There you are: you have finally decided to purchase a graphics tablet. Whatever your reasons may be for purchasing one, you are now faced with a very major decision: amongst all the numerous graphics tablets out there, which one would best suit your needs and your budget ?
Wacom is without any doubt, a genius when it comes to graphics tablet (also known as pen tablet) technology and is continually improving their products. Due to these frequent upgrades, this article will only touch the following Wacom models: Bamboo, Bamboo Fun (a successor and an improved model over the Graphire series), Intuos3 (the 3rd generation of Intuos) and Cintiq.
The basics
All Wacom graphics tablets are easy to install and use, thanks to Wacom’s Plug & Play technology. Every Wacom tablet is compatible with Macintosh and Windows, supports widescreen format, offers application and tool settings, provides a comfortable design and comes equipped with a detachable USB cable, and a programmable, cordless and battery free ergonomic pen. Therefore, your decision will be based on the main differences between these major models. Those include: pressure sensitivity, resolution and size.
• Pressure sensitivity of the pen tip and its eraser( when present) is measured in levels: 512 levels for the Bamboo line and 1024 levels, the highest thus far, for the Intuos3 and Cintiq models.
• Resolution, measured in lines per square inch, is marked at 2,540 for the Bamboo series and 5,080 for the Intuos3 and Cintiq models. Based on these two differences alone, if one needs or desires more precision and sharper results, the Intuos3 or the Cintiq are by far the better choices.
• Size relates to the active area of the graphics tablet, which is the drawing/writing area and not the actual size of the tablet. If space is really a tight issue, make sure you take into consideration the actual dimensions of the graphics tablet. Since the active area of a tablet matches your computer screen no matter what size it is, don’t let a smaller sized Wacom tablet fool you: the smaller sizes offer just as many features as the larger ones. Size becomes a concern when considering desk space, laptop use, portability, and user preferances. Bamboo, Bamboo Fun Small and Medium, Intuos3 4×6 and 6×8 are all wonderful options for small working environments.
Bringing pen to tablet: beginners
Let’s start by comparing the three Bamboo models.
• Bamboo standard (4×6 approx.) with its sleek black piano finish, is a wonderful improvement over the past Wacom models. It is perfect for any office, be it at home or at work and a perfect travelling companion. Specified mostly for office work rather than artistic tasks, it performs very well by working with your computer’s existing software for marking up documents, jotting down notes and writing your signature. So if you do not need any extra art related software, and the budget is as tight as your desk space, this is the perfect graphics tablet for you.
(Bamboo standard is the only Wacom tablet, of the newer models, which does not come with a matching mouse, or any software. The accompanying Bamboo pen does not have an eraser which could prove to be inconvenient.)
• Bamboo Fun (Small) (4×6 approx.) is terrific for children and beginners with creative minds. With four colors to choose from, (Blue, White, Black and Silver) you can personalize any office, home or at work, with your preferred color. However, despite the great Wacom quality and advantages, the active area might prove to be too small for elaborate projects.
• Bamboo Fun (Medium) (5×9 approx.) which also comes in the same 4 different colors as the Small version, is ideal for beginners and excellent for young students, digital photographers and more creative users. The new possibilities range from personalizing your work with your signature or other creations to touching-up photos.
Bringing pen to tablet: intermediate
The Intuos3 line, in its cool charcoal gray color and with an extra year warranty, replaces the Bamboo’s Touch Ring (at the top of the tablet) with a Touch Strip (at the side of the tablet for scrolling). The position of the ExpressKeys (for shortcuts) has also changed from the top (on the Bamboo) to the side (on the Intuos3). The Intuos3 also adds tilt control to the mix, an added bonus for any serious user. It even offers more pen tips for different writing and drawing results with the one accompanying cushioned Grip Pen which provides extra comfort and reduces tension. Extra accessories are available for the Intuos3 such as an array of different pen types ranging from the classic pen for a more natural, day-to-day work and feel to the sophisticated airbrush for unbelievably realistic paintings and other art designs. The whole Intuos3 series is specially designed for wide screens and multiple monitor work stations. If you are a serious graphic artist or you spend long hours using artistic software, an Intuos3 is certainly a worthwhile investment, and most graphics professionals would call it an essential tool. That said, there are still 6 different sizes to chose from !
• Intuos3 4×6 is easily portable with more features than the Bamboo series and perfect for small desk spaces yet affordable. However, this graphics tablet is not recommended for left-handed users because the single set of ExpressKeys and Touch Strip is on the left side of the drawing tablet. (All the other Intuos3 sizes have dual ExpressKeys and a Touch Strip on both the left and right sides of the tablet.)
