What is the best graphics tablet for a photographer. The best drawing tablet

From professional photographer Andrey Turtsevich. In the article, the author explains the advantages of each line and helps to choose the most suitable model.

Creating a photo collage is one of the applications of a graphics tablet. In this example, the clouds in the image are highlighted with a few strokes of the stylus on the surface of the Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen&Touch tablet, cut out and transferred to a landscape photo illustration

How useful is a graphics tablet when working with digital photography?

If you are into digital photography, then you probably know that getting a quality photo often requires a lot of effort. Good photo must accurately express the idea of ​​the author and be technically perfect. To this end, the photographer not only captures what he sees by pressing the shutter button, but also usually performs post-processing on a PC in an editor program like Photoshop. Processing is in many cases the most time-consuming part of creating a photographic work. Often, such operations require local corrections - changing the color, brightness and saturation of individual areas, removing dust and unnecessary details. In photo post-processing, collage techniques and photo coloring are widely used.

Although the automation of these processes is constantly improving (there are already automatic tools for skin retouching, red-eye removal algorithms and intelligent replacement of details in images), most operations are impossible without a manual input tool like a mouse or electronic pen. The ability to perform certain operations depends not only on the experience of a specialist, but also on the accuracy of the tool he uses, so choosing the right one is important to improve work efficiency.

Many photographers are wondering if they need a graphic tablet to process digital photos, or if a mouse is enough. The answer is obvious to me - due to the higher accuracy of the actions performed by the electronic pen, its use significantly speeds up any actions related to the manipulation of image fragments. Ultimately, the time and effort spent on a job affects how well it is done. Even such a familiar procedure as cropping a series of shots is accelerated when using a graphics tablet. When creating masks, coloring, removing small particles and cloning fragments, the efficiency of actions using an electronic pen increases by an order of magnitude. Therefore, if you plan to apply not only general tonal adjustments in your photo work, but also use local processing, the use of a graphics tablet will greatly facilitate and speed up the work.

The electronic pen is convenient for quick creation selections in mask paint mode. The example shown shows a mask created with a few strokes of the Bamboo stylus that cuts out a cloud in a photo.

In addition, the advantage of a graphics tablet over a mouse is the ability to respond to pressure, which allows you to change the diameter of the brush right in the process. A great advantage of tablets is the availability of programmable keys that can replace the keyboard when working with images. A high-quality tablet costs more than a mouse, but experience shows that the investment is justified - after all, the final result depends on the right choice of tool!

Wacom tablets

For digital imaging, Wacom graphics tablets are the most suitable - thanks to the possession of patents for unique pen input technologies and the high quality of products, the company is a leader in this segment. Even if you take the nearest competitor - tablets with wireless pen on batteries, due to the greater mass of the stylus, they are less accurate and convenient than devices for home users. Professional Same Series Wacom Intuos and Wacom Cintiq currently have no analogues.

Wacom's styluses are battery-free (the stylus reflects the signal generated by the tablet's surface), so they've been made light and responsive. However, the advantages of Wacom devices are not only in ergonomics - the manufacturer's devices are most accurate with changes in pressure on the pen and its inclination. In modern Wacom line there is a wide range of devices focused on different applications in a wide price range, which facilitates the selection of a suitable model.

Some of the new low-cost tablet models are as accurate and pressure sensitive as previous-generation professional devices from the manufacturer. So an A5 format model will cost you $300 (for comparison, a professional Intuos3 with similar characteristics will cost about $500, and the recommended price for a tablet of the new Intuos4 line is about $600). If you are on a tight budget, I recommend looking at the model, which costs around $100, and at the same time, it has a sensitive pen, which greatly increases the efficiency of photo editing.

At the same time, prices for Wacom devices are directly related to their functionality, so professional models will provide the greatest savings in working time and maximum comfort in work. Not to mention the unique tablet display Wacom Cintiq, last modification 21UX which can be considered the most advanced of modern input devices. What follows is a brief overview of the Wacom models, with a focus on their features that are useful when working with photographic images.

