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Question For Ya re. Intuos3
February 24th, 2009
How many of you use tablets with Photoshop or Lightroom? It took me a while to get used to mine a few years ago but now it’s so much a part of what I do I can’t imagine going back to the clunky old mouse. Anyhow – I’d love to know who uses one, and – here’s what I am really getting at – what do you do with your ExpressKeys? I finally switched from my beloved Graphire to a real, grown-up Intuos. I just know there’s some cool things I could do with these customizable strips, but it’s just so much easier to have people give me ideas. My brain hurts right now. Thoughts? Have you got a set-up you just can’t live without? Let us know, spread the love!
I use an Intuos for anything in PS or LR that requires broad, free strokes, like masking or painting but I can’t use it for pointing and clicking very well. I haven’t assigned the ExpressKeys to anything because I have the keyboard right next to the Intuos. I use the tablet with the right hand, keyboard shortcuts with the left, and mouse to the left of that, since I always mouse left-handed even though I’m right handed.
I started with an old 4×5 intuos and I did not know how to use it (tried to use it like a mouse). At a trade show I watched a Wacom rep do wonders with his tablet and I was hooked. I cannot imagine living w/o it. DH has the 9×12. We have the 6×8 for our laptop and I own a Cintiq which I love love love! Lisa
I have the left side as Ctrl 0 to maximize the image, then save as and print with the bottom being the pop up menu. The right side I have my sharpening scenario (an action), create mask, new merged layer and shadow/highlight (with my won settings not the terrible default settings). On my pen I have right click and then Ctrl Alt Z for multiple undos. Lisa
I have one too but i don’t use any of the express keys though. But I do use the mouse instead of my Apple Mighty Mouse.
I use a small intuos (6×4). I’m left handed so I’ve set the orientaion to upside down. Before that I fould that I sometimes cause unwanted zooming when my hand rub the touch strip, this also now leaves the buttons on the right side. Which is much more user friendly for a lefty like me. I have assigned functions to the buttons and it depends on the application to what these buttons will do. The strip zooms the brush size on all applications. I don’t like the button on the pen and I have disabled the double click option. However I have left the lower part of the button as a right click (I still hit it by accident occasionally).
I use the Intuos 3 A5 Wide for everything in Lightroom and Photoshop. I don’t have the ExpressKeys programmed yet. My keyboard is on my left so I use those keys instead.
Photoshop CS4, Lightroom 2 and 6×8 Intuos3. I bought my first graphire tablet in 2002 and have not touched a mouse since. The pen is used for absolutely everything (even text editing, web browsing, games). From most reviews, I seem to be unique in that I found the switch fairly easy to get use to.
I wish the tablet didn’t have the express keys so the tablet would take up less desk space. I have found little use for these keys that my mini wireless Apple keyboard (my hands already on it) can do better.
I have one key setup to Display Toggle between multiple monitors.
I have tried many other uses for the keys and find them more annoying then good.
Stephen – I’d sure love to know how you’re able to use your Intuos3 with Photoshop CS4. I’ve been amongst the thousands that have been stuck in CS3 because the newest version of Photoshop creates such astronomical pen lag it makes the two virtually incompatible.
I never use the express keys and wouldn’t mind seeing a version of the tablet without them. I use my tablet 100% of the time (except, of course, if I happen to want to open up Photoshop CS4).
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I am a Graphire user and have been for several years now. No quick keys for me. Our pen died on me a couple of weeks ago and while I was waiting for a replacement I just didn’t edit anything. The pen is my weapon of choice and I am now so illiterate with a mouse that I would be doomed without it. Someday the INtuos will make its way into my home. Way too many other shiny things to purchase before that though. (Though Lightroom is off that list – whooh hooh!)
I have the Intuos 6X8. Use the pen for LR & PS and the mouse for everything else. Haven’t found a need for the express keys, but maybe I’m missing something…? I agree with the earlier comment by Stephen: get rid of the express keys and make the tablet smaller.
Man, I just can’t get used to mine. I’ll have to make the effort to give it another try
I have the Intuos 3, 9 x 12 and it works fine for me, like most people above I haven’t bothered with the express keys… use them as shipped but still find myself using the keyboard as it sits right above the tablet on my desk.
Have always been a bit of a keyboard shortcut freek. Only use the tablet for hack kinda stuff in LR & CS3,love it but it is probably overkill for the level of work I do.
I’ve got the Cintiq 12wx and I just can’t seem to get used to it. I know it will improve my work flow and make certain tasks easier but I’m having a real mental road block with it…
I use the Intuos 4×6 and mainly use it in Photoshop – for LR it’s mostly clicking and dragging for me – so the keyboard and mouse work fine there.
In PS I think I have the keys as defaults – shift, alt, the slider is zoom in and out (though a friend of mine changed his to brush size) – that way I can make my masks no problem with the different options of adding or subtracting the mask, and zooming in to help with detail.
I use an 8×6 Intuos. I have programmed some of the buttons. The button that is most convenient is “merge layers”. It is much easier than shift, option, command, E on the keyboard.
in PS i use my left strip to zoom in and out and i use the right strip to change brush sizes. doing this has helped my workflow a significant bit. or at least a few extra keystrokes.