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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > iPhone, iPad & iPod > How to use Paper on iPad

How to use Paper on iPad
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HamSandwich
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Nov 19, 2015, 06:23 PM
 
Hey,

I'm looking a bit into using Paper on iPad. What does it produce, really, jpegs, tiffs, pdfs? How big are there? Is this vectorized? If I should guess, it is a tiff just as big as the screen of the iPad, in dimensions, no vectors, no bigger than that.

Are there other drawing apps that are really good? Can you draw like in Illustrator? Can you output, say, a very big book in good quality?

Greetings,
PeterParker
     
Thorzdad
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Nov 20, 2015, 07:41 PM
 
Paper outputs PNGs with transparency. It's raster, not vector. The output is reasonably large. On a retina iPad, the output is about 2048 x 1536 pixels. I've been using Paper for awhile now and like it (though 53 have made some UI missteps in their last couple of updates that have taken the shine off the fun)

There's also Tayasui Sketches+. It's like Paper, but does things a little differently, plus it has layers, which is really nice.
     
HamSandwich
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Nov 21, 2015, 04:53 PM
 
Can you draw? Is that fun, drawing on iPad? It was always heavily advertised to do so, but I don't know... My mum can draw for real, really well, like a Goddess :-) Ever since she was a kid, and I wonder what the experience on an iPad, maybe an iPad Pro, would be like.

I really don't know what or who they are aiming at, sometimes. To draw is something not so digital, usually, I thought, you really have a relation to your pen and paper, like in painting, and you need a really big canvas. But I know, on the other hand, digital illustration has been around for a LONG time, so...

Dunno...
PeterParker
     
Thorzdad
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Nov 22, 2015, 09:11 AM
 
Yes, I can draw. You can draw with Paper using your fingers or you can purchase 53's digital pen (called Pencil) That's the best way to go, IMHO. I purchased their Pencil and it makes a huge difference. It's a nice piece of hardware with good heft that feels good in your hand. Not at all light and flimsy.

Yeah, it's fun, in its own way. It's not going to be like sitting down at a fresh piece of paper, but it's not at all a soul-less process, either. You have to get used to the relatively restricted size of the screen, and the way the particular tools work, but there's fun to be had. It's just a different medium. Using Paper on an iPad is more like drawing in a sketchbook.
     
HamSandwich
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Nov 22, 2015, 05:38 PM
 
Neat, not bad....

I'm rather impressed. I think this is what I wanted to know, really, where things are heading. So, is this really being used professionally? You did use a Wacom tablet or so for many things many years ago, and I suppose you still do. I never knew how good people were at such things. Are there other apps? Does it make sense to have an app that can handle vectors? Can you really draw with your finger... This was a bit weird, but apparently, people do anything with their fingers on iPads, but for drawing it is strange.

Thoughts...
( Last edited by HamSandwich; Nov 23, 2015 at 09:10 AM. )
     
OreoCookie
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Nov 23, 2015, 09:05 PM
 
My wife (a graphic designer and manga artist) and I tried the iPad Pro in the Apple Store yesterday. We both were blown away by how good the pencil is. I can literally write with the Apple Pencil as if it were a pencil on paper. My wife drew up something rather quickly, and she said that on a scale of 1 to 10, it's an 11. I tried a few styli for the iPads, and they are of a different universe.

She is using my 2010 15" MacBook Pro, so she is due for an upgrade. Her Wacom broke just recently after serving her faithfully for ~15 years, and we looked into getting a new one. She also had a look at the Surface Pro 3 and 4 (which she could also get if she wanted to). She isn't even remotely interested in them (I specifically asked her, if she didn't want to get one). A Cintique is more expensive than an iPad Pro (some come with a built-in computer), and since the apps are not optimized for touch, the experience is so-so.
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SierraDragon
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Nov 25, 2015, 11:29 AM
 
Originally Posted by OreoCookie View Post
We both were blown away by how good the pencil is. I can literally write with the Apple Pencil as if it were a pencil on paper.
I really could use that capability implemented well but found the original iPad (same ~1.5 pound weight as the Pro) too heavy for walkaround tablet usage. I now have a 1-pound iPad Air and the weight is fine. I will try to get my iPad Air (v1) into an Apple Store and try the Pencil on it.

Has anyone tried the Apple Pencil with an iPad Air? If so, does it work reasonably well or does the Pencil really need the Pro's 2015 hardware?

TIA

-Allen
     
OreoCookie
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Nov 25, 2015, 08:59 PM
 
Originally Posted by SierraDragon View Post
I really could use that capability implemented well but found the original iPad (same ~1.5 pound weight as the Pro) too heavy for walkaround tablet usage.
It is clear to me that the iPad Pro is clearly meant to be used at a desk, similar to a 17" MacBook Pro. I have tried out iPads since it first came out, but the iPad Pro was the first with which I spontaneously fell in love with. Using iOS 9 on it felt like using OS X DP3 to me: I was wowed. It's the first iPad that I really, really want, and where I am willing to accept compromises.
Originally Posted by SierraDragon View Post
Has anyone tried the Apple Pencil with an iPad Air? If so, does it work reasonably well or does the Pencil really need the Pro's 2015 hardware?
That won't work: the Pencil needs the new iPad Pro's touch sensors to function. I expect, though, that Apple will release new models of its smaller iPads which include the new touch screens. It'll be worth the wait.
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HamSandwich
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Dec 10, 2015, 11:42 AM
 
So, after all, is there a clear way to output vector from the iPad after you have drawn on it? Maybe with the new Adobe apps?
     
Thorzdad
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Dec 10, 2015, 12:03 PM
 
Yes, the iOS version of Illustrator outputs vector files. But, I believe you need to be on Adobe's Creative Cloud to do anything with them outside of iOS. And, I also believe any files made in the iOS app are only compatible with whatever the latest version of Illustrator CC is. I'm not near my iPad to double-check this.

I make most of my living using Illustrator, but I also opted not to jump on the CC leasing gravy train, so I'm a version or two behind the CC version of Illustrator. I recall looking at the iOS app Adobe just put out and coming to the conclusion that I wouldn't be able to get the files to work with my version of Illustrator. If I'm wrong about that, I'd love to be corrected.
     
HamSandwich
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Dec 10, 2015, 01:38 PM
 
That's so cool you can output vector files. Sounds hard, though...
     
Thorzdad
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Dec 10, 2015, 01:53 PM
 
No, not hard. Just a restricted path.
     
OreoCookie
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Dec 10, 2015, 09:09 PM
 
Originally Posted by PeterParker View Post
That's so cool you can output vector files. Sounds hard, though...
Whether you get a vector- or a pixel-based file format depends on the app, though.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
     
   
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