Apple introduced a next-generation iPad Pro with the M2 chip in October. However, iPad Pro M2 also includes a unique new feature called “Apple Pencil Hover,” which allows for a new experience when the accessory is placed on the screen. For the team behind the popular Procreate app, “it’s hard to go back” after using Apple Pencil Hover on the new iPad Pro.
In an article published by Apple, the developers of Procreate shared their thoughts on the new Apple Pencil Hover feature. For those unfamiliar with it, Procreate is an illustration app for the iPad, introduced in 2011. The app now has an iPhone version and was awarded “App of the Year” in 2018 by Apple.
What the Apple Pencil Hover changes for users and developers
But what do they think of Apple Pencil Hover? According to James Cuda, CEO of Procreate, the Hover feature helps artists and designers draw even more accurately. “The ability to not engage or harm the artwork is transformative,” says Cuda.
With this new technology, the iPad can detect the Apple Pencil when the tip is up to 12mm above the screen. Developers can use the hover feature in their apps for different purposes like previewing where the user is drawing, selecting menus, and more. And for the product manager of Procreate, Claire d’Este, it makes the experience of using the applications much more “fun”.
I find myself scrolling through menus just to see him respond. There is something so pleasant about everything that lights up as I ponder what to do next.
In Procreate, users can take advantage of Apple Pencil Hover to develop images or preview animations directly from their thumbnails. The color picker and menu buttons react when the user moves the Apple Pencil across them, and it works with the canvas as well. d’Este highlights the ColorDrop feature for previewing colors using the Hover feature.
A second focus was the app’s ColorDrop feature, which instantly fills a section of your artwork when you drag and drop color onto it, paint-by-numbers style. Using the Apple Pencil hover, people can preview what the artwork will look like before committing to a color, which greatly speeds up the process. “If you ink, say comics, it’s huge,” says d’Este.
Now, the Procreate team strongly believes that the Apple Pencil Hover “solves a lot of things” for creators, and anyone who uses the feature will have a hard time returning to an experience without it.
Learn more about Procreate
Procreate for iPad is available on the App Store for $12.99. The Pocket version for iPhone costs $5.99. Both apps require a device running iOS 15.4.1 or later.
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