Ruler Bamboo aimed at home users, however, many tablets in this series are quite suitable for professional work. The new Bamboo features high-precision models with 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity and support for touch input along with pen input. So far, Bamboo is the only Wacom tablet that provides both stylus and finger control on the tablet surface.

For example, touching with one finger corresponds to a mouse click, two adjacent fingers activates a mouse click. right button, and horizontal movement scrolls the contents of the windows. Working with your fingers speeds up many operations when working with photos - for example, by spreading your index and thumb from the center, you will enlarge the photo on the screen, by making a rotational movement on the Bamboo surface with two fingers, you can rotate the frame.

New generation Bamboo interactive tablets look and model packaging

Bamboo Touch, Bamboo Pen, Bamboo Pen&Touch, Bamboo Fun Pen&Touch.
There are four modifications of Bamboo tablets on sale in our country. Bamboo models differ in features, functionality, software availability, and design. The key differences between the tablets are reflected in their names.

Bamboo Touch - black tablet, black stylus, on the package - photo of the device on purple background. Working surface - approx. 10x15 cm (A6 Wide). This tablet only has a multi-touch function - touch control, no pen input, so the device does not ship with a stylus. Due to the lack of a pen, the tablet is not suitable for processing photographic images, but it is convenient for viewing them.

Bamboo Pen - black tablet, black stylus, on the package - photo of the device on green background. Working surface approx. 10x15 cm (A6 Wide). It has a pen input function with pressure sensitivity - 512 levels. Does not support touch input. This is the cheapest of the devices, which allows you to increase the efficiency of photo retouching. The sensitivity of the stylus is enough to quickly remove dust from images, cut out objects, colorize photos. The absence of an eraser in the stylus does not harm such work, but the function keys are missing in this model.

Bamboo Pen&Touch - black tablet, black stylus, on the package - device photo on blue background. Working surface approx. 10x15 cm (A6 Wide). It has a pen input function with pressure sensitivity - 1024 levels. Has four programmable keys. The device has an excellent price / quality ratio for working with photos. The tablet provides precise and fast actions for retouching, painting, creating masks with the pen. At the same time, touch input makes photo navigation, zoom and rotate functions more efficient.

Bamboo Fun Pen&Touch - silver tablet, silver stylus, on the package photo of the device on orange background.
Available in two versions:

1. work surface approx. 10x15 cm (A6 Wide),
2. work surface 21.6x13.7 cm (A5).

It has a pen input function with pressure sensitivity - 1024 levels. Has four programmable keys. The A6 Wide model is in many ways similar to the Bamboo Pen&Touch, but here the pen has an eraser, and an additional software.

The most interesting for photographers is the model Bamboo Fun Pen&Touch A5 format. Above, I have already mentioned the above device, in connection with its high precision, which is not inferior to the tablets of the professional Intuos3 series. This tablet will be an excellent choice for working with photographic images, and it will be suitable not only for basic operations retouching photos, but also for creating collages, as well as complex combined graphics, including photos and illustrations. The tablet is a good and economical choice for those who do not only photo processing, but also drawing. The disadvantages of the model include the lack of a function for programming keys for a particular application.

This series of tablets is focused on professional work with images. As already mentioned, there are no analogues to such devices in terms of accuracy and comfort of work.

The Wacom Intuos4 line of professional tablets.

Intuos4 tablets are available in several sizes and proportions, and are clearly labeled dimensions. S- Small / Small, work surface 15.75 x 9.84 cm, M- Medium / Medium, working surface 22.35 x 13.97 cm, L- Large / Large, work surface 32.51 x 20.32 cm, XL- Extra Large / Extra large, working surface 46.2 x 30.48 cm. When developing these devices, the task was to provide maximum comfort in work by recreating the effect of the movement of a real brush on the canvas. The pressure sensitivity here is 2048 levels, which allows you to control the diameter of the brush in Adobe Photoshop in a very wide range, without being distracted by selecting settings and pressing additional keys. When working with a light sensitive pen for a long time, the hand gets tired noticeably less.

