Drawing tablets have been improving throughout the years, and they now come with a plethora of new and advanced features. Whether you’re a graphic designer or novice artist, you would appreciate the many features they offer. Other than drawing tabs, you can use phablets, like the Samsung Note 10, and regular tablets that accept styluses to start designing. However, they won’t do as good of a job as they were not made with artists and designers in mind.
Pressure Sensitivity
One of the best things about owning a graphic tab is the pressure sensitivity it comes with. Its display is so sensitive that even the slightest strokes will get registered. This results in you being able to create intricate designs that your customers will love.
A drawing tablet worth buying would have a pressure sensitivity that is over 4000 levels. The Wacom Intuos Pro has a sensitivity rating of over 8000 levels – it’ll cost you, but this is worth it at the end of the day.
Custom Pressure Sensitivity
We already discussed how sensitive drawing tablets can be. You’ll love to know that you can adjust their sensitivity ratings. This helps you find a drawing style that’s perfect for you. Such a feature isn’t available on regular tablets that accept styluses. You’ll especially find it hard to work with varying intensities if you draw traditionally.
Not only would you be able to find the best pressure to draw, but you’ll be able to adjust brushstrokes throughout a piece. This results in an intricate creation.
A Thousand Drawing Features
Something that makes graphic tablets so useful is the features they come with. They were made for artists, which is why they’re packed with goodies. You can cut, splice, crop, edit saturation, and use all sorts of brushes and colours as well as do so much more.
Size
There are many drawing tablets out there. Newer ones let you draw directly on their screen. More traditional ones let you use their active area like mousepads – you’ll be drawing on your computer’s display instead. Many of the tablets that let you draw directly on them are an A4’s size. However, you’ll be able to zoom in well. This lets you produce the minutest of lines. If you have bad eyesight, you can imagine how useful this would be.
Not all of them are this size, though. Many of them are big, so you’ll get a bigger canvas to create on. However, this doesn’t mean that it necessarily is. It could have a huge casing that takes up most of the space – look for a device that has a considerable active area/display.
Stylus
Pens, pencils and paintbrushes are wonderful tools, but they can be uncomfortable to hold. Holding a pencil for long periods can lead to your fingers getting sore. This not only would affect your comfort but the quality of your work. Thankfully, drawing tablets exist. They come with styluses that are made to be a breeze to use. Many of them have ribbings along with their ergonomic bodies.
Although all graphic tabs use styluses, not all of them work the sameway. They charge in three different ways. Battery-powered ones are on the thicker side as they have to accommodate a large unit. Rechargeable ones work exactly like you think they do. And as there’s no battery in them, they are much smaller and lighter. The other type is EMR styluses, which are the best you could want.
Electromagnetic waves are transferred from your graphic tab to them.
Connectivity
Drawing tabs were made to make it easy for you to transfer files to your computer. They have various ports that regular tablets don’t come with. Some tabs require that you connect them to a computer to use. They act as tracking pads, letting you draw on your monitor. You’ll be connected through a USB port, so files would automatically be saved on your computer.
They’re Easy To Work
When connecting your drawing tablet to your PC, plug it where you’d insert your mouse. Once inserted, that’s it. The tablet type that doesn’t need a computer monitor to work is even easier– you just draw on its display. As the use of graphics tabs has been on the rise, manufacturers have made the devices even easier to use. The layouts have become simpler as well. If you find it hard to use a graphic tab, you’ll find countless guides online.
Resolution
Speaking of graphic tabs that let you directly draw on their screens, they come with superb screen resolutions. Their displays can be very bright, which would let you produce better pieces than on other mediums. You may have heard of OLED displays – countless tablets for drawing come with them.
They’re the screen type you see in the most expensive smartphones around. Not only are they bright, but they make colours richer and dynamic. As an artist, this lets you use colours more efficiently than you normally would.
Final Thoughts
A drawing tablet is the best thing a graphic designer could own – ordinary tablets that accept styluses, and phablets don’t hold a torch to one. To begin with, it comes with superior pressure sensitivity, letting you produce various designs. If the device is too sensitive, you can adjust it. Depending on the model you pick up, the ability to adjust its sensitivity levels could be very in-depth.
You also get multiple custom features to help you produce a superb piece of work. Depending on the model you’re getting, the features would defer as well.
Most graphic tabs work when you plug them into a USB port, using their active area as tracking pads. However, many of those currently available have screens that you can draw on. These tabs have high-quality displays, letting you work colour superbly. You’ll be able to zoom into them expertly, stroking in the minutest of lines.
Overall, these gadgets are great purchases. Which of the above points do you think makes them look the best?