styluses

A stylus is a pen-like instrument used to interact with touchscreens and digitizing devices. Styluses are employed for writing, drawing, selecting UI elements, signing documents, and other input tasks on various surfaces and apps.

Historically, styluses have roots in ancient writing tools used on clay or wax. In computing, resistive touchscreens in the late 20th century could be operated with simple passive tips, while true digital styluses gained popularity later as displays began to offer pressure-sensing and dedicated digitizer layers. Modern styluses vary in capability and compatibility, and are integral to many tablets, convertibles, and dedicated drawing devices.

There are two broad categories: passive (or capacitive) styluses, which rely on the screen’s electric field and require no power, and active styluses, which contain electronics, often a battery, and provide enhanced features such as pressure sensitivity, tilt, and palm rejection. Passive styluses work on most capacitive screens but offer limited precision. Active styluses pair with specific devices or ecosystems and can deliver more accurate input and advanced gestures.

Active styluses use technologies such as electromagnetic resonance (EMR), infrared, Bluetooth, or proprietary digitizer layers to communicate with the device. Popular systems include the Wacom pen interface, Apple Pencil, Samsung S Pen, and Microsoft Surface Pen. Compatibility is typically device- or ecosystem-specific, with some cross-compatibility limited to certain standards.

Design and accessories vary, including replaceable tips, different tip materials, and ergonomic shapes. When selecting a stylus, users consider latency, pressure sensitivity, tilt detection, battery life, palm rejection, and whether the stylus supports handwriting recognition or fine-art workflows.