Pen Tablets - Stop using the mouse!

Here is a Post Production secret: a lot of photographers use Pen Tablets instead of a mouse with PhotoShop. Graphic Artists, Illustrators and Digital Artists also use them, and you can use one with more then just PhotoShop. I personally find it easier to draw on an image with a Pen Tablet, a mouse is just not as accurate and "real". For artistic use it works on everything you would use a mouse for.



Here is the lowdown: As you can see from the photo above of my tablet, this Wacom Intuos tablet comes with a pen, pen holder and mouse. It connects to your computer via a USB cable or BlueTooth. The buttons on either side can be customized through the included software. There are also two zoom sliders as well.

The coolest part? It's pressure sensitive! The harder you press, the more of an effect it has on your image. For example, if I set the Healing Brush in PhotoShop to 100 and then start to correct an image, the brush size is small with less pressure, and larger, up to 100, when I press harder. How sweet is that! The ability to change brush size with pressure is a great time saver.

Looking to bring your post-processing workflow a boost? Give a Pen Tablet a try. Check our wacom.com for a good fit, they are available in many sizes. They even have a version that is an LCD monitor and tablet in one!