Throw away your mouse and start using a Wacom graphics tablet

A Wacom graphics tablet is perhaps the tool you didn’t know you needed. It allows photographers, designers and avid hobbyists pixel-perfect control by mimicking the natural feel of traditional drawing tools with a touch-sensitive surface and pen tool (or stylus) that detects the angle and pressure of your pen. As you move the stylus over the active surface area, it displays on your monitor, crisp and clear.

Effectively, the Wacom graphics tablet becomes your digital canvas, perfect for both left- and right-handed creatives. At this point you may be considering the Wacom for you, but is it really worth it?

• Precision: Unlike a mouse, holding the stylus feels like holding a pen, giving you more control when selecting and manipulating images in finer, more precise detail.
• Comfort: Have you ever felt that burning sensation in your hand from working with a mouse for too long? The stylus pen’s ergonomic design puts less strain on your hand when editing photos.
• Pressure sensitivity: With the pressure-sensitive Wacom, you can control your line thickness and colour intensity, making it easy to create and edit multi-dimensional images.
• Versatility: Wacom offers various alternative nibs that mimic the stroke of traditional art tools. A quick nib swop transforms your standard stylus pen into a felt pen or even a paintbrush without the mess!
• Time-saving: Manipulating an image with a mouse is tedious. Wacom understands your natural hand- movement allowing you to edit images quickly and easily.

With every new tool, there is a learning curve and a Wacom is no different. Wacom has many features to help with a smooth transition from mouse to tablet:

• Use the express keys: These customisable keys replace simple click and select mouse keys making it easy to navigate your computer.
• Programme your pen: The power of the stylus extends to two customisable buttons helping you speed up productivity.
• Zoom and scroll with ease: Scrolling with the stylus can be slow, which is why Wacom has a touch ring on the side to help you zoom and scroll effortlessly.
• Correct mistakes with the eraser tool: Like a pencil, rotate the stylus to clean up any image editing mistakes with the back of the pen.

A Wacom is a must-have accessory for every photographer and designer, but make sure that your investment matches your type and level of artistry.

Professional Wacom lines like the Intuos offers greater photographic creative control. They come in various sizes that respect your desk space and allow creative professionals in photography to use functions in Adobe Photoshop (brush tools) that would otherwise be unavailable or cumbersome, thereby enhancing the software itself. It enhances not only your image editing, but also your software’s capabilities, which is why every Photoshop user needs a Wacom.