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Before installing Clip Studio Paint, we need to ensure that our computer hardware is capable of running the program. Graphics software can be taxing on system resources, so it is important to ensure that your computer is up to the task!
Clip Studio Paint is made for both Windows PCs as well as Mac operating systems. Once we have ensured that we can run the program on our computer, we can then download and install the software and get it running for the first time.
To run Clip Studio Paint effectively, our computer must meet certain system requirements. These requirements are slightly different for PC than for Mac, so please check the system requirements carefully against the computer that you will be installing the software on to ensure that Clip Studio Paint will run properly.
Both PC and Mac computers have the following requirements for use of the program:
Storage space:
Tablet:
Monitor:
Scanner:
Printer:
Internet access:
An internet connection will be necessary for license authentication
The following are the requirements for running Clip Studio Paint Version 1.7.4 on Windows:
OS:
Main Computer/CPU:
Tablet:
If you are using a macOS computer, you will need to meet the following system requirements to run Clip Studio Paint version 1.7.4:
OS:
Main Computer/CPU:
We'll go into tablets in more detail in the About graphics tablets section.
If your computer system meets or exceeds the requirements listed, then it's time to install the program!
To purchase and download the Clip Studio Paint program, you will need an internet connection. The program is available through the Clip Studio website. To access the English version of the website, you will need to visit the URL http://www.clipstudio.net/en in your internet browser.
Clip Studio does have a free trial of the program, which is very handy if you want to try the program to make sure your computer system can run it or if you want to explore the program and ensure that it will meet your needs before buying it. At the time of writing this book, the Clip Studio Paint free trial lasts for 30 days. You can try both the Clip Studio Paint Pro and Clip Studio Paint EX versions of the program. Also, when using the trial version of the software, you will need to register for a free Clip Studio account. We'll discuss more about the Clip Studio account in Chapter 19, What Is the Clip Studio App and Getting Animated.
Once we're on the Clip Studio website, we'll need to download the trial version or buy the software. To download the trial version, complete the following steps:
If you are ready to purchase Clip Studio Paint, follow these steps:
Now that we have the program saved to our computer, we can begin the installation process. This process is the same for both the trial and purchase versions of the software. When registering a purchased version, however, we will enter the serial number for the software while launching the application for the first time.
Your serial number will be sent to the email address that you registered with when purchasing the program. It is very important to keep this serial number in a safe place where you can locate it! Your Clip Studio Paint serial number allows you to register the software on up to two computers, so long as the following conditions are met:
You must also have your serial number if you purchase a new PC and need to install Clip Studio Paint on it again. Save the email from your registration in a safe folder in your email client. I also keep important serial numbers in a text file in a cloud backup, such as Dropbox or Google Drive, in case something happens to my emails. You may also want to make another backup of your serial number on a removable drive like a USB drive to be extra certain that it is safe and able to be recovered in case of emergency.
Now that we have a backup of our serial number, let's install the Clip Studio Paint software so that we can start using it!
Complete the following steps to install Clip Studio Paint to your Windows computer:
Complete the following steps to install Clip Studio Paint to your Mac computer:
Now that we have the program installed, we're ready to launch it for the first time. On the initial launch, you will have the opportunity to download additional materials, enter and verify your serial number, or register to use the trial version. This is the last step before we can open the Clip Studio Paint program and begin exploring the interface, so let's get started.
Follow these steps to register for a trial version of Clip Studio Paint:
Follow these steps to register for a licensed version of Clip Studio Paint:
There are a few cases where the license may need to be changed:
To change a license, follow these steps:
If the additional materials were not downloaded during the initial registration of the program, they can be downloaded later by using the following steps:
When working in an art software like Clip Studio Paint, having a graphics tablet makes life a lot easier. So, what is a graphics tablet and where can you obtain one?
A graphics tablet is a computer peripheral that comes with a stylus. It allows you to hold the stylus and draw the way that you would with a pencil or pen on paper. The following diagram illustrates a basic tablet and stylus:
There are many different types and brands of graphics tablets, all ranging in price from under $100 to over $2,500, so it is easy to find a tablet that is in your budget. I cannot express enough how much easier working in Clip Studio Paint is when you have a tablet!
There are many different factors to consider when shopping for a graphics tablet. Let's break some of those options down so that you can make a good choice when purchasing your tablet.
There are two primary types of tablets: traditional tablets and monitor tablets. Traditional tablets are slates that plug into or connect wirelessly to your computer. You then use the stylus to draw on the tablet while looking at the separate monitor, just like using a mouse on a computer.
