Windows Ink — two tablet input APIs on Windows
Windows has two APIs for pen tablets: WinTab (older, industry standard since the 1990s) and Windows Ink (Microsoft's newer API, introduced with Windows 8). Wacom supports both — you choose which one to use in Wacom Tablet Properties.
| Feature | Windows Ink | WinTab (off) |
|---|---|---|
| Photoshop CC 2019+ | Required | No pressure |
| Krita | Problems | Best |
| Clip Studio Paint | Configurable | Configurable |
| Blender | Issues | Works |
| Affinity Photo/Designer | Works | Works |
| Older apps (pre-2018) | May not work | Works |
How to enable or disable Windows Ink
- 1
Open Wacom Tablet Properties
Right-click the Wacom icon in the system tray → Wacom Tablet Properties.
- 2
Click the Pen tab
Select the Pen tab at the top of the Wacom Tablet Properties window.
- 3
Check or uncheck "Use Windows Ink"
The checkbox is at the bottom of the Pen tab. Check it to enable Windows Ink, uncheck to use WinTab (legacy) mode.
- 4
Restart your app
Close and reopen your drawing application. The change does not take effect in a running application.
Windows Ink settings by application
Photoshop CC 2019+ — enable Windows Ink
Adobe switched Photoshop to Windows Ink API in 2019. Steps:
- Enable Windows Ink in Wacom Tablet Properties (see above)
- In Photoshop: Edit → Preferences → Performance → Advanced Settings → Drawing Mode: Basic
- Restart Photoshop
Krita — disable Windows Ink
Krita works better with WinTab (Windows Ink OFF). Steps:
- Disable Windows Ink in Wacom Tablet Properties
- In Krita: Settings → Configure Krita → Tablet Settings → select WinTab
- Restart Krita
Clip Studio Paint — configure in app
Clip Studio Paint has its own tablet API setting. Go to: File → Preferences → Tablet → select Wintab or Windows Ink to match your Wacom setting. Restart CSP after changing.
Blender — disable Windows Ink
Blender uses WinTab by default and can have issues with Windows Ink. Disable Windows Ink in Wacom Tablet Properties. In Blender: Edit → Preferences → Input → Tablet API: set to WinTab.