digital pens w/photoshop (cs5) compatibility?

[Zalius]

do i need to have a tablet to do this? if i have to buy a tablet to get this done, i will, but i'm looking for a more basic option first. I want a pen that i can draw directly into photoshop with instead of using my traditional mouse. it would be pretty sweet if i could use my mouse too when it's easier (changing brushes n erasing and shit).

i have seen a couple of options but i have to export the files into photoshop from the tablet or program and then modify it w/photoshop later, are they all like this?

any recommendations are cool, feel free to affiliate link me from amazon

Spoiler: show

as long as you know what you're talking about & you're not just upselling the fuck out of me or i will buttfuck you

[Jojimbo]

What do you mean by tablet? As in iPad or these, or are you just looking for something like these

[Zalius]

i guess closer to the bamboo ones? i dont need any display outside of what gets tranferred directly into photoshop, i want to be able to create stuff in photoshop with a pen instead of a mouse. that's it, a-b-c. if i can do it for $5 i will, if i have to drop 79 i will

[Ksandra]

i guess closer to the bamboo ones? i dont need any display outside of what gets tranferred directly into photoshop, i want to be able to create stuff in photoshop with a pen instead of a mouse. that's it, a-b-c. if i can do it for $5 i will, if i have to drop 79 i will

I can't help with the whole "no tablet" thing BUT Jo linked one of the better brands of what you're looking for. I know that most of my friends who do professional photoshop work use Wacom products. So, if you do find a wacom pen that doesn't need a tablet, it's probably a good bet. (though, again, not sure if Wacom offers them).

My husband said that there are some pens that don't require the tablets but companies just started making them and he hasn't heard any good things about any of them so far. He said go with a wacom too lol.

[Zalius]

I can't help with the whole "no tablet" thing BUT Jo linked one of the better brands of what you're looking for. I know that most of my friends who do professional photoshop work use Wacom products. So, if you do find a wacom pen that doesn't need a tablet, it's probably a good bet. (though, again, not sure if Wacom offers them).

My husband said that there are some pens that don't require the tablets but companies just started making them and he hasn't heard any good things about any of them so far. He said go with a wacom too lol.

k, is the bamboo like a regular mouse? the only concern i have is how im gonna change functions while im working in photoshop if i'm using a wacom. if it overrides the mouse im going to be fucking angry and destroy it and then send it back and tell them that their product is defective because it incites rage within me. i need a mouse+pen at the same time.

i don't need it right away so that's good, but i'm also brainstorming a subscription based game that i could probably start developing by Q1 2013, maybe sooner depending on how much $ i have. would be cool to do some of the artwork while also being a badass director/ceo of my own small gaming venture if ya namean. totally off topic though.

ANYWAYS TL;DR
can i still use my mouse while plugged into the bamboo
does all of the input from the wacom go straight to photoshop
how does it work relative to a regular mouse
can i turn off the draw feature and use it like a normal mouse? that would be fucking dope. if they havent invented that im going to email them and tell them that im smarter than them and that they should hire me to invent a new product line for pennies on the dollar

[Zansho]

First, there are several caveats with Bamboo. Yes, it does act like a pen, however - it has less levels of pressure sensitivity than a professional Wacom Intuos version. I used a Bamboo for a while (I'm a professional photographer), and while it did the job sufficiently, it lacked the ability for me to be able to do the more advanced things I wanted to do.

The Intuos 4 that I have is amazing - it comes with the pen and the mouse, both. Has over 2,000 levels of pressure sensitivity, and you can change the nibs on the pen to mimic any kind of pen you want - or even a brush. Some folks even get an airbrush style pen.

Yes, it works like a regular mouse. The thing you have to remember is the tablet is essentially your "screen" and that wherever you put the pen down on, is where your mouse pointer will go. Additionally, the intuos has a wheel on the side of the tablet that allows you to scroll, zoom in, and assign custom function keys to do specific things you want it to do. The pen itself also has buttons like a regular mouse, so you can "right click" as needed.

My intuos 4 was about 200 bucks from Amazon. If I were you, I'd just go straight and buy that one instead of just getting a Bamboo - http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-PTK640-I...5529030&sr=8-5 - that's the one I have now.

Additionally, Wacom also makes a Cintiq - where you can draw directly onto the screen in a iPad sorta of way, but with much better detail and accuracy. http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Cintiq-1...5529100&sr=1-1. 800 bucks, but it's next on the list of things for me to buy as it's color calibration friendly, and a beast of a tool to use.

[Zalius]

sweet, that thing is sick. definitely going for that one. i'm gonna put it on hold for the next 2 months while i set up the projects that im going to be using it on

this has been a successful thread

[hey]

if it overrides the mouse im going to be fucking angry and destroy it and then send it back and tell them that their product is defective because it incites rage within me. i need a mouse+pen at the same time.

There's no such thing as overriding a mouse. You can plug in and use 5 different mice at once. As long as you only actually use one at a time, they will never interfere with each other.

Unless you want to use the mouse to do something, while continuing to draw, but idk how you would even do that in a way that wouldn't be faster+easier to just stop drawing.

[Zalius]

There's no such thing as overriding a mouse. You can plug in and use 5 different mice at once. As long as you only actually use one at a time, they will never interfere with each other.

Unless you want to use the mouse to do something, while continuing to draw, but idk how you would even do that in a way that wouldn't be faster+easier to just stop drawing.

learn somethin new errday

[-Zer0-]

I'm gonna go with Zansho on this one. I'd get an I4 instead of a Bamboo if you're doing anything Photoshop/digital media-related. The pressure sensitivity and functions just make things more streamlined and easier. I use one almost every day being a concept artist. You can also get different pens with the I4 that help with more precise directional control (i.e. brush angles).

If you want to save money, you could also try and go for the I3. They're a little bulkier and there's a lack of wheel-scrolling, but I know a lot of people, like Marko Djurdjevic, who prefer them over the I4 for the surface alone. Keep in mind the I3 has only 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity as opposed to the I4's 2048. Older Cintiq models are only 1024 as well, while the new Cintiqs with wheel-scrolling are 2048.

If you're not doing any digital painting, modeling, or architectural work, I'd say go for a Medium size. If it's something in-depth and intensive the requires fine detail, go for Large.

[Kaisha]

Bamboo is nice for something small or a cheap 'starter' tablet to figure out what you need/want from your next one (larger size, or more functionality, etc). My 12x9" Intuos 2 still working to this day, so that must say something to the longevity of Wacom products.

Wacom tablets have two modes typically also. One that moves the mouse cursor based on its relative position, and one where touching the tablet on a given spot will replicate that spot on the screen. On that note, it tends to help getting a tablet that's of the same aspect ratio as your monitor. Majority of Wacom's modern tablets are for 16:9 displays last I checked, but you are able to crop the drawing space to keep proportion if need be.


Main thing I miss on my Bamboo from my Intuos2 is pen tilt, and pressure sensitivity on the eraser end, so I'm usually stuck erasing using the pen + keyboard eraser hotkey instead for precision work.