Wacom Explained

Wacom Co., Ltd.
Type:Public (Kabushiki gaisha)
Native Name:株式会社ワコム
Native Name Lang:ja
Romanized Name:Kabushiki gaisha Wakomu
Founded: in Ageo, Saitama, Japan
Location City:Kazo, Saitama
Location Country:Japan
Area Served:Worldwide
Key People:Nobutaka (Nobu) Ide
(President & CEO)[1]
Revenue Year:2022
Income Year:2022
Net Income Year:2022
Assets Year:2022
Num Employees:1,069
Num Employees Year:2022
Industry:Computer input devices and software
Products:Bamboo, Intuos, Cintiq, MobileStudio Pro, PenPartner, Volito, Graphire
Footnotes:[2]

is a Japanese company headquartered in Kazo, Saitama, Japan, that specializes in manufacturing graphics tablets and related products.[3] As of 2012 Wacom generated sales of approximately 40.7 billion yen with 785 employees.[4] The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

History

The company was founded in 1983.[5] The name Wacom came from an abbreviated variation of World Computer (ワールドコンピュータ, wārudo konpyūtā), with the syllable "wa" (Japanese for harmony).

Wacom was the first company to make pens without a cord, which it introduced in 1991;[6] it released its first pen display the following year.[7] Its products were initially targeted at professional artists, but by the late 1990s it aimed to expand to home users as well.[8]

In 2001, the company partnered with Sony to introduce a Vaio laptop with built-in touch functionality.[9]

Products

Wacom produces two categories of graphics tablets: those with a screen ('pen display') and those without ('tablet'). In addition, the company provides software for computers and software to interpret pen data.[10] Some pens have an eraser on the rear end.[11]

Cintiq

Wacom's professional pen displays are under the Cintiq line.[12] They allow for drawing directly on the screen, like drawing on paper,[13] [14] and are more expensive than other Wacom products.[15] The Cintiq Companion is a portable variant of the Cintiq displays.

Intuos

Intuos graphics tablets do not have displays.[16] The first version was introduced in 1999, replacing the earlier ArtZ line.[17] It is available in an entry-level version and the more advanced Intuos Pro.[18] In 2018, The Verge called the entry-level models a "great introduction to digital art."[19]

One

The One series of products is targeted at beginners, and features versions both with and without screens.[20] [21] The One tablet, released at CES 2020, has a 13-inch, 1920x1080 display. The Verge labeled it as Wacom's "most affordable tablet to date," being priced at $400.[22]

Other products

Wacom also makes the MobileStudio, a pen display with an inbuilt computer.[16]

They have also made other lines of graphics tablets, such as the Bamboo and Graphire, which were both screenless.[23] In 2011, the company released a tablet-less pen, which allowed for drawing on any piece of paper, but was criticized for being inaccurate compared to a normal photo scan.[24] [25] In 2018, they partnered with Magic Leap to create collaborative mixed reality design tools at CES.[26]

Technology

The tablets use electromagnetic resonance (EMR) technology, a type of faint radio signal.[27] [28] Magnetic waves are emitted from the tablet, which are then transmitted to the pen and stored. When the pen is released, the waves are sent back to the tablet, which uses it to determine the pen's position;[9] [29] this avoids the usage of separate batteries in the pen. The pen also contains a movable tip, which allows determining the pressure applied to the tablet.[30] [31]

Criticism

Wacom has been criticized for their high cost of professional displays.[32] The company has also received criticism for collection of user data,[33] which Wacom says is "for quality assurance and development purposes," where the data is anonymized.[34]

In early 2024, the company was criticised by artists for using AI-generated images in its advertising material.[35] The company replied in a post on their blogs on January 9, stating that "using AI-Generated images in these assets was not" their intent.[36]

