A WACOM tablet (also known as a graphic tablet) is a computer input device that enables a user to hand-draw images, animations and graphics, with a special pen-like stylus, like the way a person draws images with a pencil and paper. The device consists of a flat surface upon which the user may "draw" or trace an image using the attached stylus, something like a pen. The image is displayed on the computer monitor, though some graphic tablets now also incorporate their own LCD screen for a more realistic experience and better usability. The device incorporates digitizer technology and pressure mapping for effective use.
Patent for WACOM tabet and pen.
Company History:
WACOM was founded in July 12, 1983 in Ageo, Saitama, Japan. It started off as a small company. It was founded on the idea that computer keyboards and mice, the only computer interface devices at the time, would not be enough to let people express themselves. The idea that a computer was not just for computations changed the way we think today. They created the idea that a computer is not just a tool we are forced to learn how to in only one way, like the use of a hammer. Instead, it is a tool with multiple uses, and functionalities.
WACOM started producing the first cordless pen tablets in 1984. It was called the ECAD. It’s performance was limited due to the time of release. Two to three years later, WACOM began using EMR (Electro- Magnetic Resonance) technology which allowed the pens to be battery free, and the performance of the tablets to increase by using pressure reporting. Their next product was released in 1987, which was called the SD series". It was a professional pen tablet using electromagnetic induction.
When they brought this technology to the United States in 1988, they saw that no one was creating computer software based applications for pressure input technologies, like their pressure reporting pens, and decided to promote the idea. They found a small black and white Macintosh application called “Pressure Paint”. The application and the pressure reporting pens were 100% compatible with each other. They then partnered up with Mark Zimmer, one of the sound and graphic pioneers of his time. He brought exciting media to the public which brought a lot of attention to the success of their pen tablets using an application called “Fractal Design Painter 3. Years have passed and the company has produced several successful products ranging from apps and services, smart pads, displays, and pen computers that let you draw directly on the screen. The company is world renowned and well trusted.
Apple vs. WACOM:
Graphical Tablet
Before WACOM invented their world renounced pen tablets, Apple had their own. In 1979, Apple released an officially branded graphics tablet, which came to life on the Apple II. This was the first example of pen tablet technology. It was a built as a tool intended for artists. Apple didn’t create the tablet itself. It was created by a company called Summagraphics. At the time, Summagraphics had built a mini-empire from Digitizer technology.
For years, WACOM has been the industry standard for graphics tablets. But as Apple introduces more powerful iPads. Today, Apple has the now iPad Pro 10.5” in conjunction with the Apple Pen. The most expensive model costs $1,129.99, and the Apple Pen costs $99.99. The graphics of the device are unparalleled in the world of pen tablets, making the creation of art a masterpiece. While both the WACOM products and Apple’s new iPad are both doorways to creative imagination, it is up to personal preference why people would by one or the other. Some argue to get the iPad for mobility, great graphical display, and various applications that can be used on it. Others argue to get the WACOM tablets do to a paper like feel, durability, and computer program compatibility.
Types of Tablets:
WACOM has several different products ranging from Pen computers which allow you to work directly on a computer screen with a pen, to apps and services that pair with various products to help capture the art you create. There are many options for you to choose from based on your style of drawing and art creation. Since there are many different options, only 3 will be listed here.
3 WACOM Tablets:
Intuos Pro
WACOM Intuos Pro
Wacom Intuos sports three variants with a difference in their screen size. The tablet also comes with several gestures which can be customizable based on the user. The tablet comes with a customizable Express Keys and Touch Ring technology which gives you quick access to all your favorite software shortcuts. Whatever the graphic usage be including drawing, sketching, painting, or photoshopping, the Wacom takes it all with ease.
Cintiq Pro
Cintiq Pro
This tablet is a fusion of a tablet and a monitor. It has a sleek class end finish five buttons that are LED illuminated. On the left is two USB-C ports and a headphone jack, while the right contains a third USB-C port and an SD card reader. Integrated pop-out legs for working at an inclined angle. This tablet’s pen accuracy feels the most natural, and virtually lag free.
Intuos Pro Paper Edition
The Intuos Pro Paper Edition graphics tablet is the thinnest since the company started selling graphics tablets many years ago. Its surface is now a sheet that feels like sketching paper. The box contains swatches of replacement sheets that have a smoother or coarser surface. his works with a Paper Clip that attaches to the top of the tablet to hold sketching paper. As you draw, the tablet captures and temporarily saves your strokes to its internal memory, which will store up to 200 multilayered or 1,000 single-layered drawings until you connect it again. And the files are downloaded where you can export them to program you use for digital drawing.
