Mice and trackballs can make awkward input devices when you're working in Adobe Photoshop. Painting with a mouse may feel like painting with a tennis ball: clumsy, imprecise and uncomfortable. Retouching with a trackball limits your movements to one fingertip. As an alternative to this, drawing tablets stand out for their flexibility and hand comfort. Attach one to your computer and you'll unlock access to Photoshop features that are inaccessible without one.
Size
- Drawing tablets come in many sizes. The smallest fit easily in your lap. The largest include work surfaces that exceed a foot in width. Most tablet sizes refer to the dimensions of their work surfaces, not the overall size of the devices themselves. The largest usually appeal to drafters who design computerized blueprints and other CAD-based drawings. The smaller tablets work well for Photoshop artists and retouchers, especially those who are more accustomed to working in digital media than with traditional brushes and other drawing tools. Size your tablet to your workspace and your working habits to avoid a mismatch between your device and your needs. Investigate return and exchange policies before you buy as well.
Input Options
- Most graphics tablets ship with a stylus, built with a comfortable grip for minimal hand fatigue through long working sessions. Some tablets include a mouse, drafting puck, airbrush-like tool or other options. If you only need basic input support, choose a device with a standard stylus. Find out what models have options, in case you expand techniques, and check the cost of adding them later. If they require batteries, factor the cost of replacements into your budget.
Interface
- Older drawing tablets connected through a serial port on the PC and an ADB port on the Mac. Today's tablets offer USB interfaces, though some small devices include Bluetooth wireless connectivity, so get a cable long enough to reach your computer, especially if you'll need to connect it to a port on the back of your system. Some tablets can't connect through a USB hub, so arrange enough room to plug in your new device.
Feature Support
- Adobe Photoshop includes pressure-sensitive features in its brushes and other painting and drawing tools. Using a graphics tablet, you can simulate real brushing and airbrushing techniques, assign keyboard combinations to stylus-mounted input buttons to speed retouching operations and release your working hand from the clawlike position you use on a mouse. Unless you use a Photoshop-compatible drawing tablet, these features remain inaccessible, so choose a brand and model that will work with the software.
Learning Curve
- Some Photoshop artists find using a graphics tablet intuitive and comfortable after a few minutes' practice. Others need more time to get accustomed to the device, especially for accessing menus and other user interface elements. Before you purchase your tablet, download its user manual and familiarize yourself with its setup options. Then set aside some time to install your device, customize your added Photoshop options and practice your input techniques, including how its features can expand your working options and artistic choices.
