If you have ever had a large image-​​retouching project, working with a mouse usually makes it a less-​​than-​​precise and laborious endeavor. After years of experience using a mouse, I have refined my ability to use a mouse to edit images. However, there are better tools than mice out there to make your image editing quicker, easier work with noticeably better results.



Working with a mouse can be tedious because your wrist is flat, and you can only work using crude dragging motions that involve your entire hand. Usually, a mouse is imprecise and clunky in your hand, and after prolonged use, your hand will start to cramp. A mouse is fine for surfing the web, scrolling, or doing simple work, but a drawing tablet allows you to complete more detail-​​intensive much more comfortably.

Why You Should Be Using a Drawing Tablet.

A drawing tablet usually comes with a stylus, which is closely related to a pen in shape. They are generally much easier and more comfortable to hold in your hand than a mouse, and they allow for an incredible degree of precision in your work. Hanvon tablets have up to 2048 different levels of pressure sensitivity. Mice only have two levels of pressure sensitivity; clicked or not clicked. This gives tablets a huge advantage over mice, especially for detail-​​oriented image editing. When using Photoshop, the pressure sensitivity applies to your brushes as well. This makes it so much easier to blend colors, add effects, and apply retouching techniques.



With a stylus, you can tilt the pen, and move your hand and wrist into a natural drawing position. This allows you to have much more control over the strokes that you make. You can literally sketch with your computer. You can paint with your stylus digitally inside of Photoshop, and your work will have a more natural appearance, simply from the fact that you have a natural range of hand and finger flexibility. If you want your images to come alive and have an organic, natural, professional look, then a Wacom tablet is an ideal tool for your design work.



There are many different models available, you just have to decide which one is right for you. It really depends on the features that you want, and whether you are using it for work or recreation. The following models are available: