Tag: Photoshop

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Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed? Tips & tricks from a designer

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed? ( amended and updated )

As somebody who has worked in print for years, I know black can be a troublesome colour to work with when it comes to professional printing! From dull colours, noticeable banding, to the colour being milky and muted. There is a wide variety of headaches when it comes to working with black.

As a former in-house designer at a gifting company, black was a core brand colour I had to wrestle with weekly. I could have burst a blood vessel.

Black can be a royal pain to print, I feel you! In light of a recent project where I had to work with black once again, it reminded me of this post.

This post has just been given a refresh to further help and aid any budding designers or those looking to troubleshoot their problematic black print.

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Why is black colour coming out dull when printed - title graphic

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed?

As to why your colour black is coming out dull and muted. Dull black in print can be caused by mismatched colour profiles, paper types, poorly calibrated screens, working on dated screen types, wrong settings in your application, variation in printers, and professional printers using professional print equipment compared to your domestic-grade equipment. It can also be due to a lack of colour checks before sending professional artwork to print.

There can be a variety of reasons, all working in conjunction to produce a lacklustre and milky print. These reasons can be a mixture of both software and hardware-related.

To avoid dull black colours, employ a variety of techniques to remedy the issue. Such as running test prints, checking settings in your applications, and working with a printer.

If printing on a domestic printer from your home or office, remember to check that you are not running low on black ink! This can also cause dull or streaky prints.

Investigate the points mentioned above. You may need to take it a step further of look for additional help to resolve the issue.

Working with the colour black in Graphic Design for print

Black can be a trouble to work with when it comes to print, especially with all of the varying print processes, paper finishes and general variations with commercial printing machines. Ink types, screen calibrations, applications and so on – can impact your dull black when printed.

Being empathetic to how black can be problematic to print as a designer myself, both you and I want to put our best foot forward and try to reduce dull blacks and greys. Below is a list of tips and tricks to beating a dull black when printed, which just may fix the problem.

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A list of tips and tricks to get the colour black you desire!

Black can be one of the most problematic colours to handle when it comes to design.
Here are some tried and tested solutions I have used to remedy why your black colour is coming out dull when printed.

Tip 1 ) Fixing Black – Consider whether your black is ‘black’

Not everything needs to be pure black. There is black and there is ‘black’. This is more applicable if you are working with photography, illustration or texture and not a black as a block colour.

When working with either illustration or photography, for example, it is common for me to add tones that will either warm or cool my black colour. Black is rarely pure black in the real world. Consider whether any colour or surroundings in your image would be influenced but subtle tints. Black, not being total ‘black’ can be one of the easiest workarounds.

I have added an illustration below to show different tones and hues on a black background and colour to further illustrate my point.

Left to right – reference image below/

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed - black hue comparison
This image shows how tints and shades can show some almost black can work. Most things are not strictly jet black. Especially in artwork or photography.

( Left ) Flat grey black

Notice that this image is devoid of colour. Presumably, this is only in ‘greyscale’ ( older illustration ), but this still has tone and depth. The colour of this, however, could be more of a gamble when printing based on past experience. These more monochromatic greys and blacks seem to be more prone to branding in Photoshop.

( Middle ) Added tint to black

The middle circle is black with a tint of red, which again could work well in a photo that has relevant colours or tones in the image to influence this type of black. I have added a paragraph below on how to add a hue in Photoshop.

( Right )Adding a couple of subtle colours

The tint added to the circle on the far right is closer to a deep red – reddish black, but perhaps something of this nature would be truer to the nature of artwork or photography being shown and displayed?

For argument’s sake, you could consider adding a slight tint of green or yellow to test and measure.

Test print what you create and gauge some of the warm hues. I have employed similar techniques again in attacking posterization in Photoshop.

Tip 2 ) Check Your Colours – Digital Black Colour in Photoshop

It is always wise to check your colours when working with print, generally, not only black! If your black is arriving with a murky, milky or dirty quality, check your colours by the number, not just by what you see on your screen in Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop.

To follow the first tip of adding a slight tint of colour can be all that is needed to remedy your dull black.

Take note of the CMYK | C=65% M=70% Y=66% K=85% for illustration purposes.

