If you engaged in the design, you must use software like Adobe Photoshop, Corel Photo Paint all the time. Do you feel it is so inconvenient to use mouse to paint? Mice are not tailored for design at all. While painting with paper and painting brush is the most comfortable way. Nowadays, a new device has been produced. That is the graphics tablet. But do you know what factors need you consider before you buy a graphics tablet?
Size
Size is one of the first factors you’ll need to consider in choosing a tablet. Bigger does not equal to better. For home users and hobbyists, the most common sizes are 4″ by 5″ and 6″ by 8″. CAD users, artists, and technical illustrators may desire a larger surface area, but the price escalates as the size increases. You know, the larger your tablet surface is, the more you will need to move your arms. Many people prefer a smaller tablet to minimize arm motion. However, this may feel unnatural to an artist who is used to drawing or painting with large sweeping motions. Another important thing you should know about tablet size is that the dimensions given almost always refer to the input surface area of the tablet. The actual footprint of the tablet can be as much as 4 to 5 inches larger than the input area. Keep this in mind when you buy a graphics tablet, or you may be surprised that your tablet takes up much more desktop space than you may have considered.
Pen/Stylus and Accessories
A graphic tablet should come with a pen that feels comfortable and natural in your hand. Find out if the stylus requires a battery. A battery will not only require occasional replacement, but it will make the pen heavier, too. Your pen may be tethered or free. If the pen is untethered you’ll have to be more careful about losing or misplacing it. If the pen is tethered, make sure you can choose which side of the tablet to attach the pen. Many pens will also have a switch or buttons built onto the pen, and some pens have an erasing end. This is an excellent feature because the buttons can be programmed for specific functions such as a right-click or double-click, and the erasing tip can perform a delete function in one swipe, or automatically activate the eraser tool in your graphics software. Some tablet manufacturers offer additional pens and other pointing tools that you can program independently. When using these optional accessories, your tablet should recognize it as a new tool and use the customized preferences you have specified for that specific tool.
Interface
The interface is how your tablet connects to your computer. Most tablets these days have a USB interface which is ideal since most computers in use today support USB. USB devices are hot swapable so you’ll be ale to move the tablet more easily for use on multiple computers or just to get it off the desk when you need to.
If you have a very old computer that does not support USB, you’ll need to choose a tablet with a serial interface. If you need a serial interface, be sure your computer has an available serial port that does not conflict with another device. If you have both a serial mouse and a serial modem (rare these days), proceed with caution, because you could face a conflict if you add a serial tablet. A tablet with a USB interface gets its power from your computer, but a serial tablet requires a separate power connection, so you’ll want to make sure you have an available outlet that can accommodate a medium-sized transformer.
Bluetooth is another option for connecting a graphics tablet to your computer without the use of wires. Bluetooth is a wireless protocol frequently used for connecting electronics devices. Currently, Wacom is the only manufacturer I know of producing a Bluetooth-capable tablet, the Graphire Bluetooth, which can connect to your computer without wires.
So, please keep all the tips in mind and come to check if any of the graphics tablets can meet your need on tomtop.com.
