Tablet use with Xara

I am exploring the addition of a drawing tablet (with or without display) to my Pro+ setup. I was wondering if any TG readers have used a tablet with Xara and what their experience/recommendations were. Thanks. Dan

Do you intend to draw/sketch freehand with/without pressure sensitivity; do you have good close up vision ?

if yes to the first, or both, I can give you some pointers

on the other hand at least one other member here uses a pen because it causes them far less hand strain in use than a mouse; if that is the only reason, then any of the top brands will do and you do not need a screen tablet

The last tablet I used (no display) was a Kurta. Long gone. I liked it because it had a large drawing surface, 21x 16". My "fine motor control" is not what it used to be so I am searching for a large drawing surface. I will be referencing an attached monitor, so the display feature is not really relevant for my purposes. I've never used a pressure sensitive pen and I suspect it will not be a deal breaker for my uses. Thanks.

two fundamental things : latency ['lag'] and parallax

- the first is only relevant if you connect tablet via bluetooth [usb cable effectively instantaneous response]; if you are drawing freehand this may well be unacceptable, otherwise it may be a nuisance to you, it may not

- the second is the dispalcement of the pen tip from the cursor; if you are not using a tablet display that is not relevant, but that said, some of the cheaper tablets do not map so well, so there may be slight displacement of cursor from drawn line, even after calibration

wacon are best; wacom are expensive; huion and x-pen have a good name and should give you no real bother

but the bottom line is all serious tablets will all work with xara, in the same way as a mouse will, so if you are not freehand drawing you don't need to go top range

Excellent, and much appreciated, advice. I would not call myself an artist. I 'engineer' my drawings so I think your considerations will not be an issue. I am stalking the Wacom Wacom Intuos Pro - Large. It is an affordable $500. Thanks for the advice. Kinda gets me excited about a new adventure! - Dan

good choice

The wacom pro pen 2 comes with default 'hard' nib, and a felt nib if you prefer more drag; note, the felt nibs wear quickly especially compared with the old tablets; wacom also sell 'rough' texture sheets for that tablet that are easy to fit with care, which is another alternative - and you can even tape paper over, which can be useful if you have a drawing on paper that you want to transfer without scanning; the intuos will respond fine through several sheets of paper

Have fun :)

I with @handrawn on this one, and can also sincerely endorse Wacom tablets.

I am lucky to use a Wacom Cintiq 16 and a basic intuos (medium) tablet, which I also use as a mouse replacement. A bonus is that I can very easily go from the tablet to the keyboard and back quickly whilst still holding the pen.

I'm sure other brands are absolutely fine but for me the Wacom has the edge. The software drivers are regularly updated, their customer support is responsive and they are built to last.

Sometimes it's worth checking their online store for refurbished products which usually come with a 1 year warrantee.

I started with a graphire [3 I think] 2003, it was like drawing on glass :eek:

things have sure improved

having both, the thing i always liked, and still do, about a screenless tablet is that the hand does not get in the way visually; in that sense, at least, even better than paper...