For those who would like to know, the ‘K’ is the black notice, and the black also has a lot of colouration. This is not a rich black or the sort of black used in editorial design for fonts by the way.

Photoshop Colour Palette example
And an Example of using the black in the colour palette – Photoshop

Tip 3 ) Breakdown – Avoid dull black in print by checking colours digitally

Before sending your artwork to print, check that your black isn’t the wrong sort of grey or black by either opening the window above or checking that black is represented correctly only on your computer screen. In applications such as Adobe Illustrator, certain preferences will allow you to see black colours in their ‘truer’ form. You can also enable the output as shown.

Tip 4 ) Test print your black design work

Save yourself the worry and heartache and consider running some homemade test prints first. Although a home print is not a substitute for a professional print run, it is better to try and discover any issues with your black colouration before seeing it on a 1000 or so copies of your print run.

Tip 5 ) How your colour black is displayed

** IMPORTANT** This can be a significant contributing factor as to why your black colour is coming out dull when printed. There are options in various graphics programs that can be misleading when working with black. There are options that will allow you to see your black in its truer form compared to what is being shown on your computer screen.

If your black is not coming out as expected, check that your ‘Appearance of Black’ in your applications preferences is set to display blacks as required. ( see screen grab below )

Here is an example taken from Adobe Illustrator showing how a more accurate representation of black can be shown on your screen.

Adobe Illustrator - Appearance of black

See the image above, notice how – onscreen – Display all blacks Accurately is set? This will help you to see how your black may come out in print. Allow yourself to see!

Tip 6 ) CMYK vs RGB vs GreyScale Printing

By default, most designers who were taught to work with 4 colour print were taught to work with CMYK. CMYK, in comparison to RGB can be seen as the poorer cousin colourwise! This is the profile you must work with most printers unless they state otherwise.

However, it is common practice for printers to work with CMYK and should follow suit with this unless stated otherwise.

RGB ( Red, Green, Blue ) is the 3 colour profile I tend to work with more now for digital and website design. RGB is also by far my favourite to work with, however, RGB is better suited to screens which can display millions of colours. You may notice that your vibrant colours and hues suddenly become dull and muted if you switch to CMYK towards the latter end of the design process. By default, RGB is best left to work with screens for final output for print. CMYK for print. Here is an example website design project where I have gone to town with RGB.



Greyscale, brace yourself for mono colours. However, this can work well for simple black and white line drawings with an absence of colour.

Tip 7 ) Work with your printer to avoid dull greys and blacks

It can pay to work closely with your printer in the first instance to avoid headaches and dull black colouration coming out in print. Ask your printer how they’d prefer to receive the artwork. Most professional brick-and-mortar printers will request that your file be supplied in CMYK and as PDF’s in the ideal world. Although that can only now be used as a guide and not a hard and fast rule.

Graphic Design Question: Why is my black print coming out dull grey and not black?

The reason that your black colour is coming out grey and not black as intended, could be that the colour is grey and not black! Certain options in your preferences in your graphics programs may be showing dark greys as black and misleading your eye.

To fix this, you will need to check that the preferences in your graphics application are enabling you to see all black colouration in its true form.

Another reason that your black is printing grey could be due to screen calibration and screen brightness.

Now less common, some of the worst screens for displaying black are TFT screens. As you can still get on some budget laptops, i would recommend rigging your laptop to a screen that enables better representation of colour and colour depth.

Although I have had to use TFT screens in a professional setting in the past, I would recommend using a screen which can show a better range and depth of colour – including black. TFT screens are awful for seeing colour in print.

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed? Summary takeaway

The reason behind your dull black and almost grey colouring when printed could be down to a range of issues. Some of these issues and causes can extend beyond this list. It is a problem that needs a bit-by-bit approach to find out what is causing the problem in the first place.

I would check that you have your colours and preferences set correctly. Making something CMYK isn’t enough to avoid off-colouration when printing with black.

It is also worth being mindful that any web-based print of design software used for proofing can be problematic when trying to get true representation of your colour. These web programs and can deviate from typical standards used by professional printing companies.

