First-time pen tablet users who are accustomed to drawing with a mouse might find themselves face with a hefty learning gap, so we'd like to introduce some tips on mastering the pen tablet.

 

[1] Pen Tablet Positioning

Until you get used to using the pen tablet, it will be more comfortable to draw with it sitting directly in front of your display monitor.

 

[2] Clicking the Tablet Surface

When the pen tip touches the tablet surface it is in the same state as if pressing the "left mouse button".

It may fail to work if there isn’t enough pressure applied.

 

One light tap on the tablet surface with the pen tip is the same as a single click with a mouse.

Two light taps on the tablet surface with the pen tip is the same as a double click with a mouse.

 

[3] Drag Operation with the Pen

To perform the Drag operation, press the pen tip and move it across the tablet surface. This operation is used to draw lines or paint with color.

 

Hovering the pen tip slightly above the tablet surface will cause only the cursor to move.

 

 

[4] Right Click with the Side Button

To right click, press the button on the side of the pen. Double click and center click can be similarly done with the side buttons as well.

Note: The arrangement and allocation of buttons may vary depending on the manufacturer and model. It is also possible to alter the key function's settings by changing the pen tablet's driver settings.

 

[5] Four Corners of the Tablet = Four Corners of the Screen

The four corners of the pen tablet's drawing surface correspond to the four corners of the display screen.

When you touch the tablet surface with the pen, the cursor appears in the same position on the display screen.

For example, if you move the pen closer to the bottom left of the tablet, the cursor also moves closer to the bottom left of the display screen.

 

[6] Focus on the Monitor

People who normally draw on paper have a habit of looking at their hand as they draw. However, when using a pen tablet, it's better to look at the display monitor and follow the cursor's position as you draw.

 

[7] Customizable Drawing Conditions

You can adjust your drawing conditions with the tablet driver.

 

For those who use a lot of force when drawing, you can set the pen pressure sensitivity to "Firm"; for those who use less force, you can set it to "Soft".Doing this allows you to draw with a natural level of force.

The method used to set the level of pen pressure sensitivity depends on the type of tablet you are using.

 

You can download the Wacom product manual from the following Wacom official page.

 

For Wacom tablets, you can set the pen pressure from "Wacom Tablet Properties" which you can call from the "Wacom Desktop Center" after installing the driver.

 

Procedures may differ depending on the product, so please see the bundled manual or included CD-ROM for details. In addition, you can download the latest drivers from the Wacom driver download page.

 

 

 

■ How to Adjust the Pen Pressure of a Pen Tablet

 

From the “Wacom Tablet Properties”, select [Pen] > [Tip Feel] and set the general pen pressure sensitivity from Soft to Firm. For a more detailed adjustment, click the Customize button and maually edit the input/output curve.

 

For example, a downward curve indicates that the sensitivity of the pen is Firm and an upwards curve if it is Soft.

 

People with firm pen pressure should set the pen pressure curve downwards (the “Firm” setting).

 

People with soft pen pressure should set the pen pressure curve upwards (the “Soft” setting).

 

Using settings specified to your own hand will allow you to draw with a natural level of force.

 

 

 

■ Adjusting pen pressure in Clip Studio Paint

 

Clip Studio Paint allows you to further adjust the pen pressure sensitivity level based on the pen pressure information sent from the tablet.

 

You can set the sensitivity of the pens and brushes used in Clip Studio Paint in the [File] menu > [Pen Pressure Settings].

 

In addition, each sub tool has the option to adjust pen pressure, so you can fine-tune the pen tool to a firm setting but keep the brush tool soft, etc.

In order to display the [Brush Size Effect Source Settings], click the button on the right side of [Brush Size] in the [Tool Properties] palette that displays the settings of the selected sub tool. It is possible to enable/disable pen pressure at its most minimal pressure settings and set the pen pressure with the curve graph.

 

In addition, you can set pen pressure to influence various items such as [Opacity] and [Brush density]. If you open the [Sub Tool Detail] palette that is displayed when you click the tool icon in the lower right corner of the [Tool Properties] palette, you can change all of the settings that are not displayed in the [Tool Properties] palette.

For details on adjusting Clip Studio Paint’s pen settings, please see the following TIPS.