Programmable Buttons ExpressKeys, customizable for each application, allow you to fully concentrate on the process of processing images, using a single input device for all operations. In models Intuos4 formats M, L and XL these keys have mode indications on organic LED displays, allowing you to use them more efficiently individual settings applications. Another feature of the devices Intuos4 is the presence of a touch ring with switchable modes, thanks to which, during the retouching process, it is possible to rotate the frame on the screen to the most convenient position. Touch ring toggle central button activates other means of navigation - zooming, scrolling and adjusting the diameter of the working tool. Tablets Intuos4 are also sensitive to pen tilt, which allows you to create strokes of complex shape with one stroke - this helps when creating masks with varying degrees of border blur.

Corel Painter: possible variant using a tilted pen stroke to fast selection gradient area

Cintiq display tablets

Devices of this type are tablets with integrated LCD monitors. The main idea behind their design is to allow users to move the electronic pen directly on the display surface. Compared to tablet PCs, these devices have higher resolution and greater pressure sensitivity.

Appearance of the Wacom Cintiq 21UX tablet display

Like the Intuos4 tablets, these devices are professionally oriented and feature ExpressKeys that can be programmed individually with different programs. Touch strips for scrolling and zooming in frames Touch Strips. Cintiq displays are available in several formats. The new Cintiq 21UX 43.18 x 32.39 cm tablet display has Touch Strips on both sides of the display for maximum convenience.

Hand position when using the left Touch Strip on Wacom Cintiq 21UX

Model weight Cintiq 21UX- approx. 10 kg, display resolution 1600x1200 pixels, pressure sensitivity - 2048 levels, rotation angles ± 180°. These devices are suitable for working in a studio with enough space for a large input device. The only drawback of Wacom Cintiq models is their high price, so Intuos4 tablets with similar characteristics are often chosen for professional photo work.

How to choose the right size and shape of a photo retouching tablet

It is believed that the most accurate hand movements can be performed on a tablet, the dimensions of which are commensurate with the size of the monitor, however, with regular photo processing, the efficiency of actions and reducing the load on the hand are more important. Therefore, medium-sized devices are usually chosen for retouching and coloring photos, and accuracy is controlled by scaling the photo on the screen.

To work on monitors with a diagonal of up to 23 ″, the most convenient, in my opinion, will be a tablet with working surface dimensions of about 20 x 15 cm and a pressure sensitivity of 1024 or 2048 levels. Smaller models are suitable for pairing with a laptop. As for the proportions of the tablet, when working with a single monitor, its proportions must match the proportions of the monitor. When using multiple displays, it is recommended to use large format tablets or use devices with a panoramic shape (Wide).

Summary

If, in addition to general corrections, while working with photographs, local ones are performed, namely, retouching, cutting out objects, selective color correction and colorization of frames, the use of a graphics tablet can significantly increase work efficiency. The most advanced devices for these purposes are Wacom graphics tablets, of which the best in terms of price / quality ratio can be considered models Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen&Touch A5. Maximum quality, performance and comfort will provide models Wacom Intuos4 and Cintiq. A budget solution for retouching and coloring photographs will be a model Bamboo Pen. The main advantages of graphics tablets when processing photos over other input devices - the greatest accuracy, pressure sensitivity, the presence of programmable keys, as well as high comfort, make them indispensable devices in the standard workflow of a modern digital photographer.

Andrey Turtsevich

In the spring, I did two reviews on Wacom tablets, and as a result, the idea was born to make a mini-guide that would help an inexperienced user make a choice. I prepared a short list of questions, and Wacom representatives answered them. I hope this information will give you a clearer idea of ​​​​graphic tablets and will be useful in choosing the right model.

What are graphics tablets and what are they for?

A graphics tablet, also known as a digitizer, is an input device for working with a computer, designed to perform those tasks that are convenient to perform without a computer with pencils, brushes, pens - drawing, writing by hand, etc. The tablet consists of a pressure-sensitive pen and flat work surface. Initially, tablets were invented in Japan for the convenience of entering hieroglyphs into a computer (because it was unrealistic to place a myriad of hieroglyphs like an alphabet on a keyboard). In the future, tablets were widely used among specialists. creative professions: designers, animators, artists, photographers. Today, the advantages of this gadget are recognized by both home users and office workers.

