Editing Graphics tablet

{{Short description|Computer input device}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{For|the mobile device|Tablet computer}}
[[File:Pen Tablet.jpg|thumb|A graphic tablet]]
A '''graphics tablet''' (also known as a '''digitizer''', '''digital graphic tablet''', '''pen tablet''', '''drawing tablet''', '''external drawing pad''' or '''digital art board''') is a computer  [[input device]] that enables a user to hand draw or paint images, animations and graphics, with a special pen-like [[stylus (computing)|stylus]], similar to the way a person draws pictures with a pencil and paper by hand.

Graphics tablets may also be used to capture data or handwritten signatures. They can also be used to trace an image from a piece of paper that is taped or otherwise secured to the tablet surface. Capturing data in this way, by tracing or entering the corners of linear [[Polygonal chain|polylines]] or shapes, is called [[digitizing]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/digitizing_tablet.html|title=What is digitizing tablet? Webopedia Definition|website=www.webopedia.com|date=September 1996}}</ref>

The device consists of a rough surface upon which the user may "draw" or trace an image using the attached [[stylus (computing)|stylus]], a pen-like drawing apparatus. The image is shown on the computer [[computer display|monitor]], though some graphic tablets now also incorporate an [[LCD screen]] for  more realistic or natural experience and usability.

Some tablets are intended as a replacement for the computer mouse as the primary pointing and navigation device for desktop computers.

== History ==
The first electronic handwriting device was the [[Telautograph]], patented by [[Elisha Gray]] in 1888.<ref>{{ citation | last = Gray | first = Elisha | title = Telautograph | publisher = United States Patent 386,815 | date = 1888-07-31 }}</ref> 

The first graphic tablet resembling contemporary tablets and used for handwriting recognition by a computer was the ''Stylator'' in 1957.<ref>{{citation | last = Dimond | first = Tom | title = Papers and discussions presented at the December 9-13, 1957, eastern joint computer conference: Computers with deadlines to meet on XX - IRE-ACM-AIEE '57 (Eastern) | chapter = Devices for reading handwritten characters | publisher = Proceedings of Eastern Joint Computer Conference | pages = 232–237 | date = 1957-12-01 | doi = 10.1145/1457720.1457765 | isbn = 9781450378628 | s2cid = 17961928 | chapter-url = http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1457765 | access-date = 2008-08-23 }}</ref> Better known (and often misstated as the first digitizer tablet) is the [[RAND Tablet]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sophia.javeriana.edu.co/~ochavarr/computer_graphics_history/historia/ |title=An Historical Timeline of Computer Graphics and Animation |access-date=2007-09-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629061126/http://sophia.javeriana.edu.co/~ochavarr/computer_graphics_history/historia/ |archive-date=2007-06-29 }}</ref> also known as the ''Grafacon''<ref>{{citation | last = Engelbart | first = Douglas C. | title = Display-Selection Techniques for Text Manipulation | publisher = IEEE Transactions on Human Factors in Electronics | pages = 5–15 | date = March 1967 | url = http://dougengelbart.org/pubs/augment-133184.html#2 | access-date = 2013-03-26 }}</ref> (for Graphic Converter), introduced in 1964. The RAND Tablet employed a grid of wires under the surface of the pad that encoded horizontal and vertical [[coordinates]] in a small [[electrostatic]] signal. The stylus received the signal by capacitive coupling, which could then be decoded back as coordinate information.

The [[acoustic tablet]], or ''spark tablet'', used a stylus that generated clicks with a [[spark plug]]. The clicks were then triangulated by a series of microphones to locate the pen in space.<ref>{{citation | title = Spark Pen | last = Whetstone | first = A. | publisher = Science Accessories Corporation: United States Patent 3,626,483 | date = 1971-12-07 | url = https://patents.google.com/patent/US3626483 | access-date = 2009-11-16}}</ref> The system was fairly complex and expensive, and the sensors were susceptible to interference by external noise.

