Standing screen display size | 11 Inches |
---|---|
RAM | 4 GB |
Wireless Type | DECT |
Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
Average Battery Life (in hours) | 5 Hours |
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Wacom Intuos Photo Pen and Touch (Old Version)
Brand | Wacom |
Model Name | Intuos Photo |
Screen Size | 11 Inches |
Specific Uses For Product | Art, Graphic Design |
Included Components | Intuos tablet^pen^USB cable^replacement pen nibs^software download code and instructions^Quick start guide^Installation CD See more |
About this item
- Pen and tablet for digital art
- Four customizable ExpressKeys
- Compact size, 8.25 by 6.7 inches
- Comes with a free Photo Pack including: Online tutorials, a Horizon Canvas Print and photo editing software for Mac: Corel AfterShot Pro and Macphun Pro package: Tonality, Intensify, Snapheal, Noiseless. For Windows: Corel PaintShop Pro and Corel AfterShot Pro
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Item is Brand new but outer box has a little rip by the corner packaging was damaged during shipping item itself is untouched Photo available on request
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This Item Wacom Intuos Photo Pen and Touch (Old Version) | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
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Price | $99.00$99.00 | -8% $329.99$329.99 List: $359.99 | -11% $249.99$249.99 List: $279.99 | -15% $219.95$219.95 List: $259.95 | -6% $46.90$46.90 List: $49.95 | $59.99$59.99 |
Delivery | Get it Apr 4 - 11 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Easy to use | — | 4.6 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.2 |
For beginners | — | 4.5 | — | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.2 |
Value for money | — | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.3 | — |
Quality of material | 4.5 | — | 5.0 | — | — | 4.3 |
Touch Screen | 4.5 | — | — | 4.2 | 3.9 | — |
Sold By | Orange G (SERIAL N RECORDED) | XENCELABS OFFICIAL US | XENCELABS OFFICIAL US | Tablet Mart | Rustic Wholesale | HUION |
active surface area | — | — | 10.3 inches x 5.8 inches | — | 5.98" x 3.74" | 10x6 |
operating system | — | Windows, Linux, Mac OS | Windows 7 or later, Mac OS X 10.12 or later, Linux | Android | Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, OS X 10.10 Yosemite | Window 7 or later, Mac OS 10.12 or later, Android 6.0 or later, Linux(Ubuntu) |
connectivity tech | — | Wireless;USB | Wireless, USB | Wi-Fi | USB-A | USB |
pressure sensitivity | — | 8192 levels | 8192 levels | 1024 levels | 2048 levels | 8192 levels |
model name | Intuos Photo | BPH1212W-A | — | picassotab | One by | Inspiroy H1060P |
weight | 0.8 pounds | 850 grams | — | — | 0.95 pounds | 0.77 kilograms |
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Intuos Creative Pen and Touch Tablets from Wacom
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Product information
Technical Details
Brand | Wacom |
---|---|
Series | Intuos Photo |
Item model number | CTH490PK |
Item Weight | 12.8 ounces |
Product Dimensions | 8.25 x 0.4 x 6.7 inches |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 8.25 x 0.4 x 6.7 inches |
Color | Black |
Number of Processors | 1 |
Batteries | 1 Product Specific batteries required. |
Manufacturer | Wacom, Inc |
ASIN | B010LHRWN4 |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | September 3, 2015 |
Additional Information
Customer Reviews |
4.5 out of 5 stars |
---|---|
Best Sellers Rank | #2,350 in Computer Input Devices |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Product guides and documents
Product Description
Intuos Photo makes photo projects fun and easy. Use it to create memorable images, beautiful photo books, and incredible cards and crafts. Intuos Photo brings your photos to life in so many different ways. You'll be amazed at what you can create. Whatever your artistic ambitions, Intuos Photo can take you there. Find everything you need to get started in one package. Each Wacom quality pen tablet comes with a free creative package that includes downloadable creative software, services, and online tutorials too. And the simple setup means you'll be creating in no time. The pressure sensitive pen, responsive tablet, intuitive multi-touch gestures, and customizable Express Keys put a whole new digital toolbox at your fingertips. No matter how you share them, your pictures tell a story. Make your story beautiful with Intuos Photo.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the quality of the graphic tablet. They say it is a wonderful tablet to begin with, and an excellent quality product. They also like the versatility. However, some customers differ on performance, ease of use, size, software, sensitivity, and comfort.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the quality of the graphic tablet. They say it is a wonderful tablet to begin with, and an excellent quality product. Some customers also mention that it is fine for a cheap option or you're just getting into digital art. Overall, customers are satisfied with the quality and functionality of the tablet.
"...consider this a must-have for artists and students, and an excellent quality product.... if only it came bundled with some better artistic talent..." Read more
"...Not only is a Wacom pad great for editing, it's a great mouse substitute in general...." Read more
"...Rebooting fixed it.* The wireless add-on was well-designed with a storage place for all the components right on the tablet...." Read more
"...The quality is great for a fraction of the cost of the 'big boys' out there...." Read more
Customers find the graphic tablet versatile and useful for drawing, design, and illustration. They say it's super helpful for fine-tuned drawing, and is perfect for digital art, sketches, architectures, and interior designers. Customers also say it improves drawing stills and expands digital drawing skills. They mention it'll work well with photo editing and other creative pursuits.
"...Not only is a Wacom pad great for editing, it's a great mouse substitute in general...." Read more
"...likely- The size is good- it's plenty responsive- and a capable digital art device-" Read more
"...anyway it’s perfect for digital art, sketches, architectures, interior designers and much more...." Read more
"...The pen writes smoothly and is comfortable.I haven't used the buttons at all because I don't have a need based on my current set up...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the performance of the graphic tablet. Some mention that it works very well, the functionality of this pen and pad is great, and the hardware still worked great. However, others say that for professional use, it's completely worthless, extremely impractical, and missing full functionality. For a few weeks, they had driver problems and would have to keep restarting the tablet.
