Despite the freedom and the benefits of the numerous applications that Wacom graphic tablets provide to home users, hobbyists, and professional graphic artists, many fear that they will never get used to writing, sketching or drawing with a stylus while looking up at the monitor instead of down on the tablet where the work is taking place.
While some graphic tablet users have no difficulties adapting to this counter-intuitive way of working, others still prefer the natural coordination between the eyes and the hand during the work in progress.
The old fashioned way with a digital twist
If you find this transition from pen and paper to a pen tablet difficult, there is a solution while still being able to use your Wacom graphic tablet. Behold the Wacom ink pens. These cordless, battery-free and pressure sensitive digitizer pens can be used to write, draw, and sketch on paper while still having the end result immediately appear on the monitor screen. All you have to do is place a sheet of paper on the Wacom graphic tablet before using the ink pen.
Wacom Inking Pens
Wacom has three different digitizer ink pens to choose from: the Graphire Ink Pen, the Intuos2 Ink Pen and the Intuos3 Ink pen. While the Intuos2 and Intuos3 Ink Pens, with 1,024 pressure sensitivity levels, work only with their respective Intuos2 and Intuos3 graphic tablets, the Graphire Ink Pen, with 512 levels of pressure sensitivity, can be used on all Graphire drawing tablets plus on the standard Bamboo and Bamboo Fun graphic tablets. Just make sure to place a sheet of paper on the drawing tablet before using the ink stylus. Then you will be able to look down at the paper while you work with the end result magically showing up on the screen. All Wacom ink pens come with extra ink cartridges.
The hi-tech “pen on paper” solution
Wacom Cintiq Pen Display
Now, if you have the cash, another solution would be to use the higher-end Wacom Cintiq interactive pen displays. With a Cintiq, you do not need an ink pen or a sheet of paper. All you do is write or draw directly on the Cintiq’s monitor with the accompanying digital Intuos3/Cintiq Grip Pen. Furthermore, with Cintiq pen tablets being completely adjustable, the hand-eye coordination is unequalled. There are 2 different Cintiq pen tablets to choose from: Cintiq 12WX and Cintiq 21UX.
So if you have refrained from purchasing a graphic tablet simply because you prefer looking down on paper instead of up at a screen, worry no more. The Graphire and Intuos Ink pens or the Cintiq interactive pen displays can come to your rescue and help you on an incredible adventure of digital freedom and creativity.
UPDATED NOTICE Feb 09: Unfortunately, WACOM is slowly phasing out both the Graphire Ink Pens and the Intuos2 Ink Pens. The only inking stylus available will be the Intuos3 Ink Pens for Intuos3 Pen Tablets and the Intuos4 ink pens for the Intuos4 Graphic Tablets.
All Wacom products mentioned in this article can be purchased on www.DrawitTablet.com.
