No-screen pen tablets are traditional for artists, and the just-announced Astropad Slate recreates that experience with an iPad and Apple Pencil.
The software, currently in beta, supports Apple’s stylus, including support for hover.
Astropad Slate turns an iPad into an ‘old school’ no-screen pen tablet
For years, Astropad Studio has made an iPad into a drawing tablet wirelessly communicating with a laptop or desktop. With the application, the Mac’s screen is mirrored on the tablet.
But the new Astropad Slate goes in a different direction. It’s old school. The iPad acts as a drawing tablet for the desktop/laptop, but the screen isn’t mirrored.
The software developer calls this the first iPad app to control your Mac with Apple Pencil. “Control your mouse with Apple Pencil; your Pencil mirrors your Mac cursor,” said Astropad.
And the app supports Apple Pencil hover on newer iPads as well as simulated hover on older iPads.
“The idea for Slate came when Apple announced new iPads with Apple Pencil hover,” said Astropad. “It got us thinking about the traditional no-screen pen tablets with which many artists start their creative journeys. Could we make that same experience even better with the iPad?”
In beta for now
Astropad released Slate on Thursday as a public beta, and admits it’s a work in progress. The company is looking for feedback from uses on what features work, don’t work or should be added.
Applications need to run on both the Mac and the iPad. The two can communicate via WiFi, USB cable or direct peer-to-peer connection.
To join the free public beta, go to the Astropad website.