These misrepresentations can include low-res proofs, misrepresentation of colour, and poor representation of bleed. What you see, isn’t always what you get.

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed? Bonus Tips

  • Take Notice of the colour warnings when you are in the colour picker window. This could save a lot of headaches later on.
  • Let the printer do the legwork. Send your artwork to the printer and try to let them help you. A printer worth their salt will want to help you and have your return custom. To reinforce your expectations, send them a physical sample from your home printer – assuming you have a good-quality home printer.
  • A HUE, if you are working on an image with a lot of dark areas, why not add a little hue / tint of colour? 20% cyan, for example or some magenta/red for a warmer image.
  • Avoid working with 0, 0, 0, 100 K, as this is best reserved for font/text printing and can your work charcoal appearance. Use a ‘Rich black’ or ‘designers black’ instead. 20, 20, 20, 100 k for example.
  • Avoid 100, 100, 100, 100, CMYK as this is reserved for crop marks and using this colour can drown the paper – no one wants drowned paper!
  • Don’t be fooled. Your screen can be way out of sync with your printer. Do some tests first and see what results come from your printer. Even printing on your home printer cannot guarantee the finish you require when you send your work to print.

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed – Other Related Topics: Design & Print

Interesting Internal links around design and design projects.

Fixing other things

Need a hand with your board game design project?

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed? – External websites :

https://www.jimmsdesign.co.uk/

Board game services

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How to make a simple custom Photoshop brush in 5 EASY PEASY steps

How to make a simple custom Photoshop brush! Made easy. ( Updated )

Ever wanted to make your own Photoshop brush but never knew how? Fear not my design friend! This little tutorial will have you making your custom brushes in no time! ( hopefully ).

I have used these exact methods for various illustration and design projects over the years.

How to make a simple custom Photoshop brush – Answer Overview

An easy method to make a custom Photoshop brush is to either create your own shape or source a shape first. Once you have created your own shape by working with Black against White, you can use that selection to define a new custom brush. In short, you will need to make a selection around your shape and then “define brush preset” – this will then become your new brush.

You can use this method to make a wide selection of brush shapes, be it weave, denim, pencil, or any texture you can imagine.

Also, consider when making your custom Photoshop brush, how you would like it to flow and whether there are soft or hard edges. There is a wide variety of options you can experiment with when creating a custom brush in Photoshop.

Please read on how to make a simple custom Photoshop brush. Or you may find this post interesting. How to reduce banding in Photoshop.

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How to make an easy Photoshop brush in 5 simple steps

Step 1 – Create The Brush Document

A free custom Photoshop brush! Ooi! Make your own custom Brush!
Photoshop Brush


1 ) Open Photoshop and create a new document – 300 x 300 px and 72 DPI for good measure, make sure the background is set to white. It should be noted that you can make this document larger or smaller but I tend to prefer working at a smaller scale.

If you prefer, you can copy the image above for free.

Step 2 – Draw Your Brush

2 ) Working in black and white (Shortcut ‘D’ for black and white), draw your brush shape in black in your new document.

Remember your brush shape needs to be dark /black when you come to creating your brush. For the sake of this tutorial, I have made mine a solid brush. See the black ‘blob’ above on the white background. That is the new brush being painted onto the new document in preparation.

Step 3 – Select Your Shape

3 ) Either by using the marquee tool or Apple + ‘a’ to select all (CTRL + A for windows) select your shape that is to become your brush. If the selection is active, you will see the ‘marching ants’ in Photoshop. If you have made your selection in preparation for the next stage, proceed to the next step! 

Step 4 – Use Shape To Define a Brush

4 ) Go Edit > scroll down to  ‘Define Brush Preset’ and click on it!

Step 5 – Name The Photoshop Brush

5 ) Label your brush, I called this one ‘blob’. Congratulations… it’s a blob!

How to make a simple custom Photoshop brush
Your new brush in the palette

Well done, you should now have designed your very own custom brush and saved it to your Brush library.

If you press F5 to look at your brush palette, you will see the brush you have just made at the bottom of your library. Why not open a new document and test out your newly created Photoshop tool, make ink splats, and draw faces.

This is just to set you on the path of making more awesome brushes.

