Wacom

The company was founded in 1983.{{Cite magazine |date=December 2021 |title=India's 10 Most Influential Tech Leaders to Follow in 2022 |url=https://tycoonsuccess.com/rajiv-malik-revolutionizing-the-digital-ink-experience/ |magazine=Tycoon Success |pages=16–17 |access-date=March 9, 2023}} The name Wacom came from an abbreviated variation of World Computer ({{langx|ja|ワールドコンピュータ, wārudo konpyūtā}}), with the syllable "wa" (和, Japanese for "harmony").

Wacom was the first company to make pens without a cord, which it introduced in 1991;{{Cite magazine |last=Yares |first=Evan |date=May 25, 1993 |title=Wacom SD-421E |magazine=PCMag |volume=12 |issue=10 |page=294}} it released its first pen display the following year.{{Cite news |last=Pogue |first=David |date=May 2, 2012 |title=The Joy of Drawing on Glass |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/technology/personaltech/the-joy-of-drawing-on-glass.html |access-date=March 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}} Its products were initially targeted at professional artists, but by the late 1990s it aimed to expand to home users as well.{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Craig |title=Pen strokes of genius |work=The Columbian |date=7 December 1997 |pages=51–52}}

In 2001, the company partnered with Sony to introduce a Vaio laptop with built-in touch functionality.{{cite news |last1=Rogoway |first1=Mike |title=Wacom pens a licensing deal with Sony |work=The Columbian |date=2 August 2001 |pages=33}}

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.{{cite news |last1=Gebolys |first1=Debbie |title=Graphics tablet gets smaller |work=The Columbian |date=5 October 1994 |page=9}} Some pens have an eraser on the rear end.{{Cite book |last=Mathews |first=Craig F. |url= |title=Absolute Beginner's Guide to Tablet PCs |publisher=Que |year=2004 |isbn=0-7686-6191-9 |location=Indianapolis, Ind. |pages=12, 66 |oclc=57706162}}

Wacom's professional pen displays are under the Cintiq line.{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Dami |date=January 8, 2019 |title=Wacom's $649 Cintiq 16 bridges the gap between hobbyists and pro creatives |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/8/18150155/wacom-cintiq-16-pen-display |access-date=March 8, 2023}} They allow for drawing directly on the screen, like drawing on paper,{{Cite book |last=Sholin |first=Marilyn |url= |title=The Art of Digital Photo Painting: Using Popular Software to Create Masterpieces |publisher=Lark Books |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-60059-101-3 |edition=1st |location=New York |pages=11–12 |oclc=213301758}}{{Cite book |last=Sammon |first=Rick |url= |title=Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Digital Photography 2.0 |publisher=W.W. Norton |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-393-32914-8 |location=New York |pages=196 |oclc=71312817}} and are more expensive than other Wacom products.{{Cite book |last=Streed |first=Michael W. |url= |title=Creating digital faces for law enforcement |publisher=Academic Press |year=2017 |isbn=978-0-12-805279-2 |location=London |pages=129–153 |oclc=971035475}} The Cintiq Companion is a portable variant of the Cintiq displays.

File:Wacom Cintiq (Pxhere-1393443).jpg | A person drawing on a Cintiq tablet

File:Wacom Cintiq13HD.JPG |alt=A monitor with the Dutch Wikipedia displayed. A large cable is plugged into the right side of the monitor. The Cintiq is standing upright on a desk, and lower down on the image is a digital pen and the pen holder.|A Wacom Cintiq 13HD

Intuos graphics tablets do not have displays.{{cite web |last1=Stapley |first1=Jon |title=The best Wacom tablets available |url=https://www.creativebloq.com/buying-guides/best-wacom-tablets |website=Creative Bloq |language=en |date=23 November 2022}} The first version was introduced in 1999, replacing the earlier ArtZ line.{{cite news |last1=Ireton |first1=Trevor |title=Artist's tools draw on wellspring of tradition |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=3 August 1999 |location=Sydney, Australia |pages=56}} It is available in an entry-level version and the more advanced Intuos Pro.{{cite web |last1=Aldred |first1=John |title=DIYP reviews the Wacom Intuos - The ultimate editing travel companion for photographers |url=https://www.diyphotography.net/diyp-reviews-the-wacom-intuos-the-ultimate-editing-travel-companion-for-photographers/ |website=DIY Photography |access-date=24 March 2024 |date=7 September 2018}} In 2018, The Verge called the entry-level models a "great introduction to digital art."{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Dami |date=March 6, 2018 |title=Wacom's new Intuos tablets are perfect for the beginner doodler |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/3/6/17085562/wacom-intuos-drawing-tablet |access-date=March 8, 2023}}