"...As an experienced computer user and troubleshooter I had no problem at all with drivers or software licensing at all...." Read more
"...As the cheapest model it works great...." Read more
"...I can't seem to get the settings right and it moves a little too slow for my tastes...." Read more
"...That's a really nice feature.* It works in Win10 (mostly)Cons..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the ease of use of the graphic tablet. Some mention that it's easy to use and setup, and convenient. They say that the pen takes a little getting used to. However, some customers feel that the tablet is not intuitive and takes time to get used to, and that the touch option is awkward to turn on.
"...is the program used to manage tablet settings and such, and it's fairly intuitive and easy to figure out...." Read more
"...all, and while it doesn't have the same feel as my pro, it is easy to get used to...." Read more
"...The pen takes a little getting used to if you've never drawn on a tablet before, but soon it'll feel like you're drawing on paper...." Read more
"...It is a decent size, easy to use and setup, and responsive...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the size of the graphic tablet. Some mention that the small size is surprisingly preferable to their medium sized pro tablet, and it corresponds great with their 24in monitor. It's easy to fit on any desk, and convenient to carry. However, others say that the tablet is much smaller compared to that. The active area size is smaller than the overall tablet size, and takes up little space on the desktop.
"...Moving it around my desk is easy enough and it slides between my tower and my wooden router headboard with room to spare...." Read more
"...The small size is surprisingly preferable to my medium sized pro tablet and has allowed me to move quickly between my two monitor display...." Read more
"...The design and size are great. Some people complain that it's too small, but when you're drawing on a computer, you have the ability to zoom in and..." Read more
"...Pen is responsive to pressure, it's easy to fit on any desk thanks to it's size, and once it's set up on your computer, it's easy to connect...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the software that comes with the graphic tablet. Some mention that it's awesome, and the free software apps are wonderful. Others say that it didn't come with any software, and had issues downloading it.
"...Software: It sucks. I was very disappointed in the software. It is not intuitive, and it lacks basic drawing tools...." Read more
"...It comes with some nice free apps, though I have opted to use Photoshop, Illustrator, and Autodesk Sketchbook for most of my work...." Read more
"...CONS:Cost so much for so little.Added 3rd party software I don't want nor need...." Read more
"...The struggle to download the "free" software is REAL. I'm reinstalling everything and downloading the driver from the website...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the sensitivity of the graphic tablet. Some mention that it works well, while others say that it glitches out and doesn't properly interpret touch. Some say that the touch pad is a bit interrupting to drawing, while other complain that the settings don't allow a comfortable mouse pointer speed.
"...Has no problem mapping specific areas of the tablet, as I pretty easily figured out how to map Osu!..." Read more
"...Minor complaints:- The touch settings don't allow a comfortable mouse pointer speed...." Read more
"...There's a switch to turn on touchpad sensitivity (ie, I can turn the tablet into a touchpad to use with my fingers)...." Read more
"...The pen wants to slide from your fingers as you work. Previous pen versions had a grippy rubber material at the end that worked far better...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the comfort of the graphic tablet. Some mention that it feels good, the pen even feels more comfortable. They say that it's light weight, comfortable to carry, and perfect size for travel. However, others say that they find it very uncomfortable, strange at first, and the buttons are flimsy and cheap-feeling. They also mention that there is no place to comfortably rest their hands on if they're working on the tablet, and that the touch actually feels insensitive compared to the Apple Trackpad.
"...Hardware: The pen is lightweight and comfortable. I accidentally hit the buttons on the side but I have no idea what they do...." Read more
"...The pen and its buttons are flimsy and cheap feeling, especially in comparison to the pro pen, but it is what it is and I've been able to adapt to..." Read more
"...The pen writes smoothly and is comfortable.I haven't used the buttons at all because I don't have a need based on my current set up...." Read more
"...It feels very natural...." Read more
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Minor complaints:
- The touch settings don't allow a comfortable mouse pointer speed. I can't seem to get the settings right and it moves a little too slow for my tastes. I rarely use the touch because of this, but it hasn't seemed to hold me back at all.
- I don't use the quick command buttons on the tablet or the pen at all. Keyboard commands seem to be much easier, comfortable, and reliable.
- The pen and its buttons are flimsy and cheap feeling, especially in comparison to the pro pen, but it is what it is and I've been able to adapt to it.
Overall the tablet fits my needs well and functions how I would expect. I love it for use at the office and wold definitely recommend it as a mouse replacement even if you don't do graphics work.
The first day was a little awkward getting use to it, not because of any flaw with the pad, but because I am so use to dragging a mouse around the screen, whereas these tablets work more like a touchscreen. Where you put the pen on the pad is where it shows up on the screen. Once I got use to the feel of the pad though, and set up my shortcuts, I fell in love with it quickly.
By day three, I had disconnected my mouse and tossed it in the closet. Not only is a Wacom pad great for editing, it's a great mouse substitute in general. The pen itself has two buttons on it, which I have set up for right clicking and scrolling. The buttons on the pad itself I set up for some mac functions though I don't use them much. You can also set up your pen and pad for general use, and for app use. So you can program buttons that do one thing on the main screen, and other functions when you have Photoshop open.
It comes with some nice free apps, though I have opted to use Photoshop, Illustrator, and Autodesk Sketchbook for most of my work. Still, it's cool that they offer you the apps, especially for the price of the apps compared to the price of this pad.
I actually fell so in love with this drawing pad, that I didn't really have it all that long before I went all in and upgraded to the Intuos Pro. If you are just starting editing or drawing, then this is a great pad to invest in. As the cheapest model it works great. Pen is responsive to pressure, it's easy to fit on any desk thanks to it's size, and once it's set up on your computer, it's easy to connect. I carried mine from my PC at home to my Mac at work and connect to both with no problem, though I prefer using it on my Mac.