Photoshop brushe example save in palette

Thank you for reading, if you would like some help with a project in Photoshop you can always drop me a line! Freelance Photoshopper!

How to make a simple custom Photoshop brush

Other post that may help you with photoshop:
Quick layer short cuts
Drawing in Photoshop + Stylus
Reduce Banding in Photoshop
What is a design process
How to fix broken text boxes in Indesign

3rd Party Websites & Sources
– My design website

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How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus | FREE tutorial for complete beginners

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus… ( updated 2024 )

To those who have never drawn anything on a computer, it can feel overwhelming to know where to start.

Before investing my time and money in using a professional Wacom tablet, I first started out with a basic roller ball computer mouse and MS Paint. Yes, it was that long ago!

This method of drawing on a computer with a Wacom tablet predates how I learned how to draw commercially on a computer. Before attending design college and building a design career.

When drawing on a computer, the mouse is the first obvious tool to use. As you invest your energy and education into drawing on a computer, you will want to seek out better hardware and software to support your digital drawing journey.

The mouse should be your first step, but don’t stop there!

This post is a great introduction if you are considering using a tablet to draw on your computer.

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus - Title graphics - picture of purple vector Wacom tablet overlaid onto dark background

Drawing with a tablet | overview – why use one?

One of the best ways to draw on a computer is by using a Stylus & Graphics Tablet in conjunction with a powerful art creation program. Using a tablet will afford you a greater degree of artistic freedom and finesse once you have become accustomed to the nuances and sensations of using one. However, This is also assuming that you can draw to a certain degree in the first place.

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus- Blue ball raster graphics
How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet – blue vexel ball example

How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet – Quickfire answer

In terms of how to use a stylus and tablet ( or ‘drawing tablet’ ) from a technical standpoint, it is typically a case of plugging your tablet into your computer, downloading and installing the latest drivers and software, and then calibrating your drawing tablet.

Once this core set-up is completed, you can then set about installing drawing in programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop.

The technical setup is not that complicated when comes to how to work with a drawing tablet.

How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet with regards to technique.

Treat the tablet as you would a sketchpad and pencil. Apply light strokes and heavy strokes, bold strokes, and small strokes. Get used to the pressure and sensitivity of your tablet. Learn to ‘feel’ the tablet ( cringe ). And give it time.

The video below is me drawing a blue ball using a Wacom Tablet and Photoshop.

*If you have applications installed on your computer.

This is a hyper-lapse of myself creating the blue ball above – ‘vexel’ a combination of Vexel and Pixel.

For more information on how to create digital artwork on the computer, read on!

“you will need to practice, practice and then more practice.”

Wacom tablet and stylus example
Tablet & Stylus – Wacom
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How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet | Managing expectations

Not wanting to lead any readers or budding designers astray, I feel one of the first things I should touch upon when learning how to draw on a computer with a drawing tablet such as a Wacom, is managing expectations.

Although knowing the technicalities of how to draw with a stylus and drawing a tablet on a computer sounds like a golden bullet. The technicalities are only the first part of the journey when it comes to drawing on a computer.

The real knack for making your own artwork comes with practice – not the tools. A piece of high-tech equipment won’t provide you with the soulless magic results like an AI generator.

That is not how it works if you want to create your ‘own’ artwork.

To get your digital artwork or design to the place you want it, you will need to practice, practice, and then more practice.

If however, you are of an arty-illustrator vein. Then ignore what I have said above. You may take to drawing or designing on a computer like a duck to water if you are already a proficient artist or illustrator! Let your flair flourish and shine!

Here are a few examples of what I have illustrated ( drawn ) on a computer with my Wacom Tablet. Followed by some simple steps.

What I have drawn ( illustrated) with a Wacom Tablet on a computer

Character illustrations I have created with my Wacom tablet
Characters illustrated for a board game.
Board artwork illustartion - How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet
Box design - packaging
Packaging design – Wallace & Gromit
Illustration of a stylus
Drawn a wacom - illustartion of stylues base / well

Step ‘0’ ) How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet – Be able to draw

As a pre-step, I can’t assume too much.

You will need to make sure you can draw to a certain degree with a pencil or pen before you can expect to draw on a computer with Wacom or a digital tablet. No matter what hardware you own.

If you want to create your own artwork away from AI art generators, you will need to be able to draw to some degree.

The technology and hardware, will not magic your hand and eye into creating what you want.

Even if you can only sketch, this will be a huge advantage when drawing with a stylus on a computer. This is a pre-step warning!

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Step 1 ) The required equipment to draw on a computer

To draw on a computer with a tablet … you will need to own the required equipment. Or borrow. This should be a given. I have used the following bits of equipment in the past ( aside from a mouse ):

  • Wacom Bamboo and pen – a more entry-level drawing tablet at the time ( now legacy)
  • Or a Wacom Intuos Pro & Pen ( medium ), this is what I’m using at the moment.
  • * Or a Cintiq ( I’m jealous )
  • A working keyboard
  • A computer that is compatible with a tablet
  • An operating system that is compatible with your drawing tablet
  • *Your computer will also need to be able to run both the drivers, the tablet, and the software
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Step 2 ) Understanding the type of digital art you want to create ( not genre )

When considering how to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet, you may wish to consider the type of artwork you want to create.

This can steer the type of software required to draw on your computer. I have attached an example here.

Vector Art and raster art example - How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet

style examples, Photoshop Vs Illustrator

You will notice the different styles above I have created using certain software with my drawing tablet. You can create certain types of finishes in varying programs.

Vector Illustration ( left blue ball )

Imagine drawing with cut-out shapes, knives, sprays and pieces and pieces. With the types of programs that allow you to draw and create vector artwork, you can create a range of slick illustrations.

With vector artwork, the appearance can appear clean and tidy. You can also scale the work up and down without loss of quality. Vector artwork lends itself well to commercial logos, large format graphics, icons, and UI’s.

Here is an example of some of my other vector artwork.

Token vector illustartions for board games - drawn in Adobe Illustrator

Bitmap based artwork – Raster ( right blue ball above )

You may notice the ball on the right has a more painterly feel ( refer to the illustration above). For this more textured appearance, I digitally painted this in Photoshop. Some may find this approach more akin to drawing or painting using traditional methods.

Bitmap format or digital painting in particular lends itself well to a more painterly, textured, or grainy appearance. If you have painted in acrylics for example, you may prefer this approach. But it doesn’t always lend itself so well to all circumstances in print.

Blue ball painted in Adobe Photoshop

Is creating digital art easy?

Yes and no, getting started with creating digital art can be very easy and low cost. Getting to a stage where you could call yourself a professional artist takes time and years of practice. The best way of getting started with creating digital art is by downloading graphics software and practicing to improve your digital drawing techniques.

I wish I could find my very first digital drawing, it was created on a Windows 3.2 in the era of the awesome floppy disk – you can read a bit about me here.

This is perhaps a topic I would like to dive into again in another post.

Digital art can be accessible with the right tools and equipment. Working with the Wacom Tablet for example can streamline the process further.

Step 3 ) What digital art software should ‘I’ use?

There are so many to pick from, but for the sake of just creating something you can call ‘digital art’, as a hobbyist begin with something you may already have, MS Paint In Windows.

Gimp Icon
Gimp Logo

There are other art programs out there that are also free such as Gimp and Krita. I have personally never used Krita but the results on the website show what it is capable of and it has also been given a recommendation from a reputable digital art magazine IFX. This magazine is dedicated to creating fantasy, digital, and traditional artwork.

Advanced digital artwork software ( what I use )

As both a designer and digital artist, I use 2 main programs to create my art and design work, these programs being: Abobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator often gives a very clean-cut appearance that you may see in books, posters, lifestyle magazines etc – this is called ‘vector art’.

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is a versatile piece of software that behaves like a drawing and painting tool and offers an intuitive workflow.

It should be noted that these programs can both be tricky to master and you may be more drawn to one than the other. You can get a free trial or purchase a subscription to use the software by going to Adobe Creative Cloud.

If you are just starting out on your journey to becoming a digital artist or illustrator, I would test a free program first.

Use the images above as a reference if you are just starting out or if this is part of a hobby. For me, it works like so.