In modern tablets, the main working part is a network of wires (or printed conductors). Depending on its functionality, devices are divided into two main types: electrostatic and electromagnetic. In electrostatic tablets, a local change in the electric potential of the grid under the pen is recorded. In electromagnetic, the pen emits electromagnetic waves, and the grid serves as a receiver. In both cases, the pen needs nutrition. Wacom has created a technology based on electromagnetic resonance, in which the grid located under the working surface of the tablet both emits and receives a signal, and the pen only reflects it, so it does not require a separate power source.

Leading manufacturers of these devices include Acecad, Adesso, Aiptek, Genius, GTCO CalComp, Hitachi, Trust and Wacom. At the same time, the latter occupies about 80% of the world market, so for many the concepts of “graphic tablet” and “vacom” are synonymous.

What parameters to look for when buying a graphics tablet?

When choosing a tablet, it is important to understand that its working surface, in fact, is a projection of the screen. In other words, the cursor on the monitor always ends up at the point on the screen where you put the pen on the tablet. This quality is called absolute positioning and allows you to achieve much greater accuracy and precision than when working with a mouse. Other important characteristics tablet - resolution and number of degrees of freedom. Resolution is the step of reading information. It is measured in the number of lines per inch (English lines per inch - lpi). Typical values ​​for a modern tablet are from 512 to 5080 lpi. The number of degrees of freedom is the number of reading characteristics of the relative position of the pen and the tablet. The minimum number of degrees of freedom is 2 (location along the X and Y axes), but the pressure force of the pen on the working surface (from 512 to 2048 levels), its angle of inclination (up to 60 degrees) and the direction of rotation (by 360 degrees) can also be read. The last 2 features are only available on professional Wacom models.

Tablets are so different - how to make a choice?

The times when working with tablets was the exclusive prerogative of professionals are long gone. Today, models have been developed for home use, with which you can not only draw or edit photos, but also quite conveniently edit documents, play computer games and surf the Internet.

What distinguishes amateur tablets from professional analogues is, first of all, a lower resolution and the number of degrees of freedom, a lower pen pressure sensitivity, but if you do not create digital paintings or do not work in an animation studio, the difference will not be noticeable. Another important fact is that models designed for professionals are much more expensive.

Wacom's line of tablets for home use is called Bamboo. It includes 4 models, which differ in size, as well as the presence or absence of support for multi-touch technology (however, only the Bamboo Pen model does not support it). All devices in this line recognize 1024 pressure levels, which is more than enough for everyday use. In addition, you can purchase a Wireless Kit to not depend on wires.

For those who deal with graphics professionally, the Intuos line has been developed, which today consists of 6 models with sizes from A6 Wide to A3 Wide. Such a large work surface is much more convenient for drawing and drawing, but not so convenient for simply operating a computer. Intuos is much more customizable than Bamboo and has more controls. A professional tablet recognizes 2048 pressure levels, and in addition to a standard pen, it allows you to use an airbrush, a calligraphic pen, and even a “pen-mouse”. The fifth generation Intuos, like Bamboo, have learned multi-touch technology and support wireless connection via the Wireless Kit.

There is also a line of Cintiq. These are not ordinary graphic tablets, but interactive displays in which the tablet is built under the monitor screen. Their performance is about the level of Intuos, but the difference from a desktop tablet is that the pen works directly on the screen. Thus, the user receives a kind of "digital easel". There are four models in the Cintiq line, which differ in size.

How to choose the right tablet size for the monitor?

Modern tablets, like monitors, most often have an aspect ratio of 16:10. Therefore, if you have an old monitor with a 4:3 ratio, due to a mismatch in proportions, the picture you draw will turn out to be distorted: a circle will look like an oval, a square will look like a rectangle. This problem is fixed in the tablet settings, where you can select the "proportional" item so that the system automatically turns off part of the working surface (about 1 cm long or wide), "aligning" it to the monitor's proportions.

For professionals, it is more important to match the dimensions of the working surface of the tablet and the monitor screen, since it affects the ratio of the movement of the hand (pen) to the distance that the cursor travels from such movement. The principle is this: the smaller the tablet, the longer the stroke on the screen. The closer the monitor and tablet are in size, the closer the scale of hand movement and the result obtained. Manufacturers recommend this ratio:

• Monitor 13”-17” - Tablet ~A6
• Monitor 17”-22” - Tablet ~A5
• Monitor 22” and above – Tablet ~A4.

~A3 tablets are used in highly specialized areas (architectural and engineering design, working with drawings).

What are the main differences between Wacom tabletsfrom competitors?

As mentioned above, Wacom tablet pens do not require wires or batteries. It is convenient in operation and at times reduces the likelihood of a possible breakdown. The only part that requires periodic replacement is the tip, but they are included with the device with a margin. The ergonomics of Wacom tablets are designed in such a way that both right-handed and left-handed people can work comfortably with them. It is enough just to turn the gadget over and check the corresponding box in the settings.

Wacom customer service allows you not to wait for repairs, in the event of a malfunction, a defective device will be immediately replaced. However, the likelihood that any problems will arise at all is negligible. According to statistics, out of 10,000 devices, marriage is detected only in three.

Wacom tablets always come with drawing and retouching software, and there are many mini-apps specifically for Bamboo, including work, communication and entertainment, available through the Bamboo Dock interface (available for free download from the Wacom website).

Today we will talk about this useful tool in photo processing as a graphics tablet. And consider the Wacom Intuos Pro in particular. Also comparing it according to your experience of using it with other models.

And why is it so remarkable for processing? And the fact that we have in our hand a device comparable to a pen or pencil. We have been accustomed to working with these tools since childhood and can easily draw a straight line or vice versa a smooth curve. Try using the mouse to draw, for example, eyelashes or hair. And you will immediately realize that it is almost impossible to do it accurately. If you ask: “What if I don’t need to draw hair?”. But in any case, without even drawing something from scratch, we will process the photo, draw masks, darken / brighten, just draw neat lines. And here the mouse already loses in all respects, and most importantly, in time. Doing the same dodge & burn with a mouse is a pain. The tablet is much faster and several times more convenient.

Here it is worth clarifying that I am talking about high-quality processing. By the way, at the beginning of my work as a retoucher, I worked without a tablet, with a mouse. There was such a time :) Yes, I did dodge & burn, even neat. But it took me 3 times more time than with a tablet. And I couldn't really draw anything. In addition to smoothness and other delights, the Wacom tablet has pen pressure sensitivity. And recognizes from 1024 to 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity. Modern tablets still have additional keys, both on the tablet itself and on the pen, each of which is flexibly customizable. The number of keys on a tablet varies by model and size. More advanced models also have a touch ring (not like Harry Potter, but also cool). They can change the size of the brush, rotate the canvas, select a layer and much more to your liking (also configurable).
What tablet would I recommend? In any case - Wacom. But the model is already looking at the convenience and budget. Previously, Vakom had 2 lines of tablets - these are Bamboo and Intuos (they were called by numbers: Intuos4, Intuos5). The first for amateurs, the second for professionals. But it is worth noting that even Bamboo has characteristics that allow professionals to work with it without problems. It has a limited number of additional keys, does not have any nice perks like a pen stand, a large number different tips, touch ring, etc. Now the names of the models have changed, and now there are Intuos (former Bamboo) and IntuosPro (former Intuos). Naturally, the design of both models has changed, but the main functionality has remained almost the same.
I would like to talk about the IntuosPro tablet, since this is the latest model of the professional line and today we will talk about it. I have a size S. It is about the size of an A4 sheet in physical dimensions, and the work surface is about A6. It is larger than the regular Intuos (Bamboo) size S.