Attached are some pics I drew and colored using Wacom as an amateur digital painter.
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2016
The first day was a little awkward getting use to it, not because of any flaw with the pad, but because I am so use to dragging a mouse around the screen, whereas these tablets work more like a touchscreen. Where you put the pen on the pad is where it shows up on the screen. Once I got use to the feel of the pad though, and set up my shortcuts, I fell in love with it quickly.
By day three, I had disconnected my mouse and tossed it in the closet. Not only is a Wacom pad great for editing, it's a great mouse substitute in general. The pen itself has two buttons on it, which I have set up for right clicking and scrolling. The buttons on the pad itself I set up for some mac functions though I don't use them much. You can also set up your pen and pad for general use, and for app use. So you can program buttons that do one thing on the main screen, and other functions when you have Photoshop open.
It comes with some nice free apps, though I have opted to use Photoshop, Illustrator, and Autodesk Sketchbook for most of my work. Still, it's cool that they offer you the apps, especially for the price of the apps compared to the price of this pad.
I actually fell so in love with this drawing pad, that I didn't really have it all that long before I went all in and upgraded to the Intuos Pro. If you are just starting editing or drawing, then this is a great pad to invest in. As the cheapest model it works great. Pen is responsive to pressure, it's easy to fit on any desk thanks to it's size, and once it's set up on your computer, it's easy to connect. I carried mine from my PC at home to my Mac at work and connect to both with no problem, though I prefer using it on my Mac.
Attached are some pics I drew and colored using Wacom as an amateur digital painter.
Top reviews from other countries
El driver (fácil de usar y con muchas opciones de personalización) sigue recibiendo actualizaciones, aunque las versiones más recientes ya no funcionan en Windows 7 (se entiende), y aún así, me parece que se pueden descargar versiones anteriores desde el sitio oficial (no estoy segura). Algo que me irrita un poquito es la traducción del driver al español (en particular la opción llamada "proporciones de fuerza", que debería ser "forzar proporciones"), pero no afecta mucho la comprensión del usuario hispano promedio.
Y sí, traía dos años de Clip Studio Paint Pro gratis, aunque no los pude utilizar completos por problemas que surgieron cuando tuve que reinstalarlo en computadoras diferentes, pero ese incidente no tiene nada que ver con Wacom, sino con Celsys.
A mí no me interesaba la función táctil de la tableta, así que desde el principio la desactivé con el interruptor que trae. Apenas el año pasado (2022) probé esa función, y parece que ya no funciona tan bien, al parecer ha perdido sensibilidad. Pero, en lo personal, no me parece una característica importante, por eso no afecta mi calificación.
Me habían dicho que es mejor una tableta mediana para evitar problemas de la muñeca, pero, a lo mejor porque no la usé tanto, rara vez me supuso un inconveniente que fuera un modelo pequeño. Para principiantes o artistas con poco presupuesto, está muy bien. Es más, funciona excelente como reemplazo de mouse, aunque yo prefiero NO usar el Windows Ink para eso (se puede desactivar en las opciones de la tableta y de esa forma resulta muy intuitivo). La gran mayoría de los programas no tienen problemas con el uso de la tableta y el driver trae varias opciones para configurarlo, así que hasta los que no son artistas se podrían beneficiar de tener una Intuos. Por ejemplo, si te dedicas a la edición de video o cosas así, te evitas mucho dolor de muñeca y brazo.
Si eres artista digital principiante y nunca habías dibujado con tableta, tal vez te cueste un poco acostumbrarte, como con cualquier tableta gráfica. Yo sigo prefiriendo la sensación de trazar sobre papel, pero creo que eso depende de cada uno. Nunca he usado una tableta mediana ni una de pantalla, pero puede que una de esas dos opciones facilite más la transición de tradicional a digital.
Mi tableta Bamboo duró como 5-6 años, así que ya veremos si esta le gana.
Consigo usar mais facilmente o touch da mesa do que a caneta. Com frequência tenho de usar o ctrl+alt+del para normalizar porque fica um símbolo de espera girando sem parar e a caneta não obedece.
Vou tentar o suporte para saber se é problema de incompatibilidade, quem sabe resolve.
Before I get started, an important note: The Intuos Draw, Art, Photo, and Comic are basically the same graphics tablet. Same pen, same surface, same pressure sensitivity. However, they have minor differences in price and included software. The Art comes bundled with Corel Painter Essentials, a great but feature-light program. Check out the Wacom website for a comprehensive list of differences. Later, I'll touch on program choices at length.
•• Who is the Intuos for? ••
Having the ability to sketch, ink, paint, and more with a single tool is awesome. It's power overwhelming! Is it the same as employing traditional mediums? No, it certainly is not, and I've had many colourful conversations with my wife on the subject. I still maintain it's different, and different is awesome :)
Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or this is your first attempt at digital art, the Intuos is an excellent, simple tablet. I recommend it to those who aren’t sure about dropping $1000 out of nowhere on a professional grade Cintiq. I, a lowly fledgling artist on his first foray into digital, have found the Intuos Art to be fantastic.
•• Why I Chose Wacom ••
I used a Wacom bamboo around 15 years ago. It was pretty bad. It had terrible pressure sensitivity, and if I'm being honest... my computer was a piece of crap, causing massive input lag. Yet, 15 years later, Wacom is the biggest name that's stuck around. In fact, every single one of my favourite artists (mostly comic artists) uses a Wacom Cintiq. But what if these artists are simply uninformed about the latest and greatest products? What about the competitors? On Amazon, the best-selling are Ugee and Huion. Both are from China. Both even use the exact same website template, and both are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than Wacom.
