How to Tweak Photoshop to Recognize a Drawing Tablet

Be sure to adjust your tablet's settings to make it work for you.

Creating digital art can be profitable, especially if you have a creative mind and dedication to improving your technique. However, even the best artists need the right tools to create their art. Much like a painter relies on his paintbrush, almost all professional graphic designers use digital pen tablets in Photoshop. If you want to configure your new tablet to work in Photoshop, you will need to follow a specific process to get the most out of the tablet.

Instructions

1. Open the properties or settings window for your tablet through your computer's operating system.

2. Locate the "firmness" or "tip feel" adjuster in the settings and place the slider in the middle. This gives you a good starting place, but you can always readjust the settings later. If you know that you tend to press harder on the tablet, you can start with the slider closer to the "Firm" end. Conversely, if you have a lighter touch, try moving the slider closer to the "Soft" end.

3. Open Photoshop.

4. Click "File," and choose "New" to create a new document.

5. Click "Window," and choose "Brushes" to open the brushes window.

6. Click "Shape Dynamics," and select "Pen Pressure" from the drop-down list under "Size Jitter." This enables Photoshop to recognize the varying pressure.

7. Test out your pen by applying varying amounts of pressure in the document you created. If you notice that the pen is too responsive or if you are feel you have to press hard to get the pen to respond, go back to Step 2 and adjust the firmness of the pen accordingly.

References

• Republic of Code: Using Pen Tablets in Photoshop
• Addictive Tips: How To Use Wacom Bamboo Graphics Tablet With Photoshop