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The pen is mightier than the mouse for imaging
 A big challenge in digital image editing is bridging the gap between the familiar physical world and the often disparate digital world. While a mouse may be a natural extension of the arm of anyone born after 1984, for many of us, the most familiar tool is the good old-fashioned pen. That’s why it can be such an amazing, refreshing, and satisfying experience to start editing with a pen and tablet, abandoning the mouse to the point-and-click tasks for which it was invented.
Wacom is the ruler of the tablet world. They are the technology’s innovators, and competing tablets are now few and far between. They make two lines that are relevant to photographers: the Graphire3 for enthusiasts, and the Intuos2 for the serious retoucher. The tablets connect to your computer via USB, and provide a surface similar to a supersmooth mouse pad. Magically, the included wireless mouse and pen tools require no batteries.
The weirdest thing about using the pen tool at first is precisely the thing that makes the tablet most useful. Unlike the mouse, which moves in relation with the screen, the pen works differently—each point on the tablet corresponds to a point on the monitor. That means if you put down your pen to clone out some dust in the bottom right corner of your image, you put down your pen on the bottom right corner of your tablet.
The truly wonderful and natural thing about working with the pen is its pressure sensitivity. Just like in real life, the harder you press, the larger and darker your mark. You can even set the tool to change color with different amounts of pressure. Anyone who’s constantly changing brush sizes and opacities when cloning, painting, or selecting will immediately appreciate the increased connection between the mind, hand, and imaging program. And did I mention that all of the pens in both lines have a pressure-sensitive eraser as well?
Flying feathered lines: Bird drawn with the Wacom pen (left); an attempt to duplicate it (right) with the mouse.
There are two things to consider when buying tablets: type and size. The pressure sensitivity of the Intuos is twice as strong as on the Graphire (1,024 levels vs. 512), but this difference will probably be imperceptible to the average user. What’s more important is the size. Since each point on the tablet corresponds directly to a point on the monitor, all the space of the monitor must fit in the space of the tablet. With a smaller tablet, a small gesture moves you quickly across the screen. But with a larger tablet, the same small gesture moves you over a tiny portion of the screen, allowing you finer access to your pixels. So, the bigger the monitor you have, the bigger the tablet you want.
The smaller 4x5-inch Graphire3 is reasonably priced at $100 (street). But if you do a reasonable amount of retouching it probably makes more sense to spring for the larger, 6x8-inch Graphire3, at $200. With both sizes, you not only get a pen tablet but also a programmable, three-button precision cordless mouse and some useful software programs.
The Intuos series starts at $190 for a 4x5-inch tablet, $300 for a 6x6-inch, and runs up to $700 for a 12x18-inch super tablet. Its features make more sense for the truly dedicated who spend hours a day editing. There’s a control strip at the tablet’s top for quick access to program functions; the driver allows the pen’s buttons to be customized for separate applications; the pen supports tilt (excellent for calligraphy-like effects) and is weightier and cushioned with a rubber grip; and the bigger models come with a mouse that has five (five!) buttons. There are also other optional pens—one that mimics an airbrush and another that feels more like a paintbrush.
Much like TiVo, the pen tablet is one of those things you don’t know you can’t live without until you own one.
What's Hot
Pressure sensitivity: change brush size, shape, and opacity with a touch. Great ergonomics: prevents repetitive-stress injury.
What's Not
Bigger is best, but it’ll cost you. Most desks aren’t designed with big tablets in mind.
Specifications
System Requirements: PC: Microsoft Windows 98 or newer; Mac: OS 9, X or higher; USB port
Software: Graphire3: Adobe’s Elements 1.2, Corel Painter Classic, nik’s penPalette LE; Intuos2: Elements 2.0, Corel Painter Classic, penPalette, Wacom Brushes 1.0
Street Price: Graphire3: $100–$200; Intuos2: $190–$700
For Info: www.wacom.com; 800-922-9348
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