How Does a Pen Tablet Work?
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Ben Tablet Basics
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Pen tablets allow artists to draw artwork directly onto the computer. Many computer users find using a mouse to draw awkward. Pen tablets do most of the work on the tablet itself. The user places the pen on a tablet similar to a mouse pen. Most pen tablets require the user to move the pen along a grid.
The tablet portion of the pen hardware contains a fine wire mesh grid. This grid helps determine the X-Y axis of the pen and where the computer should place the cursor on the screen. The software on the computer processes this information.
How the Tablet Tracks Position
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The pens that get used on tablets resemble the stylus used on the Nintendo DS and PDAs. The pen itself contains little hardware as it collects the information the computer needs. Most pen tablets also sense how hard a user presses to create a Z axis. While most applications ignore this data, Photoshop and other paint applications can apply it to certain tools such as the airbrush. The Z axis gives paint programs that recognize it additional functionality.
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Pen Tablets Vs. Mice
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A pen tablet and a mouse both send data that allows the computer to position a cursor on the screen. The pen must be in contact with the tablet to do this, while for a mouse, it must register movement. The mouse senses motion by means of rollers on its inside. When you move the mouse, the ball rolls against these. To double click with the pen tablet, the user quickly taps the tablet twice.
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