Wacom Intuos4 Graphics Tablet

By Steven Katzman

I remember my first digital trade show, walking down the aisles, looking at products and software that I had never heard of or seen. I had just ordered a G4, replacing my Dell Inspiron that was tethered to my Imacon 848 Scanner. You read right, I had to start somewhere. The video card was so bad that after a few minutes, the laptops monitor would turn pink. Who said you cant look at life through rosecolored glasses? From a distance I could see a crowd in front of a booth with the name Wacom overhead. What is this, a tablet that you can draw on? This wasnt the Etch-aSketch that I took along as a child in my familys Rambler as we made the annual pilgrimage from Omaha, NE, to Wichita, KS, to visit my grandparents. This was an
Intuos tablet that you could draw on and see your results in real-time on the computer screen. Ah, clever idea. Intimidated, I walked up to the peep show. No nickel on the counter, the barker just handed me a pen, and I started to create nonsense on the tablet. I always had good hand-eye coordination playing varsity sports, but this would require some getting used to, about five minutes worth, and I bought the big blue Intuos2 tablet. I had only been involved with Photoshop for a few months, but the introduction of the Wacom tablet into my workflow was magic, like taking the training wheels off your bike. I got rid of the mouse, and rode the pen. I was hooked, and when the Intuos3 came out, I gave my old tablet to my
Intuos4 comes in four sizes: small, $229; medium, $369; large, $499; and extra large, $789. Photo courtesy of Wacom.
son, who, thats right, used the mouse. Gen Xgo figure. The Intuos3 was nice, modifier keys, sometimes working, sometimes getting in the way of my right hand (Im sure lefties had the same problem), but the coolness factor was there, and I ignored its pitfalls. The pens sensitivity was increased, but Im a photographer, just using the pen to make selections, using brushes, and adjusting their density on the fly, right click, left click in one hand, zooming in and out with the other. I think you get the picture. This was as good as it got, excluding the Cintique. And then this box recently arrived from Douglas Little, Wacoms Marketing
Homeless Vet, 2009. The Express Keys and Express Ring interchangeable commands are backlit.
Director (I knew Doug and his generosity when Wacom was a former sponsor of the Bogen Caf). I didnt rip through the packaging, because you didnt rip into your new Apple iPhone, or iPod when you first got them. You enjoyed the experience of discovering something special. The Intuos4 is packed the same way; the quality of packaging, and its presentation, the glossy and matte black tablet with modifier keys on just one side of the tablet. Hey, whats this iPod controller? I didnt hold the Intuos (Intuos comes in 4 sizes: small, $229; medium, $369; large, $499; and extra large, $789) up to my ear, but I noticed its thin design lacked the customary cord dangling from the left side. The tablet is now ambidextrous with detachable USB cord and dual ports. The Wacom control panel tells the driver your preferencesleft or right side. Its pen is also different with the new Tip Sensor technology that allows almost zero grams of starting pressure, eventually ramping up to 2048 levels of pressure, double that of the previous Intuos3 pen. Unfortunately, the new technology is not interchangeable with the old tablets. The pens holder looks like a small Dixie cup that comes apart at the base, housing a multitude of different pen nibs to emulate the physical characteristics of using different brushes. The surface tension with the pre-installed nib gliding across the Intuos4s surface feels similar to writing with a roller-tip pen on a sheet of paper; feeling smoother and more natural than Wacoms previous generation of tablets. The pen stylus continues to have the same default settings, allowing users the ability to increase and decrease the brush size, as well as changing its opacity on the fly by accessing Photoshops Brushes palette (F5). The driver also allows custom configuration of the toggle switch on the side of the pen. Similar functions are also available on the newly designed mouse. Wacoms control panel is well thought out, allowing the user to customize various actions as well as subsets. Change an application, and its title appears next to the edited express key, no longer needing to memorize or worry about where we put the proverbial car keys. The Touch ring is similar to an iPod
wheel and can also be changed from its de- ing the next great American novel, would fault settings of zooming, brush size, layer you choose a magic marker or a pen? Sorcycling and image rotation. Dont like any ry, laptop isnt included. Those of you who of these settings? Apply your own, but un- have an Intuos3 will not be disappointed fortunately, you have to memorize your with the amount of improvements in the settingsno visual prompt on the tablet. Intuos4. Those of you who havent had the I am constantly amazed at how many Wacom experience, realize its 2009, comphotographers are up on the latest and mit and ask yourselves, Why did it take greatest gear, massaging their camera me this long to immediately improve my bags, but totally ignorant of the benefits of workflow? You wont be disappointed. a Wacom tablet in their post-production workflow. When questioned, their answer Steven Katzman, a self-taught photographer, is usually, waaaaa? I have always con- established Steven Katzman Photography, LLC in 1990. His recent book is The Face of Forgiveness, sidered the Intuos tablet series a desert- Salvation and Redemption. Steven has been on island necessity right up there with water. the faculty at the Ringling School of Art and DeI couldnt imagine my workflow without sign since 2003. He is a Lexar Elite Photographer, a Gretag Influencer and is sponsored by Bogen the use of this tool. Its not a luxury, but a Imaging. Visit his website:www.stevenkatzmanphotography.com www.stevenkatzman photography.com necessity. If you were given a choice of writ- www.stevenkatzmanphotography.com