My problem is that they haven’t been battle-tested the way Wacom has. I don't want to sound dismissive, but it's the same reason I don't buy computer peripherals (headphones, mice) from China. With reduced cost typically comes reduced craftsmanship and reliability. The other thing is, I’ve seen reviews on Wacom tablets from professional level digital artists. The majority of them (Youtubers, Comics) are contacted to receive free tablets from Chinese manufacturers. That means it’s entirely possible people are giving unreliable reviews. It’s easier to overlook flaws when you’re receiving a $50-1500 tablet for free.
More clear-cut issues are tablet and pen failure, driver problems, and lacking customer support. For all the great reviews of competitors, you read a ton of, “Suddenly stopped working,” or “Pen died,” or “Drivers are wonky.” With Wacom? Not so much. I can confirm the drivers work right out of the gate on Windows 10, and their settings software is simple and functional. Many also buy it for Mac and report the same ease of install and functionality. The other issue is drivers. For the past 20 years, Wacom has updated their drivers constantly in keeping with the times. Lastly, Wacom's a Japanese company with an American headquarters. So if you have customer service issues, you’re dealing with the same continent.
I’d like to state, so that I don’t sound like too much of a fanboy, that I came to these conclusions through 100% research. I have zero stake in Wacom. Since I’d never done digital art before, I wanted to ensure I'd be happy with my purchase before spending a dime. None of this is a clear indictment on Huion or Ugee. We’ve all been in a position where we can't spend as much we'd like. If you need a budget friendly option, by all means, try them out. That’s the power of Amazon; you can always send them back. But it’s like buying a nice brand of mattress. With a Wacom, you know you won’t have to replace it any time soon.
•• On Price ••
I bought it for $230, but at the time of writing (Jan 1/9/2017), it's on sale for $220. I went to London Drugs and Walmart looking for an in-store sale around Black Friday, and they were both selling for $280... so keep that in mind.
•• The Drawing Surface ••
It’s amazing how different the Intuos is from my old Bamboo. The surface feels slightly rough, but so does good paper. If it was slick, your pen would just slide off into the sunset. In comparison, I’ve read that the Huion is scratchy. I can’t say the Intuos feels like that.
The tablet is super thin, but the tiny circular feet ensure it will never move while drawing. I thought I’d use it on my lap or with a stand, but I’ve mostly used it facing flat on my desk directly in front of my monitor. It's easier perfectly centered since you’re using hand-eye coordination. Naturally, it takes some getting used to, but even if you were traditional, you'll acclimate quickly. Some people within a day, some within a week. Anyone can make it work.
•• The Pen and its Pressure ••
The pen is super lightweight, and I love it. There’s no battery, so you’ll never have to recharge it. The sensitivity is incredible. One of the neater things about digital art, and Wacoms' in particular, is that you can adjust the pen pressure. If you’re a heavy handed artist, you can increase the needed pressure to ensure lighter strokes. Light as a hummingbird’s feather? No problem. Lower the pressure required, and you can create deep, dark lines with the best of them.
I saw complaints that the Intuos pen doesn't have an eraser on the end. Personally, I could care less. If you want to increase your working efficiency, you'll be learning keyboard shortcuts. Here's a typical sequence: I press "N" to switch to eraser and erase. Then I press "B" to get back to my brush, and I'm drawing instantly. Flipping a pen over to get into eraser mode is completely unnecessary, and in my opinion, much slower. Many artists who are hellbent on maintaining that traditional medium feel might be drawn to something like that, but adjusting is easy with an open mentality.
The Intuos comes with several replacement nibs. I’ve drawn with mine every day for about 2 months now, and my first nib is barely looking worn. I’ve heard people say you’ll need to replace them at 6 months, at 1 year… I don’t know. All I know is all models come stock with a few replacements, and replacements are cheap. In addition, there are many different kinds of nibs. You can buy them all over the internet, including Amazon. Some are softer, harder, etc. The Intuos line comes with several standard replacement nibs, which feel the most like an HB pencil to me. You can also change the feel by purchasing a layer of thin plastic (kind of like a cell-phone protector) and taping it onto the surface. I never felt like I needed it, but it’s always an option if you want to maximize preservation or change the feel.
•• Regarding GRIP ••
You know when you’re told to stop choking your pen, gripping the tip in an intense tripod? Like how you’d normally write. Well, a looser grip doesn’t work perfectly on the Intuos surface because the nib doesn't function at extreme angles. This could be a deal-breaker for some. How do you get long lines, then? You zoom out! That's the beauty of digital creation. A long line becomes a short line via program manipulation. However, if you’re trying to recreate the traditional experience, you’ll either need to adapt your grip and rely on manipulation… or buy something expensive that has built-in angular detection – like the Intuos Pro or Cintiq.
•• Buttons! And customizing keyboard shortcuts ••
Looking at many different models of graphics tablets, a key question to ask might be: "How many buttons does this thing have?"
The Intuos has 4 buttons on the top of the tablet. The pen has 2 on its side. You can customize their function using the tablet properties. I hated having buttons on my pen because I had to hold it ONE way to avoid accidentally pushing them. The good news is, I disabled them with ease. Also, I rarely use more than 2 buttons on the tablet.
So... Should the number of buttons influence your decision to buy one tablet over another? I argue an emphatic NO. Here's why:
I rely on my right hand to draw while my left operates the keyboard. "THIS TABLET ONLY HAS 4 BUTTONS," the consumer bemoaned. That's true, but your keyboard has infinitely more. Literally any key on your keyboard can be remapped to serve ANY function. So yes, you only have 4 buttons on your tablet, but in reality, you have access to over 50+ buttons no matter the brand. This is why whether it has 4, 8, or a fancy dial for zoom, I say who cares? Go with the cheapest tablet that suits your needs.
