Is it just me or are the buttons on the Intuos 5 really hard to press?

**Rhdnor** · June 5th, 2012, 11:28 PM

I adjusted the settings to my convenience, Eyedropper tool and Brush tool being used maximum, but wherever I put them it takes twice as long to switch between them as it does on the computer keypad, has anyone noticed that they're a bit hard to press?

**ikken** · June 6th, 2012, 06:03 AM

yeah, many others have noticed it too, the center wheel button is the worst one.

**Rhdnor** · June 6th, 2012, 07:32 AM

Ok thank goodness I thought I'd got a fake one or something. Now I don't get the point of the buttons if I'm right back to tapping my keyboard. How terribly annoying!!!!!!!

**ikken** · June 6th, 2012, 08:38 AM

I'm not sure why they made intuos 4 and 5 buttons progressively stiffier.
maybe it's the rubber coating making the difference (like they have to compensate constant rubber pressure with harder to press buttons?), and maybe they will eventually get smoother working, but right now I don't even use mine (and disabled touch-wheel as well)

**Arshes Nei** · June 6th, 2012, 09:23 AM

I dunno if they're really hard to press vs take too long to respond.

When I press on them they feel no harder than pressing on a keyboard or the home button on an ipod/ipad.

They are lagged, though maybe people are pressing harder because they don't feel the keys are responding? I know the capacitive rubber touch is part of the reason the center button on the ring is rather unusable. If any part of your finger is covering the ring itself - when you're pressing the center button it doesn't respond.

**philofmars** · June 6th, 2012, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by Arshes Nei

If any part of your finger is covering the ring itself - when you're pressing the center button it doesn't respond.

I found this to be true. I also have to move off them, then back on sometimes to get them to work. (I tend to rest my thumb near or on the undo button).
But I don't think they're "hard" to push. Maybe because I have mighty playstation "button masher" paws...

Also, the thing really smelled funky for a few days after unboxing.
LOL!

**ikken** · June 6th, 2012, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by Arshes Nei

They are lagged, though maybe people are pressing harder because they don't feel the keys are responding? I know the capacitive rubber touch is part of the reason the center button on the ring is rather unusable. If any part of your finger is covering the ring itself - when you're pressing the center button it doesn't respond.

I haven't noticed the lag, but they are actually quite hard to press, see this post @ painterfactory
http://painterfactory.com/forums/p/4...504.aspx#20504

my fingertips literally hurt after trying to use them continuously for a day or so. never again tbh.

**Arshes Nei** · June 6th, 2012, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by ikken

I haven't noticed the lag, but they are actually quite hard to press, see this post @ painterfactory
http://painterfactory.com/forums/p/4...504.aspx#20504

my fingertips literally hurt after trying to use them continuously for a day or so. never again tbh.

I wonder if it's like certain lots that have that problem? I can feel the lag, but the button pressing didn't bother me -cept the center one which was garbage (because of the capacitive touch issue)

I think my intuos4 you have to press a bit harder, but the 5? eh... like I said closer to pressing on a keyboard or the iPad home button (and I think the home button is hard to press on those things despite the ergonomic indentation)

**Tephnos** · June 6th, 2012, 10:23 PM

In my experience, Intuos4 buttons are definitely easier to press down. It's a simple button, with no rubber coating trying to force your finger back.

Had no lag issues on the 5 myself, just the buttons being annoying to depress.

**Rhdnor** · June 7th, 2012, 12:20 AM

It's possible that there's a lag, they respond when I touch them lightly, but pressing down to get the tool on requires, it's just too much effort because my forearm gets tired after a couple of minutes of switching between (I) and (B) tool. I'm going to try and keep it up, may be I'll get used to it.

