How to buy the right drawing tablet?

0 Comments | Rating: 0 | |

Graphic design is a great hobby and a good career, too. For me it is both at the same time. It began with a hobby and finally evolved into a regular job. I gained a formal education in graphic design and work full-time in this business now. I spend all my free time designing and learning new things. Nowadays, there are many resources on the Internet including hundreds of drawing tablets tutorials. I'm a passionate graphic hobbyist as well as practicing professional. I remember my beginnings very well and I must admit it was a bit hard. Drawing on a tablet was much harder and more difficult than drawing on paper. My adventure with graphic design started with a purchase of a drawing tablet. The selection was huge and it took me a lot of time to find the perfect one for me. So how to buy the right drawing USB tablet? I put down five factors which you should consider while making a purchase.

When choosing a graphics tablet people tend to care too much about the size of the device. I don't think it matters so much. It is good to know that bigger is not synonymous with better. If you use the tablet for your own purpose at home, then I would recommend 4â€³x5â€³ or 6â€³x8" size. Bigger tablets are good for professionals - designers, illustrators, creative artists - who may need more spacious tablet working area. But if your active area is larger you will have to move your arms more than with small-sized tablets. This is something to take into account when you want to feel 100% comfortable while using your tablet.

Graphic tablets pricing is a vital issue. They are not cheap devices but I have noticed that their price are falling. Now tablet companies differentiate their offer for professional and home users, for beginners and advanced. So if you can do without all those extreme features for professional use, then you can buy a tablet at a truly fair price.

With majority of drawing tablets you get a pen or stylus. Pens are handy and offer a great comfort of use. It is important that you check whether the pen or stylus takes batteries. If this is the case, then the pen will not be so comfortable to work with - it will be heavy on your hand.

To make your tablet work you need a driver compatible with your operating system. It should be provided by the producer of your graphics tablet. The driver software may offer a wide variety of features and functions. Before you decide to buy a particular tablet, have a closer look at what you get in the driver software. It may help you swallow tablet's price easier.

Now that you know what to buy, remember one thing, you have to get used to your tablet and it takes time. Tablet purchase will not automatically make your drawing technique better. What you need to do is practice. The more you practice, the better you will become.