•• A Note on Sensitivity ••
I've seen criticisms from people who clearly haven't used the Wacom saying, "It ONLY has 1024 pressure sensitivity levels." More expensive tablets, like the Intuos Pro or Cintiq along with any number of competitor products, have 2048 pressure levels. If you look at reviews for differences in pressure sensitivity, many artists say 1024 feels amazing. I read some who stated clearly that they lose any sense of differentiation at around 256... So, in short, 1024 is fantastic. It's like the difference between a 120hz monitor and a 144hz. It's mostly marketing, and it's negligibly detectable from a real world standpoint.
Update 01/03/2018: Okay, after years of experimentation, I have more to say on this topic. I recently bought the Lenovo Yoga 720 - a touchscreen, Windows 10 laptop. It came with an Active Pen that has 2048 levels of pressure. I also bought the brand spanking new Active Pen II, which has an industry leading 4096 levels of pressure.
I draw directly on the screen like a Cintiq or Surface Pro. It's pretty great. Still, while the pens feel smoother, I sincerely don't believe there's a HUGE difference in performance capability -- certainly not to the tune of the $800 minimum you'll be paying for the experience. I vehemently maintain that the Intuos series are fantastic for the beginning artist.
•• On Multi-Touch functionality (and why I dun’ like it) ••
One weak thing about the Intuos Art is its Multi-Touch functionality. For some, this might be a strength, but here's my reasoning. Multi-Touch means using fingers to manipulate objects and paintings (pinch to shrink, two finger touch to move). Compared to a keyboard, it isn't that useful. The keyboard is much faster and smoother. The other issue is, your hand rests against the tablet, and sometimes it catches, meaning the back of your hand starts moving your subject on you. It would’ve been annoying, but I turned it off shortly after testing and haven’t gone back. To turn it off, flip the switch located on top of the tablet.
If you LIKE the multi-touch, I highly recommend wearing a glove. You can either buy one online or make your own. I bought one online, and I also bought a pair of cotton gloves at the pharmacy for $1.99. I cut the thumb, index, and middle fingers off, and it ensures the side of my hand won’t catch on the surface. If you have no idea what I’m describing, you can Google “creating digital art gloves.” There are Youtube videos on the subject. Edit: I also included pictures of mine at the bottom of the review.
Heck, I almost recommend you draw with a glove at all times. Normally, they’d be used to prevent smudging, but in digital art, they enhance the glide of your stroke and prevent the adherence of grime. I suggest trying with and without.
•• Size ••
It's big enough that it doesn't totally cramp your stroking style. That... sounded dirtier than intended, but I can't bring myself to erase it. Moving on! The surface is 8 x 5 inches. If you can use your shoulder to draw on a piece of paper, you can definitely do the same here. Anything smaller than 8 x 5 means you’re unable to perform long strokes. Even zooming out, in my opinion, you sacrifice too much control. Like I said, this surface size is excellent for a beginner/intermediate artist, but if you’re already at a professional level, you’ll likely want to go with something more freeing.
•• Tablet Software ••
Rather than installing drivers from the CD, go to Wacom.com, and get the drivers yourself. That way, you know you have the most up to date stuff. Once installed, you can access the tablet properties and adjust anything from the sensitivity of your pen (which you'll learn more about as you draw), to customizing buttons. The options are pretty straight forward, and you can choose to customize buttons for ALL programs or for SPECIFIC programs.
•• Programs ••
One of the big selling features of the Intuos Art is that it comes bundled with Corel Painter Essentials. Essentials is a great starting program. Rather than spelling out every difference between it and others, I suggest you do a lot of Googling. But I'll give you a basic overview of other options. The thing to note is, the ability to create excellent digital art is within your grasp for any price.
Free:
~ Krita
~ FireAlpaca
~ Gimp Paint Studio
These three always come up when people ask about starter programs on the forums I frequent. Krita is the top hit on Google for "free digital art software." Update 01/03/2018: Having messed around with Krita a bunch, I highly recommend it. It's basically photoshop/painter/clip studio light, and it's entirely free. It's an excellent starting point.
Cheapish:
~ Clip Studio Paint (also known as Manga Studio) is about $65 Canadian. I've used it a bit; it's like a Corel Painter/Photoshop light with tons of preset manga creation templates. Speech bubbles up the wazoo, easy comic frame building. While its specialty is Manga, it can be used for any sort of digital art.
~ Paint Tool Sai. Haven't used it personally, but it keeps coming up when people ask about good programs on the digital art forum I frequent. It has a 31 day trial.
Update 01/03/2018: One program I didn't initially mention is Autodesk Sketchbook Pro. It's from the makers of AUTOCAD, the world-renowned drafting software. Sketchbook Pro is fantastic. I'm using the mobile version on my Windows 10 laptop. If you're interested, look at some of the stuff Trent Kanigua has on Youtube. He's a concept artist for Blizzard, Riot Games, and more. He has a beginner tutorial. I highly recommend checking out his Metroid or Leonardo videos. He gives exceptional commentary and will show you very simply what the program is capable of. AND!!! This is a big thing!!! He uses an Intuos Pro (the step up from the model I'm reviewing here). It doesn't have a screen; it's a pure tablet. He's another bit of proof you can perform awesome things on the regular with the Intuos line :)
Expensive:
~ Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop. The big dogs. If you are a professional artist, you probably want one or the other. Personally, I've tested both Corel Painter 2017 and Photoshop CS 6. Honestly, I could do an enormous review on the programs alone, so I'll give you the cliff notes. For further info, hit the Youtubez hard.
