Wintab

WinTab is a Windows-based application programming interface (API) for pen and tablet input. It provides access to data generated by digitizing tablets, such as Wacom devices, for use by graphics and creative software. The API exposes pen data as packets containing coordinates, pressure, tilt, and button states, allowing applications to render or respond to stylus input with high precision.

History: WinTab emerged in the 1990s as a Windows-compatible wrapper around the Wintab standard, created to give software a consistent way to read pen data from tablets. It was distributed as a dynamic-link library (DLL) and used by many major graphics programs, including Painter, Photoshop, and others, to enable pressure-sensitive drawing features long before Windows Ink matured.

Functionality: Applications query device capabilities (tablet range, pressure levels) and then poll or receive input packets from wintab32.dll. Data available typically includes X and Y coordinates, Z or pressure, tiltX/tiltY, barrel rotation, and button states. It supports multiple tablets and stylus buttons; the API supports both event-driven and polling models.

Compatibility and decline: With the rise of Windows native pen input support and Windows Ink on modern Windows versions, WinTab usage has declined. Some professional software still maintains WinTab support for backward compatibility or to support legacy devices that cannot map to Windows Ink.

Current status: WinTab remains a legacy but functional API on Windows, with ongoing support limited to certain vendors or wrappers. It is largely superseded by Windows Ink in new development, though it continues to be used in some legacy workflows and hardware configurations.

See also: Wintab, Wacom, Windows Ink, Tablet PC API, digital pen input.