Air Display developer Avatron Software today launched Air Stylus, an app that allows users to utilize the iPad as a pressure-sensitive, wireless drawing surface for over 30 graphics programs on the Mac.

air_stylus_1
The app is compatible with a number of pressure sensitive styli, including the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus and the Adonit Jot Touch 4, and works with popular programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Pixelmator. Air Stylus also includes support for pinch-to-zoom and two finger gestures while drawing, and features the ability to toggle palm rejection on and off.

- Make Your Mark - With palm rejection and multi-touch support, Air Stylus lets you draw naturally and makes your stylus do all the work.
- Quick On The Draw - Air Stylus creates a fast, reliable wireless link so you can immerse yourself in your art without distraction.
- Draw The Line - Pen-based pressure sensitivity means your lines are accurate, whether they’re paintbrush bold or feather light.
- Best Of All - Compatible with 30+ graphics apps so you can incorporate your iPad into your existing workflow (support for Windows and Android imminent!)


Air Stylus can be purchased from the App Store for $19.99 and is available now. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

NightFox Avatar
134 months ago
iWatch will make this a relic of the past. Just pick up any object and draw with it. iWatch translates to screen. Job done, game over by :apple:

But when I draw or paint most of my detailed movement is in the hand or fingers - my wrist hardly moves at all
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ronaldhennessy Avatar
134 months ago
For those poo-pooing the ideal of a stylus for art on a iPad, I beg to differ. From a person who actually DRAWS on an iPad (and has since 2011), bluetooth stylii have come a LONG WAY from the crummy rubber tipped ones introduced back since 2010. Of course, it's no way as elegant as a Cintiq, the trade offs are becoming less of a nuisance. I draw with procreate and a Jot Touch 4 from time to time (my Cintiq 13HD is my primary tool for digital art) and it's quite a blast for drawing.

I'm eager to hear from people who have actually used Air Stylus and are not talking out of their ass about bluetooth limitations and lag.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Keerock Avatar
134 months ago
brush. lag.

Brush. lag. brush lag. brush lag. brush lag. brush lag.

You get my point.

Unusable as a daily tool. Even the promotional video can't hide that (and they try). But, perhaps it would be worth it for quick retouches and and fixes that require a brush or pen.

Let's be serious, drawing on the iPad is already a challenge. I've tried all styli and apps and no matter what (yes even with advanced bluetooth versions) there are palm rejection issues and most importantly a lag when using any type of fast gesture with a pen or brush. Very annoying unless you are this snail-like artist in the video.

Add the additional lag from iPad to Mac and, boom, instant drawing hell.

I read the one review on the app store claiming it "draws smooth and updates quickly". There is no way with the technology involved that this isn't anything more than a fun novelty app that would lose it's appeal once you try to be productive as an artist.

Let's wait and see when the real reviews start rolling in. I don't wish bad things for Avatron, I just don't know how this can actually work in the real world.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
134 months ago
no palm rest = fatigue --> death
Well that excalated quickly.

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robertosh Avatar
134 months ago
no palm rest = fatigue.

no palm rest = fatigue --> death
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pakaku Avatar
134 months ago
iWatch will make this a relic of the past. Just pick up any object and draw with it. iWatch translates to screen. Job done, game over by :apple:
Maybe if you hold your hand absolutely rigid... Otherwise no, I can't see that working at all, speaking as an artist and tech enthusiast.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

iOS 18 Available Now With These 8 New Features For Your iPhone

Sunday September 15, 2024 10:09 am PDT by
Following over three months of beta testing, iOS 18 was finally widely released to the public on Monday, September 16. The update is available in the Settings app under General → Software Update on the iPhone XS and newer. Below, we have highlighted eight key new features included in iOS 18, and Apple shared a complete list of new features and changes last week. Note that Apple...
iOS 18 Public Beta Thumb 1

Here's When iOS 18 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone

Monday September 16, 2024 3:56 am PDT by
It's that time of year again. Apple is about to release iOS 18, which promises to bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and the company is expected to release it sometime today – Monday, September 16. Based on past releases, the update is likely to drop at around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time/1:00 p.m. Eastern...
apple silicon mac lineup wwdc 2022 feature purple

M4 Macs, New iPad Mini, and iPad 11 Expected at Upcoming Apple Event

Sunday September 15, 2024 5:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely hold another event in October this year to announce new Macs and iPads. If so, it would be the fourth time in the last five years that Apple has held an event in October. Last year, Apple held a virtual event on Monday, October 30 to announce new MacBook Pro and iMac models with the M3 series of chips. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated...
M4 Mac mini Black Ortho Cooler

Apple Leaks New Mac Mini With 5 USB-C Ports

Monday September 16, 2024 11:40 am PDT by
Apple has seemingly leaked the rumored next-generation Mac mini with five USB-C ports, according to a code change within Apple software that was discovered today by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The code refers to an unreleased Mac mini model with an Apple silicon chip and five ports, which lines up with a previous report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman that said the next Mac mini will be ...
16 pro

iPhone 16 Pro Demand Has Been Lower Than Expected, Analyst Says

Sunday September 15, 2024 3:58 pm PDT by
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said demand for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max has been "lower than expected" since the devices became available to pre-order in the U.S. and dozens of other countries on Friday. Kuo said his data is based on a "supply chain survey" and shipping estimates listed on Apple's online store. Kuo estimated that sales of all four iPhone 16 models reached...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue Face ID Single Camera Hole

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17

Friday September 13, 2024 2:40 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...