Digitizers were popularized in the mid-1970s and early 1980s by the commercial success of the ID (Intelligent Digitizer) and BitPad manufactured by the [[Summagraphics]] Corp.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BitPad - Summagraphics {{!}} 102710374 {{!}} Computer History Museum|url=https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102710374|access-date=2021-07-05|website=www.computerhistory.org}}</ref> The Summagraphics digitizers were sold under the company's name but were also private labeled for [[Hewlett-Packard|HP]], [[Tektronix]], [[Apple Inc.|Apple]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=1979 Apple II Graphics Tablet {{!}} AppleToTheCore.me|url=http://appletothecore.me/files/apple_graphics_tablet.php|access-date=2021-07-05|website=appletothecore.me}}</ref> [[Evans & Sutherland|Evans and Sutherland]] and several other graphic system manufacturers. The ID model was the first graphics tablet to make use of what was at the time, the new [[Intel]] [[microprocessor]] technology. This embedded processing power allowed the ID models to have twice the accuracy of previous models while still making use of the same foundation technology. Key to this accuracy improvement were two US Patents issued to Stephen Domyan, Robert Davis, and Edward Snyder. The Bit Pad model was the first attempt at a low cost graphics tablet with an initial selling price of $555 when other graphics tablets were selling in the $2,000 to $3,000 price range. This lower cost opened up the opportunities for would be entrepreneurs to be able to write graphics software for a multitude of new applications. These digitizers were used as the input device for many high-end [[Computer-aided design|CAD]] (Computer Aided Design) systems as well as bundled with PCs and PC-based CAD software like [[AutoCAD]]. These tablets used a [[magnetostriction]] 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. This technology also allowed Proximity or "Z" axis measurement.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2519943/apple-mac/face-off--1979-apple-graphics-tablet-vs--2010-apple-ipad.html|title=Face-off: 1979 Apple Graphics Tablet vs. 2010 Apple iPad|first=Ken|last=Gagne|work=Computerworld |date=13 August 2010}}</ref>

In 1981, musician [[Todd Rundgren]] created the first color graphic tablet software for personal computers, which was licensed to Apple as the Utopia Graphic Tablet System.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mackintosh|first=Hamish|date=18 March 2004|title=Talk time: Todd Rundgren|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2004/mar/18/onlinesupplement}}</ref>

In 1981, the [[Quantel Paintbox]] color graphic workstation was released; This model was equipped with the first pressure sensitive tablet.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pennington |first=Adrian |date=2019-11-26 |title=Quantel gave broadcast a quantum leap into the era of digital creative technology |url=https://www.ibc.org/trends/industry-innovators-quantel/5245.article |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919093413/https://www.ibc.org/trends/industry-innovators-quantel/5245.article |archive-date=2020-09-19 |access-date=2021-07-05 |website=IBC |language=en}}</ref>

The first [[home computer]] graphic tablet was the [[KoalaPad]], released in 1983. Though originally designed for the [[Apple II]], the Koala eventually broadened its applicability to other home computers including the [[TRS-80 Color Computer]], [[Commodore 64]], and [[Atari 8-bit computers]].

In the 1980s, several vendors of graphic tablets began to include additional functions, such as [[handwriting recognition]] and on-tablet menus.<ref>{{citation | title = Pencept Penpad (TM) Manual | publisher = Pencept, Inc. | date = 1983-06-15 | url = http://users.erols.com/rwservices/pens/biblio83.html#Pencept83 }}</ref><ref>{{citation | title = SAC GP-10 Two-dimensional Sonic Digitizer | publisher = Science Accessories Corporation | date = 1988-06-15 | url = http://users.erols.com/rwservices/pens/biblio85.html#SAC85 }}</ref>

== Characteristics ==
Typically tablets are characterized by size of the device, drawing area, its resolution size ("active area", which is measured in [[Lines per inch|lpi]]), pressure sensitivity (level of varying the size of strokes with pressure),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://community.wacom.com/basics-of-wacom-pen-pressure-sensitivity/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306111446/https://community.wacom.com/basics-of-wacom-pen-pressure-sensitivity/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 6, 2019|title=Basics of Wacom Pen Pressure Sensitivity|date=2019-01-29|website=Wacom Blog|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-06}}</ref> number of buttons and types and number of interfaces: [[Bluetooth]], [[USB]]; etc.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gzhls.at/blob/ldb/3/3/1/d/76adb67a50c4f9f2cacf4b1538d676f3ca50.pdf|title=User Manual, NEW 1060PLUS Graphics Tablet|page=14}}</ref> The actual drawing accuracy is restricted to pen's nib size.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://conceptartempire.com/lpi-resolution/|title=What Does LPI Resolution Mean For A Graphics Tablet?|date=2016-11-10|work=Concept Art Empire|access-date=2018-07-14|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Types ==

There have been many attempts to categorize the technologies that have been used for graphic tablets:

