When it comes to buying a Wacom tablet, there are many different choices. Wacom makes tablets for absolute newbies to seasoned professionals. The choices can be a little daunting at first, but this article will detail the different options available and help you decide which one is right for you.
The Wacom Bamboo Fun is the best of all the Bamboo models if you haven't used a tablet before and want to make a serious jump into the digital design world. You can use the pen or your hand to move things around, edit photos, draw and paint. The pen, like all of the Bamboo pens, is pressure sensitive allowing very good precision. It is the largest of all the Bamboo models with an active drawing area of 7.5″ W x 5.1″ H and the tablet Dimensions are 13.3″ W x 8.8″ H. A nice bonus is that Adobe Photoshop Elements & Nik Color Efex Pro are included. This tablet is highly recommend for the beginning designer or moderate designer who wants to make the switch to digital or combine it with standard design.
The Wacom Bamboo Craft is another great tablet for a newbie except it is primarily for arts and crafts projects and scrap-booking. You can use hand gestures to navigate quickly between photos and use the pen for more detailed work such as handwriting, drawing or photo editing. The size is quite a bit smaller compared to the Wacom Bamboo Fun. Active drawing area is 4.9″ W x 3.4″ H and tablet dimensions are 9.8″ W x 6.9″ H. It includes some great software (Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter Essentials, and Nik Color Efex Pro) and some nifty extras exclusively for arts and crafts. It is handy for a crafty person who is computer literate and looking to reduce clutter.
The last three tablets in the Bamboo line are the Bamboo Pen and Touch, Bamboo Pen and Bamboo Touch. The Bamboo Touch is unique from the other tablets because it does not come with a pen. You can only use your hand to manipulate images, files, etc. It is the cheapest of the tablets and not recommended if you want precision.
Look to the Bamboo Pen and Touch or Bamboo Pen for precise editing. As you may have guessed, the difference between these two are the ability to use your hand or not. Both tablets work very well so it comes down to personal preference.
A good choice for people who have used a tablet before and mid-level designers is the Wacom Intuos4. It is available in different sizes -- extra-large, large, medium, small and a wireless model. The largest being 18.2″ x 12.0″(Active Area) and 24.5″ x 18.2″(physical size). The smallest is 6.2″ x 3.9″(Active Area ) with a physical size of 12.2″ x 8.2″. Another upside to this model is that it comes with an improved pressure sensitive pen which is especially good for painting. It also comes with a five button mouse which most people don't need, but it is a nice extra. The Intuos4 includes some non-impressive design software. For professionals, it will more than likely not be an issue, but newbies will need to buy their preferred design/illustration software.
Lastly, there are the Wacom Cintiq 21UX and Wacom Cintiq 12WX. These are the Cadillac of Wacom tablets. Actually, they are considered displays because you can draw directly on the screen. No more hand-eye coordination needed. Drawing on the display is a great advantage and offers even more precision. The Cintiq 21UX is cumbersome though. Roughly the same size as a standard 17" monitor. Physical size is 22.1″ W x 16.6″ H, the display is 17″ W x 12.75 H" and it weighs 22.4 lb with stand. If you have the extra space and are a professional who will use it daily, then it is highly recommended.
The alternative is the Wacom Cintiq 12WX. Much smaller in size, but has the same benefits of the Cintiq 21UX. Only 16″ W x 10.5″ H with an active area of 10.3″ W x 6.4″ H and weighs just 4.4 pounds. It's great for a professional designer who will use it very often and who does not have a lot of space. It's also light-weight enough to be portable and sit in your lap.
Always keep in mind size, need and price when deciding which Wacom tablet to buy.
The author is a freelance graphic designer who has been using different drawing tablets for the past 8 years. She is familiar with using non-Wacom tablets as well as the Wacom tablets she reviews in this article. She prefers Wacom and hopes this article will help someone else decide on the right Wacom tablet for them. To read the author's more detailed reviews and opinions of Wacom tablets, go to http://www.wacomtabletreviews.net.
