Wacom Intuos
MSRP $199.95
“A bargain Wacom Intuos will pay for itself in time saved.”
Avg
-
Pressure sensitive pen
-
Express hotkeys
-
A more natural procedure
-
Affordable
-
15 hours of battery life
Against
-
Some scratches can be seen from use
-
Initial adjustment period
Wacom’s creative pen tablets help create a physical, hands-on experience in creating digital art. The company is known for its pro tools with pro-level price points, but the Intuos series is designed as an affordable entry into pressure-sensitive control in illustration, design and photo editing.
Priced between $80 and $200, the Wacom Intuos series (not to be confused with the higher-end Intuos Pro line that starts at $250) brings 4,096 levels of pressure-sensitive pen control to more users. The Intuos comes in two sizes, small or medium, with a 7-inch or 10-inch desktop, respectively. The small version is available with or without Bluetooth, while the medium model (tested) includes Bluetooth as standard. As the gateway drug to pressure-sensitive editing and design, it was hard not to get hooked on the Intuos. Here’s how to hold a cheap Wacom pen tablet.
Screenless design
Unlike Wacom’s flashier Cintiq line of pen displays, the Intuos isn’t a display per se. The surface of the tablet corresponds to your computer monitor; moving a pen across a tablet is similar to moving a finger on a trackpad — the movement is in your hands, but your eyes stay forward, looking at the monitor. Although it sounds less intuitive than drawing directly on the screen, it feels natural in practice.
Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends
Most of the tablets are occupied by this working surface, which is 8.5 x 5.3 inches on the larger model, and 6 x 3.7 inches on the smaller one. Above the desktop is a set of five buttons, called Express Keys, which are slightly recessed into the tablet and serve as a slot for storing the pen. The middle button turns the tablet on and off and helps with Bluetooth setup. The remaining four buttons are customizable and can be customized to control different functions in different applications.
As the gateway drug to pressure-sensitive editing and design, it’s hard not to get hooked on the Intuos.
The pen feels like a typical pen for writing in your hands, right down to the same point at the end. However, it also has two buttons on the side that, like those on the tablet, can be adjusted.
Made of smooth black plastic similar to the keys on a MacBook, the Intuos should look right at home on most desks. Four rubber pads underneath ensure a firm grip on the tablet while you work. Although it’s made of plastic, the Intuos feels well built for the price. We found that with enough use, the stylus will leave tiny scratch marks on the surface of the tablet and is prone to finger smudges.
Start of work
For a computer, the Wacom Intuos is just a fancy mouse — and you can use the Intuos in any program by hovering the pen over the surface and tapping to click. First, you’ll need to install Wacom’s software, which lets you customize buttons, view battery life, and manage other settings. Initial setup is fairly straightforward, with the software’s on-screen instructions. (We tested the Intuos on a Mac, but the system is also compatible with Windows 7 or later, with the exception of Windows 10 S).
Bluetooth setup is also painless — after opening the Bluetooth settings and turning on the tablet, the Intuos connected on the first try. Once Bluetooth is enabled, the only thing that requires a USB cable is charging. In our experience, battery life was in line with Wacom’s specification of 15 hours. (The cheapest Intuos has no Bluetooth and relies entirely on USB).
Pressure sensitivity gives the Intuos its biggest advantage over a mouse.
While setting up the tablet is easy, configuring custom settings and finding settings that work for your workflow take some time and experimentation. Tablet hotkeys can be assigned to types of mouse clicks, navigation (such as panning and zooming), and on-screen controls. Probably the most useful custom setting is the ability to assign a keyboard shortcut to a hotkey. This allows you to turn the most complex or frequently used shortcuts in your favorite applications into a single keystroke.
The two buttons on the stylus offer the same amount of customization. The click and navigation settings allow you to use the pen more freely like a mouse, with right-click and scroll functionality. You can also change the sensitivity of the pen tip to make it more comfortable for a lighter or stronger touch.
Additional options allow you to choose how to map the table to the dual monitors.
