Ipad Screen Protector For Drawing Domain_10

Using a screen protector for inking

A little review of the Tech Armor screen protector

If you draw on an iPad Pro you'll undoubtedly encounter the question 'do I need a screen protector' or more to the point; 'is the glass screen good enough to draw on or do I want some extra layer that has a better drawing experience?'

The main purpose of my iPad Pro is drawing, so, if I use a screen protector it should enhance the drawing experience. That it further protects the screen is secondary.

So far, I did not have an y problem with drawing on the screen itself. Of course it was nowhere the same feeling as paper but it was better than you would expect from drawing on glass. I understood that this version of the iPad Pro (2nd generation) had glass coating that was less slippery than a normal screen. Also, the Apple Pencil has a slightly rubber point. Using them both together doesn't give a bad experience at all, but one does wonder if it can be better. Especially when doing long lines or quick long throws give sometimes the feeling of lost control due to the glass surface.

While looking around and viewing some YouTube videos about inking I came across someone that had tested several screen protectors for the sole purpose to find out if they were good for drawing. His tip was to use the Tech Armor Anti-Glare/Anti-Fingerprint screen protector; the matte variant. I had seen more recommendations of this item by those that use this tablet for art.

Since this one was readily available on Amazon and for just $10/10e I decided to try it out.

After a couple of days the package arrived. The package contained 2 protectors, an instruction leaflet, microfibre cloth, some anti-dust stickers and a plastic piece to wipe out bubbles. The company claims an easy and bubble free instalment

Just before applying the screen protector I cleaned my glass as instructed. There was one stripe on the screen that took me some extra effort to get rid off. For a short moment I was frightened that there was a scratch on my screen. Luckily that was not the case but it gave me extra motivation to use a screen protector.

Because I had installed several screen protectors in the past on other devices, I was confident that this wouldn't be too difficult although the big size made me worry a little bit. The first try did succeed with only a very small bubble in the middle. With the provided plastic piece this was easily solved.

It was now time to test it out, so I opened my preferred art tool Procreate and started drawing.

Does it feel like paper? I think the touch is equal to some heavy coated carton, which I don't consider paper. But more important does it feel like drawing on paper when using the Apple Pencil? During drawing it does have a feel like very smooth paper; the kind you use for drawing with markers or the glossy paper you sometimes find in inkjet printers for photo printing. Both not really my choice when I want to draw; I like to draw on thicker, 120 grams paper. In the past I often used to draw on aquarelle paper, having the advantage that I could paint over my drawing if I wanted to.

However, since having something paper-like was not my goal to start with, this doesn't bother me. In comparison with the original glass it does add resistance and that was what I was looking for. The amount of resistance feels right; you don't get the impression you need to fight it. So far, I have used it a couple of days and for the drawing experience I am content with it. It feels good to have a little bit more resistance and more of a feeling to draw on some substance, although not being paper.

For the other points: I like the fact that it is oil resistant, it leaves way less prints on my screen. After some time, normally, without a screen protector the fingerprints build up on your screen and you start to notice them during drawing; some screen parts will have more resistance than others, which is not a nice feeling. So, I often clean my screen. This screen protector makes it way less needed. I will still do it once in a while but it is not needed as often as the glass screen. The screen protector is a matte variant and does prevent glare.

So far I have found 2 downsides: one is that the Procreate app seems sometimes to react a little bit less to touch when using for instance zooming and rotating. And because I do that a lot during inking it can become an irritation point.

The other point, is that the screen becomes a bit less 'sharp' and a bit 'grainy' due to the construction of the matte screen protector; it gives me sometimes the impression that my vision is blurred. It has no further impact during the inking process.

[Conclusion]

First, to be fair: this is of course not the intended use of this product. Its primary goal is not to give you a wonderful drawing experience but to protect your screen from damage.

That said, as one can probably tell, I am not totally convinced about the drawing purpose of this product. It does help, has a nice touch, but I am not sure I will keep using it. The main reason being that the protector gives me the idea my vision is not in focus, something I find irritating.

Time will tell.

[2021 UPDATE]

This week I sold my Ipad pro. Before handing it over to the new owner I removed the screen protector. Yes, this means that I have used these screen protectors (2 in a pack) for almost 3 years! The points that were worrying me at the start proved no problem in the long run. The screen protectors have served me well all this time.

I have bought a new Ipad pro and I think that my new screen protector will be the same one. Or I will finally try the 'famous' paper-like brand…