The One series of products is targeted at beginners, and features versions both with and without screens.{{cite web |last1=Harris |first1=Mike |title=One by Wacom review |url=https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/reviews/one-by-wacom-review |website=digitalcameraworld |language=en |date=12 December 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Nicholls |first1=Beth |title=The new Wacom One budget range continues an annoying tech trend |url=https://www.creativebloq.com/news/wacom-one-family-range |website=Creative Bloq |access-date=23 March 2024 |language=en |date=15 August 2023}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Dami |date=January 7, 2020 |title=Wacom's $400 tablet is its most affordable yet, and adds Android compatibility |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/7/21028405/wacom-one-tablet-pen-display-android-price-macos-windows-ces-2020 |access-date=March 8, 2023}}

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

They have also made other lines of graphics tablets, such as the Bamboo and Graphire, which were both screenless.{{Cite book |last=Milburn |first=Ken |url= |title=Digital Photography: Expert Techniques |publisher=O'Reilly |year=2004 |isbn=0-596-00547-4 |edition=1st |location=Sebastopol, Calif. |pages=22 |oclc=54983155}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Houston |first=Thomas |date=August 30, 2011 |title=Wacom Inkling system converts your ink drawings to digital scribbles |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2011/8/30/2393370/wacom-inkling-sketch-pen |access-date=March 8, 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Schulman |first=Jacob |date=November 28, 2011 |title=Wacom Inkling review |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2011/11/28/2586419/wacom-inkling-review |access-date=March 8, 2023}} In 2018, they partnered with Magic Leap to create collaborative mixed reality design tools at CES.{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Dami |date=January 17, 2019 |title=Wacom and Magic Leap are creating an optimistic vision of the future of productivity |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/17/18186781/wacom-magic-leap-ar-augmented-reality-partnership-ces-2019 |access-date=March 8, 2023}}

The tablets use electromagnetic resonance (EMR) technology, a type of faint radio signal.{{Cite news |last=Austen |first=Ian |date=August 23, 2001 |title=NEWS WATCH: PERIPHERALS; For Artists and Photographers, Pen Is Mightier Than the Mouse |page=G3 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/23/technology/watch-peripherals-for-artists-photographers-pen-mightier-than-mouse.html |access-date=March 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Pollack |first=Andrew |date=March 17, 1991 |title=Technology; Positioning the Electronic Stylus |at=Section 3 p. 9 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/17/business/technology-positioning-the-electronic-stylus.html |access-date=March 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}} 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;{{cite web|publisher=Wacom|title=EMR™ Pen Technology|url=http://www.wacom.jp/jp/customercare/download/catalogue/pdf/0507_EMR_Pen_Technology_E.pdf}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Peter H. |date=April 23, 1991 |title=PERSONAL COMPUTERS; Next Best to a Brush |page=C10 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/23/science/personal-computers-next-best-to-a-brush.html |access-date=March 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Peter H. |date=July 25, 1995 |title=PERSONAL COMPUTERS; Electronic Pen With Its Own Eraser |pages=C8 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/25/science/personal-computers-electronic-pen-with-its-own-eraser.html |access-date=March 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}

The company has received criticism for collection of user data,{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Dami |date=February 6, 2020 |title=Wacom tablets are sharing your app usage with Google Analytics |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/6/21126245/wacom-tablet-app-tracking-google-analytics |access-date=March 8, 2023}} which Wacom says is "for quality assurance and development purposes," where the data is anonymized.{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Dami |date=February 7, 2020 |title=Wacom says it's not spying on its customers, and users can opt out of data collection |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/7/21128024/wacom-tablets-app-google-analytics-data |access-date=March 8, 2023}}

In early 2024, the company was criticised by artists for using AI-generated images in its advertising material.{{Cite web|url=https://boingboing.net/2024/01/10/artists-upset-after-wacom-uses-ai-art-to-market-artist-gear.html|title=Artists upset after Wacom uses AI art to market artist gear - Boing Boing}} 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.''{{cite web | url=https://community.wacom.com/en-us/ai-art-marketing-response/ | title=A Response to Community Questions Concerning Wacom Using AI-generated Art in US Marketing Assets - Wacom Blog | date=January 9, 2024 }}

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Category:Japanese companies established in 1983

Category:Companies based in Portland, Oregon

Category:Companies based in Saitama Prefecture

Category:Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange

Category:Computer companies established in 1983

Category:Computer companies of Japan

Category:Computer hardware companies

Category:Display technology companies

Category:Graphics tablets

Category:Japanese brands

Category:Multinational companies headquartered in Japan