• Intuos3 6×8 benefits more professional work yet is still an excellent size for cramped spaces and is a perfect travelling companion for the laptop and ideal for serious students on the go.
• Intuos3 6×11 targets the CAD users, and technical illustrators which may desire a larger surface area and artists who are used to drawing or painting with large sweeping motions. It is also optimized for work in single screen or for multiple monitor work stations and is ideal for editing HDTV videos. Remember, the larger your tablet surface, the more you will need to move your arms which may be viewed as a disadvantage to some users.
• Intuos3 9×12 greatly assists professional photo-retouching artists, illustrators and industrial designers with challenging endeavours, allowing for wider sweeping strokes.
• Intuos3 12×12, the only square tablet, caters to professionals with elaborate artistic ideas and highly detailed expectations like professional technicians and designers in any industry including automobile, textile and fashion.
• Intuos3 12×19 targets sophisticated and high-performance work involving precision and accurate results like professional digital imagery, audio-visual technicians, graphic artists, and architects. It offers optimal use of wide screen and double monitors and is excellent for creating HDTV videos.
Bringing pen to screen: intermediate and professional
Cintiq is the combination of the Intuos3 technology with an LCD monitor. The result: a state of the art monitor that allows you to write or draw directly on the screen with unparalleled accuracy! The fact that it is detachable and totally adjustable to any angle and for any purpose (on your desk or on your knees) makes it the holy grail of the Wacom graphics tablets and obviously, the most expensive. The Cintiq series (which comes with an Intuos3 Grip Pen for optimal comfort and fatigue prevention) will greatly improve workflow and efficiency while providing spectacular, detailed results in any professional field ranging from industrial designers, audio-editors and animators to doctors, educators and story-board creators requiring faster visual effects. This interactive pen display, with leading edge technology, literally becomes your canvas or your easel.
Yet again, there are 3 Cintiq’s to choose from. Size is measured diagonally, from the smaller 12.1”, and mid size 20.1” to the large 21.3”. The native resolution and the total number of pixels (1.0, 1.8 and 1.9 million pixels respectively) are what set them apart the most.
• Cintiq 12WX (1280×800 native resolution) is very light (4.4lbs) and portable thanks to an extra cable and a convertor box to keep it small and lightweight. It’s half the price of the other Cintiq models. However, due to its small size, you may want to add this to a multi-monitor set-up. If you are a very serious artist or technical designer, it is recommended that you save for the next model up.
• Cintiq 20WSX (1680×1050 native res.) is every professional’s dream. This 20 lb unit is the preferred choice by many due to its price and size. Less costly than its larger brother, it basically offers the same features.
• Cintiq 21UX (1600×1200 native res.) is the top of the line for pixel perfect results. Weighing in at 22.4 lbs, it’s the only Cintiq with an aspect ratio of 4:3 (standard resolution). All the others have 16:10. See it in action by going to YouTube.com and searching for Cintiq … it is absolutely incredible !
When trying to choose between all of these great Wacom contenders, wallet and desk size will always be an issue. Everyday users for home and basic office duties will delight in Bamboo, Bamboo Fun and Intuos3 4×6. Professionals at home or at the office in all fields will require and thoroughly enjoy Intuos3 6×8 and up. (Academic specials for students and schools do exist for the Bamboo and the Intuos3.) Serious illustrators, educators, technical designers and artists demanding elaborate detail and high pixel perfection will absolutely love the freedom, comfort, efficiency and convenience of drawing directly on the screen … and for many users - that is priceless.
People are more likely to buy your product or service if you make their decision as easy as possible
Based on the techniques of hypnosis and Neuro-linguistic Programming, you want them to picture in their mind what it will be like in the future after they have bought it.
It may be difficult for them to do that if there is too much risk involved so your marketing task is to remov the risk.
The way you do that is through some sort of guarantee.
Most potential buyers will be a bit skeptical of buying whatever you sell and a guarantee removes a significant part of their risk.
People want to know that you will “put your money where your mouth is.” If you have confidence in your own product or service, this will help your customers feel at ease, leading to more sales.
For this reason, the concept of “risk reversal” is crucial.
If you can’t stand behind your offer with a guarantee of some sort, people are likely to purchase from someone who does. So make sure you don’t help the competition by missing out this part of your offer.
Some people are too scared to offer a guarantee as they worry that people will take them up on it.
