Did you buy a drawing tablet for creating beautiful artwork and illustrations? However, something doesn’t feel right isn’t it? We know that you’ve bought your favorite graphics tablet but you’re confused how to take a start. This post will not only help you connect a drawing tablet to a computer, but also help you create beautiful masterpieces of art in a successful manner.
How to connect your drawing tablet to computer or any other device?
The drawing tablets allow you to draw amazing pictures with a pen-like stylus; the best thing about this device is that it mimics the natural style of drawing. If you’re a new user, you’ll get a bit frustrated at start because transitioning from mouse to stylus pen takes time. Holding a pen is more natural but using it with a drawing tablet is different. A drawing tablet can either be connected through USB or wirelessly. Following are the steps to connect a drawing tablet:
- The drawing tablet will work when you connect it to a computer using the USB port. Similarly, a stylus will be attached to the drawing tablet. You just have to connect the cables to the ports.
- Now download and install the driver. Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
- Restart the computer if you have Windows, if you’re using Mac then you don’t need to restart the system.
If you want to connect your tablet to the computer via Bluetooth, follow these steps:
- Unplug the tablet from the computer.
- Open the Bluetooth settings on the computer.
- Press the power button of the tablet till the LED starts blinking blue.
- From your computer, select the drawing tablet and then pair it.
Most of the tablets have software that allow you to create and draw with the device, such as the PD Particles software. The stylus pen allows you to draw same like you draw using a pen. You can easily change the pressure using the stylus pen that you’re using, and this helps you draw lines of varying widths. Overall, it is very easy to connect a drawing tablet to the computer. Following are some points that you should keep in mind:
- The pen is either battery powered or comes with a cord. When you draw lines using the pen, the pressure sensitive capacitor measures the pressure of the lines and make them appear on the screen.
- There is a grid of wires in the tablet which is known as the sensor board. This grid detects the data signals that is generated by the stylus.
- There are horizontal and vertical wires in the tablet that act as transmitting and receiving coils. The electromagnetic signals generated by the tablet are received by the circuit in the stylus.
- The stylus acts as an antenna and generates another electromagnetic field that connects back to the tablet.
- The tablet uses the electromagnetic signals to transfer the lines to the device connected, and the image appears on the screen.
Tips for transitioning to stylus pen and drawing tablet
When you draw on a paper with a pencil, you have to look down at the paper and draw. Whereas, with a drawing tablet and its pen, you have to look at the screen to see the output. At first, it might seem uncomfortable but then you’ll get used to it gradually. However, using a pen has more benefits as compared to using a mouse for drawing. Before you start using a drawing tablet, we have jotted down some tips for you to ease the transition from mouse to pen:
- Practice using the stylus pen and the drawing tablet with default settings so that you get some basic knowledge of use.
- Customize the stylus pen and tablet settings like button functions and sensitivity that suit your style. You can always try various settings and then change them if they aren’t suitable.
- Before drawing, use the pen to navigate on desktop. You can practice opening and closing the windows, clicking on various icons and dragging objects.
- You can also use the pen to play games. This is a fun way to practice using the stylus pen as you easily get familiar with dragging and clicking.
- Click on your favorite graphics program and then draw shapes, practice writing names and other things so that you start smoothly.
- Open a picture and a blank page together in your graphics software. Now try creating the image on the blank page using your pen and tablet. You can use different pens and brushes to copy the real image on the blank page.
- Before starting your work, do a little warm up with the pen. Such as you can play any game or write your name before you start drawing the picture.
Improve your drawing experience
If you’re having difficulty drawing with your tablet, we are here to help you improve your drawing experience. There are a lot of things that you can do to make your experience better. Following are some important methods that will help you proceed smoothly:
Match the hand movements with the movements on the screen
The size of the drawing tablet should be in a proper ratio with the size of the screen. For example, if you have a small drawing tablet and a large monitor, the mouse will move too much if you move the pen even a little bit. Also, if you have a large drawing tablet and a small screen, you’ll need to move the pen to a great distance to move the cursor on the screen.
The mismatch in distance causes discomfort for the user and to solve this issue, you need to adjust the drawing environment. Following are some tips to improve the drawing environment:
- If you’re an artist who draws using the wrist and your tablet is too small in front of the screen, push the monitor back slightly so that the screen looks smaller. This reduces the discomfort caused by the mismatch of the screens.
- If you want to draw large strokes, then you’ll use your entire arm for drawing. If your monitor is larger than 15 inches, push it back a bit from where you place the drawing tablet, this will make it look smaller and it will be easier for you to draw.
Sit in front of the tablet and the monitor
If you feel there is a mismatch between your hands and the cursor, there might be an issue with the angle of the tablet and the monitor. The angle mismatch occurs when you place the tablet at a slanted angle from the monitor. When you have placed your tablet at a different angle from monitor, when you draw a vertical line, it will appear as a diagonal line on the screen.
To fix the angle mismatch issue, always place your drawing tablet in front of the monitor and face the monitor directly. You just have to match the direction of the monitor and the drawing tablet to solve the problem. This fix decreases the burden and also help you draw properly while directly facing the monitor.
Check the friction between the pen and the drawing tablet
The drawing tablet is more slippery as compared to the paper and pen, and it might cause some difficulty for you at start. The drawing tablets are made up of materials that promote slipping and thus there might be less friction between the surfaces. If slipperiness of the materials is causing discomfort to you while drawing, then you can use the protective overlay sheets that will increase friction and make it easier for you to draw.
You can also replace the nib of the pen if you feel there is less friction between the pen and the drawing tablet. Some of the Wacom tablets have pens with felt tips that give a rougher feel and are good for you if you are tired of slipperiness.
Adjust the pen pressure
When you’re drawing, you must consider some things so that you have a comfortable experience. The angle of the stroke, the friction of the pen, and the pen pressure level must be checked. You can set up the pen pressure using the tablet’s driver or by using the drawing software. The software will allow you to customize the pen settings according to your comfort level.
Conclusion
Connecting a drawing tablet to your computer is very easy, you just have to plug it in the USB port and then install the driver. However, there is a lot more than connecting it to the computer. You have to learn a lot of things before you start using the drawing tablet. You must know how to use the pen’s side switches, use the function keys, and use on-screen controls.
After connecting, the most important thing to do is to customize the drawing tablet and the pen. By adjusting the settings, you can make the drawing tablet your best partner in drawing and art.