Simple differences in what type of artwork Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator creates.

  • Clean cut, modern vector artwork = Adobe Illustrator
  • Grainly, textures, and painterly = Adobe Photoshop

How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet | Deciding on software

As a budding digital artist, designer, or illustrator you will want to consider how you want to draw with a Wacom Tablet. What sort of outcomes are you looking to achieve?

If you are unsure and just trying your hand at creating digital art on a computer, you may want to consider the selection like so.

Adobe Illustrator may suit you more if you want to become a designer or a clean-cut vector artist. The way a vector drawing behaves inside a program is quite different from a raster art program such as Photoshop.

Adobe Photoshop is great If you want to work as a traditionally styled illustrator, digital painter, game artist etc.

There are thousands of examples of digital artists on social media with websites and professional blogs.

Here are some examples here of my vector artwork.

This person here is a terrific vector artist and designer – Vicky Doodles

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Step 4 ) Grab Your stylus, and your Wacom Tablet and start drawing

Assuming that you have now decided on the type of artwork you want to experiment with, now is the time to start using the equipment.

To continue with an overview of how to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet. Make sure you have plugged in and installed your tablet correctly.

If you have started with Adobe Illustrator as your application of choice. I would recommend starting the tool that is in tune with the Wacom Tablet, eg the brush or pencil. My first port of call would either be the Pencil or the Brush tool.

Start making small strokes with the stylus on your Wacom and see how the stroke behaves.

Or if you prefer, start working with some of the most basic shapes first and move these around your artboard as you would with a mouse.

Short overview of how to draw with a tablet in Adobe Illustrator

  • 1 ) Firstly you will want to start up Adobe Illustrator.
  • 2 ) Create a new document of your choosing. You can start with A4 for the sake of experimentation.
  • 3 ) Select the brush tool “B” and start making some marks and feel how the tablet responds to you and Adobe Illustrator. You can always undo it if you make a mess.
  • 4 ) If you prefer, you can also try to create an image with shapes first if you are familiar with working with vector graphics.

Illustrations – working in Adobe Illustrator and making marks.

Short overview of how to draw with a tablet in Adobe Illustrator - demonstration
(M) for rectangle tool in Adobe Illustrator

If you read on, I have also created some short exercises to play with – for free! Hopefully, these will get the juices and familiarity working when using your Wacom Tablet.

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus - method fro drawing in adobe illustrator

Short overview of how to draw with a tablet in Adobe Photoshop

If you have decided you would prefer to create artwork in Photoshop on your computer then this is the paragraph for you.

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus - using adobe photoshop for practice
  1. ) Goes without saying, but open up Adobe Photoshop – and create a new document.
  2. ) Select a brush tool and start painting/ drawing onto your blank document. Remember, this is only to get used to using your Wacom Tablet and Stylus. I used black.
  3. ) Press ‘F5’ to open your “brush settings”, select a tip you like and tick “transfer”.
  4. ) Now start painting and building a feel for your Wacom tablet. Another tip, play around with the opacity to help build your brush strokes on top of one another.

When learning how to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus, the snappy overview above will hopefully get you started. But, I have also created some exercises for you in the next step, to really give yourself some time when drawing with a Wacom Tablet.

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5 ) How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus | Exercises

To further develop and play with your Wacom tablet. I invite to to take part in these exercises I have created for you for free. The illustrations below should guide you on what you need to do when drawing on a computer with your Wacom.

Exercise for drawing in Adobe Illustrator with your Wacom & Stylus

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus - Exercises and practice, adobe illustrator
When practicing drawing with a Wacom Tablet, it may be easy to save and download the reference exercise above. If you want to use this for learning feel free to take it and save it to your computer. Although it cannot be used for commercial purposes. Feel free to credit and link back to this page – How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus

Exercise for drawing in Adobe Photoshop with your Wacom & Stylus

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus | exercise, drawing in photoshop

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus | Concludes Steps

That concludes the step and general over of how to draw on the computer with a Wacom tablet & stylus. By all means, feel free to revisit the steps and stages above. Or if you feel this was a lot to remember, why not save this page as a favourite or bookmark. ( thanks )

But hey, I am not yet finished, I have also noted some key differences when drawing on a computer.

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Wacom & stylus vs drawing with a mouse

Very old computer mouse for drawing on a computer!
If you are actually drawing on a computer with these legendary relics… Kudos to you. Image Source – Wikpedia

If you are still wavering as to whether you want to draw with a Wacom. I have gone into a little bit of additional depth. A bonus section that is a supplement to the ‘how-to’.

A computer mouse in action

This example shows the end result of some digital artwork created using a mouse in Photoshop. It’s a bit trickier to use although it’s not bad for straight lines!

Drawing with a mouse! Visual example
Drawing with a mouse! (An Apple Smart Mouse)

I would advise moving on from a computer mouse at some stage if you are thinking of getting serious with drawing on a computer, be it for graphic design, illustration, or your own sanity.

If you are thinking of spending many hours drawing and creating digital artwork, using a different input will save on potential wrist aches.

The day I plugged in a Wacom graphics tablet, was the day I changed the way I created digital artwork on a computer. Using a drawing or graphics tablet can make the experience of creating artwork on a computer much more organic.

A Wacom & stylus in action

Below is an example of me sketching something in Photoshop using a stylus + tablet. It’s a quicker, smoother, and much more human way of creating a drawing.

Drawing with Stylus and Tablet example
Drawing with Stylus and Tablet. Handles, curves and waves, and is much easier to flow with

After using a Wacom Tablet for a few years now, I would struggle to return to drawing with a mouse. Outside the less control, the amount of RSI I used to get from drawing with a mouse, would be enough to put some off the profession.

Give a drawing tablet a try. I love them.

Summary | How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus

And that should conclude the basic overview in steps of how to draw on the computer with a Wacom tablet & stylus. As an overview, here is what we can do.

  1. Buy a stylus and drawing tablet of your choice.
  2. Install the hardware on your computer.
  3. Check the drivers are up to date – calibrate the software to your computer
  4. Download a graphics program such as Photoshop or one of free applications mentioned previously.
  5. Open the software.
  6. Start creating digital art!

Aside from the technicalities of the hardware, the real skill comes from lots of practice. Make sure to follow the short tutorial/exercises above to get you started with drawing your Wacom tablet.

Credits – All the best with your digital art journey and creating digital awesomeness on your computer

Thank you for reading, hopefully, this post has given you some insight into how to create digital artwork with a Wacom Tablet and an idea of tools you can use to draw on a computer.

If you would like any professional assistance please feel free to contact me on my website.

You may be also interested in reading this :
Handling black in print
Creating artwork for game
Reducing Banding in Photoshop
How to reduce banding on Photoshop
Editing text on your playing cards in Indesign

Case study | graphic design and making a game
Home » Photoshop
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Okay Aardman! Wallace & Gromit Project

Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project – flex those Adobe Illustrator muscles. I have a new post to share… kindly, the team over at Paper Engine has now said that I can share and discuss my part in creating some of the packaging concepts for a new range of Wallace & Gromit themed products.

The artwork shown in this post was used to pitch to Aardman for a new range of British designed card products, otherwise known as – Build Your Own, For Paper Engine.

Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project - box
Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project Wrong trousers

Aardman Project | The Brief

The Brief | I was commissioned by Paper Engine to help create the core design for the packaging concepts for a new range of of Wallace and Gromit themed paper products.

Aardman had set up an agreement with Paper Engine for them to come up with a range of products, themed around Wallace & Gromit.

If you don’t know Aardman, they are the animation studio behind Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, Arthur Christmas, and Shaun the Sheep to name a few.

Paper Engine got in touch with me and asked for assistance in coming up with the core packaging concept to pitch to Aardman.

I won’t lie, I was excited and honoured.

Under a strict NDA, I was called in to help come up with some of the core concepts for the new eye-catching packaging.

The NDA has been relaxed now, as the products have been released onto the market. So don’t worry. And I asked the crew over at Paper Engine and they were happy to allow me to show my my part!

(All artwork on this page is the intellectual property of Aardman and Paper Engine. Do not copy, save, or download any of this content for commercial use ).

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Packaging For Paper Engine… Which was actually for Aardman

To spill the beans on the projects.

