New computer and pen, no pressure sensitivity only in Photoshop

Question

I have a new computer that is an ASUS Creative laptop with Windows 11. I cannot do anything in Photoshop upon installing the latest version of it from the Creative Cloud app. Brush strokes, shapes, fills, etc, do not ever appear. The Selection Tool does though. The artwork does appear in Animate though, which makes me believe it’s a problem with Photoshop itself. My pen is a third-party one from Amazon that doesn’t come with a driver or Bluetooth, so I cannot be paired with the computer, even though as I said it works in Animate, as well as other apps like ToonBoom and Clip Studio.  Any ideas?

Trevor.Dennis · Accepted Answer

​@Andrew25975781e791I am sorry, but theBopomofo stylus ispassive, and Photoshop pen pressure needs active stylus like Wacom and Huion.This was taken from Google’s Ai overview:Based on the provided search results, the Bopomofo stylus is apassive, 2-in-1 capacitive stylusfeaturing a fiber tip and a transparent disc tip. It is designed for high precision and sensitivity on touchscreens (iPad, iPhone, Android).Amazon.com+2Crucially, because the Bopomofo stylus is a capacitive, non-active, and battery-free stylus, it does not support native, hardware-level pen pressure (like Wacom, Apple Pencil, or Huion active pens) in Adobe Photoshop.Understanding Bopomofo "Sensitivity" vs. Photoshop "Pressure"Bopomofo Stylus (Passive):Advertised as having "high sensitivity," this refers to the precision and responsiveness of the disk tip compared to a finger, not the ability to detect varying levels of pressure.Photoshop Pressure (Active):Photoshop's "Pen Pressure" feature requires active stylus technology that sends data to the tablet driver to calculate line thickness or opacity.Amazon.com+4If You Are Trying to Get Pressure to WorkBecause this is a passive stylus, you will not get true, varying pressure. However, to ensure it works as well as possible, ensure your setup is correct:Check Screen Sensitivity:Ensure your tablet or smartphone screen is clean and not using a very thick screen protector.Use Stylus with Apps:This stylus is best used on applications that recognize passive stylus input rather than needing active pressure drivers.Photoshop Settings (If it's not working at all):Ensure "Shape Dynamics" is checked in theBrush Settingspanel.Set the Control to "Pen Pressure" (though it may default to on/off rather than variable pressure).Parblo+4If you require true pressure sensitivity for professional editing, an active stylus (e.g., Apple Pencil, Microsoft Pen, Wacom) is required rather than a passive, disc-tip stylus.Amazon.com+3

Andrew25975781e791 · Answer

I have an ASUS Zenbook 14 (UX3405CA) with Windows 11, and Photoshop cannot trace anything I use with a pen on the screen. I CAN do things in Photoshop if I use the laptop’s touchpad, but that’s cumbersome, and there’s no line width. In fact, this is the same case for any program I try to draw it. While the other programs accept my pen strokes, they also do not show any line width. Photoshop is the only program I have that doesn’t allow me to do anything that involves dragging my pen on the screen.

Will a Wacom Intuos pad attached via USB cord solve the line width problem? So I can draw on that pad instead?

Will ANY pen solve this? Or am I just screwed unless I get another computer?

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