While sitting there trying to draw with a mouse, have you ever wished you had a computer drawing tablet? Drawing with a mouse can be frustrating especially since it does not have the sensitivity to pressure that most drawing pads have. Also drawing with a mouse can often create problems with users and can lead to health issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome, an affliction where the wrist has become painful and inflamed through the repetitive use of the mouse. A pen tablet can alleviate this issue however.
A drawing tablet works by digitizing the movements of a pen or brush that are used to draw pictures. If you press harder on the tablet, the lines on your computer screen will look like you pressed harder. The sensitivity of your tablet lets you control things like how thick the lines are or even their color. You have all kinds of options for shading.
The advantages of a tablet over a mouse for artistic type people is quite obvious: it makes drawing on the computer more like drawing on paper. You can get some graphics tablets used, but beware: the older ones usually take a serial communications port rather than a USB. Most people only have USB nowadays, especially on laptops.
Also, consider the size because wider screens have become popular in recent years. You probably don’t want to get a tablet that can’t cover your entire screen, so be alert when considering a used one.
New tablets are made by popular brands such as Wacom, DigiPro, Aiptek and others and range from $50 for the ultra-economical DigiPro WP5540 (5.5”x 4”) to almost $2000 for a large one (like the 17”x 12.75” Wacom Cintiq). Size isn’t the only thing to consider though. You should think about things like sensitivity and resolution as well. Visit computer drawing tablet and portable printers for laptops for more information.