Astropad Studio promises to turn iPad Pro with Apple Pencil into high-end graphics tablet

Astropad on Wednesday launched Astropad Studio, a new edition of its second-screen app for the iPad, geared towards making an iPad Pro suitable as a professional drawing tablet.

Studio is said to offer low latency and full support for the Apple Pencil, including pressure sensitivity. To further cater to illustrators, the app incorporates customizable gesture shortcuts for actions like undo, erase, or clicking the right mouse button. Some actions can be combined with Pencil input, and shortcuts will adapt to individual Mac apps.

The app also supports iPad keyboards, and can connect to a Mac via Wi-Fi or USB, though the latter is probably necessary for people worried about minimizing latency. A specific portion of a Mac's screen can be defined as the working area on an iPad.

Unlike most iOS apps, Studio is available only a subscription basis after a seven-day trial. It costs $7.99 per month, or $64.99 per year. As a perk however, Astropad is promising monthly software updates, settings sync across devices, and "priority creative pro support."

Two features listed as "coming soon" are adjustable pressure curves and stroke stabilization.

Connected Macs must be running OS X 10.10 or better, while Studio itself requires iOS 9. Technically the app will run on most iPads, but it's intentionally optimized for the Pro and Pencil.

16 Comments

MnMark 22 comments · 8 Years

About 7 years ago

I'd like to try it out. I still don' think they can beat the latency 'thing'...but I will try it.

woodworks 54 comments · 14 Years

$65/yr. to use my iPad as a graphics tablet? And it doesn't even include the "hover" function? They're on crack.

pawolverine 12 comments · 15 Years

Oh no! Not another subscription plan!

maciekskontakt 1168 comments · 15 Years

One could still use paper ;) Well running pro graphics studio for publishing is not just about subscription and one tool. It is way more tools, more complex projects and.... security so copy of your commercial project does not land at some copy company in Asia trying to make buck on your loss of project control. For fun... go ahead with it. It sounds good except that subscription fee for some.

aaronsullivan 140 comments · 16 Years

MnMark said:

I'd like to try it out. I still don' think they can beat the latency 'thing'...but I will try it.

I found the original version very usable even with a much slower speed than the new one. If you haven't tried it through a USB connection though, you have to. It's much smoother.woodworks said:

$65/yr. to use my iPad as a graphics tablet? And it doesn't even include the "hover" function? They're on crack.

FYI, it does include the hover function. You can't literally hover as the iPad Pro + Pencil don't communicate while it hovers, but you can simulate it using the software. I do wish the price was a little lower, but I'm going to give it a try. For those who don't use it as much there is the one-time cost version.