With so much of our work and school spaces going digital, our technology has to keep pace with the demands. When was the last time you tried to sign an online document with your mouse? Using your finger in a trackpad isn’t much better. Enter the tablet — and this review of the Wacom Intuos Pro Digital Drawing Tablet.
Here are the haves and have nots of drawing tablets, and why an investment in one of these devices could improve your workflow.
Why a Drawing Tablet?
For many, 2020 will be seen as the year when people made the necessary jump to work from home and attend school online. As we’ve adapted to video conferencing in place of staff meetings and class lectures, we have also adapted our workflow. We are becoming experts at cloud-based file-sharing and collaborating digitally. We are also replacing wet-signature contract signatures with digital ones.
A drawing tablet and stylus can help bridge the gap from how these tasks were done in the past and how they will be done in the future. The pens these tablets use provide a more nuanced control when retouching images or signing documents. They’re ergonomically more comfortable than a mouse. Then there’s the obvious advantage of a tablet for art and illustration software programs.
Wacom Intuos Pro Digital Drawing Tablet Review
Wacom has been an industry heavyweight for over 20 years. There’s something to be said when a company has had a foot in the creative world for that long.
Wacom tablets come in several sizes (S, M, and L) depending on your need. My husband, a professional photographer, has a large Wacom tablet. I appreciate the the Intuos Pro Digital Drawing Tablet’s ability to work like a computer and still let me sign documents using the pen. My signature looks like my real signature.
As my kids are now attending school online, they took the tablet and pen for a test drive as well. Both liked the versatility of the pen’s line quality and being able to use their finger on the tablet as a large trackpad. Both felt that the pen was more comfortable and easier to accomplish small movements than a mouse.
This all makes Wacom Intuos Pro Digital Drawing Tablet a worthy investment for students who need more versatility than a mouse can offer. However, if your child is just using the tablet as a digital book, this would be a pricey investment for them.
The Tablet and Stylus Connection
Many creative professionals have given up their mouse controller in favor of a stylus/pen and tablet, so the connection between the two is essential. The Intuos Pro stylus does not require batteries, it’s powered by the tablet’s electromagnetic resonance (EMR) technology. (The tablet itself is powered through a USB connection.) The pen is touch-sensitive and reacts not only to pressure but tilt, and comes with more than 8,000 levels of pressure sensitivity.
One downside of the system is the tablet surface. Initially, the surface feels more like paper. This is a familiar texture that makes writing and drawing feel familiar. Unfortunately, there is not a replacement film, once this wears out. My older tablet’s surface is so smooth from years of use, it is not as comfortable to use.
Intuos Pro Tablet and Versitility
What I like most about this tablet is its size. When I need to be mobile, the small Intuos Pro fits perfectly along with my laptop in my bag. Between the two devices, I can work just about anywhere. The pen enables me to accomplish my graphics needs comfortably, and with a sensitivity I would only expect from an actual pen or pencil on paper.
If I need to access a button or text field, I can use the pen or my finger before typing. The tablet reacts quickly regardless of the tool I choose. The pen stands also included extra nibs so I am never without a backup.
As an artist and a writer, I appreciate what Wacom has put into the development of their pens and tablets. The Wacom Intuos Pro Digital Drawing Tablet is not just portable, but cutting edge in offering a tool and surface that allow the use of technology to mimic as close as I have found to traditional graphic tools. Add to that the ability to utilize technology for data entry and navigation using a pen that feels more ergonomic than a mouse, and you have a tool that easily becomes a necessary part of your workflow.
Learn more at Wacom.
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