# Pen compatibility

## Overview

<mark style="color:red;">**Drawing tablets tablets are very specific about which pens they work with. Never buy a pen without verifying compatibility first. The best way to confirm compatibility is to contact support.**</mark>

## **Key points**

* Usually a drawing tablet is only compatible with the exact pen model it came with
* A pen from Manufacturer A will most likely not work with Tablet from manufacturer B.
* A pen from Manufacturer A may not work with all tablets made by manufacturer A
* Using the same technology such as "EMR" does not mean two pens are interchangeable.
* Apple Pencils are only compatible with Apple iPads.
* Wacom has so many tablets and and pens that compatibility can get confusing: [Wacom pen compatibility](/drawtab/catalog/pens/wacom-pens/wacom-pen-compatibility.md)

If you need to replace a pen, find out the model number that is compatible with your tablet. Then order that exact model. If you don't know the model you need, contact support for your drawing tablet.

## Video: Buying compatible pens for your drawing tablet <https://youtu.be/cKBSpIVeZJk>

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/cKBSpIVeZJk>" %}

## What causes pen incompatibility?

### Tech differences

* Different pens use different resonant frequencies for their EMR signal. So pens that don't use the same frequency as the tablets expect will not be compatible
* Different pens use different techniques for transmitting some kinds of information back to the tablet, and these techniques have to also be supported by the tablet to work.
* This is sometimes why you can for example try using brand X pen with brand UY tablet, and the tablet might be able to sense the position of the pen, but not the button presses, or pressure.

### Non-tech causes

**Driver selectively excludes pens** - I know of at least one case with Wacom where the pen and tablet would actually work but the Wacom driver prevents it. The way around this is to use [OpenTabletDriver](/drawtab/guides/drivers/opentabletdriver.md)which does not have that restriction.

## Resources

* Huion's guide to finding compatible pens: (<https://support.huion.com/en/support/solutions/articles/44002337828-how-do-i-choose-correct-pen-for-my-huion-tablet->)
* [Wacom pen compatibility](/drawtab/catalog/pens/wacom-pens/wacom-pen-compatibility.md)


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