A monitor tablet is a tablet with a monitor screen built into it. You then use the stylus directly on the screen so that you can see your hand and what you're drawing at the same time. This method feels more like using traditional paper and pencil and requires less of an adjustment period for new tablet users because there is less disconnect between what your hand is doing and what your eyes are seeing.
However, this comes at a price. Monitor tablets are becoming more affordable every year, but they are still much more expensive than a traditional tablet. If you are purchasing a tablet for a young artist or are someone just getting into digital art, I always recommend getting a traditional tablet. They are far more affordable and usually easy to find second-hand, but still in good working order. For more established artists who do a lot of art and know for certain that they like working digitally, investing in a larger tablet or a tablet monitor will usually speed up your workflow and make life easier, so it makes sense to make the investment into a higher-end tablet.
Tablets come in all sizes, from ones no bigger than a traditional mouse pad to the size of a table top. The size of the tablet that you buy is very much dependent on how you draw. Sit down and draw on a piece of regular paper and try to pay attention to how large or small you draw. You'll need to figure that out before you can decide on the size of the tablet you want to buy!
I find that people who draw small can be comfortable on a small tablet size. Personally, I draw rather large and tend to take up the whole sheet of paper when I draw, so I like a larger size tablet when I work because it gives me more room to work with.
Another thing to consider when looking at different sizes of tablets is the space you have to store it in. If you are using the tablet with your laptop and will be traveling with it often, or if you have only a small amount of space on your desk, you will want to purchase a smaller tablet that is more easily transported. However, if you have a larger area or will only be using the tablet at a desk, a larger tablet could be the right fit for you.
It used to be that you only had one choice of tablet brand, but in the past several years, more companies have started manufacturing their own graphics tablets. This means that there is a wide selection of tablets available, all with their own pros and cons. Some of the most well-known of these tablet brands are Wacom, Yiynova, and Huion. Each brand has a wide range of different size and price tablets, most of which you can find on their websites or by searching for them on sites like Amazon.
I often get asked what brand of tablet I would recommend, and for me there is one clear winner: Wacom. From my personal experience, Wacom tablets are of the highest quality and last the longest for me. I have tried other brand tablets that broke within two years, but every Wacom brand tablet I have ever owned has stood the test of time. This is, of course, not saying that the other brands out there are bad, and I know many people have had good experiences with those brands! But for me, personally, I find Wacom tablets to be well worth the money. Their cheapest tablets are in the $50-100 USD range, and you can often find them used on eBay and Amazon as well, so with a bit of searching, you should be able to find a tablet for any budget.
Like computers, tablets come with their own set of specifications. You'll want to look at these specifications and consider them when purchasing, of course. Things like pressure levels, hotkeys, and built-in erasers are just a few options you will encounter when shopping for a graphics tablet.
Pressure levels are the amount of sensitivity that the tablet can sense. When drawing with a tablet, how hard you press with the stylus translates on the screen to a thinner or thicker line. Drawing lightly will produce a thin line, while pressing harder will produce a thicker line. The higher the pressure levels, the more sensitive the tablet is.
Hotkeys, or shortcut keys, are buttons on the stylus or on the tablet itself that allow you to perform operations while using the tablet. For instance, two shortcut keys on the tablet stylus may simulate a left and a right mouse click. Sometimes, these buttons are programmable within the tablet driver. If you use a lot of keyboard commands while working with software, you may want a tablet with more of these hotkeys built in.
Some tablets have a stylus with a built-in eraser. This means that there is a button on the eraser end of the stylus so that while you're drawing you can just flip the stylus over and erase without having to switch tools in your software. When the stylus is flipped back to the other end, it changes back to the drawing tool. I find that having an eraser button on the end of my stylus makes the digital drawing process much easier for me, and it feels more like the experience of drawing with a pencil on paper.
Graphics tablets are sold in a variety of places. Sometimes, they can be found in office supply stores, so check with the ones in your area if you want to get one quickly and without having to wait for shipping. It can be difficult to find a tablet in a local store, however, and ordering online allows for a better selection, and you may be able to find one for a much better price.
Tablets can be ordered from lots of websites. Many manufacturers sell directly from their own sites. You can also find used or new tablets on sites like Amazon or eBay. Some websites even sell refurbished tablets: tablets that are used but have been repaired or had hardware replaced in them. When purchasing a monitor tablet, it may be best to look for a refurbished one to get the best deal if cost is a concern.
Now that we have Clip Studio Paint installed, and we have chosen our graphics tablet, it's time to start getting to know this amazing art software.