Adobe: Ink and Slide

Primarily known as a software giant, Adobe for the first time in their history recently released hardware products in the form of Ink & Slide. Usually known for their famous softwares namely, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flashplayer not to mention one of the most widely used softwares in the designing world: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe released Ink & Slide in a bid to revolutionize digital designing.

These tools are perform brilliantly while drawing sketches, layouts & are complimented with a variety of apps, which enrich user experience as well. Also available to customers is the Adobe Creative Cloud, which allows users to store their designs, preferences etc in a “cloud” making them available across multiple platforms & accessible from virtually anywhere.

Ink: -

Basically a Bluetooth equipped stylus, the Ink is an impressive tool for drawings & sketches. Made of aluminium & plastic, Ink has a premium feel to it & its twisted profile ensures a comfortable grip. The nib is small & gives the user a pen like feel unlike the marker like feel normal styluses provide.

Equipped with Adonit’s Pixelpoint tech, Ink has a wide range of pressure sensitivities again making the user comfortable while making sketches as its tip practically glides across the screen.

At the rear end of the stylus, a concave button is present which gives user access to the various apps available with the stylus. For storage, users have a hollow cylindrical storage compartment, which has a charging dock at the end. A fully charged Ink allows users to have almost 8 hours of functionality.

Slide: -

Slide can be defined as a combined ruler, drafter, French curve depending on the need of the user. In size, it is similar to an average USB stick & is built of the same material as the Ink which aluminium & plastic accents.

Fairly easy to use, it has a single concave button at the top which allows users to browse through tonnes of shapes, layouts, designs etc. When placed on a tablet, it does not budge easily helping the user to draw accurate shapes & lines. Unlike Ink, Slide does not come with a storage compartment so care should be taken while storing it.

Compatibility & Operation: -

Ink & Slide are compatible with iPad Air, iPad Mini along with 4th generation iPads as well. Setup is fairly simple as all a user needs to do is to turn on the Bluetooth of both the devices (iPad & Ink), pair them from Adobe’s Sketch & Line app.

Personal preferences namely, 3 palm rejection, LED colour & Slide toggle modes can be accessed from this app as well. Though Ink & Slide can be used without signing up on the Adobe Creative Cloud, additional perks such as stored colour palettes/designs become available if a user signs up.

Overall: -

As tablets are quickly emerging as the new substitutes for laptops/desktops, people especially digital designers are in need of something more than a keyboard & mouse for putting their ideas into paper. Adobe’s Ink & Slide satisfies such a need to some extent with its versatility, variety & simplicity. Priced at $199, some might call it overpriced, but given the features, it provides along with its uniqueness, it is a steal.