Corel Painter ~ I like Painter because it comes with a significant number of brushes. It has tons of cool, integrated painting options (this year, they added True Watercolor, which is amazing). It has different paper textures and brush creation kits. If you want to experience REAL painting in a digital medium, Painter is your tool. That said, I mostly use it for drawing. You can easily perform basic sketching, inking, and colouring on it. Like Photoshop, it uses layers, something you’ll become abundantly familiar with in digital art. For many excellent Painter tutorials, check out Aaron Rutten's Youtube page, or get creative with the Googles. :)
Photoshop ~ Some people complain Photoshop doesn't have enough brushes. That's simply not true. You need only add them yourself. There are many resources for free or paid brushes online. You can literally google “photoshop brush sets” or find sets from your favourite artists. I remember an old blog post from Fiona Staples (artist of 'Saga') recommending an artists' brush set whom she admired. Many are out there for free. Essentially, Photoshop can be set to do ALMOST anything Painter can. It can also be used to touch up your creations afterwards because it has a ton of photo manipulation tools that Painter does not. In fact, a lot of artists say that they use Painter to draw and Photoshop to touch up.
Ultimately, they're both excellent programs. You'd likely be happy with either; although, Photoshop requires a little more initial setup. Still, there's a reason so many professional comic artists and digital artists use them.
•• Resources ••
An extremely active forum you can use for basic or complex questions is on reddit.com. You want to subscribe to /r/digitalpainting. They're a great resource for learning, critiques, software, or technical tablet questions.
Want to learn how to draw digitally? Look up tutorials on Youtube or any number of websites. The internet is your oyster. Seriously… there’s sooooooooooooo much info out there.
•• Conclusion ••
Holy crap, that was big. If you slogged through it with me, I hope you have a much clearer view of the world of current digital tablets… in particular, the strengths and weakness of the Intuos line.
If you found this helpful, please leave me a help vote. I’d love to spend more time reviewing art related devices, and I always update reviews if I have issues. If you have any questions, maybe about something I glossed over, please leave a comment, and I'll try to get back ASAP.
Best of luck on your digital foray. Happy drawing, painting, and anything else you can imagine ♥
Update 11/18/2017:
So this is an update after 1 year and 1 month of ownership. I still love the Intuos. I have virtually nothing to add, just wanted to say that it's... still awesome!
Reviewed in Canada on January 9, 2017
Before I get started, an important note: The Intuos Draw, Art, Photo, and Comic are basically the same graphics tablet. Same pen, same surface, same pressure sensitivity. However, they have minor differences in price and included software. The Art comes bundled with Corel Painter Essentials, a great but feature-light program. Check out the Wacom website for a comprehensive list of differences. Later, I'll touch on program choices at length.
•• Who is the Intuos for? ••
Having the ability to sketch, ink, paint, and more with a single tool is awesome. It's power overwhelming! Is it the same as employing traditional mediums? No, it certainly is not, and I've had many colourful conversations with my wife on the subject. I still maintain it's different, and different is awesome :)
Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or this is your first attempt at digital art, the Intuos is an excellent, simple tablet. I recommend it to those who aren’t sure about dropping $1000 out of nowhere on a professional grade Cintiq. I, a lowly fledgling artist on his first foray into digital, have found the Intuos Art to be fantastic.
•• Why I Chose Wacom ••
I used a Wacom bamboo around 15 years ago. It was pretty bad. It had terrible pressure sensitivity, and if I'm being honest... my computer was a piece of crap, causing massive input lag. Yet, 15 years later, Wacom is the biggest name that's stuck around. In fact, every single one of my favourite artists (mostly comic artists) uses a Wacom Cintiq. But what if these artists are simply uninformed about the latest and greatest products? What about the competitors? On Amazon, the best-selling are Ugee and Huion. Both are from China. Both even use the exact same website template, and both are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than Wacom.
My problem is that they haven’t been battle-tested the way Wacom has. I don't want to sound dismissive, but it's the same reason I don't buy computer peripherals (headphones, mice) from China. With reduced cost typically comes reduced craftsmanship and reliability. The other thing is, I’ve seen reviews on Wacom tablets from professional level digital artists. The majority of them (Youtubers, Comics) are contacted to receive free tablets from Chinese manufacturers. That means it’s entirely possible people are giving unreliable reviews. It’s easier to overlook flaws when you’re receiving a $50-1500 tablet for free.
More clear-cut issues are tablet and pen failure, driver problems, and lacking customer support. For all the great reviews of competitors, you read a ton of, “Suddenly stopped working,” or “Pen died,” or “Drivers are wonky.” With Wacom? Not so much. I can confirm the drivers work right out of the gate on Windows 10, and their settings software is simple and functional. Many also buy it for Mac and report the same ease of install and functionality. The other issue is drivers. For the past 20 years, Wacom has updated their drivers constantly in keeping with the times. Lastly, Wacom's a Japanese company with an American headquarters. So if you have customer service issues, you’re dealing with the same continent.
I’d like to state, so that I don’t sound like too much of a fanboy, that I came to these conclusions through 100% research. I have zero stake in Wacom. Since I’d never done digital art before, I wanted to ensure I'd be happy with my purchase before spending a dime. None of this is a clear indictment on Huion or Ugee. We’ve all been in a position where we can't spend as much we'd like. If you need a budget friendly option, by all means, try them out. That’s the power of Amazon; you can always send them back. But it’s like buying a nice brand of mattress. With a Wacom, you know you won’t have to replace it any time soon.
•• On Price ••
I bought it for $230, but at the time of writing (Jan 1/9/2017), it's on sale for $220. I went to London Drugs and Walmart looking for an in-store sale around Black Friday, and they were both selling for $280... so keep that in mind.
•• The Drawing Surface ••
It’s amazing how different the Intuos is from my old Bamboo. The surface feels slightly rough, but so does good paper. If it was slick, your pen would just slide off into the sunset. In comparison, I’ve read that the Huion is scratchy. I can’t say the Intuos feels like that.
