Pen pressure and tapering problems

Anonymous
2015-11-08T20:03:41+00:00

I love the new SP4 pen, but I've noticed the pen pressure is not consistent. The biggest problem is that paint brush strokes in Photoshop don't taper smoothly when drawing. I tired using the SP4 pen on my Surface Pro 3 and it doesn't have any problem. Here is a screen capture of what I'm talking about.

Since the pen isn't the problem I'm assuming it's a calibration issue with the Surface Pro 4. I downloaded new Wintab drivers to see if that would solve the problem (got the idea from this thread about pen problems).

It's not just Photoshop. The actual Surface pen pressure app has the same problem. It's harder to see because the brush strokes are thinner, but there is a much faster tapering happening than there is on the Surface Pro 3. Here is a screen cap:

Surface | Surface Pro | Performance and maintenance

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Anonymous
2016-07-15T19:53:13+00:00

Hey Everyone!

Thanks for all the feedback!

As some of you have already noticed, on July 14th, 2016, we released an update to the Surface Touch Driver that should significantly improve the pen tapering and pressure experience that this thread talks about.

For more information on the 7/14 update, you can go here.

If you experience any difficulty downloading or installing updates, please check the Troubles installing Surface and Windows updates article for assistance.

Thanks!

Zachary

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-12-19T18:29:42+00:00

    I am kind of sad... in a month I've used my Surface Pro only 4/5 hours in the weekends, just trying to iron issues of any kind.

    Pen drivers and lack of options, activation force, lack of on-screen keyboard (and lack of good alternative solutions) made me decide to return the product.

    I wish Microsoft to do better next time,

    MB

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-12-18T23:04:02+00:00

    It can't be the tablet the pen have presure sensivity not the tablet so scince sp4 pen work on sp3 and sp3 pen have this problem on sp4 it is 100% software

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-12-18T16:22:16+00:00

    I am not convinced it is just a software problem. The SP4 pen works fine on a SP3. So it is either software or the tablet itself. Since the update hasn't happened yet maybe it is a bigger hardware problem. For artists this problem is a deal breaker. So close to being a superior product! Maybe Microsoft doesn't recognize the importance of this issue.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-12-18T14:03:24+00:00

    I got my surface yesterday, and i instantly noticed something was off

    I have the exact same issue as Mario Baldi, in that i need to press way too hard for pen registration, this is not only apparent in drawing but also in navigating im constantly missing presses for closing, moving, etc..  this is because you can clearly feel the pen touching but nothing happens or there is some random luck in pen-activation

    my guess is , the calibration, does nothing to adjust  as it only regulate inbetweens pressure not startlevel, but having 1024 pressure levels does nothing if it only activates when you are at pressure level 128 (for example)

    I did my art test on surface pro 3, and i was satisfied with the result, so i believed the pro4 would only be better , im very dissapointed 

    Like many other artists, this device is only worth it if i can draw at an acceptable level, i dreamed of doodling away at some random place, instead im checking my pen tip every ten seconds, so right now i feel depressed, and i feel like i have bought a tablet that is too heavy, a laptop thats too small and a drawingtablet only kids will like 

    maybe im too harsh but i wouldn't have write such a message if i had seen some more reaction from microsoft in dealing with it, but from this tread i see it wont be fixed and rest asure i will not wait for them to fix it, premium prices comes with premium responsibilities, and i expected top quality

    so my only action is to return the product on monday as there is no way of knowing how this will evolve, is it the pen? the tech? software? ...

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