A popular question I hear all the time is whether or not I use a tablet. And it’s always followed up by why? I think the answer is usually a surprise to people, because I have a very specific reason for using a tablet – so I figured I’d talk a little about it in this latest video and show you where it helps me.
By the way… here’s a link to the tablet I use in case you’re interested.
I love teaching and photography... In that order. I feel that enjoying photography, and photo editing can get WAY too complicated. So my personal mission (and favorite thing to do), is to create education that simplifies the process of taking great photos, and how to edit them to get the results you’ve always wanted.
Hi, Thank you for the article.
I just purchased the small pad with very helpful input from XP-Pen ( https://www.xp-pen.com ) and find it entirely adequate! I only do photography editing with mine.
I just got the tablet and I am not even touching the tablet with the pen and it is moving the cursor? I want to touch the pad not try to draw with the pen not touching anything. One person said that is correct and I only touch the pad when I am basically going to use it as if I would click with my mouse but I still can’t get the feel for it. Are there other videos on set up that I should watch?
Susan McClure
Hi Susan. I don’t do Pen/Tablet training. The best place to go is Wacom for any questions or support. Thanks!
After watching others use it I decided I need a Wacom tablet. Has anyone seen any great deals on these? I’m thinking a small, wireless is all I need. It’s not a typical Christmas gift and I haven’t seen any Black Friday offerings but I’m sure they are out there.
Any sightings? Thanks.
Hi Matt
How do you use the table pen to scroll thru presets, and catalog folder and collections?
I don’t have scrollbars there.
I normally use the scroll wheel on my mouse or drag my Macbook trackpad,…
How to do with a pen?
Thanks for the insight. I had a Wacom purchased for as a gift but not yet used it. This may be a silly question but when using the pen does it need to be touching the tablet, like it would be if you where using pen and paper to draw etc.
Hi. Yes, it needs to touch the tablet.
I do not seem to find pressure sensitivity working at all within LR CC on any of the brush functions. I did Google the issue, and there are lots of notes that it is inconsistent with LR CC version 9.x, at least on Windows platforms. The suggestion in Adobe Community Support by tech support was to turn off graphics acceleration, but that didn’t work either. I was surprised to learn that it was even possible. I will have to do some more research on it, as pressure sensitivity would be useful to me. (Also, Windows Ink has already been disabled. That never works well with Wacom hardware.)
Matt,
With the new MacOS you can mirror you Mac on an iPad (similar to AstroPad). With the Apple pen this makes your iPad like a Wacom Cinteq. This means you don’t have to buy a new tablet; just use your iPad. Lots of money saved. Have you ever tried that as opposed to your tablet? Would love to hear your experiences
You can do it and it will work, but you may not like the implementation. I don’t know how else to say but it’s just clunky. And you won’t get the pressure sensitivity and control you would with a tablet. But give it a try and see if you like it is my best advice. I’m biased after being a tablet user for 20 years, so it’s gonna be a tough compromise for me 🙂
Thanks, Matt. I haven’t relied upon the pressure sensitivity much but this video makes me ready to get in that mode.
Is the new Scenic Textures Pack that is being offered as a free add-on to someone who purchases the course this week going to be provided to those of us who bought the course earlier?
Thanks again for all you do to keep us improving.
Hi Bill. The Texture Pack that’s available is actually part of a bundle price that was available when the course first came out. You purchased only the course at $39.99 and could have gotten the texture pack for another $19 – which is the same price it’s available as now. You’ll notice I don’t ever undercut the initial release week price of any course. If you buy it the first week it’s out, then you get the lowest price ever. That is unless the content becomes outdated, then we’ll sometimes sell it for less for those that don’t mind a course using an old version, etc…
Thanks!
Ok, I bought it. Now what’s the best way to set it up for LR & PS? Really appreciate your videos. I’m becoming much better at post-processing.
Hi Sherri. As you’ll see in the video, there’s nothing I do different than just plugging it in and using it for pressure sensitivity. I think I do mention where the setting is in PS. In LR, there is no setting. It just automatically works.
I have a tablet, in fact the same one you do. But I just have not been able to get comfortable with it. I wish there was a course on setting it up properly with some lessons on actually using it. Learning on my own has not gone well.
I feel your pain. I bought the Bamboo CTH-460 many, many years ago and never got comfortable with it until just recently. Then I began to love it so much I upgraded to the Intuos Pro small and I absolutely love it.
Editing my images has gotten so much faster and more precise since my hand and brain decided to work with it. I struggled years ago and gave up. Then pulled it out of the closet and BAM, I started to ‘get it’.
I found some online tutorials that helped recently too.
See if you can find “Wacom Tablets & Photoshop CS6” You’ll probably find an up to date version, if they have kept this thing going. It’s from Photoshop Cafe. It straightened me out using the tablet.
Charles is right…Photoshop Cafe was very helpful.
I don’t use either PS or LR. I use Affinity Photo in place of PS and On1PhotoRaw2020 in place of LR. However, I wold expect that the settings I had on my tablet for PS when I was trying to use it would be similar for Affinity Photo. I think what I really need is a mini course, with assignments.
Check out creative live for a tablet course.
To all of you commenting on this particular thread. I felt that way at first. I struggled with the tablet for at least a year, trying to get comfortable with it, then putting it aside. I did this again and again, and eventually, I started to feel very comfortable with the Wacom Tablet. This was many years ago and at least three upgrades later. I cannot live without the tablet. I find it much faster to edit images and move the cursor across the screen. Not only is it easier when using brushes as Matt pointed out, but I find it much easier to move the sliders as well. Using a pen is really more natural than using a mouse, but you do have to get used to it first.
