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If there is one complain I have when using drawing tablets, it is the number of physical buttons available. I’m currently using a XP-Pen Artist 12 drawing tablet and it only has 6 buttons plus a small touch bar. Granted the Artist 12 is a great and affordable drawing tablet with a 1080p screen that be purchased at around $200 to $250. I managed to get mine during a sale for slightly less than $200 back in July of 2019. You can also check out the Pro version along with other tablets from XP-Pen.
As I continue to use the Artist 12 on a daily basis, being unable to use my keyboard in a comfortable manner is starting to affect my productivity. You see, I have a relatively small desk and wasn’t able to fit the keyboard next to my drawing tablet without to shift things around constantly.
Fast forward a couple of months later, my friends gave me a birthday present I would not have bought for myself, at least for the reason I had in mind. It was the Razer Tartarus V2, a one handed keyboard with 32 programmable keys and of course, RGB. The original intended use for such keyboard is for gaming but it turns out, this is a the perfect companion device to go with any drawing tablet.
Saves A Lot of Space
The Razer Tartarus V2 is small, about 1/3 the width of a full size keyboard. This allows me to have it sit comfortably next to the Artist 12 tablet. Having both devices close to each other makes it less straining on my arms and wrist, at least in my opinion.
Programmable Keys
With 32 programmable keys, the Tartarus V2 allows me to set macros, which are sequences of keystrokes mouse actions, or menu actions. Like for an example, I’ve set the ‘Undo’ function to the single round button on the Tartarus V2. With a single press, I am able to trigger the ‘Undo’ function instead of having to press the default Ctrl and Z keys. This one handed keyboard also has 3 profiles you can set. This allows you to have different key customization for each profile. Currently I only have 2; one for drawing and one for gaming.
Comfort
The Razer Tartarus V2 has a palm rest and an ergonomic design that makes it comfortable to use for long hours. My only small complain is that I have a bit of trouble reaching certain keys (mainly 01 and 05) located on the top left and top right. Blame it on my small hands.
Having used the Tartarus V2 for over 6 months, I can say for sure that I can no longer do any graphic work without this one handed keyboard on my side.
P.S There are plenty of other one handed keyboard brands out there besides the offerings from Razer. As long as they support programmable keys, you are good to go.