; Passive tablets:Passive tablets make use of [[electromagnetic induction]] technology, where the horizontal and vertical wires of the tablet operate as both transmitting and receiving coils (as opposed to the wires of the RAND Tablet which only transmit). The tablet generates an electromagnetic signal, which is received by the [[LC circuit]] in the stylus. The wires in the tablet then change to a receiving mode and read the signal generated by the stylus. Modern arrangements also provide [[pressure]] sensitivity and one or more buttons, with the electronics for this information present in the stylus. On older tablets, changing the pressure on the stylus nib or pressing a button changed the properties of the LC circuit, affecting the signal generated by the pen, which modern ones often encode into the signal as a digital data stream. By using electromagnetic signals, the tablet is able to sense the stylus position without the stylus having to even touch the surface, and powering the pen with this signal means that devices used with the tablet never need batteries. Activslate 50, the model used with [[Promethean Ltd|Promethean]] white boards, also uses a hybrid of this technology.<ref>{{citation|title=ActivSlate 50 Product Specifications |publisher=Promethean Ltd. |date=December 2009 |url=http://www.prometheanworld.com/upload/pdf/activSlate_50_SS_12-09-V2.pdf |access-date=2010-05-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720054652/http://www.prometheanworld.com/upload/pdf/activSlate_50_SS_12-09-V2.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-20 }}</ref>
; Active tablets: Active tablets differ in that the stylus used contains self-powered electronics that generate and transmit a signal to the tablet. These styluses rely on an internal battery rather than the tablet for their power, resulting in a bulkier stylus. Eliminating the need to power the pen means that such tablets may listen for pen signals constantly, as they do not have to alternate between transmit and receive modes, which can result in less jitter.
; Optical tablets: Optical tablets operate by a very small digital camera in the stylus and then doing pattern matching on the image of the paper. The most successful{{Citation needed|date=June 2014}}  example is the technology developed by [[Anoto]].
; Acoustic tablets:Early models were described as spark tablets—a small sound generator was mounted in the stylus, and the acoustic signal picked up by two microphones placed near the writing surface. Some modern designs are able to read positions in three dimensions.<ref>{{citation | title = AirPen Storage Notebook: PC NoteTaker | publisher = www.pegatech.com | date = 2005-06-15 | url = http://users.erols.com/rwservices/pens/biblio05.html#Pentel05 }}</ref><ref>{{citation | title = Hyperspace 3-D Digitizer | publisher = Mira Imaging, Incorporated | date = 1989-04-15 | url = http://users.erols.com/rwservices/pens/biblio90.html#Mira89 }}</ref>
; Capacitive tablets:These tablets have also been designed to use an [[Electrostatics|electrostatic]] or capacitive signal. Scriptel's designs are one example of a high-performance tablet detecting an electrostatic signal. Unlike the type of capacitive design used for [[touchscreen]]s, the Scriptel design is able to detect the position of the pen while it is in proximity to or hovering above the tablet. Many multi-touch tablets use capacitive sensing.<ref>{{citation | title = New Products: CAD Graphic Tablet | publisher = IEEE Communications, Vol 22 No 4 | date =1984-04-15 | url = http://dl.comsoc.org/comsocdl/?article=102552 }}</ref><ref>{{citation | last = Kable | first = Robert G. | title = Electrographic Apparatus | publisher = United States Patent 4,600,807 (full image) | date = 1986-07-15 | url = http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4600807.pdf }}</ref>

For all these technologies, the tablet can use the received signal to also determine the distance of the stylus from the surface of the tablet, the tilt (angle from vertical) of the stylus, and other information in addition to the horizontal and vertical positions, such as clicking buttons of the stylus or the rotation of the stylus<!--e.g. Wacom Art Pen-->.

Compared to touchscreens, a graphic tablet generally offers much higher precision, the ability to track an object which is not touching the tablet, and can gather much more information about the stylus, but is typically more expensive, and can only be used with the special stylus or other accessories.

Some tablets, especially inexpensive ones aimed at young children, come with a corded stylus, using technology similar to older [[RAND Tablet|RAND tablets]].

== {{anchor|Puck}}Pucks ==
[[File:Tablet gerber.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A large-format graphic tablet by manufacturer Summagraphics (OEM'd to Gerber): The puck's external copper coil can be clearly seen.]]
After styluses, pucks are the most commonly used tablet accessory. A puck is a mouse-like device that can detect its absolute position and rotation. This is opposed to a [[Mouse (computing)|mouse]], which can only sense its relative velocity on a surface (most tablet drivers are capable of allowing a puck to emulate a mouse in operation, and many pucks are marketed as a "mouse").

