Graphics drawing tablets

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Dillusion

Supreme [H]ardness
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Oct 21, 2003
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I use photoshop allot for web and printwork (sites, flyers,etc) and I was wondering how some of the more complex shapes and effects are done. I was told that allot of graphics artists use the digital tablet/pen combo to do such things.

Do any of you use them? I am clueless on a brand, which are best, what to look for etc. I wanna spend around 50-80$~ for a starter one I can play with and test out.
 
Lots of people do use them, especially if they are painting images. There really is only one brand in the Tablet industry worth buying from that's Wacom. There products are top of the line. Although for 50-80 dollars you wont be able to get a great one.

Intuos/Cintiq are the best line of tablets from Wacom, Contiq is touch screen, and Intuos is normal tablet with amazing power.
Graphire is the next level, not as good but still fine for a job in PS.
Then you get the other random ones. Bamboo etc, which is pretty nice.

With your kind of budget you wont be purchasing a Intuos anytime soon. Look into the smaller Graphire tablets and maybe the Bamboo which is nice.

This Graphire is $84, it is small but the sensors mean that you can draw small and it comes out much larger, they btake a bit of getting used to but once you know how it works they are simple.

If you want a larger one you are going to have to spend quite a bit more though. You can always look into othere brands but no-one comes close to Wacom.
 
Invest in a Wacom, you'll love it. If you're a student look for academic discounts and all that good stuff.
 
remy21 said:
Invest in a Wacom, you'll love it. If you're a student look for academic discounts and all that good stuff.
Click to expand...

Where can you get academic discounts online? I know that school's don't promote such a niche-y thing.
 
I have RSI like a mofo, anybody use these for day to day mousing tasks. How well do they work ?

Does the cursor move with the tip of the pen, or only when you make contact.
 
The cursor moves when you're within the range of the tablet, which is usually about a centimeter or so.

As for RSI, I don't know. That's mostly about posture and whatnot. If you have a bad desk and chair, you'll get RSI even with a tablet, though it might help.
 
Dillusion said:
I was wondering how some of the more complex shapes and effects are done.
Click to expand...
I'm not quite sure what you mean by that. A tablet doesn't give you any special new abilities in Photoshop, just makes things easier.

Scotty_SFF said:
There really is only one brand in the Tablet industry worth buying from that's Wacom.
Click to expand...
QFT. :) I have a 6x8 Intuos2, before that have a 6x8 ArtzPad (precursor to the Intuos). I would think the 4x5 Graphire would be a tease.
 
Really, the non-Wacoms aren't so bad. The 9x12 Genius is quite good, and it's about the same price as a small Graphire. Honestly, the Graphires aren't worth buying. You'll be paying an arm and a leg for the Wacom brand, and they offer NOTHING that the competing brands can't match. You buy Wacom for the Intuos and Cintiq. I'd rather have a Genius tablet, than a Graphire. Especially considering the fact that you get about four time as much space for your money.
 
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