Photographers, artists, and designers that spend hours per day in applications such as Photoshop demand an input device that offers excellent precision and convenient features that boost productivity. Many professionals opt for tablets, which recreate the feel of using pen on paper, while others still prefer a traditional mouse. We’ve selected the best overall input devices (mice and tablets) for designers based on performance, precision, ergonomics, features, and value.
Tablets provide professional photographers, artists, animators and designers with more creative control over their work, and the Wacom Intuos4 is the best overall tablet on the market because of its excellent performance and reasonable price. The medium version provides 48.5-inches of workspace and includes eight ExpressKeys that can be customized to do almost anything. The illuminated LCD display shows the label of each button for quick and easy reference. The included grip pen is very comfortable in your hand and works extremely well because of the tablet’s excellent precision and pressure sensitivity (2048 levels), which registers everything from very light strokes to heavy strokes and adjusts brush size, opacity, and more accordingly. One of the new innovations introduced with the Intuos4 is the Touch Ring, which allows you to increase productivity by assigning 4 different functions to it. Also new is the 16:9 aspect ratio to accommodate widescreen monitors, though this might not be optimal if you still use a 4:3 display. The Introus4 features an ambidextrous design and does a great job catering to both right-handed and left-handed users. The tablet includes a cordless mouse with 5 customizable buttons. The purchase also includes a variety of software such as Photoshop Elements, which can be downloaded from Wacom’s website after registering. The Intuos4 is an excellent choice for graphic designers and anyone that spends several hours per day in Photoshop.
The Bamboo Pen Tablet, also made by Wacom, is a much more affordable alternative to the Intous4, making it a great choice for designers on a budget or those that are just starting out. This tablet performs extremely well for the price. It’s very intuitive to use and provides an accurate feel of pen on paper. While the pressure sensitivity can’t match that of the Intous4, it’s still very good (512 levels) and should be suitable for most. The Bamboo Pen Tablet also features customizable function keys that can be assigned to do almost anything in order to save time and boost productivity. The Small version of this tablet is very compact, which makes it easy to travel with, and it should provide plenty of workspace for most users. However, professionals that need a larger workspace will want to step up to the Medium Size or go with the Intuous4.
If you’re a designer looking for a more traditional mouse, the Logitech MX Revolution is the best available option. It is extremely ergonomic and feels great in your hands, making it ideal for those that spend several hours per day in front of their computers. It’s also packed with features designed to improve productivity such as a pair of customizable buttons under your thumb and a Quick Flip wheel lets you quickly switch between applications using your thumb. It also features a MicroGear scroll wheel that lets you switch between a frictionless mode for quickly scrolling through large documents and a standard ratchet mode for more precise scrolling. All the buttons are customizable to execute any function you want with the included SetPoint software. The mouse has very precise tracking and solid build quality. Just be warned that it does not feature an ambidextrous design, so lefties are out of luck. But for right-handed designers looking for the best mouse available, the MX Revolution is it.
While this mouse is designed for gamers, it’s also very well suited for designers because it feels great in your hand and is one the best performing mice on the market. It offers very precise laser tracking and three sensitivity settings (400, 800, and 2000 dpi) that can be changed on the fly. The Logitech G5 also includes an adjustable weight cartridge that lets you fine tune its weight and feel to your liking. The buttons are fully customizable through the SetPoint software. If you’re looking for an affordable mouse that's very flexible and performs extremely well, the G5 will not disappoint.