The ATARI Touch Tablet is an art and graphics controller designed for use with all ATARI Home Computers. You can quickly and easily create your own computer art and graphics—without writing complex programs—using the AtariArtist™ software included with the Touch Tablet.

You can draw pictures on the ATARI Touch Tablet with just about anything—the stylus that comes in the package, a pen, or your finger.

You can draw right on the Touch Tablet itself, but you should always place the clear plastic overlay on the tablet surface. The plastic overlay not only protects the Touch Tablet surface, but acts like tracing paper—just put the picture you want to trace between the overlay and tablet surface, then use the stylus to trace the picture onto your screen.

Use moderate pressure when drawing on the Touch Tablet. Press only hard enough to make the cursor appear on your TV screen. Pressing too hard could tear the plastic overlay or damage the Touch Tablet's surface, and pressing too lightly could interfere with proper cursor movement and drawing action. Lifting the drawing tool from the tablet surface causes the cursor—the white crosshairs on the screen—to vanish.

The two control buttons on the Touch Tablet and the one on the stylus act like "fire” buttons on other controllers. They are used in conjunction with the stylus and the Touch Tablet’s drawing surface to make menu selections or begin an activity—moving from a menu to a picture, drawing a line, choosing a particular color, or erasing the screen.

With one exception (see page 5), the control buttons work identically—when you're using the stylus that comes with the Touch Tablet, you can press either the button on the stylus or one of the two control buttons on the tablet to make menu selections, erase the cursor, or begin drawing. When you’re drawing with something other than the stylus, use either button on the Touch Tablet to select one of the AtariArtist features.

You can also use the Touch Tablet instead of paddle controllers to play certain ATARI games. Moving the stylus on the Touch Tablet surface imitates paddle action, so wherever you move your stylus or pen on the tablet surface, the cursor (or other indicator) on the television or monitor screen follows.