A graphics tablet (or digitizing tablet) uses electronics beneath the tablet's surface to register the position of a ~pointing device~. The computer translates this position to a corresponding cursor location on the |video display|. The tablet itself is a thin, flat, plastic surface, reflecting the shape of the display screen. Devices like the |mouse| and |trackball| use directional movement to affect the cursor's relative position. Graphics tablets however, are absolute pointing devices. This means each position on the tablet corresponds to a specific location on the display.
Pointing devices used in conjunction with the tablets include the stylus and the |puck|. Stylus based systems may have additional sensors to detect applied pressure. This can be used by painting programs to simulate a variety of different brush strokes. Drafting is another area well served by graphics tablets as they allow fine tracing and digitizing of illustrations and blueprints.
