Skip to main content
P
philippev98610928
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

    Show previous replies
    K
    Kroute
    Participant
    August 25, 2020
    Yea I just went back on 2019 tbh... less bugs to deal with, works like a charm, like it's supposed to.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    August 25, 2020
    The dual brush resize bug is quite glaring.. good list. Like everyone I rolled back a version to get wintab working again.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    August 25, 2020
    Disabled Windows Ink, rollback from PS 21.2.2 to PS 21.2.1 (Windows 10 v.1809) and WinTab works perfect with config file
    Wazza999
    Wazza999
    Inspiring
    August 24, 2020
    This issue is just crazy. It has been consistently annoying users for many years now. It's just sad, having to pay for legal versions of Windows and Photoshop and not getting the user experience or functionality that you want and need.
    Renderluz
    Renderluz
    Participating Frequently
    August 24, 2020
    In Microsoft forums across the web this popup problem has threads as old as 2016 maybe older than than that, and they ignore those just like this thread gets ignored, it really boggles the mind as to why. I will revert the update, as I cant work like this, but I also wish to have the updates because Im paying for them... and also because they do add new useful things with them...at times... this is really strange... best of luck to you all.
    Renderluz
    Renderluz
    Participating Frequently
    August 24, 2020
    Adobe may also be a bit tied as to what they can do, after all the popups are related to how Windows controls the tablet, tho removing the usability of the PSuserconfig file is something that also makes no sense, is like they wish us to use Windows Ink come what may, I for one dont care what driver is controlling the pen, what I want is for the pen to work well, and to no have those pop ups appearing each time I click to sample a color when painting.
    Renderluz
    Renderluz
    Participating Frequently
    August 24, 2020
    Yeah, I have the same issues, its been like 6 or 7 years since this problem exists in Windows, I dont know why Microsoft does not add a toggle for the popups for alt shift and ctrl... the only reason I can think of is that the amount of people that use Wacom to draw must be so small in relation to the bulk of users that dont have this problem that they just dont care...and there's also the rest of the problems you described... its so odd that this has never been resolved properly in such kafkaesque amount of time.

    P
    philippev98610928Author
    Participating Frequently
    August 24, 2020
    [UPDATE] Other issues reported with Windows Ink enabled :
    (reported by other users on different topics with the same complaints)

    -Pen buttons not working as expected. right-click and double-click buttons don't work at all.

    -Scrubby zoom bug

    -Color wheel is sticky

    -Resizing of the brush lag when using the Alt+RMB. Plus rezise brush not working when moving the pen only a small amount. Can't be subtle.

    -Things like browser MMB scrolling with a Wacom pen doesn't work with Windows Ink enabled.

    -Annoying Win-popups (Shift / Alt / Ctrl) under the brush.

    -Dual brush resizing is broken

    -Sliders are lagging horribly in LrC, Camera Raw & Photoshop

    -Windows Ink randomly causes the brush tool to shoot off towards the top left of the screen while drawing.

    -Big lag when using the move tool.

    -Clone stamp tool and healing brush tool do not work correctly. The 'source' cross-hairs freeze on every stroke.

    -With Windows ink ON, you can forget about using extensions like Coolorus, Magigpicker, Brusherator etc. As soon as you click on an extension panel, the pressure sensitivity is gone again.

    -Sliders in the RAW converter can sometimes not be set

    -The on-screen keyboard is always opened when input is required
    K
    Kroute
    Participant
    August 24, 2020
    Yup.. I had to switch back to windows ink today because no pressure sensitivity whatsoever since the latest update was pushed.
    Everything is soooo laggy, and I now have the obnoxious shortcut pop-ups under my cursor every time I press Shift, Alt or Ctrl...
    Maybe I should just stop updating my Photoshop... it's always a sh*tfest for wacom users 😕😕

    Please let our PSUserConfig file be useful again, as it had been for more than 5 years now
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    August 23, 2020
    With Windows ink ON, you can forget about using extensions like Coolorus, Magigpicker, Brusherator etc. As soon as you click on an extension panel, the pressure sensitivity is gone again.
    Show more replies
    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices