The Wacom Bamboo drawing tablet is the first tablet I have ever owned. I’ve been able to use one through a class, but I finally decided to cave in and get one. The biggest question I’ve gotten when people see the tablet is what it is. From first look, it could be some sort of snazzy mouse pad or electronic cutting board, but the Wacom tablet is one of the most useful tools for any graphic designer or illustrator.
To explain exactly what it does, think of a notepad, but instead of having what you write go onto the paper it transcribes it onto the computer. This is extremely useful for illustrators (cartoonists, etc) and for tracing simple sketches (like logos). Although a mouse can do everything a tablet can, the tablet gives the creator more control over their work. After actively using the tablet, I couldn’t believe how much the mouse holds you back.
The quality of the tablet is astounding and is on par with any Apple product. The devices is very thin and sturdy; nothing feels cheap or easily breakable. The pressure sensitive tablet takes up most the the space, but the top houses four programmable buttons (of which I never use) and a zoom pad. The device is powered by usb making it really simple to set up or put away. The included pen is comfortable to hold in you hand, but I have found the two buttons on the pen to get in the way. Holding the pen buttons down while touching the tablet will either allow you to drag the page (like holding spacebar) or right click. The pen also has a round nub on the back for “erasing,” but I think it’s a stupid gimmick.
Using the tablet takes some getting used to. I’ve been using the Bamboo for about a month and I’m still training my hand to draw straight (on paper I draw on an angle). I, personally, am not the best illustrator (which is already apparent) and I use it more for tracing scanned-in sketches, Live Paint just doesn’t do it for me. I’ve used the tablet in Illustrator, Photoshop, and Pixelmator, all of which work well, but Photoshop by far is the best app for the tablet. In Photoshop, pressure sensitivity works really well and sketching actually feels like sketching. Illustrator can be quite frustrating, especially without having tweaked some of the settings. Pressure sensitivity does supposedly work in Illustrator, but I’ve yet to get it working.
The Wacom Bamboo tablet is worth every penny and if you’re interested in illustration, you should consider buying one. It’s simple to setup and will work on nearly every computer (works on both my mac and vista pc). The Wacom Bamboo tablet is $79. Psst! On Amazon it’s cheaper.
Tags:
bamboo,
design,
gadget,
illustration,
sensitivity,
tablet,
touch,
wacom 