Wacom Intuos Touch Tablet Review

Hello! My name is Susan Dusseault, from Lily Fields Photography. Amanda invited me to share about my experience with the Wacam Intuos Touch small tablet because she gets many questions related to tablets.

A little history first… I had been eyeing the pen tablets for a while but was afraid to make the jump from my track pad. I heard lots of great things about using a tablet for editing as well as how much time it takes to adjust to the pen.

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What made me most hesitant though is my ambidextrous nature. I’m a left handed writer, but I learned to edit and track using my right hand. I was worried that I wouldn’t transition well because I can’t hold a pen in my right hand, but wasn’t sure that I could edit with my left hand. Weird I know!

For Christmas I asked for a Wacom Intuos touch tablet (shown above). I really didn’t want to spend over $100 in case I hated it and never adjusted. So I decided to go this route over the more professional tablets that Wacom carries.

Here are some things to think about when deciding to make the switch to a tablet:

  • Using a pen tablet is convenient for more than just editing. I was thankfully advised by Amanda to use it for everything: scrolling, navigating websites, deleting email, and more. In doing that you become adjusted to the pen much quicker. I find using a pen in this way is very convenient. It is easy on the hand and makes navigating a breeze.
  • Drawbacks include picking up the wrong pen, losing pen due to carrying it away from the computer and setting it down, and having to pick it up and put it down when needing to type.
  • It is important to watch the introductory video/tutorial, and make sure to adjust the pens settings.

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There are still some things I haven’t figured out about the buttons and settings, but for the most part I have it set the way I want. What was important for me was to have the sensitivity set fairly high. I do find that for my tablet, the scrolling isn’t the smoothest action. I have it set to hold a button down on the pen as I scroll.

It takes a little coordination to get that down. Even so, it isn’t as smooth or responsive as I would like. Because of this I still use my track pad on the right side. I love my two finger scroll action as it is fast!

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There are four buttons on the tablet that you can set a function two. Honestly, I just don’t use them. I may decide to play around with them at some point but for now I ignore them. You can set them to do several different things, like open a certain program when you press it, or perform a function within a program like Photoshop or Lightroom.

I’m really one of those types of people that uses a gadget for its surface value. Rarely do I dig deep into all the functions a product has. But they are there for those of you who like to use a product for all its worth!

Editing is still a little tricky for me. Navigating through Photoshop or Lightroom is a breeze, however using the brushes is something to adjust to. The pen tip is pressure sensitive so the harder you push the more flow you get from the tip. I find myself having to redo the brush actions because I can’t get the flow right. In addition, the diameter of the brush is slightly different with the pen. What looks wide enough seems to have a smaller tip. So I adjust accordingly.

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I purchased a small tablet. One might think that a larger one would be more productive but I’ve found that this small tablet is perfect. I don’t have the space on my desk for a larger tablet. There is plenty of room to navigate. It is about a 4×6 space.

Also, unlike a mouse where you can pick it up and adjust where the pointer is, the pen tablet’s usable area is relational to your screen. For example, if I wanted to navigate in the upper right side of my screen, my pen would need to be in the upper right side of the tablet. It can be set to function more like a mouse but the video tutorial recommended against it. So I kept the default setting. I like the way it works just fine.

I’ve only spent a couple months with my pen tablet and even though it has some kinks to work out I still love it. I would definitely recommend using one if you are on the fence and I wouldn’t hesitate choosing a lower end model for your introduction to the tablet.

If you use a tablet leave and comment and let us know what your favorite part of using one is. If you were on the fence, was this review helpful?

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Comments

  1. Thanks for this! I have one of the Bamboo tablets that I tried once and wasn’t crazy about, so I put it away. I desperately need to get it back out and try again. Your post is good motivation to keep trying! Have you come across any good articles for setting the tablet up for Lightroom/Photoshop? I currently use the scroll wheel on my mouse for adjusting my brush size in Lightroom and I really missed that when I tried my tablet. I think it is just a matter of getting used to something different (and having the patience to stick with it while you do)!

  2. Hi Andrea, no I haven’t come across any articles, but the intro tutorial video had some suggestions. I probably need to watch it again. I think Wacom has other videos as well so I’d check there website. I have always used the bracket key on my keyboard for adjusting brush size so that wasn’t an issue for me. Definitely get it out again and play and like I said, use it for everything.

  3. Thank you so much for today’s post! I am also a lefty using a right handed mouse for editing. And no, I can’t use a lefty mouse for editing, nor can I write with my right hand. I’ve been considering a tablet for editing but wasn’t sure how it would feel and if I would ultimately end up back with my mouse and a wasted expense.

  4. Ii had a Bamboo and re recently purchased the small Intuous. I am getting more accustomed to it and love it.

  5. I just purchased the same tablet. I can’t find any good tutorials using PS CS6 and Lightroom 5. Any suggestions?

  6. I’ve been using my bamboo tablet for 5 years. I’m a lefty too and really like being able to use my pen in the left hand. I moused with my right hand (except for a couple of years on the old round iMac mouse at work when that caused me back pain!?! Those circular mice were *not* ergonomic) so it was a bit of an adjustment. I think in some ways using the tablet with the opposite hand to your mouse makes the change so big that it’s almost easier (if you follow me?)

  7. I got rid of my tablet because of the ambidextrous nature you spoke of. I didn’t think about using it in all the ways you demonstrate here. I may be in the market for another and your review covered all the info I would be needing. Thank you for this.

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