References

  1. Web site: Nobutaka (Nobu) Ide Assumes the Role of Representative Director, President and CEO, Wacom Co., Ltd. . Wacom . 20 May 2019 . Tokyo, Japan . en . 2 April 2018.
  2. Web site: Annual Report 2022 . Wacom . March 7, 2023.
  3. Web site: Wacom Investor Relations:Frequently asked questions. January 19, 2021. Wacom.com. January 27, 2020 .
  4. Web site: 2011-05-01 . Wacom - Investor Relations - FAQs - . 2023-11-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110501214330/http://www.wacom.jp/en/company/ir/faq/index.html . May 1, 2011 .
  5. December 2021 . India's 10 Most Influential Tech Leaders to Follow in 2022 . Tycoon Success . 16–17 . March 9, 2023.
  6. Yares . Evan . May 25, 1993 . Wacom SD-421E . . 12 . 10 . 294.
  7. News: Pogue . David . May 2, 2012 . The Joy of Drawing on Glass . . March 7, 2023 . 0362-4331.
  8. News: Brown . Craig . Pen strokes of genius . . 7 December 1997 . 51–52.
  9. News: Rogoway . Mike . Wacom pens a licensing deal with Sony . . 2 August 2001 . 33.
  10. News: Gebolys . Debbie . Graphics tablet gets smaller . The Columbian . 5 October 1994 . 9.
  11. Book: Mathews, Craig F. . Que . 2004 . 0-7686-6191-9 . Indianapolis, Ind. . 12, 66 . 57706162.
  12. News: Lee . Dami . January 8, 2019 . Wacom's $649 Cintiq 16 bridges the gap between hobbyists and pro creatives . . March 8, 2023.
  13. Book: Sholin, Marilyn . Lark Books . 2009 . 978-1-60059-101-3 . 1st . New York . 11–12 . 213301758.
  14. Book: Sammon, Rick . . 2007 . 978-0-393-32914-8 . New York . 196 . 71312817.
  15. Book: Streed, Michael W. . . 2017 . 978-0-12-805279-2 . London . 129–153 . 971035475.
  16. Web site: Stapley . Jon . The best Wacom tablets available . Creative Bloq . en . 23 November 2022.
  17. News: Ireton . Trevor . Artist's tools draw on wellspring of tradition . . 3 August 1999 . Sydney, Australia . 56.
  18. Web site: Aldred . John . DIYP reviews the Wacom Intuos - The ultimate editing travel companion for photographers . DIY Photography . 24 March 2024 . 7 September 2018.
  19. News: Lee . Dami . March 6, 2018 . Wacom's new Intuos tablets are perfect for the beginner doodler . . March 8, 2023.
  20. Web site: Harris . Mike . One by Wacom review . digitalcameraworld . en . 12 December 2023.
  21. Web site: Nicholls . Beth . The new Wacom One budget range continues an annoying tech trend . Creative Bloq . 23 March 2024 . en . 15 August 2023.
  22. News: Lee . Dami . January 7, 2020 . Wacom's $400 tablet is its most affordable yet, and adds Android compatibility . . March 8, 2023.
  23. Book: Milburn, Ken . . 2004 . 0-596-00547-4 . 1st . Sebastopol, Calif. . 22 . 54983155.
  24. News: Houston . Thomas . August 30, 2011 . Wacom Inkling system converts your ink drawings to digital scribbles . . March 8, 2023.
  25. News: Schulman . Jacob . November 28, 2011 . Wacom Inkling review . . March 8, 2023.
  26. News: Lee . Dami . January 17, 2019 . Wacom and Magic Leap are creating an optimistic vision of the future of productivity . . March 8, 2023.
  27. News: Austen . Ian . August 23, 2001 . NEWS WATCH: PERIPHERALS; For Artists and Photographers, Pen Is Mightier Than the Mouse . G3 . . March 7, 2023 . 0362-4331.
  28. News: Pollack . Andrew . March 17, 1991 . Technology; Positioning the Electronic Stylus . Section 3 p. 9 . . March 7, 2023 . 0362-4331.
  29. Web site: Wacom. EMR™ Pen Technology.
  30. News: Lewis . Peter H. . April 23, 1991 . PERSONAL COMPUTERS; Next Best to a Brush . C10 . . March 7, 2023 . 0362-4331.
  31. News: Lewis . Peter H. . July 25, 1995 . PERSONAL COMPUTERS; Electronic Pen With Its Own Eraser . C8 . . March 7, 2023 . 0362-4331.
  32. News: Weatherbed . Jess . September 28, 2022 . The Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 introduces slim bezels and a customizable pen . . March 8, 2023.
  33. News: Lee . Dami . February 6, 2020 . Wacom tablets are sharing your app usage with Google Analytics . . March 8, 2023.
  34. News: Lee . Dami . February 7, 2020 . Wacom says it's not spying on its customers, and users can opt out of data collection . . March 8, 2023.
  35. https://boingboing.net/2024/01/10/artists-upset-after-wacom-uses-ai-art-to-market-artist-gear.html
  36. Web site: A Response to Community Questions Concerning Wacom Using AI-generated Art in US Marketing Assets - Wacom Blog . January 9, 2024 .

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