Here is a bit of extra information on the project process. Once Paper Engine had sent the brief across to me, and we did all the admin, the project was set in motion!

Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project | The design process involved…

  • Coming up with some very early ideas for speech bubbles, titles, typography, backgrounds, and other accents and parts for the project.
  • Creating a variety of packaging front ideas for both products.
  • Developing rough designs into polished designs.
  • These were presented to Aardman ( gulp ).

It should also be said that this project was quite particular and that there were 2 companies involved in the approval process. Nonetheless, it still allowed room for design creativity.

Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project
Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project
Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project
Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project
Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project Typography
Background idea

Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project | Developing The Design

While I was allowed to work conceptually and creatively, I also had to adhere to 2 sets brand guidelines! One set was supplied by Paper Engine for Paper Engine and, the other was for Aardman!

Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project
box
Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project - 2 rockets
badges

Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project | The Delivery

After working on the polished designs, Paper Engine pitched the artwork to Aardman. I was told on the grapevine that they were pleased with the project – with very few changes to the pitch!

Thank you Paper Engine, it was an honour! From there the look and feel for the range was set. It was an awesome project.

How I approached the project

When creating the packaging, I tried to create artwork that was exciting and matched the tone of Wallace & Gromit. I also tried to create packaging concepts that would excite both children and adults if they saw them on the shelf!

‘wow look at that!’

type of thinking with the hopes somebody would pick the product up and purchase it. The product did most of the selling in all fairness, these are very cool products.

Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project | Paper Engine Testimonial

‘We worked with Jimm on some early packaging concepts for our collaboration with Aardman on three Build Your Own kits. He delivered some superb designs which enabled us to get ahead of the curve by keeping the client on board with approvals and saved us some valuable in-house studio hours. We would definitely work with Jimm again in the future when the occasion arises. Top marks. 5 stars.’

Geff – Creative Director, Paper Engine Ltd.

Aardman Wallace & Gromit Project | You may be interested in some of the following

Retail packaging projects
Stem Project samples
Snakes & Ladders type board game
Board game playtesting post

Why not read more on my playtesting post?

3rd Party

Jimmsdesign Services

Dragon Bone Games ( Board game website )

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Speed tips for Photoshop layers!

Speed tips and shortcuts for Photoshop layers!

If like me you need work layers in Photoshop any time saving measure is a bonus. I have a compiled a short list of shortcuts for making the best use of Photoshop’s layers for both the Mac and PC – Enjoy!

(Swap CMD for CTRL on Windows)

Photoshop Layer Icons
Photoshop Layer icons
Photoshop Layer UI
Layer Graphics

Change the layer order,
move it up and down :

  • Cmd+[ Move Down
  • Cmd+] Move Up 
  • Cmd+Shift+] = to move it to the bottom of the stack
  • Cmd+Shift+[ = Move it to the top of the stack

Direct select a layer

With move tool selected (V) hold Cmd to highlight the layers directly from the art board. This will also highlight groups.

Duplicate a layer 

Ideal for copying a layer! Cmd + J to copy a selected layer! Or you can drag the selected onto the ‘New” icon! OR right click and duplicate – A personal fave.

Colour Coordinated

In addition to organizing you layers into folder and groups, why not colour coordinate the layers so you glance at groups? Brown for dirt, green for sea etc. Right click and select a colour.

New Layer Cmd+Shift + N brings up the new layer dialogue.

Cycle Through Blend Modes

Need to see what a multiply, saturation, or overlay will look like on the fly?

Shift + (Minus or plus, top right of the keyboard)

Layer Opacity
With the layer selected you can quickly change its opacity by pressing >

Shift + (Minus or plus, top right of the keyboard)
Shift + 22, 30, 23 (a number from the top row) typing the number in quick succession will change the layers opacity percentage. Hold shift and then press “22” the layer will be 22% “30” = 30 %.

Very handy for digital painting or retouching.

Group Layers

Select your layers and press Cmd + G to group them together. If you are not grouping your numerous layers… you should start. For sanity’s sake.

The original text for this was created and added to blogger in 2016 (Jimm Odell Blog). This has since been tweaked and added to this blog – the professional blog.