Specifications

Wacom Intuos 4
Graphic Tablet with optional Inking Pen
High-end device for digitizing signatures out of the Intuos tablet series which has a reputation for its outstanding professional quality for more than a decade, recommended by forensic experts. Sample use cases are purposes where a very high quality of biometric signature features is requested. General Data Dimensions - W x D x H Weight (without cable) Capturing Area Active Area - W x H (diagonal) Pen Signature Capturing Report Rate Pen Pressure Levels Resolution Coordinate accuracy Reading height Data Interface Accessories Data cable Tether Driver Operation Power Source Power Consumption Temperature Relative Humidity Storage Temperature Relative Humidity INKING PEN (optional accessory)
Option to position paper on top of the capturing area and sign with an inking pen (explanation see below) Signature capturing based on highly reliable electromagnetic resonance
309 x 208 x 12 mm / 12.2 x 8.2 x 0.47 inch 700 g / 24.69 oz
157.5 x 98.4 mm / 6.2 x 3.87 inch with polyacetal tip, without battery and cable (both not required) 200 points per sec. (not interpolated) 2048 (not interpolated) 5080 lpi (not interpolated) 0.25 / 0.1 inch mm (center) 10 mm / 0.4 inch above screen USB USB (2.5 m - included) 61 mm / 24 inch nylon fiber (included) www.wacom.com/downloads/drivers.php via USB in operation max 1,5 W 5 to 40C / 41 to 104F 30% to 80% (non-condensing) -15 to +55C / 5 to 131F 30% to 85% (non-condensing)
Note: This tablet is in A6 size Intuos tablets are also available in larger sizes like A5, A4 and A3.

Order Nr. PTK-440

Inking Pen Order Nr. KP-130
allows to write on paper while capturing digital data of the signature on the tablet in a totally unobtrusive way.
Signatures captured using inking pens on Intuos tablets reflect the typical signing behavior as users sign on paper in the way they are used to. The only difference is that there is a sensor underneath the paper digitizing data throughout the writing process This capturing procedure requires no change in the signing behavior of the user.
Dimensions L x D Weight Downloads E-Signing Software SignDoc Rich Client www.softpro.de/SignDoc_RC Overview other tablets www.softpro.de/tablets
151.5 x 12.5 mm (5.97 x 0.49 inch) 12 g SOFTPRO GmbH Wilhelmstrasse Boeblingen Germany Tel: +Fax: +info@softpro.de www.softpro.de/tablets
This document is not binding. Note that specifications hereabove can be modified without prior consent.

SOFTPRO 3.2011