Graphics tablet for beginners
Since Wacom is an inexpensive option, the Intuos line for beginners (like this writer) is exactly what it was designed for.
For photographers, Intuos’ customization options come in handy in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. In Lightroom, we set up two left hotkeys to increase and decrease brush size, and two right hotkeys to quickly access the healing tool and local adjustment brush. In Photoshop, we kept the brush size healing brush, but replaced the local adjustment brush with an undo command. We left the pen controls as right click and scroll for navigation when the photo is zoomed. Your own preferences will also depend on the commands you use most often.
Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends
Learning to use the Intuos feels like trying to type without looking at your hands for the first time. Looking at the screen instead of your hands while drawing feels weird at first, but that weird feeling slowly fades the more you use the tablet system, until it’s as easy as typing. In fact, using a separate tablet and monitor — versus drawing directly on the screen — can even be an advantage, since your hand isn’t physically blocking your view of your digital canvas.
The biggest advantage Intuos has over using a mouse is pressure sensitivity. More pressure creates smaller, darker strokes, while less pressure creates a line as large as a selected brush with more gradient edges. The stylus doesn’t mean you never have to choose a brush size, shape or edge again, but the pressure sensitivity allows you to achieve the maximum brush size or just a fraction of the selected brush with light pressure.
The Intuos will be the biggest time saver for anyone who does a lot of intricate brush work.
Because of this feature, Intuos will be the biggest time saver for anyone who does a lot of intricate brushes, as it cuts down on the time spent switching back and forth between different brushes and transparency settings. While the benefits may not seem so obvious to photographers, the dodge and capture tool is also pressure sensitive, making it easy to create lighter or darker burns in an image simply by adjusting pen pressure.
While the Intuos is most time-efficient when using pressure sensitivity, tablet-based editing feels more natural for a number of other uses. Using a pen to erase spots with the heal tool was slightly faster than using the mouse, but it also felt more natural and, frankly, helped make the tedious task a little more enjoyable.
Our example
Wacom Intuos is an easy entry into pen and tablet based photo editing and illustration on a budget. While it’s not as large as more expensive options and only serves as a screen map rather than an actual screen, the Intuos’ pressure sensitivity simplifies and speeds up many types of brush-based work. We also appreciated how the customizable buttons on the tablet and pen create a more efficient workflow.
Is there a better alternative?
Wacom is to graphics tablets what Adobe is to photo editing — its products are the industry standard. While there are competition from professional brands, with the Intuos priced between $80 and $200, there’s no reason to stray from a premium brand. Towards the price range of the larger model, you can find older budget options that use a built-in screen, but with half the pressure sensitivity levels and no Bluetooth connectivity.
Within the Intuos line, Wacom offers two sizes, the smaller of which will require more zoom on the screen to work on finer details. Users who will use the tablet exclusively at the desk and don’t mind the mess of cables can save a few dollars on a small option without Bluetooth. The larger Intuos M used in this review retails for $200. Users also get access to three graphic arts programs. Intuosa S customers can choose between Corel Painter Essentials 6, Corel AfterShot 3 and Celsys Clip Studio Paint Pro, while Intuosa S Bluetooth owners can choose two and Intuosa M users get access to all three.
How long will it last?
Wacom Intuos replaces Wacom Draw, released in 2015 — if the company follows the same release schedule, the replacement won’t be for another three years. As an industry standard, we fully expect Wacom to support newer versions of Photoshop, Lightroom, and other programs throughout the life of the Intuos. The build of the tablet and stylus also feels durable and although we did notice some minor scratches after a few weeks of use, nothing affected usability.
Should you buy it?
Wacom Intuos is an easy choice for creatives who work a lot with a brush — buy Wacom Intuos if you don’t need the accessories of the professional version, but you often use brush, pencil, eraser, dodge, or burn tools. While the Intuos is useful and fun for other tasks, such as using a clone or healing brush, the time saved may not necessarily return the cost of the device. This is where the $80 Intuos S (without Bluetooth) might still be worth considering. And if you’re considering one of the programs in the $50 bundle, the price essentially drops to $30 for the cheapest version.
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn