Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with wacom

Pen not recognized on Tablet PC

kzin602 — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:23:51 -0800

I have a Fujitsu Lifebook T4210. After the screen broke I ordered a replacement from ebay that looked like someone just selling stripped computers. He said it was 100% operable. After installing it everything works including the LCD but the pen is not recognized. Wacom uses a general driver for all tablet pcs, so I ruled that out. All connections are secure and since I had two of everything I even tried swapping cables out to see if one was faulty. Lastly I removed the digitizer from the old unit. I knew that one worked, it was just a huge line across my lcd that was damaged. So, I figured I could swap them out. It still is not recognizing my pen. The pen is passive so it is probably hard to break so I don't think its that. I don't know much about wacom digitizers so maybe I caused damage when changing them out? Fujitsu seems to be stumped too, they just want to charge me 750 to have them replace the whole screen unit. What are some things I can test to see where the problem is? Any help or advice will be much appreciated. BTW, Everything else works fine, just not the tablet aspect, and I am running Windows 7.

Why does my Wacom pointer freak out and go jumpy?

cadge — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:33:52 -0800

Wacom tablet (Graphire2) on Win2K machine. Sometimes the pointer goes nuts and becomes jumpy and unusable until I unplug and replug the tablet. Drivers appear to be up to date. Any thoughts on why this happens? I have a Wacom Graphire2 4x5 tablet hooked up to my Windows 2000 PC. I use the stylus/tablet instead of a mouse, so it's in constant use. It's plugged into one of the machine's USB ports (previously one of the front ports, now one on the back).

Occasionally, the pointer just WIGS OUT. It suddenly relocates to another spot on the screen and becomes jumpy and overly sensitive (an ordinary small movement makes it fly to the other side of the screen). It stays like this until I unplug and replug the tablet.

I don't know what causes this; sometimes it happens after I bring the machine back up from being on standby, and sometimes it happens if I just haven't been mousing for a few minutes. This tends to happen once or several times per workday.

I tried installing more recent drivers from Wacom's site, but they didn't appear to affect the problem. The tablet is 5-6 years old, but this problem has been happening for a couple of years. It also happens on my home computer, which has the same setup (5-6 year old Graphire2/Win2K).

Any thoughts on what might be causing this? It's driving me up a wall!

Seeking a permanent solution for my Wacom tablet woes.

iamkimiam — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:09:30 -0800

Sometime around the beginning of this year, my Intuos2 Model 0608-U 6"x8" Wacom tablet driver stopped loading upon login and restart. I reinstall it every time I login/restart. All of the tips, tricks, workarounds suggested by both Wacom and Apple do not work. I am running Mac OS 10.5.7. Is there anything left to try? The tablet works after I reinstall. I have tried uninstalling, disk repair, permissions, reinstalling (various versions of the tablet driver) in all possible combinations. Is anybody else having this problem? What has worked for you?

I'm looking for a permanent solution that does not cost $$. I will reinstall indefinitely if I have to, but it is getting tiresome. Thanks!

What art software should I download for my tablet?

castironskillet — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:46:46 -0800

I just got a Wacom tablet for Father's Day. I can choose to download two of the following: Adobe Photoshop Elements, Autodesk Sketchbook Express, Corel Painter Sketch Pad. Which should I choose? It seems like maybe I should get Photoshop and Sketchbook? I really don't know how to use any of these. I have noodled around with Photoshop before but never tried Painter or Sketchbook. I see that Sketchbook is big on how it was designed for use with tablets -- Painter was not? I want to get started on the best path. Can you help me?

What size Wacom tablet do I need?

unreason — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:24:12 -0800

Do I want a wide aspect Wacom tablet, or should I go with the standard one? I'm going to be getting a Wacom Intuous tablet, but I'm not sure which one I should get. I was thinking of getting the 6x8, but I have a wide monitor; a Syncmaster 2493hm displaying at 1920x1200. Should I go for the wide aspect 6x11 tablet? Will it even matter? If so, how?

Wacom Display Toggle Advanced Options?