Best Programs to use with WACOM Tablets
There are many Software Programs out there that allow users to create digital works of art. Many of them work with the WACOM Tablets, but there are some that work better than most. WACOM Partners with the companies of these softwares and works with them to make them
more compatible for WACOM's Tablets.
Here are just a few of the programs you can use that have been made more compatible for the WACOM Tablets:
Adobe Photoshop or Elements
Auto Desk Sketchbook
Corel Painter
Art Rage
Anime Studio
Future of WACOM:
WACOM for years has been the standard for graphical tablet and pen display technologies. They ride on their brand name with trust and durability. Some would argue though that there are others who are coming out with better technologies that could rival their own. The creation of the Microsoft Surface Studio, and the continued success of the iPad pro prove to be worth advisories to the company. What does this mean for the company? Does it mean that they have to step up their game and present new ideas? Of course. In any market you always must be one step ahead of your competitors.
Gravity Sketch VR
WACOM has partnered with Super Ventures under the direction of VC Firm Forward Partners to create a compelling VR design tool called “Gravity Sketch”. The application
launched for early access on Steam in August 2017. Gravity Sketch works with the idea that you’re creating solid geometry, rather than sketching or using wire-frames. In your left
hand, you have palette which gives several entities you sketch with. While it was not rated well by the Steam Audience, it is still in its beta, and many improvements are to come.
Based on this partnership and creation of this VR software, it is possible that this is the direction that WACOM is currently going in. Perhaps in the next couple of years we will see
a WACOM VR system for the HTC VIVE, or the Oculus Rift.
A WACOM tablet (also known as a graphic tablet) is a computer input device that enables a user to hand-draw images, animations and graphics, with a special pen-like stylus, like the way a person draws images with a pencil and paper. The device consists of a flat surface upon which the user may "draw" or trace an image using the attached stylus, something like a pen. The image is displayed on the computer monitor, though some graphic tablets now also incorporate their own LCD screen for a more realistic experience and better usability. The device incorporates digitizer technology and pressure mapping for effective use.
Company History:
WACOM was founded in July 12, 1983 in Ageo, Saitama, Japan. It started off as a small company. It was founded on the idea that computer keyboards and mice, the only computer interface devices at the time, would not be enough to let people express themselves. The idea that a computer was not just for computations changed the way we think today. They created the idea that a computer is not just a tool we are forced to learn how to in only one way, like the use of a hammer. Instead, it is a tool with multiple uses, and functionalities.
WACOM started producing the first cordless pen tablets in 1984. It was called the ECAD. It’s performance was limited due to the time of release. Two to three years later, WACOM began using EMR (Electro- Magnetic Resonance) technology which allowed the pens to be battery free, and the performance of the tablets to increase by using pressure reporting. Their next product was released in 1987, which was called the SD series". It was a professional pen tablet using electromagnetic induction.
When they brought this technology to the United States in 1988, they saw that no one was creating computer software based applications for pressure input technologies, like their pressure reporting pens, and decided to promote the idea. They found a small black and white Macintosh application called “Pressure Paint”. The application and the pressure reporting pens were 100% compatible with each other. They then partnered up with Mark Zimmer, one of the sound and graphic pioneers of his time. He brought exciting media to the public which brought a lot of attention to the success of their pen tablets using an application called “Fractal Design Painter 3. Years have passed and the company has produced several successful products ranging from apps and services, smart pads, displays, and pen computers that let you draw directly on the screen. The company is world renowned and well trusted.
Apple vs. WACOM:
Before WACOM invented their world renounced pen tablets, Apple had their own. In 1979, Apple released an officially branded graphics tablet, which came to life on the Apple II. This was the first example of pen tablet technology. It was a built as a tool intended for artists. Apple didn’t create the tablet itself. It was created by a company called Summagraphics. At the time, Summagraphics had built a mini-empire from Digitizer technology.
For years, WACOM has been the industry standard for graphics tablets. But as Apple introduces more powerful iPads. Today, Apple has the now iPad Pro 10.5” in conjunction with the Apple Pen. The most expensive model costs $1,129.99, and the Apple Pen costs $99.99. The graphics of the device are unparalleled in the world of pen tablets, making the creation of art a masterpiece. While both the WACOM products and Apple’s new iPad are both doorways to creative imagination, it is up to personal preference why people would by one or the other. Some argue to get the iPad for mobility, great graphical display, and various applications that can be used on it. Others argue to get the WACOM tablets do to a paper like feel, durability, and computer program compatibility.
Types of Tablets:
WACOM has several different products ranging from Pen computers which allow you to work directly on a computer screen with a pen, to apps and services that pair with various products to help capture the art you create. There are many options for you to choose from based on your style of drawing and art creation. Since there are many different options, only 3 will be listed here.
3 WACOM Tablets:
WACOM Intuos Pro
Wacom Intuos sports three variants with a difference in their screen size. The tablet also comes with several gestures which can be customizable based on the user. The tablet comes with a customizable Express Keys and Touch Ring technology which gives you quick access to all your favorite software shortcuts. Whatever the graphic usage be including drawing, sketching, painting, or photoshopping, the Wacom takes it all with ease.
Cintiq Pro
This tablet is a fusion of a tablet and a monitor. It has a sleek class end finish five buttons that are LED illuminated. On the left is two USB-C ports and a headphone jack, while the right contains a third USB-C port and an SD card reader. Integrated pop-out legs for working at an inclined angle. This tablet’s pen accuracy feels the most natural, and virtually lag free.
Intuos Pro Paper Edition
The Intuos Pro Paper Edition graphics tablet is the thinnest since the company started selling graphics tablets many years ago. Its surface is now a sheet that feels like sketching paper. The box contains swatches of replacement sheets that have a smoother or coarser surface. his works with a Paper Clip that attaches to the top of the tablet to hold sketching paper. As you draw, the tablet captures and temporarily saves your strokes to its internal memory, which will store up to 200 multilayered or 1,000 single-layered drawings until you connect it again. And the files are downloaded where you can export them to program you use for digital drawing.
Best Programs to use with WACOM Tablets
There are many Software Programs out there that allow users to create digital works of art. Many of them work with the WACOM Tablets, but there are some that work better than most. WACOM Partners with the companies of these softwares and works with them to make themmore compatible for WACOM's Tablets.
Here are just a few of the programs you can use that have been made more compatible for the WACOM Tablets:
Future of WACOM:
WACOM for years has been the standard for graphical tablet and pen display technologies. They ride on their brand name with trust and durability. Some would argue though that there are others who are coming out with better technologies that could rival their own. The creation of the Microsoft Surface Studio, and the continued success of the iPad pro prove to be worth advisories to the company. What does this mean for the company? Does it mean that they have to step up their game and present new ideas? Of course. In any market you always must be one step ahead of your competitors.
WACOM has partnered with Super Ventures under the direction of VC Firm Forward Partners to create a compelling VR design tool called “Gravity Sketch”. The application
launched for early access on Steam in August 2017. Gravity Sketch works with the idea that you’re creating solid geometry, rather than sketching or using wire-frames. In your left
hand, you have palette which gives several entities you sketch with. While it was not rated well by the Steam Audience, it is still in its beta, and many improvements are to come.
Based on this partnership and creation of this VR software, it is possible that this is the direction that WACOM is currently going in. Perhaps in the next couple of years we will see
a WACOM VR system for the HTC VIVE, or the Oculus Rift.
References:
Gagne, K. (2010, August 13). Face-off: 1979 Apple Graphics Tablet vs. 2010 Apple iPad. Retrieved from https://www.computerworld.com/article/2519943/apple-mac/face-off--1979-apple-graphics-tablet-vs--2010-apple-ipad.htmlGravity Sketch. (n.d) Ret revived from https://www.gravitysketch.com/
Gravity Sketch VR. (n.d). Retrieved from http://store.steampowered.com/app/551370/Gravity_Sketch_VR/
Lang, B. (2018, February 16). VR Design Tool 'Gravity Sketch' Raises $1.7 Million With Participation from Wacom. Retrieved from https://www.roadtovr.com/gravity-sketch-vr-design-tool-seed-investment-wacom/
Jeremy Sutton (n.d). About how it all Started Mashiko Yamada, WACOM’s President &CEO from http://paintboxtv-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2009-08-Wacom_Art_of_Making_Marks_About_How_It_All_Started.pdf
Jeremy Sutton (2011) The Origins of Painter by Mark Zimmer from http://paintboxtvwpengine.netdnassl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2011-05-The_Origins_of_Painter_by_Mark_Zimmer.pdf
Smith, E. (2017, November 26). Wacom Graphics Tablet History: Touch Computing's Early Icon. Retrieved from https://tedium.co/2017/09/21/wacom-tablet-history/
Souppouris, A. (2016, July 14). Apple's Pencil looks great, but... from https://www.engadget.com/2015/09/10/apple-ipad-pro-pencil-designer-reaction/
WACOM Co. Ltd. (2016) Wacom Introduction & Business Updates from http://investors.wacom.com/media/files/investor-relations/2016-english/Wacom%20Intro_E_201606_print.pdf
Wacom Global. (n.d.). from http://www.wacom.com/en-us
What is the best software for creating art? (n.d.). from https://community.wacom.com/interests/art/what-is-the-best-software-for-creating-art