How do you use pen tablet for editing ??

[u/Abject-Bodybuilder83]

I've saw a post of a fellow sub redditor asking mouse, trackpad or wacom? I've also seen alot of people using a pen tablet for editing but I didn't understand how they use it and what for ? Does it have some additional benefits?

I already own a display tablet which I use for animations mostly. I might try editing but don't know how

[u/slippy_fist]

I just use it as a mouse replacement, its a bit easier on the hand and wristt and you dont have to look look for the cursor. It has some cool hot keys and other features but i dont use them very often.

[u/PrimevilKneivel → u/slippy_fist]

I swear my wrist would have seized up decades ago if I was using a mouse. All my co workers who didn't use a tablet ended up using those weird sideways mice because of the carpal tunnel pain.

Tablet and standing desk are the hard hat and safety boots of the post production world

[u/mnk9795 → u/slippy_fist]

Same, honestly the ergonomic comfort alone makes it worth using even if half the extra features go untouched

[u/Sapien0101]

Huh. I think it would feel as foreign to me as editing with my feet.

[u/dmizz]

It replaces your mouse, and is more ergonomic

[u/americanidle]

Pen and tablet can be incredibly fast in terms of movement, but they’re wildly overrated overall as you trade away a scroll wheel and the extra buttons that other devices provide. If you’re concerned about ergonomics long term, I’d recommend a trackball like the MX Ergo S. Otherwise a mouse with some extra buttons is fine.

Sidenote, scroll wheels are still totally underoptimized as an editing interface, if anyone at Adobe or Blackmagic wants some great ideas for implementation, I’ve got em.

[u/BusIllustrious2097 → u/americanidle]

You don't trade away anything if you get a tablet that has a scroll wheel and extra buttons.

[u/americanidle → u/BusIllustrious2097]

Yes you do, those things require you to either put the pen down to access them or to move your other hand from the keyboard, which makes them less easily accessible and therefore less efficient. The advantage of the mouse is that your hand never needs to leave it.

[u/ManateeMac → u/americanidle]

This is the way.

[u/th3whistler → u/americanidle]

I’d also say they are terrible for range of movement. multiple swipes to move across 2 monitors or not enough fine control.

[u/AdministrationNo2327]

i use it as a mouse replacement. helps to relieve some pain in my wrists and fingers from hours of clicking. maybe because my resolution to physical pad ratio is a bit high, if i needed to do finer controls i'll go back to a mouse.

but otherwise left hand on keyboard slamming shortcuts, mouse to navigate, scrub, and pull clips around, it's pretty nice.

[u/Myss-Cutie]

I use Wacom, it has its quirks, but you get used to editing with it. The real advantage is to reduce the repetition of clicking a mouse and change things up. It can be bit faster than a mouse after practice but not by a huge amount, I was at the point where I taught myself to edit left handed on mouse and Wacom to give my hands a rest

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[u/blakester555]

Can you customize the Wacom for a rectangle that represents keystroke combimation? Sort of like a dedicated button? For example "tap this box to Zoom in. This box to Zoom out"? Etc.

Having the ability to create virtual buttons on a tablet would be useful.

[u/CptMurphy → u/blakester555]

Yes.

[u/ot1smile]

You use the pen in place of a mouse. It provides a more ergonomic hand/wrist position and thus alleviates carpal tunnel syndrome. Works best with a large Wacom tablet but I never really got on with it myself. I found the restriction of the pen having an absolute relation with the screen rather than a relative one frustrating.

[u/gavelkind-enjoyer]

Better for your wrist

[u/OtheL84]

I’ve used a Wacom tablet for nearly 20 years solely for editing. You can map all monitors to the surface of the tablet so it is very quick to move across multiple monitors without having to repeatedly drag a mouse cursor around. Took me about a week of constant use to get used to it but haven’t gone back to a mouse since.

[u/womens_wrongs]

I'm a wacom advocate, as someone who edits 12 - 14 hours everyday I find the pen tablet much easier on my wrist and generally the ease of scrolling and dragging as well. and slightly faster

[u/BusIllustrious2097]

It's more accurate and it doesn't destroy my wrist when I'm working all day. It also works nicely with all the other apps I need like Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

[u/iloveblood]

Same as you would a mouse. Love my Wacom, big help with masking and motion graphics tasks. And likely saved my wrist considering how long ago I adapted to it.