Señor Pantalones — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:28:22 -0800

[wacomfilter] quicksilver (or system hotkey) + wacom screen switching integration? I use the ExpressKey on my wacom to toggle display focus (preferences->expresskeys->display toggle). My primary is a 30", secondary is the built-in screen on my MBP.

There are two reasons this is annoying:
1. The expresskey only functions when pen movement is detected, meaning I have to move the pen while pressing the button to switch screens. This makes single-handed screen-switching difficult.
2. It's just not in a convenient place for me since the wacom is my primary mousing input located to the right of my keyboard. The expresskeys are on the left or right and require more cognitive load than usual mousing behavior.

I'm looking for help in a few possible ways:
1. assigning display toggle to the secondary button on the stylus. The prefpane won't let me.
2. assigning display toggle to a quicksilver command
3. assigning display toggle to a system hotkey

Can anyone recommend a way to implement one of the above three?

Thanks!

How do I get the most out of my Wacom?

bristolcat — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:19:19 -0800

Help me get the most out of my new Wacom tablet. I recently received a new Wacom Bamboo as part of a customer appreciation program. As a graphic designer, I have always wanted one of these for my own. The last one I used was probably circa 2000 and I'm sure that the technology and tools have drastically changed. I am interested to know if there are any must-have applications, tools or ways to use a tablet these days.

So, what makes your Wacom shine? What programs can't you live without? How can I take this tool and do wonderful, creative things with it?

I already own Adobe CS3 and Corel Draw 12. I've used Painter in the past, but it's been so long ago that it wasn't even owned my Corel yet. Is it worth the money? What sites have well-done tutorials? Who out there is making amazing stuff with their Wacom and how do they do it? Are there any interesting hacks for the Wacom that improve its functionality?

I'm one of those rare designers that works on a PC, but I do have access to Mac. I have drawing, watercolor, illustration and graphic art experience. If I find that the Wacom is one of those things that boosts my career or makes formerly difficult tasks easy, I'll probably upgrade to an Intuos or Graphire...but so far, the Bamboo has proven to be pretty nice.

Thanks!

Picking the Right Wacom Tablet

Camel of Space — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:34:56 -0800

I'm looking for the right Wacom tablet and drawing software. I'd like to buy a usb tablet, but I'm not sure of what to get. I've been looking at Wacom tablets, specifically the two Bamboo models. Are either the normal or the 'fun' tablets good enough for drawing? Or do I have to get an Intuos tablet to achieve any real results? I've read reviews, but I haven't found much in the way of reviews using the Bamboo models for serious art.

My goal is to find a method to draw digitally where I can replicate my work with intaglio printmaking, as well as draw and ink comic-like art.

And what software should I use with the tablet? Except for the normal Bamboo tablet, Photoshop appears to come bundled with all Wacom tablets. Photoshop is good, but it's a bit convoluted in my opinion. Is there a better drawing and image editing program out there? I was testing Acorn the other day, and I like it, but I'm unsure whether or not it's good enough.

I'd like to keep the price down as much as possible. I'd rather not spend more than $200, unless it's absolutely necessary. I'll be working on an Intel Macbook if that impacts what size tablet to get.

How do I learn to use a Wacom tablet to make digital art?

deeman — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:21:43 -0800

So I bought a Wacom tablet. How can I learn to do THIS http://www.5min.com/Video/SPIDERMAN---photoshop-speed-painting-by-Missfeldt-29124285

Recommended Graphics Tablet For Note Taking and Sketching

defben — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:39:47 -0800

I'd like to try a graphics tablet for the work I do. I know Wacom is the big dog in the field, but am unclear on what the real differences between the models are (too much marketing spiel). The work I see myself using it for includes note taking, sketching and storyboarding (paper prototyping). I use linux (ubuntu) at home and WinXP for work. OneNote and Visio are used pretty often on the windows side. I don't see myself doing any high fidelity work on this; I'm pretty lousy at drawing. Does it matter what I choose? What should I look for/focus on? Any recommendations?

Thanks

Can old Wacom tablets work on newer macs?

Brandon Blatcher — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:42:32 -0800

I've come across a Wacom ArtPad II Tablet, but with connectors for the old Mac serial/ADB port. Is there an adaptor that will allow it to work with a USB only Mac G4, 10.4 or 10.5 system? I'd want to use it with Photoshop and Painter.

graphics tablet and photoshop smudge tool crashing woes.

merocet — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:16:28 -0800

I have an old Active XP-Pen graphics tablet with up to date drivers that I use for occasional graphic design work in Photoshop CS2. All seems to be fine except when I use the smudge tool. After a short while the action on screen becomes laggy and then Photoshop hangs completely. No amount of waiting has brought it back so far so I lose work. Will getting a nice shiney new Wacom tablet solve my problem or is this more likely a hardware issue on my PC's side? I'm using it on a Dell 8600 laptop with 1.7 Ghz processor and 2 GB of ram. Running XP. Thanks.

Kanji handwriting recognition on the cheap

martinrebas — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:39:03 -0800

I have a Wacom graphics tablet. Is there a (preferably free or at least cheap) kanji handwriting recognition program for WinXP that would let me write kanji by hand without knowing the correct stroke order, and produce a translation and/or Unicode characters that I can cut and paste? (I know there are PDAs that do this, but I'd prefer not to have to buy one just for kanji recognition).

Which pen is mighty (workable and inexpensive)..?

Slothrop — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:00:18 -0800

Thanks to the community's help with this question, I was able to order a set of Wacom tablets for my computer lab. Now I've been asked how I could get replacement pens if any are lost or stolen. I need help identifying which pens will work with my tablet and what are good options in terms of cost. I order the Wacom Bamboo Fun Medium for all the stations in our computer lab (yay!). We plan on having a checkout system for the pen and the mouse and want to minimize loss and damage as much as possible (we have locking cables for the tablets themselves). Still, we'd like to be prepared for the possibility of a lost pen. Wacom doesn't show a specific replacement pen for the Bamboo on their site - they do have a pen for the Graphire, priced at $30. I found on Amazon a Wacom pen for "penabled" Tablet PCs that costs $15. I mostly envision the pens being used for drawing programs like Illustrator, so it's okay if they're not perfect for airbrushing or painting or don't have an eraser.

So, can anyone guess if the penabled pen will work with the Bamboo? Does anyone have suggestions for low-cost replacement pens? Thanks!

Wacom Volito Compatability

Chorus — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:36:34 -0800

If I [in the UK] send my Wacom Volito graphics tablet to my friend [in the Phillipeans], can she use it with her PC?

What is the best way to (temporarily) repair this tablet stylus?

Iananan — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 10:38:41 -0800

This morning, my wacom tablet (graphire 2) sytlus stopped working, and I would like to fix it until I can buy a new tablet This morning, my wacom tablet (graphire 2) stopped working

however, the mouse still works, and the light is still on.
I have found that (what i assume is) the transmitter chip inside the pen has come loose on one side, rendering it unable to send pressure data to the tablet itself, This is all that is broken though, as if i hold the chip down onto the pcb it will move the cursor

photo here http://i15.tinypic.com/63wbgv4.jpg
where you can sort of see the contacts loose on the left hand side of the chip

What I am asking, is what is the best way to secure the contacts back onto the board? I have a rather large and cumbersome soldering iron, and little knowledge of how to do circuity stuff.

Tablets for handwriting (not art)

lullabyofbirdland — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:27:31 -0800

Thinking of getting a graphics tablet to replace my keyboard as much as possible. Do I need to spring for something high-end, or are the cheaper / smaller tablets good enough to write with? I need to find ways to type less, hence the tablet idea. I won't need it for drawing, which is what most reviews I've found focus on. I just need the cheapest tablet that can give a decently comfortable writing experience for a fairly heavy workload.

Do I need anything larger than this for example? Is there any reason to go for a more expensive model like the Intuos?

Bonus points for any personal experience with handwriting recognition on unix.

just let me put the tip in

dong_resin — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 19:37:50 -0800

Heard tale of some crazy jumped-up-on-sarsaparilla young coot hand rolling his/her own pen tips for them styluses on the Wacom intuos tablets outta something or other. Ring a bell? Anyone doing this? Someone liked the felt tips rather than the plastic ones, wanted to further the experiment with surface grip, and settled on some magic, easy to find material, but I forget what.

Good web-based (tablet-oriented?) art/drawing games/apps?

cortex — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 12:07:48 -0800

I'm looking for fun web-based drawing/art games and toys and apps. I've just gotten a Wacom tablet, and I find myself suddenly thinking of all these wonderful little art toys I've played with on the web (cursing my mouse all the while) over the years. Trouble is, I can't remember what any of 'em were.

Show me what you got. Bonus points for fun+collaborative, with more structure than, say, Drawball.

Can my Wacom Graphire pen be saved?

hsoltz — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 12:21:28 -0800

Did I just bork my Wacom Graphire pen by getting it wet? In a moment of utter stupidity, I picked up my Wacom Graphire pen and used it to stir a cup of tea. (Usually I use a chopstick for this purpose, but I just wasn't thinking and picked up the nearest long thin object.) Now the pen side doesn't work. The eraser side works fine. I took out the nib and shook the pen out, but nothing happened (no water came out, but it's still not working).

Did I fry the works, or should I just wait patiently for it to dry out? Should I spend the $40 on a new pen now so I'll have it on Monday, or will it come back to life?

Widescreen Wacom on a 4:3 screen?

chrominance — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 11:31:22 -0800

I'm considering buying a Wacom tablet. I've found the Intuos3 6x11 for the same price (actually slightly cheaper!) than the Intuos3 6x8. I don't have a widescreen display. Will I be able to use the 6x11 effectively? Bonus question: can I use any of the Wacom tablets in portrait mode, or remap the tablet area to a subset area of the screen (like, say, just the area of the Photoshop window, or the top-left quarter of the screen)?

Wacom Tablet install help

lobstah — Sat, 11 Feb 2006 07:48:42 -0800

I have an older Wacom 4x5 USB that used to work on my old Win98, but I cannot load it on my new XP Pro laptop...Ideas? First of all, I bought this in 99, and I can't find the manual. It is a Cheapo $99 Graphire model ET-0405-U. The machine recognizes That I have plugged in a personal device when I plug it in, but the light stays orange. When I try to install it will only look for it on Com 3 and says it cannot find the tablet. This happens whether I try a standard or manual install. What am I missing ? Or am I SOL ? I am not very tech minded , so imagine you are telling Grampa how to do it.

Wacom XP ADB USB recognition not working HELP !!!

orlin — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 17:00:51 -0800

Help -- for Wacom Intuos GD users on windows IE - XP users: I bought an used Wacom tablet on e-bay and an ADB to USB. I hooked it up by slapping the wacom male to the ADB to USB and shot that into the USB 2.0 hub. The Wacom reacts with a green indicator light although the pen won't work. I've installed the download software and can not get the Wacom pen / device to work. Any idea's??? Many, many thanks...

Wacom Intuos Tablet question

orlin — Mon, 26 Dec 2005 10:39:40 -0800

I have the opportunity to buy an used x Wacom intuos graphics tablet to use with my photoshop program. It would cost about $85.00 with shipping. It is being offered on e-bay without the software that the owner says is free to download from the Wacom site. My question is to those of you with Wacom experiance, would it be better for a newbe to go for the more expensive (new) wacom to take advantage of the provided software and hard copy instructions or do you think a person that is reasonalbly technologically proficient with computers / downloading etc. be able to get up to speed using advice typically found on the internet? Thank you...

Adobe Illustrator w TabletPC

Hands of Manos — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 06:16:40 -0800

Tablet/Wacom to Adobe Illustrator using the Pencil Tool setup Boy I'll be surprised if there is even one response to this question.

Hello all you Adobe Illustrator users out there, I've got a question for you. I use a Tablet PC to do all my sketch work and then when I move on over to Illustrator I use my mouse. Lately my hand and wrist has been killing me so I know I've got to make some changes.

So today I'm experimenting with using the Tablet Pen and the Pencil function in Illustrator. I'm having the worst time getting a setting "just so." The "Fidelity" and "smoothness" and "edit selected paths" really throws me (even though I've read through the manual).

Basically all I want to do is to be able to do my vector line work with the Tablet Pen instead of a mouse but get the most fluid look to it. Does anyone have any thoughts or responses about this? Thanks!