It’s true, the SonarPen for USB Type-C can turn your MacBook’s trackpad into a drawing pad, which can save you a bundle compared to dedicated devices. How does it work? You download the free SonarPen Driver for macOS, plug in the SonarPen, and calibrate it. The trackpad becomes a pressure-sensitive drawing surface.
A virtual drawing window appears on your screen, mirroring the trackpad’s surface. You can adjust its size and position with two-finger gestures. The driver lets you toggle between drawing mode (using the stylus) and finger gesture mode (for regular trackpad use) by tapping the SonarPen on a table or using a shortcut like Control+ESC.
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The SonarPen’s pressure sensitivity works on the trackpad, so pressing harder creates thicker lines, mimicking traditional drawing. You can tweak sensitivity and smoothness levels (low, medium, high) to match your style. It’s been tested with apps like Adobe Photoshop, Krita, GIMP, Clip Studio Paint, Artrage, and MediBang Paint Pro, among others.
The SonarPen for USB-C costs around $43, making it way cheaper than most styluses or drawing tablets. If you have the older 3.5mm jack version from 2018, it works too, but you’ll need a $9.45 adapter.
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