**ikken** · June 9th, 2012, 05:10 AM

Originally Posted by Arshes Nei

I wonder if it's like certain lots that have that problem? I can feel the lag, but the button pressing didn't bother me -cept the center one which was garbage (because of the capacitive touch issue)

I think my intuos4 you have to press a bit harder, but the 5? eh... like I said closer to pressing on a keyboard or the iPad home button (and I think the home button is hard to press on those things despite the ergonomic indentation)

I never owned i4 and can't be really sure right now,
but my i5 keys are way harder to press than keyboard ones, and quite harder than both ipads home and intuos 3 keys.
http://forum.wacom.eu/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9839 - there's another feedback thread here, and op also mentions hard to press buttons.
it's certainly possible that some units are more affected by this issue than others. (but anyway, I don't think I'm personally missing much without using them)

Originally Posted by Rhdnor

It's possible that there's a lag, they respond when I touch them lightly, but pressing down to get the tool on requires, it's just too much effort because my forearm gets tired after a couple of minutes of switching between (I) and (B) tool. I'm going to try and keep it up, may be I'll get used to it.

I for eye-dropper tool? most painting apps have it mapped to alt+ mouse click combo, so you don't have to switch from the brush tool during painting.
I have alt set up for right-click button on the stilus (it's the bottom one), works good.

**Arshes Nei** · June 9th, 2012, 11:08 AM

Well I still have the 3, and 4 so did a press test.

The intuos 3 is easier to press, but it's still obnoxious if you aren't using the touch strips instead for the [ and ] keys for brush sizing in PS. Mainly because Wacom stopped allowing a continuous press for these keys, so you have to button mash. Since there are only 2 touch strips and awkwardly placed due to handedness,

Intuos 4 uses the same amount of pressure to press as the 3 but the buttons are so small and sometimes at a weird incline it makes it harder to press at times. However, the touch ring is wonderful, and that's actually where I put things like the Brush Sizing bracket keys [ and ] and you can adjust the speed of the ring, and things like Undo Redo. - you can have up to 4 settings.

Now the intuos 5, ok it is harder to press comparatively but it still doesn't feel that hard. The only trouble is the touch ring because that's where I still keep the shortcut arrangement similar to my intuos 4 the ring itself works fine - in fact the wheel works better than the scroll wheel of your mouse when navigating the web. It's nice and fluid. However, the center button is a nuisance due to capacitive touch and any part of your finger touching the capacitive touch rubber becomes a problem. Especially if you're trying to switch the keys.

To give you an idea of how I work and maybe the arrangement may help people to have less "bothersome" button mashing...

Usually my rings are set up like so -

1st (Scroll/Zoom)
2nd (Rotation depending on app - sometimes rotate/brush OR Undo/Redo)
3rd (Undo Redo OR Rotation)
4th (usually a repeat of Rotation or Undo Redo depending on setup of the 2nd and 3rd slots)

Since the Intuos 5 has Display Toggle on, I usually switch that command for Submenu (I use the medium for 1 monitor, Display toggle is more important for 2 monitors - and the large is what I use for Dual monitors due to screen real estate) I use the submenu for most of the Selection, Opening new documents and stuff like that. Less frequent but keys I still use more often. If it was large, I'd probably bump precision mode to the bottom set of keys, and swap it to the Submenu command. I really don't use precision mode a lot.

The information key, and Touch on and off I leave alone.

The bottom keys I do switch a bit cept for Pan/Scroll

The bottom keys are usually a horizontal flip somewhere - sometimes undo/redo again but in Painter, the top of the bottom keys is the Temporal Color Wheel - so handy.

My stylus is pretty much the eydropper front switch, ctrl+alt freeform brush resizing in apps that use it. I think the is exception of AZ Drawing (which is just used for inking and applying flats)

**necroidus** · January 26th, 2013, 04:25 AM

Not to bump an old thread, but I just got my Intuos 5 yesterday and I agree that the buttons are hard to press. Doable - but I always end up going back to my keyboard because it's so much easier.

Can any long time users comment on whether this problem eases out in time or if the stiffness is here to stay forever?