The tablet is super thin, but the tiny circular feet ensure it will never move while drawing. I thought I’d use it on my lap or with a stand, but I’ve mostly used it facing flat on my desk directly in front of my monitor. It's easier perfectly centered since you’re using hand-eye coordination. Naturally, it takes some getting used to, but even if you were traditional, you'll acclimate quickly. Some people within a day, some within a week. Anyone can make it work.
•• The Pen and its Pressure ••
The pen is super lightweight, and I love it. There’s no battery, so you’ll never have to recharge it. The sensitivity is incredible. One of the neater things about digital art, and Wacoms' in particular, is that you can adjust the pen pressure. If you’re a heavy handed artist, you can increase the needed pressure to ensure lighter strokes. Light as a hummingbird’s feather? No problem. Lower the pressure required, and you can create deep, dark lines with the best of them.
I saw complaints that the Intuos pen doesn't have an eraser on the end. Personally, I could care less. If you want to increase your working efficiency, you'll be learning keyboard shortcuts. Here's a typical sequence: I press "N" to switch to eraser and erase. Then I press "B" to get back to my brush, and I'm drawing instantly. Flipping a pen over to get into eraser mode is completely unnecessary, and in my opinion, much slower. Many artists who are hellbent on maintaining that traditional medium feel might be drawn to something like that, but adjusting is easy with an open mentality.
The Intuos comes with several replacement nibs. I’ve drawn with mine every day for about 2 months now, and my first nib is barely looking worn. I’ve heard people say you’ll need to replace them at 6 months, at 1 year… I don’t know. All I know is all models come stock with a few replacements, and replacements are cheap. In addition, there are many different kinds of nibs. You can buy them all over the internet, including Amazon. Some are softer, harder, etc. The Intuos line comes with several standard replacement nibs, which feel the most like an HB pencil to me. You can also change the feel by purchasing a layer of thin plastic (kind of like a cell-phone protector) and taping it onto the surface. I never felt like I needed it, but it’s always an option if you want to maximize preservation or change the feel.
•• Regarding GRIP ••
You know when you’re told to stop choking your pen, gripping the tip in an intense tripod? Like how you’d normally write. Well, a looser grip doesn’t work perfectly on the Intuos surface because the nib doesn't function at extreme angles. This could be a deal-breaker for some. How do you get long lines, then? You zoom out! That's the beauty of digital creation. A long line becomes a short line via program manipulation. However, if you’re trying to recreate the traditional experience, you’ll either need to adapt your grip and rely on manipulation… or buy something expensive that has built-in angular detection – like the Intuos Pro or Cintiq.
•• Buttons! And customizing keyboard shortcuts ••
Looking at many different models of graphics tablets, a key question to ask might be: "How many buttons does this thing have?"
The Intuos has 4 buttons on the top of the tablet. The pen has 2 on its side. You can customize their function using the tablet properties. I hated having buttons on my pen because I had to hold it ONE way to avoid accidentally pushing them. The good news is, I disabled them with ease. Also, I rarely use more than 2 buttons on the tablet.
So... Should the number of buttons influence your decision to buy one tablet over another? I argue an emphatic NO. Here's why:
I rely on my right hand to draw while my left operates the keyboard. "THIS TABLET ONLY HAS 4 BUTTONS," the consumer bemoaned. That's true, but your keyboard has infinitely more. Literally any key on your keyboard can be remapped to serve ANY function. So yes, you only have 4 buttons on your tablet, but in reality, you have access to over 50+ buttons no matter the brand. This is why whether it has 4, 8, or a fancy dial for zoom, I say who cares? Go with the cheapest tablet that suits your needs.
•• A Note on Sensitivity ••
I've seen criticisms from people who clearly haven't used the Wacom saying, "It ONLY has 1024 pressure sensitivity levels." More expensive tablets, like the Intuos Pro or Cintiq along with any number of competitor products, have 2048 pressure levels. If you look at reviews for differences in pressure sensitivity, many artists say 1024 feels amazing. I read some who stated clearly that they lose any sense of differentiation at around 256... So, in short, 1024 is fantastic. It's like the difference between a 120hz monitor and a 144hz. It's mostly marketing, and it's negligibly detectable from a real world standpoint.
Update 01/03/2018: Okay, after years of experimentation, I have more to say on this topic. I recently bought the Lenovo Yoga 720 - a touchscreen, Windows 10 laptop. It came with an Active Pen that has 2048 levels of pressure. I also bought the brand spanking new Active Pen II, which has an industry leading 4096 levels of pressure.
I draw directly on the screen like a Cintiq or Surface Pro. It's pretty great. Still, while the pens feel smoother, I sincerely don't believe there's a HUGE difference in performance capability -- certainly not to the tune of the $800 minimum you'll be paying for the experience. I vehemently maintain that the Intuos series are fantastic for the beginning artist.
•• On Multi-Touch functionality (and why I dun’ like it) ••
One weak thing about the Intuos Art is its Multi-Touch functionality. For some, this might be a strength, but here's my reasoning. Multi-Touch means using fingers to manipulate objects and paintings (pinch to shrink, two finger touch to move). Compared to a keyboard, it isn't that useful. The keyboard is much faster and smoother. The other issue is, your hand rests against the tablet, and sometimes it catches, meaning the back of your hand starts moving your subject on you. It would’ve been annoying, but I turned it off shortly after testing and haven’t gone back. To turn it off, flip the switch located on top of the tablet.
If you LIKE the multi-touch, I highly recommend wearing a glove. You can either buy one online or make your own. I bought one online, and I also bought a pair of cotton gloves at the pharmacy for $1.99. I cut the thumb, index, and middle fingers off, and it ensures the side of my hand won’t catch on the surface. If you have no idea what I’m describing, you can Google “creating digital art gloves.” There are Youtube videos on the subject. Edit: I also included pictures of mine at the bottom of the review.
Heck, I almost recommend you draw with a glove at all times. Normally, they’d be used to prevent smudging, but in digital art, they enhance the glide of your stroke and prevent the adherence of grime. I suggest trying with and without.
•• Size ••
It's big enough that it doesn't totally cramp your stroking style. That... sounded dirtier than intended, but I can't bring myself to erase it. Moving on! The surface is 8 x 5 inches. If you can use your shoulder to draw on a piece of paper, you can definitely do the same here. Anything smaller than 8 x 5 means you’re unable to perform long strokes. Even zooming out, in my opinion, you sacrifice too much control. Like I said, this surface size is excellent for a beginner/intermediate artist, but if you’re already at a professional level, you’ll likely want to go with something more freeing.
•• Tablet Software ••
Rather than installing drivers from the CD, go to Wacom.com, and get the drivers yourself. That way, you know you have the most up to date stuff. Once installed, you can access the tablet properties and adjust anything from the sensitivity of your pen (which you'll learn more about as you draw), to customizing buttons. The options are pretty straight forward, and you can choose to customize buttons for ALL programs or for SPECIFIC programs.
•• Programs ••
One of the big selling features of the Intuos Art is that it comes bundled with Corel Painter Essentials. Essentials is a great starting program. Rather than spelling out every difference between it and others, I suggest you do a lot of Googling. But I'll give you a basic overview of other options. The thing to note is, the ability to create excellent digital art is within your grasp for any price.
Free:
~ Krita
~ FireAlpaca
~ Gimp Paint Studio
These three always come up when people ask about starter programs on the forums I frequent. Krita is the top hit on Google for "free digital art software." Update 01/03/2018: Having messed around with Krita a bunch, I highly recommend it. It's basically photoshop/painter/clip studio light, and it's entirely free. It's an excellent starting point.
Cheapish:
~ Clip Studio Paint (also known as Manga Studio) is about $65 Canadian. I've used it a bit; it's like a Corel Painter/Photoshop light with tons of preset manga creation templates. Speech bubbles up the wazoo, easy comic frame building. While its specialty is Manga, it can be used for any sort of digital art.
~ Paint Tool Sai. Haven't used it personally, but it keeps coming up when people ask about good programs on the digital art forum I frequent. It has a 31 day trial.
Update 01/03/2018: One program I didn't initially mention is Autodesk Sketchbook Pro. It's from the makers of AUTOCAD, the world-renowned drafting software. Sketchbook Pro is fantastic. I'm using the mobile version on my Windows 10 laptop. If you're interested, look at some of the stuff Trent Kanigua has on Youtube. He's a concept artist for Blizzard, Riot Games, and more. He has a beginner tutorial. I highly recommend checking out his Metroid or Leonardo videos. He gives exceptional commentary and will show you very simply what the program is capable of. AND!!! This is a big thing!!! He uses an Intuos Pro (the step up from the model I'm reviewing here). It doesn't have a screen; it's a pure tablet. He's another bit of proof you can perform awesome things on the regular with the Intuos line :)
Expensive:
~ Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop. The big dogs. If you are a professional artist, you probably want one or the other. Personally, I've tested both Corel Painter 2017 and Photoshop CS 6. Honestly, I could do an enormous review on the programs alone, so I'll give you the cliff notes. For further info, hit the Youtubez hard.
Corel Painter ~ I like Painter because it comes with a significant number of brushes. It has tons of cool, integrated painting options (this year, they added True Watercolor, which is amazing). It has different paper textures and brush creation kits. If you want to experience REAL painting in a digital medium, Painter is your tool. That said, I mostly use it for drawing. You can easily perform basic sketching, inking, and colouring on it. Like Photoshop, it uses layers, something you’ll become abundantly familiar with in digital art. For many excellent Painter tutorials, check out Aaron Rutten's Youtube page, or get creative with the Googles. :)
Photoshop ~ Some people complain Photoshop doesn't have enough brushes. That's simply not true. You need only add them yourself. There are many resources for free or paid brushes online. You can literally google “photoshop brush sets” or find sets from your favourite artists. I remember an old blog post from Fiona Staples (artist of 'Saga') recommending an artists' brush set whom she admired. Many are out there for free. Essentially, Photoshop can be set to do ALMOST anything Painter can. It can also be used to touch up your creations afterwards because it has a ton of photo manipulation tools that Painter does not. In fact, a lot of artists say that they use Painter to draw and Photoshop to touch up.
Ultimately, they're both excellent programs. You'd likely be happy with either; although, Photoshop requires a little more initial setup. Still, there's a reason so many professional comic artists and digital artists use them.
•• Resources ••
An extremely active forum you can use for basic or complex questions is on reddit.com. You want to subscribe to /r/digitalpainting. They're a great resource for learning, critiques, software, or technical tablet questions.
Want to learn how to draw digitally? Look up tutorials on Youtube or any number of websites. The internet is your oyster. Seriously… there’s sooooooooooooo much info out there.
•• Conclusion ••
Holy crap, that was big. If you slogged through it with me, I hope you have a much clearer view of the world of current digital tablets… in particular, the strengths and weakness of the Intuos line.
If you found this helpful, please leave me a help vote. I’d love to spend more time reviewing art related devices, and I always update reviews if I have issues. If you have any questions, maybe about something I glossed over, please leave a comment, and I'll try to get back ASAP.
Best of luck on your digital foray. Happy drawing, painting, and anything else you can imagine ♥
Update 11/18/2017:
So this is an update after 1 year and 1 month of ownership. I still love the Intuos. I have virtually nothing to add, just wanted to say that it's... still awesome!
Reviewed in Canada on January 5, 2019