Wacom tablet - is this how the pen is supposed to work?

I got the Wacom Graphire 3 Classic tablet today. There are some things I'm wondering about with using the pen.

First, when I bring the pen near the tablet, it's immediately in select or drawing mode. I have to left-click to get it out of selection mode. It's as if when I bring the pen near the tablet, I'm automatically clicking the left button. Is that normal? It's not very convenient, because in Photoshop it immediately starts drawing when I bring the pen to the tablet. I've tried different sensitivity settings, but this stays the same. Also, when I lift the pen and put it down somewhere else, a line is drawn in Photoshop from the point where I lifted the pen to the point where I put it down. That's not convenient!

Also, tapping the pen once or twice on the tablet to click or double click doesn't seem to work. It doesn't do anything, regardless of the sensitivity setting.

Second, how is the pressure sensitivity supposed to work? I don't see any difference while drawing in Photoshop if I press the pen against the tablet or when I hold it a few millimeters above the tablet.

Looks like you have a real problem with the pen and tablet. No, it's not supposed to select anything when you bring the pen close to the tablet. All it's supposed to do is activate the cursor so that it moves around when you move the pen around. Once you fix that problem, them I'm sure your other problems will get fixed, too, such as using the tap and double taps for selecting.

You might want to go into Control Settings and open the wacom tablet configuration screen to see if anything is amiss there. If not, an email to Wacom customer support is in order.

Good luck. The pen and tablet really is a useful tool if you can get it working right.

BTW, also make sure that the mouse is not on the tablet and interfering with the Pen. They don't work together at all. It's either the mouse or the pen.

And one other thing to check. If you're using a USB connected mouse, disconnect it and see if you still have a problem. Some USB mouses don't work well with the tablet either.

It sounds like the pen is no good.

There should be a bit of "spring" in the nib. It should move in and out slightly. This would explain your problem as it seems the nib is stuck.

does the nib come out on your model? I remember with the more expensive tablets that they used to give you 5-6 extra nibs and a tool to take them out.

If you cant get it to work, then your pen is a dud

I agree with pacace on this. Personally I would simply exchange it for a new one. I have the exact same tablet. One thing that Evil said is that the pen tip should have a bit of spring in the nib. This is not so. It is the tablet that is pressure sensitive. When I read this I checked my pen and there is no spring. There might be spring in the tip of other brands but not yours.
Good luck with your tablet. I'm sure once you get it figured out you'll have fun with it.

Conk,. your wrong about the pen tip..

I will not hazzard a guess at to whether the tablet or the pen has the pressure sensitivity,.

But I just "clicked" the "Quote" button to write this reply by hovering my Graphire pen about two inches over the tablet,. (over the "quote" button onscreen) and then pushing in the tip of the pen with a fingernail... Neither the pen nor anything else came closer than about two inches to the tablet..

It was the tip of the pen moving in that activated the "click" on the quote button..

So the pen may very well be the problem here exactly as Evil described.

Regardless,. it sounds like a bad unit,. but perhaps it CAN be resolved by seeing if the little white plastic tip can be "unstuck" from it's "pushed in" position.. The distance it travels by the way is TINY,. like maybe a 32nd of an inch.. and it doesn't actually feel like there is any resistance (ie if there is a spring it is very soft)

Oh Yeah...


Once you gret it working or replaced,. you will LOVE the Graphire!

Thanks for the replies.....

Hmmmm..... Really looks like the pen is defective.... the tip doesn't have any "spring". It feels like it's fixed.

I've found the forums on Wacom's European website and searched through them, and found a post of someone who had a similar problem. Wacom responded to him that the pen was probably defective.

In the tablet setup dialog, you get a diagnostics screen if you Ctrl + click on the Info button. The diagnostics screen shows what the tablet reads from the mouse and the pen. With my pen, it shows that button 1 is always pressed, and if I click on the switch on the pen, I see that either buttons 1 and 2 or 1 and 3 are pressed. And even when I hover the pen above the tablet, it's reading 12-13% pressure.

What does the diagnostics screen read with your Wacom tablet and the pen?

I've already tried pulling out the tip of the pen and putting it back in, I've updated the driver, deleted the config file as was suggested in Wacom's troubleshooting list, but nothing fixed the problem.

I'm waiting for Wacom's answer to my post in their forum.....

By the way, the mouse works, no problems with that, so probably the tablet itself is also OK.

Diagnosyic screen has the info .. if button one is allways pressed that is the problem.. button one is the tip.. and it should only ny "ON" when it is in contact with the tablet.. (or fingernail )

So,. I think you need a new Graphire

Did you buy online? or at a local store,. ? Either way.. looks like it's time to return.

I agree with the way the pen works. As you come closer to the tablet the cursor will activate and move. You can move the cursor around the screen without actually comming into contact with the tablet, but as far as the tip "springing in" I still disagree. My tablet works perfectly and have the same one described in Jesper's post, Wacom Graphire3. I checked the pen tip again and there is absolutely no "springing" action to it. Nor is there on the eraser on the other end. Any amount of springing action there may be is simply play in the mechanism. I'll put money on it.

The "spring" wasn't the ... er.. point. lol

It's the fact that there is a switch within the pen itself.. a switch that could get,. (and in Jesper's case clearly is) "stuck" .

That's all I was indicating with my little test.

I bought it in a local shop. Unfortunately it's closed on Sunday and on Monday morning, and I have to work during the week.... it will be allright, because Wacom gives 2 years warranty, but the hassle of having to go back to the shop and not being able to use the device until next week is ofcourse annoying....

judging by what you said it is definately the pen/pen tip if it is showing a "clicked" state even when not touching the tablet.

You should be able to move the cursor without touching the tablet but the click should only work with pressure.

conk, there should be a small amount of play in the nib, it shouldn't be stuck solid. If yours has no play maybe it is on its way out too

evilenglishman wrote:
judging by what you said it is definately the pen/pen tip if it is showing a "clicked" state even when not touching the tablet.

You should be able to move the cursor without touching the tablet but the click should only work with pressure.

conk, there should be a small amount of play in the nib, it shouldn't be stuck solid. If yours has no play maybe it is on its way out too

It isn't totally rigid. I hope it's not on it's way out. I hardly use it. I forget I have the damn thing and still use the mouse.

i have the Intuos3 pen as well, have any of you had the problem where the tablet no longer registers that there is less sensitivity? when i push down lightly, all i get is a dot instead of a tapered line. i'm not sure weither its the pen or the tablet.... any suggestions?

-Vlodsie