Wacom Graphic Tablet Pro Tips for Intuos3 Tablets

5 great tips to help you maximize your Wacom Intuos3 Graphic Tablet experience

Make sure to set your tablet's ExpressKeys to suit your needs. To do this, open the Wacom Tablet Properties program under Start-All Programs-Wacom. Once the program is open, select "Functions" under the "Tool" section. From there, you can start customizing your ExpressKeys as key presses, complex macros, even have them open programs and files. The choice is up to you.

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Every person holds a pen differently. Be sure to customize your Grip Pen's pressure, tilt, and double-click settings to comfortable levels in your Wacom Tablet Properties program under the "Grip Pen" section of the "Tool" bar. And if you're left-handed, be sure to change the handedness of your pen by clicking the "Options..." button at the very bottom of the program and then selecting "Left".

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Don't forget that you also have a mouse to customize. In the "Tool" bar, go to the "Mouse" section and change the speed, acceleration, and buttons to work exactly the way you want them to.

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Is your tablet not quite as accurate as you think it should be? It might be that your tablet's screen ratio doesn't match your monitor's. Open your Wacom Tablet properties program. Under the "Grip Pen" section of the "Tool" bar, select the "Mapping" tab and click the "Force Proportions" box to ensure that the resolution of both your monitor and tablet match exactly.

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Do you only want to use your tablet on a small portion of your monitor? To do that, open your Wacom Table Properties program, go into the "Grip Pen" section of the "Tool" bar and click the "Mapping" tab. Now under the "Screen Area" drop-down menu, you can select between either "Full", "Portion...", or even select individual monitors if you have more than one. In this case we would select "Portion..." and then change your drawing area by either clicking and dragging the red box, or entering in the coordinates that you want. You can also do the same thing with your tablet's drawing area for greater customizations.

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If you apply all these tips in your work, you will be well on your way to using your tablet professionally in no time.