The reality is that some will but, provided you deliver good quality and don’t make unjustified claims, you will win more business by having the guarantee than you will lose in this way.
Here are 7 ways you can get the best results from your guarantee.
1. Promote the value of your guarantee: Specify the details as though it is another product that adds value to your offer. Spell it out in plain, simple English. Make sure it is “no questions asked” to help put your customers at ease.
2. Make it personal, if possible: It’s useful to help people see that there is a person behind the guarantee. So consider making it a “personal pledge” or a “personal promise” written to the buyer.
3. Longer is better: The longer the guarantee period, the more comfortable the buyer will feel - and longer guarantees typically lead to fewer refunds. In the extreme version, people only pay after they have tried it out to their satisfaction.
4. More is better: A guarantee that offers ‘more than your money back’ is very appealing. Let your customers keep something even if they decide to return the product. This helps them see the purchase from you as totally risk-free - because you’re the one with all the risk.
5. Be creative: Think about what the customer really wants and consider offering guaranteed results rather than offering money-back. For example, a computer repair shop that will fix your machine even if it takes 5 trips back to the shop will really stand out from the crowd. No “or your money back” needed!
6. Make it prompt: When a customer asks for a refund, make sure it is prompt and courteous. Consider them a priority as it’s better to refund the money than to have an unsatisfied customer.
7. Work on reducing refunds: Whatever you do, there are always likely to be some people who will ask for refunds. It is a simple fact that customers change their minds or were just looking for something else. Take the chance to get some feedback and see if you need to make changes.
A good guarantee can provide a high level of comfort to your prospective customer that will make it easier for them to see the potential of working with you. So it’s well worth making it part of your marketing package.
hroughout the course of our business, we have the opportunity to attend many car shows to demonstrate and market our products. The shows that we go to might be a casual cruise-in, a local or a national meet. Regardless of the type of show - there is always one thing that stands out – a nicely detailed car!
Your ride might be a “driver”, a concourse-quality “trailer-queen” or even a racecar. No matter what you drive, there is no doubt that a detailed car that “pops” grabs your attention. And who doesn’t like to drive a nicely detailed car? And if you are a gear-head like me, yes I have a great job!
Some of these shows are meant to be just “fun”, while others are highly competitive. For example at the Mid America Truck show they have a show and shine. All of these “Big Rigs” are working trucks. The judges actually use white gloves! These guys even wax the inside of the frame rails – and detail the tires inside the tread. I couldn’t fathom such detail until I attended the event last year with our Canadian distributor Stephane Gauthier who is well known in the Big Rig Show and Shine circuit. They start detailing their rigs the week before the show.
Assuming that you don’t have a week to dedicate to detailing and staging a car at a show and the judges aren’t using white gloves, I will attempt to share with you tips and techniques for prepping your ride on site at the show. Now, your car might never see water and be towed to the event in an enclosed trailer, or it might be a cruiser and you drive it – the process is about the same - and can look equally nice – it’s all in the details!
Let’s assume that we are starting with a fairly clean surface - there is no sense in putting wax and dressings on dirty, soiled or otherwise contaminated surfaces.
Start with the exterior. Think of detailing your vehicle like painting a room – always start from the top down. The reason for that is if there is any overspray from wax or dressings, you can catch them as you work your way down the surfaces of the vehicle.
If you have a convertible or vinyl top, it’s time to dress it! Let’s talk a little about dressings here. For the most part, there are basically two kinds of dressings for vinyl, rubber and plastic – they all are either water based or solvent based. You will want to use solvent based dressings for the exterior of your ride – solvent based dressings won’t wash right off and fall apart like water-based dressings will, and in my opinion give a richer, deeper luster. As well, a solvent based dressing, like our Super Blue will do a better job for conditioning and UV protection.
I always suggest dedicating an applicator to your solvent-based dressing. The reason for this is that you want to do this as efficiently as possible and minimize any clean up of overspray. Start with spraying small amount of dressing on the applicator and wipe the entire top from front to back. Now – this is where some people stop and they get streaky-looking results. To eliminate this – repeat the process going from side to side, front to back. This crisscross technique ensures even coverage and eliminates any chance of getting those dreaded streaks when it dries.
If you don’t have a convertible or vinyl top, start with a quick detailer / spray wax and a clean microfiber towel on the roof surface.
