Touch screen to draw

I have been trying to think a real use for touch screen on a laptop. Something that would make it fundamental to to a laptop and the only thing that I can think of is if you used it to draw on Photoshop.
Has anyone tried it and does it work well?

 

That's a good question! Other than drawing, I think you could use it for presentation. It would be handy to zoom and maneuver the shared screen.

If it's not a hybrid that turns into a tablet, I can only imagine arm strain if you draw a full picture with it.

 

I've used it for client signatures for digital service agreements which can be printed later, but can get a screen shot first and be emailed to them and to me to make a digital contract official.

Another use is when using a VNC-like connection, you can use it while talking to someone over the phone or VOIP to give them a visual step-by-step outline if you're trying to demonstrate something or teach and show how a strategy or concept works.

It has its purposes apart from being what people expect from mobile devices and phones. I like it more on a laptop than I do on those devices usually.

 

I have an iPad that uses touch screen but I rather have a keyboard and really don't like touch screen that much. My niece, however, she uses her iPad to do her drawing and she loves it. Her two years old daughter also loves to doodle with her fingers

 

I think drawing on the screen using the touchscreen function is a good idea. However, you need to have a "pencil" for that because using the finger is not that accurate. I have seen one guy doing that in a fastfood chain one time. He had difficutly making artwork on his portable with the touchscreen. The way I saw it, he would have an easier time if he had that pencil I was saying.

 

Yes, the drawback to touch screen sensitivity for any kind of artwork is that te pressure sensitivity can never do justice to what is needed for an artist's canvas, and doesn't give the many different degrees of pressure needed to shade or do artwork beautifully the way that an analog pencil and paper or even a pen and paper can.

The person you saw trying to draw with it would have to draw just with one pressure and line format which would be fine if they were doing only certain styles like cartoon columns where the cartoon is mostly all solid and the same or close to the same pressure. If trying to shade items or do other types of artwork, they would need a much more expensive digitizer instead that can handle many different types of pressure and translate that to different intensities of the color of pixels they are using on the touch sensitive device that lets they use to draw on. They would get better results with that, but on the normal touch screens on phones, tablets, and laptop monitors, they would need more for advanced art and designs.

 

I have never used a touch screen laptop. My only experience with touch screen is hand held device. I have used touch screen tablets and smartphones. I also think the only use of touch screen laptop is for designing purpose and using programs such as photoshop.

 

I didn't think of that, I can see how it would create a very big limitation if it's not pressure sensitive. After all how could you get the shading done if you don't have this feature.

 

I think touch screens on computers should only be used for the ones that also turn into tablets. A touch screen computer is practically useless. Not to mention a little annoying. Touch screens are good for iPad's and tablets. You could try to use a computer like a tablet but then the keyboard would just be in the way. I guess it depends on personal preference.

 

I don't thing anybody that does professional drawing on computers uses the touch screen directly, only maybe on the iPad pro with that overpriced pencil, the absolute name of the game when it comes to digital drawing are Wacon tablets, this is what professional architects, designers and artists use. The Wacon tablets themselves come in a variety of levels from more casual Pen tablets to the professional Pen Displays, the Pen Displays are not for casual customers, plus they are super expensive. Some people actually use Wacon tablets in lieu of a mouse, for some reason they claim that it is more comfortable but I don't know.

 

I have used those before and it takes a little getting used to but once you do they are very good. I really recommend them if you are going to do some serious graphic work.
So the touch screen on a laptop is just a novelty that doesn't have any real use.

 

Yeah, but it has more to do with the actual touchscreen and stylus combination used, not so much with touch screens in general. For drawing and design work you need both pressure sensitivity and and touch screen that can detect the angle / tilt of the pen, for stuff like that the only thing that comes to mind is either the iPad pro or a Wacom tablet but I believe I remember reading about some laptops that had this feature, but yet again, not all pressure sensitivities are created equal since you can claim to have that and only support two levels like hard touch and light touch. Another aspect is the delay between the input and the actual response. You won't find any laptops for this, you need a purposed built device like a CINTIQ.

In all honesty, I had a laptop with a touch screen and I barely used the feature, unless it is a convertible or 2 in 1 laptop, a touchscreen is useless even for normal use, let alone drawing.

 

Touch screens for laptop are more of a niche feature for me. It could really work well with drawing. I've seen some of friends make good use of the touch screen feature, although I've never seen them use it to draw with Photoshop. It's unavoidable to get your screens scratched here and there, no matter what screen protector you use. Well, at least on the screens I've seen. For now, I can't really see myself using the touch screen to draw or for anything else.