Try Your iPad as a Drawing Tablet Before You Buy a Pen Display

Why test with an iPad first

A pen display takes up desk space, and returning one that does not suit you is a hassle. But you can find out whether drawing straight on a screen works for you without buying anything. An iPad you already own is a cheap way to test that.

The idea is simple. The drawing app's window on your computer is sent to the iPad, you draw on it with Apple Pencil, and the input goes back to the computer. You are not using an iPad drawing app. You are using the desktop one, so your brushes, layers and project files stay exactly where they are. A few days of real work will tell you if it feels right.

How pressure and tilt get through

With Pen Input turned on in Any Display, pressure and tilt from supported pens are passed to the drawing app on your computer. Press harder and the line gets thicker, lean the pen and you get shading, much like a regular tablet connected to the computer. It also reduces accidental marks from your palm while the pen is near the screen.

Check which pen you own. Apple Pencil Pro, 2nd generation and 1st generation support pressure, but Apple Pencil (USB-C) has no pressure sensor, so line width stays constant. That makes it a poor fit for most drawing. If pressure matters to your work, look at the model before anything else.

On Windows, Windows Ink support is the thing to check

Many Windows drawing apps read pen input through Windows Ink. So look in your app's pen or tablet preferences for a Windows Ink option and make sure it is on. Each app handles this its own way, so I can't promise it sits in the same place in Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint, but you can usually find it under preferences.

If an app does not use Windows Ink, pressure may not register. Whether it works depends on how that Windows app takes pen input, so the fastest check is to connect and draw a few strokes in the app you care about most. On a Mac there is no equivalent setting to enable.

Sending only the drawing app can feel better

While you work, it is often nicer to send just the drawing app's window to the iPad rather than the whole desktop. The iPad becomes your canvas, and references and chat stay on the computer monitor, so your eyes jump around less. You can also extend the desktop to the iPad as a second display and use the extra space. For an extended screen, position, resolution and scaling are set in Windows or macOS display settings.

The iPad finds your computer automatically on the same Wi-Fi, or you can plug in a USB cable. The first connection is covered in the extend and mirror guide, and pen options are on the drawing tablet page.

The honest limits

Colors may not match your computer monitor. The iPad screen is good, but its color setup is not the same as your monitor's, so for final work where color matters, like print or client delivery, check it again on the computer display. For sketches, roughs, color practice and notes, where you draw while watching the screen, it works well.

Latency depends on your setup. Wireless is affected by your router, and USB is usually steadier. If pen response bothers you, try a cable, or sit close to a 5 GHz network and compare. This approach also suits focused drawing in one app better than something like video editing, where you need to see the whole screen.

Three things to check before you start

There is not much to set up, but looking at these three first saves some head-scratching.

• Pen: which Apple Pencil you have, and whether it is the USB-C model if you need pressure
• App: whether your drawing app accepts pen input such as Windows Ink
• Connection: Wi-Fi or USB, and on Windows with USB, whether Apple Devices is installed

If you use an Android tablet with an S Pen, drawing in Photoshop with a Galaxy Tab shows the same idea. And if the real question is whether you need a pen display at all, read pen display alternatives.