10 tips for choosing a graphics tablet

In the market of graphic tablets, several manufacturers dominate, which produce high-quality gadgets with good guarantees:

1. Wacom. Any professional artist will say that it is better not to find tablets of this company. The company annually updates a model range, and quality does not cause doubts. Buyers can choose between Macintosh operating systems and Windows, the most popular line is Bamboo.
2. Genius. Offers inexpensive tablets, for which he gained popularity among beginners. These devices are suitable for drawing in simple editors and photo processing.
3. Huion. The company appeared relatively recently, but managed to release several dozen tablets for various purposes. The brand applies the latest technology to win the buyer. At the same time prices remain affordable. Powerful tablet is recommended to buy professional artists and photographers.

Of course, the producers on the market are much larger than these three: Aiptek, Trust and Adesso are not so famous, although they produce quite good devices. They are inferior to the leaders in the number of functions and capacities, but they are perfect for beginners. They have programs for drawing and processing photos, and the price is often quite affordable. For example, many people prefer the Cybertablet Z12 tablet from Adesso because of the convenient stylus, ease of use and versatility.

In the variety of tablets easy to get confused, especially for beginners. In order for the device to perform its tasks, it is important to choose the correct model in accordance with the functional and design features:

1. Digital notebook.

This option is considered the most affordable and simple, it is preferred by novice photographers and teenagers. Notepad has limited functionality, it opens simple programs for image editing. Initially, they were released to make notes and translate handwritten text into digital.

In our time, such tablets can be seen in business people who sign on documents. The low resolution of the screen and the lack of recognition of pressing the stylus allow you to make simple sketches and contours, but with complex shadows and shading can not cope.

2. Semi-professional graphic tablets.

Such a device is profitable to buy for drawing on the computer. It has high sensitivity and diverse functionality. They are used by novices and professionals for drawing, entering graphics and text. They differ from the tablets of the highest category in size: the standard format is A5 or A6.

The only drawback of the device is the lack of a multifunctional stylus. It is harder to adjust for hatching, you can not change the degree of depression. The rest of the semi-professional tablets are not inferior to more expensive. They are bought for home drawings, web design, creating banners and logos.

3. Interactive monitors.

These tablets are purchased by professional designers, artists and photographers. Thanks to the touch screen and sensitive stylus, the buyer is able to create any image and text.

The choice of the stylus is one of the main steps when buying a graphics tablet, because it depends on him the ease of use of any model, even the most expensive. The main characteristics are the sensitivity to tilt and pressure, the type of pen, the material and the device tip. In accordance with this, all styluses are divided into 3 types:

1. Usual. Such a pen is able to draw a straight line, zigzag and any other element. They can recognize the angle of inclination and pressing force for accurate repetition of movement.
2. Realistic. It does not repeat the specified elements (straight line, circle, etc.), but follows the user's hand.
3. Sensitive. It features a high response to pressure and tilt, ideal for professionals.

Sensitivity is responsible for the compliance of the drawing or text with the artist's intention. Such styluses repeat the movement of the hand with precision, as if the person is driving on paper. They are able to make the line thinner or thicker depending on the degree of depression. There are several tens of sensitivity values, but manufacturers generally use only three:

1. 1024 degrees. Great for kids and beginners who create simple minimalistic images for websites.
2. 2048 degrees. The most popular value is used by designers and artists who produce works for the Internet and print media.
3. From 4086 degrees. It is found in expensive models. It is suitable for those who need the maximum accuracy of hand movement.

Tips are mainly made of plastic, which eventually wears out, so they need to be updated regularly. Accordingly, the stylus should have a removable mechanism. All tips are divided into 4 categories:

1. Standard. Inexpensive option made of soft plastic. Suitable for photographers and emerging artists. With their help it is convenient to draw, create digital painting, design of logos, brands, sites.
2. Hard. These tips last the longest due to their high density. They are acquired by professionals who work a lot with the device. However, it may be unusual for a beginner, since the stylus is more difficult to control. At first, the hand quickly gets tired.
3. Spring loaded. These tips have a small spring, which softens the stylus. They slowly wear out, but you have to learn to use the device again. Spring-loaded tips completely change the force of depression.
4. Elastic. The second most popular tips. Suitable for artists, as hands get tired slowly. However, they wear out quickly and are expensive.

The choice of the tip depends on the preferences, however, professionals recommend to look at the technology of electromagnetic resonance. Such styluses do not require recharging. The activation of the pen is affected by the Initial activation force parameter. The lower the value, the faster the stylus will start when it touches the tablet.

Even a novice pays attention to the size of the device, as it depends on the ease of use. This value is measured in inches (1 inch is 25.4 mm) and is indicated diagonally. At the same time, a large tablet is not always better than a small one. For home fit compact options 6x8 or even 4x5. This size is enough for the manufacturer to place powerful iron inside.

Professional artists and photographers prefer large tablets, but the price is appropriate. Bulky gadgets are inconvenient because you have to move a lot with your hands. If the buyer does not need to work with large canvases, such a tablet will become a burden, not an assistant.

A couple of years ago, the maximum size was considered 9x12 inches, which corresponded to the diagonal of computer monitors. Over time, they have become more, increased and the performance of gadgets.Wide-format tablets are made by Wacom and some Chinese brands that duplicate the original. Thanks to modern software, the gadget itself adjusts to the monitor. Drivers change automatically, the user only agrees with the result or rejects it. Recently, a large tablet has been released by Aiptek, which also includes free software.

The last thing you need to pay attention to when choosing a size is the aspect ratio of the working area. Users of widescreen monitors should buy devices marked wide, that is, wide. Otherwise, part of the display will not be involved, the meaning of the large screen will disappear. If you make a big mistake with the size, the proportions will be significantly distorted.

Professionals install their own drivers and customize the size of the tablet under the monitor, but for a beginner it may become an unnecessary difficulty. It is recommended to immediately select the appropriate diagonal.

If the images on the tablet look blurry or grainy, then the expansion of the image is too low for its size. Professionals call this measure DPI, that is, the number of dots per inch. Artists sometimes say PPI, as this value uses Photoshop and other graphic editors. The meaning of the action is similar, it is important to buy a tablet with the correct number of dots per inch. The larger the value, the clearer and brighter the picture or photo will be. Such images look great when printed and approximated.

DPI, which some manufacturers call the read information step, shows how many sensors are on the surface of the screen. The higher the value, the more accurate the transmission line and points. Professionals choose graphics tablets with an indicator of about 5080 dpi, since even at high magnification the picture remains clear. Lovers and beginners will suit 2040 dpi. This is enough to keep the lines from looking grainy, and the image is easy to edit and process.

The higher the resolution, the more pixels in a normal stroke. Accordingly, the program is more difficult to process the picture. In order for the tablet to cope with such a task, it will need a powerful iron.

Judging by the reviews of professionals, a large resolution is needed only to create detailed images. Despite the fact that beginners often choose a high value and overpay, many do not use this feature. 2040 dpi is enough to create realistic images and photos of excellent quality.

In total, 2 types of video cards are installed in graphic tablets: integrated and discrete. The first is built-in, and the second is via the bus. Both display images on a computer monitor. However, the built-in map is not able to handle a complex 3D model qualitatively. It does not have the necessary cores, shaders, shadows, smoothing and other modern "chips". The most popular manufacturers of such cards are Amd Radeon and Intel HD. It is recommended to buy these tablets to amateurs, beginners and semi-professionals, as they cost an order of magnitude cheaper.

The main difference between the discrete model is the number of cores and throughput. This video card has modern filters and powerful technologies. As a result, even complex and heavy graphics are made quickly. It is not surprising that such video cards are much more expensive, but they are highly valued by professionals.

If the tablet is required to create simple graphics, standard photo processing and 2D images, then the integrated video card will do an excellent job. And if the device is needed for 3D modeling and running complex editors that take up many gigabytes of memory, then the discrete will be the best choice.

Modern tablets allow you to connect an additional video card to the native integrated one. The cost of these gadgets is higher than the rest, but they grow and develop with the owner.

RAM is responsible for all running applications, including image editors, photo processing programs, etc. During the action, it consumes energy, and when it is turned off, all information is deleted. Only the processor's cache works faster than RAM, so the responsiveness of the tablet directly depends on it. If it is not enough, the multitasking device will decrease significantly. All downloads will last much longer.

Most inexpensive graphics tablets have a memory of 512 MB to 3 gigs. Of course, not only is she responsible for the speed of the device, much depends on the operating system. But with Android and Windows, everything is simple - the more, the better. 512 MB is no longer enough for most graphic editors. 1 GB is enough to run Photoshop and comfortably save several images of medium size.

When buying a new tablet from Apple, the RAM practically does not matter. The company has optimized the software so that it runs quickly, is not buggy and does not lag behind the user's actions. 1 GB is enough even for professionals.

There are 3 tablet power options available:

• battery;
• wire (from the mains);
• wireless power (available only on Wacom tablets).

Most novice artists who do not plan to take a graphics tablet with them, suitable for power from USB, connected to a computer. Professionals often travel with a gadget, they need alternative energy sources.

For the tablet to work at any cost, you need to install the correct drivers. These programs control all the functions of the device, for example, the sensitivity and tilt of the stylus. In most cases, they are installed automatically, especially from trusted manufacturers. Buying a very cheap tablet, there is a risk of being left without programs that will have to be purchased additionally.

There are 2 popular operating systems that are installed in gadgets:

• Microsoft Windows (xp, 7 or 8);
• Mac Os (10.4, 10.5, 10.6).

Depending on the system, the user purchases free software with the device. Some companies, including Wacom, require you to register on the site in order to get access to all the features of the pen tablet. Many have free libraries with training courses, others offer a large selection of tools for creativity / graphics / design, etc. Before buying it is recommended to view a list of programs that are included. This will help save money in the future.

Most modern tablets can operate either from USB or wirelessly, but not in both states at the same time. In high-quality gadgets, the appropriate mode of action is activated automatically when the device cannot find the wire.

Modern tablets are equipped with battery status sensors, which are located on the rear or side panels. They signal three situations:

1. Yellow light if the battery is charging through the wire.
2. Green if the battery is fully charged, but the cable is connected to the device.
3. Red or off if the tablet is operating wirelessly.

When choosing a device with a wireless connection function, it is important to pay attention to several nuances:

1. This mode recognizes the monitor at a distance of 10 meters, often much less. Go to another room with a tablet will not work.
2. Although it is not necessary to sit with the device directly in front of the computer, many manufacturers warn that other equipment (televisions, computers) interfere. Even metallic objects between the monitor and tablet affect the signal.It is often inconvenient to work further than a couple of steps from the screen.
3. To make the tablet last longer, it is important to wait until the system is fully loaded, and then turn on the wireless mode. Otherwise, the programs will start to fail and respond to user actions with a delay.