iPad Pro iPad screen protector & Apple pencil

[GuillaumeB]

Hello,

I'm about to order an 11" iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.
On my Mini I made use of a glass screen protector which was amazing.
Now as I intend to learn how to draw with Procreate I was wondering what kind of protection you 'd recommend to use with the Apple Pencil.
Could a screen protector affect - negatively or positively - the sensibility of the pencil ?
Any recommendations ?

Thank you very much

 

[ed.]

I've used screen protectors on a 2nd gen 12.9 pro and a mini 5 both with 1st gen apple pencil. After trying the 'matte' ones that were supposed to give a more 'paper-like' experience - and getting rid of them after a few days because no matter what they give terrible 'rainbow dust' effect and make reading almost impossible, I settled for simple clear ones (not glass), which to me make a superior experience for drawing in two ways compared to the naked screen:
1 - more uniform movement of the tip: on naked screen I always stumble on smudges and fingerprints that slow down the tip or speed it up suddenly, so in general there's the feel of an uneven surface;
2 - better visual protection from fingerprints especially on bright backgrounds: I find with a screen protector fingerprints are way less visible, while on the naked screen they sort of leave a darker smudge

In general I never had any negative effect with flexible, non glass protectors. Plus they keep the screen safe from scratches which can happen if the pencil tip picks up some hard particle and you drag it on (happened to me very early on my first pro, before I got a protector!).

I just got a new 2020 iPad pro and I'm going to get a protector soon, I draw a lot and I'm used to the 'clear protector' feel.

I think pretty much all protectors are similar, I would avoid the matte ones and try to do a clean job applying it (doing it in the bathroom after a hot shower is a great tip: the steam brings down all the flying particles for a few minutes so it's easy to avoid bubbles!).

 

[Tom G.]

I highly recommend Paper Like 2 screen protector if you plan on using your iPad 11 or 12.9 for drawing or writing with the Apple Pencil. It also does a marvelous job of hiding finger smudges.

 

[GuillaumeB]

Thanks for your great answer ! Could you recommend some brands by any chance ?

I've used screen protectors on a 2nd gen 12.9 pro and a mini 5 both with 1st gen apple pencil. After trying the 'matte' ones that were supposed to give a more 'paper-like' experience - and getting rid of them after a few days because no matter what they give terrible 'rainbow dust' effect and make reading almost impossible, I settled for simple clear ones (not glass), which to me make a superior experience for drawing in two ways compared to the naked screen:
1 - more uniform movement of the tip: on naked screen I always stumble on smudges and fingerprints that slow down the tip or speed it up suddenly, so in general there's the feel of an uneven surface;
2 - better visual protection from fingerprints especially on bright backgrounds: I find with a screen protector fingerprints are way less visible, while on the naked screen they sort of leave a darker smudge

In general I never had any negative effect with flexible, non glass protectors. Plus they keep the screen safe from scratches which can happen if the pencil tip picks up some hard particle and you drag it on (happened to me very early on my first pro, before I got a protector!).

I just got a new 2020 iPad pro and I'm going to get a protector soon, I draw a lot and I'm used to the 'clear protector' feel.

I think pretty much all protectors are similar, I would avoid the matte ones and try to do a clean job applying it (doing it in the bathroom after a hot shower is a great tip: the steam brings down all the flying particles for a few minutes so it's easy to avoid bubbles!).

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Hello, thanks for your answer. I did hear about PaperLike, they do advertising everywhere. However. i'm not necessairly looking for a screen protector that's strictly oriented for using the pencil. This is gonna one of my use among others, like reading, surfing or watching videos. And I have read numerous times that is affects the brightness of the screen.
i'm just wondering if, generally speaking, a screen protection affects the sensitivity of the pencil (although I do know you can set up the pressure in certain apps like Procreate)

I highly recommend Paper Like 2 screen protector if you plan on using your iPad 11 or 12.9 for drawing or writing with the Apple Pencil. It also does a marvelous job of hiding finger smudges.

 

[AutomaticApple]

It also does a marvelous job of hiding finger smudges.

It even sounds like paper!

 

[ed.]

Thanks for your great answer ! Could you recommend some brands by any chance ?


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Hello, thanks for your answer. I did hear about PaperLike, they do advertising everywhere. However. i'm not necessairly looking for a screen protector that's strictly oriented for using the pencil. This is gonna one of my use among others, like reading, surfing or watching videos. And I have read numerous times that is affects the brightness of the screen.
i'm just wondering if, generally speaking, a screen protection affects the sensitivity of the pencil (although I do know you can set up the pressure in certain apps like Procreate)

I've used TechArmor HD clear ones both on the pro and the mini, very happy with them.

 

[Fat.tofu]

+1 i use a thin film clear screen protector as well ( the non glass one)

I tried a random brand matte screen protector and then the paperlike v2. Both are great for drawing, even stokes sound like writing on paper, but the visual clarity tradeoff really bugs me. I edit photo much on iPad as well. I cant tell if image is sharp or not due to the rainbow / matte effect. Took it off a week after.

Glass screen protector are great for extra protection but i find the extra thickness kinda affect my line when drawing slowly. Like a straight line becomes wobbly. I saw someone had this issue as well on youtube i forgot his channel.

So i end up with a clear film protector like in good old days. Its thinner than glass / matte. So far i dont see it affects the pencil. Just that it is the hardest to apply. Also film protector are less scratch resistant then glass so be sure to get one in packs and replace when needed.

TBH i dont think iPad needs a screen protector at all but having one just give me extra piece of mind and be less paranoid having to clean the screen and pencil tip all the time.. The only tradeoff is more-glare than Apple oleophobic coating.
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(doing it in the bathroom after a hot shower is a great tip: the steam brings down all the flying particles for a few minutes so it's easy to avoid bubbles!).

This. a must do pro tip! 😁👍

 

[GuillaumeB]

@ed. @Fat.tofu Thanks, put it in my basket. Will give it a try (after my shower )
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It even sounds like paper!

I know, i've seen lots of promotional and unbiased reviews on Youtube. It does look great. But coming from the iPad mini 4 bought in 2015, I dont really want to compromise on the screen brightness 😅. At least not now !

 

[teohyc]

If you get a flip case, a screen protector is not needed.

For drawing, a matte screen protector does offer a nicer drawing experience, it affects the screen quality. If you draw outdoors, the matte screen protector will diffuse light into a white haze that affects a good portion of the screen.

A screen protector should not affect the sensitivity of Apple Pencil.