Turn on the full power of Photoshop with a PEN TABLET

Using a mouse as an input device may work for placing insertion points in text or dragging a rectangular selection in Photoshop, but using a Brush tool or selecting specific areas with a mouse is similar to writing your name with a bar of soap — clunky and inaccurate. You can edit images with greater comfort and control using a pressure-sensitive tablet and pen, such as the Wacom Intuos or Cintiq. More than 20 Photoshop tools, such as the Brushes, the Eraser, the Quick Selection tool, the Clone Stamp, the Dodge and Burn tools, and other tools can be fully customized only when a tablet is connected to the computer. You can then change brush size, roundness, flow, or opacity by applying more or less pressure with the pen.

Instead of scooting the mouse around, you use the pen to place the cursor exactly where you want, and make precise selections or paint digitally as with a traditional paintbrush on paper. 

The key to using a tablet and pen and turning on the full power of Photoshop is to start by setting the Tablet Preferences located in the System Preferences or Control Panel.

 

 

1 With a Wacom tablet plugged into a USB port and the Wacom driver installed, open the Tablet Preferences from System Preferences (from Control Panel in Windows).

The Tablet Preferences open with the Pen tab selected.

2 Click and drag the Tilt Sensitivity slider to the right for greater tilt response.

3 Click and drag the Tip Feel slider for a softer or firmer touch.

The Select Application dialog box appears.

6 Click Adobe Photoshop CS6.

7 Click OK.

Note: If Photoshop is not running, click Browse and navigate to the Photoshop CS6 application. 

 

 

A Photoshop CS6 is listed in the Application section.

8 Click Functions to customize the ExpressKeys, Touch Ring, and Radial Menu.

Note: Make sure that Photoshop CS6 is still highlighted in the Application section.

9 Click any ExpressKey drop-down menu to change the setting to Keystroke.

10 Type a keystroke, such as D for Deselect, and click OK. 

11 Type a name for the Keystroke and click OK. 

12 Repeat steps 9 to 11 for any other ExpressKey you want to change. 

13 Click the Touch Ring tab. 

14 Click and drag the Speed slider to change the scrolling speed. 

15 Click any of the Functions drop-down menus to select different settings. 

Note: If you select Keystroke for any of the Functions drop-down menus, repeat steps 10 and 11. 

16 Click the Close button. Your custom settings are saved in the Wacom Preferences or Wacom Control panel. 

TIPS

Did You Know? 

Although you can work in Photoshop without a tablet, you will not have access to a large number of tools, which are specifically designed for use with a pressure-sensitive tablet and pen. For example, using a mouse, you can select only Off or Fade for Brush opacity. With a tablet attached to the computer, you can also select Pen Pressure, Pen Tilt, and Stylus Wheel, giving you more natural and responsive control when painting or editing photos. 

Try This! 

Set one ExpressKey for the Radial menu. Click the Radial Menu tab in the Wacom Tablet Preferences (Control Panel) and click one section of the Radial menu. Click the Function drop-down menu and set your custom settings as in the task steps. Now when you click the ExpressKey, the Radial menu appears on-screen so you can click to launch an application, run an action, or use the keystroke depending on your custom settings. 

Important! 

Wacom pen tablets come in three basic types: the Bamboo, the Intuos, and the Cintiq, and each comes in multiple sizes. The preferences dialog box varies slightly depending on the type of Wacom tablet you have connected.