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Participating Frequently
August 20, 2020

P: Pen Tablet & Windows Ink

  • August 20, 2020
  • 104 replies
  • 7168 views

Hello everybody.

With the latest Photoshop update (21.2.2), the fix we had  to get the pressure sensitivity back with the PSUserConfig.txt fix is no longer working.

This fix was necessary to work properly with a Pen Stylus on Windows, without using the Windows Ink features.

We are used to turn of  Windows Ink systematicaly when using a Pen Tablet because it causes a lot of issues. (Wacom and other brands)

 

Why Windows Ink is not suitable 

Windows Ink ON :

 

1-There is a 1 second delay with every new clic and drag before the cursor catches up with the stylus. It happens when dragging a window, using a slider to adjust a value (in photoshop or any other app), resizing a layer, and even when drawing. So the begining of each new stroke will freeze for 1 sec before catching up to the movement of the stylus. You can imagine the hell it can be when hatching, or doing fast repetitive movements/adjustements.

 

2-Certain applications, like Chrome for exemple, don't respond to the stylus for certain things. You can't move the chrome window around at all when windows ink is enabled. You can't drag and drop email in your inbox from one tab to another, some clics and double clics aren't registered at all ...etc.

 

3-Windows Pen & Stylus fonctionnalites are working against a fluid use of a Stylus. Especially the infamous "Press and hold" setting, that needs to be disabled systematically if you don't want this "mouse freezing blue circle of death" to appear each time you stop moving your hand for more than half of a second. (I suspect this functionnality to be responsible for the lag before each new stroke, even when you have it turned off)

 

4-Just while typing this post, I've discoverd a new issue. With Windows Ink enabled, it is impossible to select text by dragging over it with the stylus. I had to drop it and use my mouse each time I wanted to edit a sentence.

 

 Windows Ink OFF:

 

1-Everything works perfectly.

2-Pressure sensitivity in Photoshop is gone, and need to be reactivated with PSUserConfig.

 

These are all the reasons (I can think of right now) why we have no choice but to disable Windows Ink, and use the WinTab alternative to get the pressure sensitivity back in Photoshop.

 

I hope you now understand why enabling Windows Ink is not a solution.

We had a solution, please do not take it away from us.

I'm assuming that everyone would love to use regular settings, and not to have to tamper with this kind of work around, but unfortunatly that is not possible.

 

Again, using WinTab is not a choice, it is essential for any serious workflow.

 

I'm currently paying for the full Adobe suite, and not being able to work properly is a big issue right now. Not knowing when this will be resolved is very worrisome.

 

PS: "Windows Ink" or "Pen and Touch" drivers on Windows, are currently pushing for touch and tablet functionnalities. These are cumbersome and unfit for any professional Stylus use.

104 replies

skimpaint
Participating Frequently
August 22, 2020
With windows ink the cursor stays clicked in place often, and you can't use mouse when this happens.

Sometimes photoshop windows (ie - layers, history,  extensions like coolorus wont respond to clicks forcing you to restart).

I don't know why you guys would push out an update removing a solution to all these issues without extensively testing.
August 21, 2020
I agree with author of this topic!
Btw I stopped updating photoshop since 20.0.9 release and everything works fine. I'd like to update but unfortunately recent year or longer updates make more problems than advantages =(
Inspiring
August 21, 2020
Now I restarted Photoshop and sensitivity is gone. 😞
Well, I think, I have to return to the previous version of the program... 
Participating Frequently
August 21, 2020
Probably because your Wacom driver is now using the Windows Ink functionnalty.
And it is not a good news.
Inspiring
August 21, 2020
I have deleted PSConfig file and sensitivity of my Wacom pen came back. What's the magic?
Inspiring
August 21, 2020
Same problems here with windows ink and the last update Photoshop (21.2.2). Dual brush option is not working properly as before.
I cannot work correctly with photoshop right now and need to roll back to photoshop 21.2.1
Gixxxa75
Inspiring
August 21, 2020
I'm getting this as well, finding the whole Wacom , Adobe and Windows tedious repetitive  mess with this issues to be rather tiresome. One of them is going to have to go from my workflow.
Participant
August 21, 2020
Reporting the same issue here after Photoshop update (21.2.2), Windows 10 and Wacom Intuos Pro. When using the clone stamp tool the source point cross hair is frozen, and the healing brush tool lags. This "professional" software is unusable for my work now and hours wasted trying to fix it. Ridiculous situation.  Will try reverting to the previous version and again use the PSUserConfig work around.

Inspiring
August 21, 2020
I have tried to turn on windows ink to fix the pressure issue and it didn't work either. My version of adobe photoshop is now pretty much unusable and is the primary art program I use for all my digital drawing. With the only known fix to this problem now rendered useless what am I suppose to do now?
Inspiring
August 21, 2020
All the same issues here. Reverted to 21.2.1. Also noticed with ink enabled, the clone stamp tool behaves strangely. The 'source' cross-hairs freeze on every stroke.