Designer: PenTips Available in black and white variants, the PenPad connects via Bluetooth to your iPad and automatically starts working with the Procreate app right out of the box. The 22 hollow buttons on the PenPad are arranged in a way that makes them easy to use, and pressing the buttons allows you to actively perform tasks such as viewing your layers, switching between the selection tool, cut, copy, paste tools, etc. The buttons work rather seamlessly, almost like a wireless keyboard would, resulting in faster workflows because your mind is focused on creating rather than navigating the user interface. What the PenPad really does is reduce the time it takes for your eyes to wander and your hand to follow through the Procreate UI. Over 90% of the Procreate screen is the drawing canvas, which means that the other elements (buttons, menus, etc.) are laid out in a way that gives the canvas the primary importance. Drawing on the canvas is easy, but using other features involves moving your focus off the canvas to locate the appropriate toolbar, dropdown, etc. It takes a second, sometimes up to 10 seconds, but it all adds up pretty quickly when you’re working with large files and multiple layers. To avoid this, PenPad simply puts common functions under your fingertips. This way, your dominant hand can sketch on the screen while your non-dominant hand rests on the PenPad, away from the touchscreen. Once your fingers get the hang of the PenPad layout, it becomes even more intuitive and fast! The tiny wireless device comes in a shape that looks rather like a calculator. It’s relatively flat, barring a bump on the top that makes the PenPad rest on angled surfaces – a feature that really helps make it more ergonomic. The accessory is still pretty flat and goes right into the backpack, into your tablet/laptop sleeve when not in use. PenPad works seamlessly with iPads running iPadOS 14.4 and above, although there are a few shortcomings. For starters, it doesn’t work with any other design apps – so you’re really limited to Procreate. It doesn’t work with Android tablets either, since Procreate isn’t available for the OS. The buttons are also not reprogrammable, so you can’t map them to work in other software for the iPad or even the laptop. It is strictly limited to one application for one class of devices. Another user also pointed out that the PenPad lacks the three most popular actions performed during digital sketching – pan, rotate and zoom. To be able to perform them, you have to take your hand off the PenPad and pinch, tap, drag on the iPad’s touchscreen. That doesn’t take away from the fact that PenPad still speeds up your workflow. It’s pretty essential for most digital artists who use the software for work (or even for fun). The PenPad has a built-in 100mAh battery that gives it a 5-day battery life, but unfortunately, it charges via MicroUSB (as opposed to USB-C charging on the iPad Pro), so unfortunately you’ll need to carry an extra cable with you where even if you go