Pucks range in size and shape; some are externally indistinguishable from a mouse, while others are a fairly large device with dozens of buttons and controls. Professional pucks often have a [[reticle]] or [[loupe]] which allows the user to see the exact point on the tablet's surface targeted by the puck, for detailed tracing and [[computer aided design]] (CAD) work.

Pucks are used on the [[Microsoft Surface]] range and were recently used on the [[Dell]] Canvas. However, they have been largely discontinued by most manufactures in favour of physical [[Keyboard shortcut|hotkeys]] and dials.

== Embedded LCD tablets ==
[[File:Wacom (19642182784) (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Wacom]] graphics tablet]]
Some graphics tablets incorporate an [[LCD]] into the tablet itself, allowing the user to draw or paint directly on the screen.

Graphics tablet/screen hybrids offer advantages over both standard PC [[touchscreen]]s and ordinary graphics tablets. Unlike touchscreens, they offer pressure sensitivity, and their input resolution is generally higher.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}<!-- if this weren't so, wouldn't it just be a touchscreen? --> While their pressure sensitivity and resolution are typically no better than those of ordinary tablets, they offer the additional advantage of directly seeing the location of the physical pen device relatively to the image on the screen. This often allows for increased accuracy and a more tactile, "real" feeling to the use of the device.

The graphics tablet manufacturer [[Wacom (company)|Wacom]] holds many [[patents]] on key technologies for graphics tablets,<ref name="Wacom_patents">[http://www.patentgenius.com/assignee/WacomCoLtd.html Wacom Co., Ltd. Patents] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912204654/http://www.patentgenius.com/assignee/WacomCoLtd.html |date=2018-09-12 }}. Patentgenius.com. Retrieved on 2013-12-09.</ref> which forces competitors to use other technologies or license Wacom's patents. The displays are often sold for thousands of dollars. For instance, the [[Wacom Cintiq]] series ranges from just below {{US$|1000}} to over {{US$|2000}}.

[[File:Penciling_on_Wacom_Cintiq_13HD_by_David_Revoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Sketching in ''[[Krita]]'' on a ''Wacom Cintiq 13HD'' graphics tablet/screen hybrid]]
Some commercially available graphics tablet/screen hybrids include:

* [[Monoprice]] 19-Inch Interactive Display
* [[Cintiq]] from [[Wacom (company)|Wacom]]
* Kamvas (e.g. Kamvas Studio 22) from [[Huion]]
* [[XP-PEN]]
* GAOMON
* Parblo
* ugee
* Xencelabs 
* VEIKK

There have also been [[do-it-yourself]] projects where conventional used [[LCD monitor]]s and graphics tablets have been converted to a graphics tablet-screen hybrid.<ref name="other_DIY">[http://forum.bongofish.co.uk/index.php?board=23.0 Successful builds!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912204409/http://forum.bongofish.co.uk/index.php?board=23.0 |date=2018-09-12 }}. Forum.bongofish.co.uk. Retrieved on 2013-12-09.</ref>

== Uses ==

Graphic tablets, because of their stylus-based interface and ability to detect some or all of 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. Indeed, many graphic packages can make use of the pressure (and, sometimes, stylus tilt or rotation) information generated by a tablet, by modifying the brush size, shape, [[Opacity (optics)|opacity]], [[color]], or other attributes based on data received from the graphic tablet.

In [[East Asia]], graphic tablets, known as "pen tablets", are widely used in conjunction with input-method editor software ([[Input Method Editor|IME]]s) to write [[Chinese language|Chinese]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], and [[Korean language|Korean]] characters ([[CJK]]). The technology is popular and inexpensive and offers a method for interacting with the computer in a more natural way than typing on the keyboard, with the pen tablet supplanting the role of the computer mouse. Uptake of [[handwriting recognition]] among users who use alphabetic scripts has been slower.

Graphic tablets are commonly used in the artistic world. Using a pen-like stylus on a graphic tablet combined with a graphics-editing program, such as [[Adobe Illustrator|Illustrator]], [[Adobe Photoshop|Photoshop]] by [[Adobe Systems]], [[Corel Painter|Corelpainter]], or [[Krita]] gives artists a lot of precision when creating digital drawings or artwork. Photographers can also find working with a graphic tablet during their [[Image editing|post processing]] can really speed up tasks like creating a detailed layer mask or dodging and burning.

