Whether you’re a professional graphic artist or someone that just dabbles with creating or modifying graphics on your computer the best tool to help you out, besides traveling back in time and apprenticing yourself to Leonardo da Vinci, is a graphics tablet.

Sure you can get along just fine without one but since the price of tablets have come down over the years what’s stopping you from giving one a try? Used to be even the small 4″x5″ tablets would set you back hundreds of dollars, but usually you can find even top-branded Wacom 4x5’s for $40-50 on sale these days! I say if it’s a gadget that’s under a hundred smackers it deserves a try to see if you’ll like it. Besides, if you don’t like it you can always take it back and get a refund, so it’s all good.

A few years back my good friend [let’s call her L to help protect her identity] gave me a Wacom Graphire3 tablet. She knew I used to draw a lot (I dabbled) so she bought me the tablet and gave it to me for Christmas. She figured since I knew how to draw I should be able to adapt to using a tablet and I did pretty freaking easily if I must say so myself. I love it! It was a 4x5 tablet, which is a good enough size for someone like me to use with easy. Larger tablets cost far more money and to be blunt, only die-hard professionals need such large and expensive units.

Using a tablet makes a lot of things easier, especially anything that requires free and fluid motions or precision. A tablet can definitely take the place of a mouse with practice not just for graphic applications like Photoshop but for using the computer too. Tablets can usually be used just like a mouse even outside the graphics application and it’s much easier on the hands. It can definitely help people who suffer from carpal tunnel, arthritis and other ailments that affect the wrist or hands.

I currently use a combination of my mouse and tablet to do my graphics work, depending on what I’m doing. If I need finer control then I definitely use my tablet. I really can’t tell you how using my Wacom helps me with creating or editing graphics; you’ll just have to try one out for yourself and see.

One word of warning though, pay attention to certain tablet specs like resolution and levels of sensitivity; the greater the better. And it’s best not to be lulled by chintzy no-named super-low priced tablets out there. Stick to name brands; it’ll save you a world of hurt. If you see a much larger no-name tablet going for the price of a Wacom 4x5, well you know the saying if it sounds too good to be true… don’t bother. In the words of Admiral Akbar from Star Wars: IT’S A TRAP!

I hug my tablet daily (as well strangers passing by on the street) and I’m sure if you gave one a try you would love it. So get out there people, there’s yet another shiny, geek gadget to buy!!!