A device by which the movements of a pen over a special surface can be translated into digital input for a computer. This provides a means of converting two-dimensional information, such as maps and drawings, into computer-readable form. It is very widely used in engineering and design applications.
A graphics tablet is a computer input device that allows one to hand-draw images and graphics, similar to the way one draws images with a pencil and paper.
Graphics tablets consist of a flat surface upon which the user may "draw" an image using an attached stylus, a pen-like drawing apparatus.
It is interesting to note that the stylus, as a technology, was originally designed as a part of the electronics, but later it simply took on the role of providing a smooth, but accurate "point" that would not damage the tablet surface while "drawing".
Graphics tablets should not be confused with the tablet PC.
History and background
Early graphics tablets, known as spark or acoustic tablets, used a stylus that generated clicks with a spark plug.
The first graphics tablet resembling contemporary tablets was the RAND Tablet, also known as the Grafacon (for Graphic Converter), introduced in 1964. These tablets used a magneto-strictive technology which used wires made of a special alloy stretched over a solid substrate to accurately locate the tip of a stylus or the center of a digitizer cursor on the surface of the tablet.
The first home computer graphics tablet was the KoalaPad. Please view the article's talk page.
Modern graphics tablets operate in a fashion similar to the RAND Tablet. It is important to note that, unlike the RAND Tablet, modern tablets do not require electronics in the stylus and any tool that provides an accurate "point" may be used with the pad (though the stylus itself is likely designed with both the resolution of the grid and the durability of the tablet in mind and, therefore, should be used).
Graphics tablets produced by Wacom primarily make use of induction technology, where the tablet itself operates as both a transmitting and receiving coil.
Some modern arrangements also provide pressure information, but the electronics for this information are present in the stylus nub, not the tablet.
Graphics tablets are available in various sizes and price ranges; A6-sized tablets being relatively inexpensive and A3-sized tablets being far more expensive.
Uses
General uses
Graphics tablets, because of their stylus-based interface and (in some cases) ability to detect pressure, tilt, and other attributes of the stylus and its interaction with the tablet, are widely considered to offer a very natural way to create computer graphics, especially two-dimensional computer graphics. Corel Painter, Inkscape, Photoshop, Pixel image editor, Studio Artist, The GIMP) are able to make use of the pressure (and, in some cases, stylus tilt) information generated by a tablet, by modifying attributes such as brush size, opacity, and color based on data received from the graphics tablet.
In East Asia, graphics tablets, or pen tablets as they are known, are widely used in conjunction with input method editor software (IMEs) to write Chinese, Japanese, Korean characters (CJK).
Tablets are also popular for technical drawings and CAD, as one can put a piece of paper on them without interfering with their function.
Many of the most successful webcomic artists use tablets, including Hawk of AppleGeeks and Gabe of Penny Arcade, who uses a Wacom Cintiq to color directly into the computer.
Finally, tablets are gaining popularity as a replacement for the computer mouse as a pointing device.
Examples
In high-end computer graphics systems, the graphics tablet has always been the input device of choice. Some examples are:
the Crosfield imaging system the Quantel Paintbox
Devices similar to graphics tablets, such as light pen-based systems, have been used to control other types of systems, such as the Fairlight CMI computer musical instrument. Here are some
example images of the latest version of modern tablets.
The Graphire4 6x8 (Snow) http://www.dpreview.com/news/0509/wacom_graph4white68-001.jpg Intuos 3 4x5, 6x8, and 9x12 http://www.dpreview.com/news/0409/wacomint3-01.jpg
Manufacturers
ACE CAD Enterprise Co., Ltd Adesso Aiptek Genius KYE GTCO CalComp UC-Logic WacomSimilar devices
Touch screens are operated in similar ways, but they usually use either optical grids or a pressure sensitive film instead, and therefore they do not need a special pointing device.
The development of the Tablet PC is another example of the integration of graphics tablet and screen.
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