[[Educator]]s make use of tablets in classrooms to project handwritten notes or lessons and to allow students to do the same, as well as providing feedback on [[homework|student work]] submitted electronically. Online teachers may also use a tablet for marking student work, or for live [[tutorial]]s or lessons, especially where complex visual information or [[mathematical equation]]s are required. [[Student]]s are also increasingly using them as [[note-taking]] devices, especially during university [[lecture]]s while following along with the [[lecturer]]. They facilitate smooth online teaching process and are popularly used along with face-cam to mimic classroom experience.

Tablets are also popular for [[technical drawing]]s and [[Computer-aided design|CAD]], as one can typically put a piece of paper on them without interfering with their function.

Finally, tablets are gaining popularity as a replacement for the [[computer mouse]] as a pointing device.{{when|date=September 2012}} They can feel more intuitive to some users than a mouse, as the position of a pen on a tablet typically corresponds to the location of the pointer on the [[GUI]] shown on the computer screen. Those artists using a pen for graphic work may, as a matter of convenience, use a tablet and pen for standard computer operations rather than put down the pen and find a mouse. Popular [[rhythm game]] [[osu!]] allows utilizing a tablet as a way of playing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://osu.ppy.sh/help/wiki/Guides/Tablet_Purchase|title=Guides / Tablet Purchase · wiki · help {{!}} osu!|website=osu.ppy.sh|access-date=2019-10-18}}</ref> 

Graphic tablets are available in various sizes and price ranges; [[ISO 216|A6]]-sized tablets being relatively inexpensive and [[ISO 216|A3]]-sized tablets far more expensive. Modern tablets usually connect to the computer via a [[Universal Serial Bus|USB]] or [[HDMI]] interface.

== Similar devices ==
[[Interactive whiteboard]]s offer high-resolution wall size graphic tablets up to 95" (241,3 cm) along with options for pressure and multiple input. These are becoming commonplace in schools and meeting rooms around the world.<ref>[http://www.dtc-worldwide.com/interactivesystems.html Interactive Produts]. DTC Worldwide. Retrieved on 2013-12-09.</ref>

Earlier [[resistive touch screen]] devices (like [[Personal digital assistant|PDA]]s, early [[smartphone]]s, [[tablet PC]]s, and the [[Nintendo DS]]) were typically equipped with styluses, but accuracy of stylus input was very limited. 

The more modern [[capacitive touch screen]]s such as those found on some [[table computer]]s, [[tablet computer]]s and [[laptop]]s operate in similar ways, but they usually use either optical grids or a pressure-sensitive film instead so do not need a special pointing device. Some of the latest models with capacitive input can be equipped with specialized styluses, and then these input devices can be used similar to full-function graphics tablet.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Motorola Moto G Stylus (2020) Review|url=https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/moto-g-stylus|access-date=2021-07-06|website=PCMAG|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-14|title=Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 review: A beautiful thin-and-light PC|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3618007/samsung-galaxy-book-pro-360-review-a-beautiful-thin-and-light-pc.html|access-date=2021-07-06|website=PCWorld|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cameron |first=Sean |date=24 June 2020 |title=Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite review |url=https://www.techradar.com/reviews/galaxy-note-10-lite-review |access-date=2021-07-06 |website=TechRadar |language=en}}</ref>

A graphic tablet is also used for Audio-[[Haptic technology|Haptic]] products where blind or visually impaired people touch swelled graphics on a graphic tablet and get audio feedback from that.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.axistive.com/audio-haptics-for-visually-impaired-information-technology.html | last = Aaron Marks | title = Audio Haptics for Visually Impaired Information Technology | publisher = Axistive | date = 2006-11-17 | access-date = 2007-06-05 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070707112544/http://www.axistive.com/audio-haptics-for-visually-impaired-information-technology.html | archive-date = 2007-07-07 | url-status = dead }}</ref> The product that is using this technology is called [[Tactile Talking Tablet]] or T3.

== See also ==
{{Commons category|Graphics tablets}}
* [[Handwriting movement analysis]]
*[[Digital art#Digital art education|Digital art education]]
* [[Digital image]]
* [[Light pen]]
* [[Pantograph]]
* [[Pen computing]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Basic computer components}}

[[Category:Graphics tablets]]
[[Category:Liquid crystal displays]]