Perks to Wacom Bamboo With Anime Studio 8 Upgrade

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Wacom and Smith Micro have formed a partnership. In doing so, upgrading Anime Studio 8.1 will allow artists to use finger gestures on the Wacom Bamboo multi-touch tablets. The update also contains 30 new features and performance upgrades.

Multi-touch allows animators, graphic designers and digital artists to be more efficient and save design time. You can use more than one finger at once which saves time performing ordinary commands. By making the process more user friendly, digital artists can use finger taps and gestures to design, create, adjust scenes and objects as well as zoom, drag and drop, scale and rotate designs.

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Anime Studio Pro is retailing at $199.99 and Anime Studio Debut is $49.99. Currently, Debut is selling for $34.99 and Pro is priced at $139.99 on Amazon.

If you don’t own a Wacom Bamboo tablet, you can read more on my Wacom review site!

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Wacom Graphire 3 and Graphire 4 Reviews

Reviews of the older Wacom Graphire tablets

If  you are not interested in the latest Wacom tablet models then you can opt for a Graphire tablet instead. They are no longer sold on the Wacom.com site, but can be found on other online stores such as Amazon.

The Graphire3 and Graphire4 are older models (released pre-2006). They offer some of the same abilities of the more recent Wacom tablets, but without the improved features, software or warranty.

Graphire4 Specs:

  • Pressure sensitive pen
  • Battery-free digital pen offers 512 levels of pressure sensitivity, two programmable side-buttons, and a pressure-sensitive eraser for easy fixes
  • Includes Adobe Photoshop Elements 3, Corel Painter Essentials 2, nik Color Efex Pro 2 GE
  • System requirements: Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP or Mac OS X v10.2.8+; 128 MB RAM; color monitor; available USB port; CD-ROM drive
  • Interface: USB
  • Active area: 4 x 5 inches (small) or 6 x 8 inches (large)
  • Dimensions: 8 x 8 inches ( small) or 10.95 x 10.39 x 0.71 inches (large)

The included pen is very smooth and you can remove the tablet cover in order to place a picture under it for tracing. Also available in a larger size (6 x 8 inches).

The tablet comes in two-tone gray with a matching mouse and pen (also available in metallic blue and white). The plastic cover has a built-in pen holder and can be easily removed. The Graphire4 is powered via USB with a 5-foot cord. Users looking for greater freedom should consider the wireless Wacom Graphire Bluetooth Tablet.

Pros of Wacom Graphire4:
Good for people with repetitive strain injuries
Scrollwheel on tablet
Two buttons on pen
Comfort grip on pen and mouse
Easy to set up
Inexpensive compared to newer Wacom tablets
The Graphire digital pen is interchangeable with the original Bamboo model’s digital pen

Cons of Wacom Graphire4:
Small active drawing area
Pen and pad need more buttons which are available on the newer Wacom tablets
Short cable
Comes with older software – will have to pay to upgrade
Harder to find

Graphire3 Specs:

  • Pressure sensitive pen
  • Battery-free digital pen offers 512 levels of pressure sensitivity, two programmable side-buttons, and a pressure-sensitive eraser for easy fixes
  • Rechargeable lithium polymer tablet battery provides up to 25 hours between charges
  • Includes Adobe Photoshop Elements 3, Corel Painter Essentials 2, nik Color Efex Pro 2 GE
  • System requirements: Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP or Mac OS X v10.2.8+; 128 MB RAM; color monitor; available USB port; CD-ROM drive
  • Interface: USB
  • Active area: 4 x 5 inches (small) or 6 x 8 inches (large)
  • Dimensions: 8 x 8 inches ( small) or 10.95 x 10.39 x 0.71 inches (large)

The included pen is very smooth and you can remove the tablet cover in order to place a picture under it for tracing. Also available in a larger size (6 x 8 inches).

Pros of Wacom Graphire3:
Good for people with repetitive strain injuries
Battery-free
One button on pen
Easy to set up
Inexpensive compared to newer Wacom tablets
The Graphire digital pen is interchangeable with the original Bamboo model’s digital pen

Cons of Wacom Graphire3:

Small active drawing area
Pen is awkward for onscreen navigation
Short cable
Lacking comfort grip on pen and mouse
Comes with older software – will have to pay to upgrade
Harder to find

Summary:
When compared to the Wacom Bamboo tablets available currently, I do not recommend buying a Wacom Graphire.
If price is your main concern and you want a very basic graphics tablet, then I recommend you opt for the Wacom Bamboo Pen (for precision editing) or Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch (not for precise editing). I found a Graphire3 for almost the same price for the Bamboo Pen right now on Amazon! So if you are looking to spend very little, it seems worth it to buy one of the latest Bamboo tablets instead.
Also, the features and software bundles are dramatically improved and you receive a one year warranty from Wacom when you buy a new tablet.

Click below for more info or to buy the Wacom Graphire and Bamboo tablets!


Which Wacom Bamboo Tablet is Best for Image Editing?

Best Wacom Bamboo for Editing Images

Wacom Bamboo Fun

If you want image editing and aren’t concerned with price, I recommend the Bamboo Fun. It provides a large space which is what I prefer.

  • Touch – 7.5″ x 5.1″ (W x H)
  • Pen – 8.5″ x 5.4″ (W x H)

The Bamboo Fun includes more software and extras than the other Bamboo models:

  • Software DVD
  • Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 8.0 Win/Mac
  • Corel® Painterâ„¢ Essentials 4.0
  • Nik® Color Efex Proâ„¢ 3.0 WE3
  • Offer for free photo album from Shutterfly
  • Offer for free online store from Café Press

 

Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch

If you are more concerned with price, then I suggest the Bamboo Pen and Touch. It has a smaller drawing (active) area, but that is not a problem for most people. It just depends on your personal preference.

  • Touch – 4.9″ x 3.4″ (W x H)
  • Pen – 5.8″ x 3.6″ (W x H)

It comes without the extras and less software, but the two included are enough for great photo editing.

Software DVD containing:

  • Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 8.0
  • Nik® Color Efex Proâ„¢ 3.0 WE3

 

When choosing a Wacom Bamboo tablet it comes down to price and size. If you want a smaller tablet and to spend less then definitely buy the Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch. If you don’t care about price and want a larger tablet then I recommend the Wacom Bamboo Fun. My personal preference is to buy the largest tablet you can afford, but that’s just me.