 8 and love it.  Though I think you have the best setup with the left/right ability.

I think I would rather spend the money on the Mac 30' monitor with the Mac Pro I'm planning on buying when Leopard is out.  Then it can be my theater as well. ;-)