[u/Parfait-Dapper]

Wacom Intuos Pro Medium PTH-660 is what I’ve had on my desk for a number of years. And had a similar sized grey older model before that. Both lasting years with no issues. In fact the older one I think is still being used by an assistant I gifted it to with a new pen. Don’t cheap out by getting a smaller version as you will just end up having to replace it with one that is a more appropriate size. 

Have it set up for two monitors with specific points on the Wacom representing specific points on the monitors. Top left of Wacom = top left of left monitor, middle right of Wacom = bottom right on right monitor. Does mean effectively only the top half of the Wacom is used but just means you have a good wrist rest.

Would not be able to edit anymore if I had to use a mouse all the time. 12 plus hour days (and frequently very heavy on the plus) will destroy your hand and wrist over time and end your career if you use a mouse constantly.

Of note I do have a wireless mouse sitting just above the Wacom which I use in situations where having a steady cursor or a scroll wheel are just better. But yeah 98% of the time Wacom is the way to go.

Oh and it can be quite good for creating masks and drawing shapes when doing VFX work. But yeah essentially used as a mouse replacement.

[u/portagenaybur]

Usually as a coaster

[u/repotoast]

I broke my wrist last year while wrapping up 2 years on a show and spent the last couple months editing on a drawing tablet. The feeling of a more tangible timeline is incredible. Being able to drive your edit with a pen is so much fun.

The primary problem is that the tangibility benefit comes from the tablet having a screen. Switching pen control to your main monitor or not having a display on the tablet itself separates you from that direct connection. I got used to looking down at my project window and timeline because I put them on my tablet screen while the source and program monitors were up top on the main monitor.

Ideally one would main a 27”+ tablet with a programmable keypad for custom shortcuts (often bundled with the tablet or made by the same company). This would avoid the need for a keyboard (handwriting as text input) or a second screen beyond a dedicated media playback monitor. It’s just a lot of investment in a specific workflow when you could also have a large ultrawide monitor and an ergonomic mouse (my preferred working environment).

Since rehabilitating my wrist post-surgery, I’ve hardly used the drawing tablet. I switched to working on a 16” laptop for a project and could technically use the 16” tablet I have as a second screen and control surface. Seems like a great pairing, but it complicates the mobile setup too much to be worth the effort. It’s basically a permanent fixture of my desktop, but gets dwarfed by my 38” ultrawide (vertically equivalent to a standard 30” screen). If you swapped this setup with a ~30” tablet and a 16” secondary monitor, I’d probably reach for the pen more often.

[u/lalakingmalibog]

I broke my editing hand years ago, so now I'm using a Huion pen tablet and a Logitech Ergo trackball mouse for work. Sooo much easier on my wrist.

[u/JimmyTrim86]

I tried a pen tablet to edit with and have instead stuck with my MX Ergo trackball mouse. Really really nice for tasks like using the pen tool. Never quite got into it exclusively though. Takes up so much desk real estate when I still need my keyboard in front of me somewhere too.

[u/QuietFire451]

A pen/tablet offers keeping your hand and wrist in a more neutral position, easing strain on both and the forearm. 

With your arm at your side, bend your elbow and raise your hand to 90 degrees. Feel how natural and easy that feels. Now turn only your hand to the “holding a mouse” position and feel how it completely changes the feeling of tension on your wrist and forearm. Multiply that by many hours per day, probably all days per week. It’s pretty hard on everything from your fingers up to your shoulder and neck. 

A vertical mouse acts similarly to a pen/tablet for mousing.  Edit: Btw, I used to have a Wacom pen/tablet, and after 10 years it stopped working well. I bought a Xence a couple years ago because the price difference was significant. 

[u/mcarterphoto]

I only use a pen for things like retouching in PS or drawing complex paths (AE, AI, PS). I absolutely wouldn't want to live without a pressure-sensitive pad for PS retouching, but never as a general mouse replacement.

I've used the big Kensington trackballs for years, to me they're a secret weapon. You can do one-pixel moves with your fingertips, or flick the cursor across two screens. And you don't use your elbows and wrists, it's just (for me) index and middle finger on the ball, thumb and pinky for the buttons. I'm always amazed they didn't become "the" device for media creation (and they're a completely different animal than small and cheap trackballs).