In the kit, apart from the instructions and the disk, I have a tablet itself, a pen, a pen stand (which comes with 10 nibs and tweezers), 3 interchangeable pen rings (for beauty and identification of pens, if, for example, you work in a studio, where each employee has his own pen), usb-cable and a module for wireless connection. The tablet itself has a soft-touch finish that is very pleasant to the touch, better than the Intuos4's glossy plastic. Regarding the wireless module, I always thought it was more of a toy than a really useful thing. But it turned out to be quite convenient, I like it. One wire less on the table. There are no delays in the speed of drawing with a pen. Compared with the wire - did not notice the difference. The tablet also has a multi-touch function, i.e. you can scroll sites with your hands, rotate photos in Photoshop, use many gestures (up to 5 fingers at the same time), etc. All this is easily configured for any action you need. I usually turn off the touch functions when processing photos, because they sometimes interfere with me personally.

The tablet itself has a work area smaller than it is physically. Area limits are highlighted with glowing triangles. Intuos did not have this until the 4th. On my main 4th, the entire work surface is the work area. Controversial moment. Due to this “extra” part of the working area, the tablet is not as compact in size as we would like. Also, Intuos4 has gaps in the plastic (grooves) in the places of the buttons and the functional ring. Sometimes all sorts of rubbish is clogged there in the form of crumbs (hello cookies) and similar small grains of sand. In Intuos5, this moment was well corrected, making almost the entire tablet homogeneous, without grooves. But in IntuosPro, these grooves were returned again. To be honest, I don't really understand why.

And about the buttons themselves. In the 4th version they are the most common ones, and in the Pro they have touch sensitivity. You can put your finger on top of the button without pressing and in a second you will see a hint on the monitor which function is assigned to this and other keys. Conveniently. The extra keys themselves (there are 6 of them, 2 rows of 3 in my Small model, and 8 in larger models) are very conveniently separated by a convex area on the middle of the 3 buttons. Those. You can even control where exactly your finger lies without looking at the tablet. A very convenient function is to call the tablet parameters from the additional button. I do not know if such a function is configured on Intuos4, but by default it is not there for sure.

A full charge of the wireless module was enough for me for 3 days active work. The tablet itself turns off after 2 minutes of inactivity. The shutdown time is configurable. There is an icon in the system tray showing the battery level. The pen for Intuos4, Intuos5, IntuosPro tablets is the same. They are compatible between models. And now about the fly in the ointment. Work area coverage. For me, as a retoucher, this is somewhat of a disappointment. On the Intuos4 it was matte but smooth to the touch. On the IntuosPro (and Intuos5) it is rough. Those. the feeling of drawing with a pen is not so soft. This, apparently, was done to please not the retouchers, but the artists. With such a coating, of course, the difference in tips is better felt and the sensations are really different (marker, pencil ...). But for retouching, this is simply not everything. Even with the softest tip on, I still don't feel a very soft glide. Although I can not say that everything is bad. Just not the way I'm used to on the Intuos4. In this regard, a dinosaur like Intuos3 was ideal. It just has a thick glossy film on it and it glides perfectly. And I also noticed an unpleasant feature when using the touch ring. There is a slight delay in the reaction of the tablet to sliding a finger along the ring. Regardless of whether you change the brush size, scale or something else. In Intuos4, this function works perfectly when you just start swiping your finger on the touch ring, and immediately changes set parameter. In IntuosPro, this response is slightly slower. This is literally for a fraction of a second and many will most likely not even notice it. But when compared with Intuos4, which I have been working on for the past 2 years, this is noticeable. Tested via usb and wireless module- there is a delay here and there. Otherwise, this is a great tablet that has a huge amount of customizable features and allows you to solve all your image processing tasks.
What conclusion can be drawn from the above? If you often process photos and want to improve the level, simplify the process and make it more comfortable and faster, then a tablet is a necessary thing for you.
In size, you can take S if you have a screen size up to 24 ". It will work comfortably. If the monitor is larger than 24", then it is better to take M. I now have a 24" monitor and I am comfortable with size M (my Intuos4) and with size S (IntuosPro). But on a laptop (15"), size M is inconvenient - very large. But size S is great.
I write all this purely according to my feelings and precisely as a retoucher. Artists may have a different opinion on certain things (coverage of the work area, etc.).
On this, thank you all for your attention and until the next articles! If you have any questions, write. I will answer with pleasure!