Before you begin, let’s talk a little bit about your quick detailer /spray wax and microfiber towel. To get optimum results, you will want to use a quick detailer / spray wax that will not streak. Some will, given the humidity and temperature when they are applied – the bottom line is you want to enhance the appearance of your ride – not add smears or streaks. Also look for a quick detailer / spray wax that contains a small amount of carnauba – as an added benefit you will also be extending the protection of any existing wax you have on your ride. We also recommend using a clean microfiber towel dedicated to this purpose.
When using your quick detailer / spray wax – a little goes a long way. Just spritz the product lightly. Other than adding more protection and “pop” to your surface, it will also serve as a lubricant helping to safely float off dust and grime. Our natural tendency is if this much is good, more is better, right? Just like me with laundry detergent – wrong! All you end up doing is wasting product and making a mess.
The reason that we recommend a microfiber is that if used correctly, it will not scratch the surface of your ride. Don’t treat the microfiber towel like sandpaper – wipe gently, turning the towel over frequently - let the towel do the work. You won’t be adding any more shine or luster my rubbing hard, and even a microfiber can scratch your paint if you rub hard enough. Just by turning the towel over frequently and wiping off any excess it will easily collect any dust, road grime or bug splatters. I usually concentrate on a concentrate on a 2-foot by 2-foot area at a time – the old cliché applies here – inch-by-inch life’s a cinch! Do your entire surface of the roof.
Next, let’s move down to the glass with your quick detailer / spray wax. Now, some of these products don’t work well on glass, but the good ones will, like our Body Shine Showroom Spray Wax. Spritz a little on the glass surfaces, then wipe with a microfiber towel. The microfiber will make it a snap to clean up any contaminants like bug splatter if you drove to the show, and they are highly absorbent to suck up any excess detail spray. Your quick detailer / spray wax will make your windows “pop”!
Now is the time to start with the front part of your ride. Start at the hood and continue to work your way down. After the hood is wiped off, I move to the front of the vehicle. Repeat the same process, paying particular attention to the nooks and crannies of the grill and other trim of the car, including the headlights and grill.
Staying with the front part of your ride, I then start on the front fenders. Repeat the same process. Don’t worry about any vinyl, rubber or plastic trim; I usually save that for last. Ensure that you hit the chrome with your quick detail / spray wax as well as any painted surfaces. At this point – take a step back, check it out and admire your work – things are starting to come together after only a few minutes!
Next, move to the back of the vehicle. Start on another big surface - the trunk lid. After the trunk is done – continue on to the rear of the vehicle, again doing all painted and chrome surfaces. Next, move on to the rear quarters. I usually then will do both doors and surfaces in between the front and back last.
Now is the time that you want to dress the rubber, plastic and vinyl trim on your ride. Again, I apply the product with an applicator instead of spraying it on – it saves clean up time. Don’t worry or fret if you get any of the dressing on the adjoining painted or chrome surface – just wipe it off with your microfiber towel!
After dressing the trim on the body of your ride, move to the wheel wells. Yes – the wheel wells. Use your dressing to spray under the wheel wells to get it to look like new. It will easily cover up any dust or dirt that you might have accumulated driving to the show or parking at the show and it will look like new! Next hit your tires. There is nothing better looking than fresh-dressed tires - remember - it is all about the details!
Again, I suggest dressing wiping the tires with an applicator for two reasons. First, you will minimize any clean up from overspray. Secondly, we all have personal preferences about shine and finish – wiping the product on will allow you to get the exact finish that you desire – the heavier that you apply it the shinier the surface.
As a last step, use your quick detailer / spray wax and microfiber towel on your rims/wheels. This last step allows you to wipe up any excess dressing off your wheels.
Take another break and step back and admire your work. Next – let’s look at the interior.
Start with cleaning the interior glass. If needed, use a streak free glass cleaner and a microfiber towel dedicated to cleaning glass. Remember to clean up any overspray on the dash and door panels. Using your microfiber towel, wipe any dust off the dashboard, rear deck lid and the rest of your interior trim.
After wiping the interior down, open the door and pay attention to the jambs. Using a quick detailer / spray wax, spritz the surfaces and collect any grime that might be present.
As a final touch, use an aerosol touch up dressing for hard to reach places, like our Dash Vent Magic to dress those hard to reach areas like the conduit that carries wiring for power windows and locks. It will make them look like new!
Open the hood and trunk and wipe down those compartments. Use your spray wax / quick detailer if needed. Pay attention to the seams where the hood and trunk meet the body – on both sides of the panels – remember - it’s all in the details!
Grab your lawn chair, get a cold beverage and admire your ride – and watch as everyone else does.
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