Regarding the buttons, I really don’t use them much except for one. The big circular button with the racetrack slider around it is great for quick zooming and for resetting the sizes of brushes. That button itself is worth all the other buttons put together for me. Again, your usage and preferences may be better.
Again, the bottom line is that using a tablet is easier and more natural than a mouse for photo editing once you get used to it. Before then, it’s a lot of frustration.
Informative, thank you. Honestly, I had not thought seriously about this device, nor did I perceive how this device could augment my artistry. So, inasmuch as you do focus on artistry, I do like some discussion on equipment/devices. Thanks Matt.
I love my Wacom but have one question. How do you scroll? I’ve been using the wheel but it’s a bit cumbersome. Thank you!
I love your arm chairs, could you give me the name of the
company who makes them, Great tutorial by the way….
Hi. Just check the other comments. Was already asked 🙂
Interesting. Always thought-provoking.
You make a very good case for using the pen because of it’s pressure sensitivity. My problem with the Wacom Tablet has been the lack of a proper set up instructions to get the pen and pad to react they way my track ball does. I used a Wacom for ten year before finally giving up after the last pad I had began acting really flaky. The drivers also do not work well with Windows 10. Your tutorial lead to experiment again and while I can use the pressure brush a bit on Lightroom I still have a hard time using the pen to control other functions. Until someone puts out a tutorial on the proper set up of the tablet I’ll stick with my track ball. Oh another vote of thumbs up for your Texture course!
What about setting it up do you need that isn’t included with Wacoms instructions the tablet comes with. Thanks!
I’ve been using a tablet for the past 20 years — no mouse, no trackpad at my workstation. I now use the same one you have, the Wacom Intuos, medium size, with my keyboard right beside it. Being ambidextrous, I switch the left and right position (and hand) every 6 months or so. Even after long hours at the computer almost every day for decades, I’ve never had any problem with carpal tunnel syndrome and the like, and I firmly believe that using a tablet saved me from this kind of trouble. I would not attempt any serious work with Photoshop and Lightroom without it (great also with Illustrator and InDesign).
And I replaced my rather ordinary chair with a gamer chair earlier this year — one of the best decision I ever made workwise.
I’m the same as you I have used the tablet for many years. There was a learning curve, but how I do not use a mouse or the track pad.
Matt,
As always a great summary. I have to add that I have used a Wacom tablet for years, but getting started was not easy. My first tablet was the small one and I could never get coordinated using my large monitor. Someone suggested getting the bigger one (the size you are using and showing) and almost instantly, I could get the hand and eye coordination down. I saved the smaller tablet for use with my laptop. One final note, to improve the learning curve, stop using the mouse or track pad for a while till you get used to the tablet. (You will never go back to a mouse, maybe the track pad.)
Thanks again. I look forward to your posts.
Hi Matt, Very interesting. I bought my Wacom a couple of years ago and, after a few frustrating trials of the device, threw it in a drawer and forgot it until I saw your video. Perhaps I was too impatient. I tried to use the Wacom exclusively instead of my Trackpad and I had a miserable time of it.
Anyway, I used your experience – using the Wacom as the go to tool for the adjustment brush – and gained an entirely different perspective. I really love it. Plus, one of the keys on the Wacom “woke up” and I use it to toggle between the brush and the erase function.
So, I will now re-familiarize myself with the Wacom, use it for the adjustment brush only and see if I can expand function as I move along. Great video. Thank you!
Thanks Matt, good video. I keep getting warnings from Apple about unsupported devices, specifically Wacom as Apple moves to 64 bit support only. Is Wacom going to keep up?
Also, why does Wacom want Keyboard monitoring even when not using the app. Sounds like needless data collection to me.
Hi Matt,
Did you change the mapping of the screen area on your Wacom tablet? I find I can’t reach everything with the entire mapping on the surface of the medium-sized tablet – I hit the edges of the tablet before I get to the area/tool I want to select in PS. I’ve also tried a smaller area without any luck either. Very frustrating. Any tips you can share? Thanks!
which tablet do u use
He tells you in the video
And in a link on this page near the video 🙂
Are you getting the same thing from the pressure sensitivity that you would from flow and opacity? The latter would take more hand movement to change the settings in the panel, but is the effect the same?
Hi. No flow and opacity are different. No matter what you do on a mouse, flow and opacity don’t equal pressure control. You can come close and it will work just fine for many, but I like the extra control I get with a tablet.
I’m an artist and have purchased the large Wacom Intuos Pro tablet. In fact, I haven’t set it up to my computer yet. After listening to your video for why you use a pad was understandable, but the speed you used to blend left me in doubt if I could learn what you were demonstrating. For instance, when you were “painting” with a brush tool around the elephant, I couldn’t grasp whether you were using a color or a clear softening tool as nothing appeared as a result of your work. Being a visual person makes what I saw confusing when nothing appeared changed. What are we to take away from that demonstration Matt?
Hi Gary. I was painting on a mask with black or white to reveal or hide the texture. As for takeaway, the video was supposed to address why I use a pen/tablet… for pressure sensitivity in painting subtle things where you don’t just want “on” or “off” but somewhere in between using a device that you can vary by pressing harder or softer. Thanks!
Cool Matt. I have often thought about a tablet but never got around to it. Maybe I will.
As always, an excellent video.
What planet in the universe did you get your chair from?
Ha! I love this chair. I had to give up my left arm to get it, but sitting down all day it’s well worth it. Herman Miller Embody chair. 🙂
I know what you mean. I’ve had a Herman Miller Aeron chair for years & years and it’s about time to replace it. The Embody looks like the candidate – but, as you said it is at least a left arm. Maybe an arm and a leg. The Aeron has been fabulous.