Maybe you’ve been using Adobe Photoshop for a while, or maybe you’re just getting started. There are many ways to do different things with the software, as well as all kinds of tips, tricks, and hacks to do things simply and easily.
Colin Smith has produced a number of Photoshop and Lightroom tutorials, as well as other content, on his YouTube channel, PhotoshopCAFE – such as How to use Wacom pen pressure for photo retouching or How to magically change the focus of photos. So we thought he’d be the perfect person to test out the new Wacom Intuos Pro pen tablet for photo editing workflows. Check out the video below for his review, or read on for a summary. And click here to visit PhotoshopCAFE and check out all of his great photo editing content.
Size and design
Colin appreciated that the new Intuos Pro is smaller, even though the active area is just about the same size. It’s also thinner, making it more portable than previous generations. Because of the thinness, he says it was extremely comfortable to use as his hand could simply lay on his desk.
He liked the ExpressKeys and mechanical dials, and set up a suite of custom ExpressKey configurations and also used the software-based radial menus so that he could have an extremely efficient, customized workflow – he had buttons and dials set to things like brush size and softness, rotation, zoom, and layer controls.
One common comment about the ExpressKey and dial placement is that one’s hand might get in the way of using them while one is editing. This wasn’t an issue for Colin, who set up the left-side dials and ExpressKeys to commands he frequently uses while painting with the pen, like brush size, and the right-side dials and ExpressKeys to things he typically uses while he isn’t painting, like layer commands.
Pro Pen 3
Like all Wacom pens, the Pro Pen 3 uses EMR technology, so it never requires charging. He appreciated the customizability, including the adjustable weight, grips, and button configurations. He also liked the feel of the pen on tablet with the standard nib — though he tried out all of the different nib types as well.
He particularly was excited about trying out the rubber nib, which he said is harder than you might think, given that it’s made of rubber. It has a “nice feel,” and has a little grip on the tablet.
Connectivity
Wacom Intuos Pro has an included USB cable with an adapter, so it can connect via USB-A or USB-C. That’s also how the device is charged, since it also can work with a wireless Bluetooth connection. A new addition for this device is the multi-connection switch – it can be paired with two different devices via Bluetooth simultaneously, for seamless connectivity between multiple devices.
About the Presenter
Colin Smith has been using Adobe Photoshop professionally for 20 years. He does training for Adobe and Apple and has written 20 books. At his YouTube channel, PhotoshopCAFE, he has hundreds of easy to follow Photoshop Tutorials and tips as well as Lightroom tutorials and occasional photography tech or drone videos.
For more information or to see more of Colin’s free Adobe Photoshop resources, check out the Photoshop Cafe website, or check out his premium training library.
Follow him and his work on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
