Try a community driver for your Wacom Intuos3 on Windows 11
The Wacom Intuos3 is an older graphics tablet that can still be useful for drawing and illustration. Wacom lists Windows 10 as the newest Windows version for its last Intuos3 driver. If you’ve moved to Windows 11, you may find that your tablet is no longer recognised or doesn’t work properly with your drawing software. Wacom driver guidance
OpenTabletDriver is a free, community-developed alternative that lists the Wacom Intuos3 PTZ-630 as supported. It offers a way to try using your existing tablet on Windows 11 without having to replace it. The tablet’s touch bars, used for functions such as scrolling and zooming, are currently unsupported.
Getting started
First, check the model number on your tablet. This guide covers the Wacom Intuos3 PTZ-630 with Windows 11 on an x64 computer.
You can download OpenTabletDriver and follow the project’s Windows installation instructions. It runs on your computer in place of Wacom’s original tablet driver, allowing Windows to communicate with the tablet.
Before changing drivers, check whether your existing setup already works well enough for your needs. If you decide to try OpenTabletDriver, keep a copy of your existing Wacom driver installer and settings so you have a route back.
Useful links
- OpenTabletDriver website
- Windows installation instructions
- Supported tablet models
- Windows troubleshooting and pen-pressure guidance
Using your tablet for drawing
Getting Windows to recognise the tablet is the first step. You’ll also want to check that it works in your drawing application.
One particularly important feature is pen pressure sensitivity. This allows your brush strokes to change in thickness or opacity depending on how firmly you press the pen.
On Windows, OpenTabletDriver needs additional software to enable pressure sensitivity. The project provides instructions for installing the VMulti driver and Windows Ink plugin, which allow compatible drawing applications to receive pressure information.
Configure your drawing software to use Windows Ink. For example, in Krita’s tablet settings, choose Windows 8+ Pointer Input (Windows Ink). Use Krita’s tablet tester to see whether pressure is being recognised, then try a pressure-sensitive brush to check that it changes the stroke. Krita tablet settings
Check that the tablet maps correctly to your screen and that the setup still works after restarting your computer.
Although the project lists the PTZ-630, we haven’t found a fully documented Windows 11 setup confirming pressure sensitivity on this exact model. Treat this as an option to try and check the features you rely on before committing to the setup.
Returning to your previous setup
OpenTabletDriver can conflict with other tablet drivers. Review the project’s guidance on existing drivers before changing your setup. OpenTabletDriver troubleshooting
If you decide to switch back, stop OpenTabletDriver and disable any startup entry you added. If you installed VMulti, follow its separate uninstall instructions. Then reinstall your previous Wacom driver and retest the tablet in your drawing app. Returning to a previously working setup may require troubleshooting. VMulti uninstall instructions
About this solution
OpenTabletDriver is a free, open-source project developed and maintained by independent contributors. Its Windows pressure support draws on work by the Windows Ink plugin and VMulti maintainers.
Owners have reported mixed experiences. Keep Things Working has reviewed the project documentation and owner reports. We have yet to test this tablet or confirm pressure-sensitive drawing on Windows 11 ourselves.
Have you tried OpenTabletDriver with a PTZ-630? We’d welcome details of your Windows version, drawing application and whether pen pressure, buttons and other features work. Your experience could help other owners decide whether to try this solution.