6 Ways To Fix Pen Pressure Not Working in Krita [Solved]

Krita pressure sensitivity is a feature that allows the apps to tell how hard you’re pressing. If you press lightly, you’ll draw a thin, small line. If you press harder, you’ll draw a thicker, more prominent line.

The pen pressure sensitivity sometimes doesn’t work correctly when you draw in Krita. Here is a list of solutions to make Pen Pressure Sensitivity work properly in Krita on Both Windows OS and MacOS.

Our step-by-step solutions listed below apply to tablet brands such as Wacom, XP-Pen, Huion, Ugee, Parblo, Xencelabs, and others.

Solution 1: Use A Brush That Enables Pen Pressure on the Default

Not all brushes in Krita are compatible with the pen pressure sensitivity feature. First, you need to make sure that you use a brush that enables pen pressure on default.

Here is the list of Brush that have pen pressure enabled:

Basic 5 Size Brush in Krita
  • Basic-5 Size Brush
  • Basic-5 Size Opacity Brush
  • Basic-6 Details Brush
  • Pencil-4 Soft Brush
  • Ink-7 Brush Rough
  • Ink-8 Sumi-e Brush
  • Dry Bristles Brush

If you’re unsatisfied with the default brushes with pen pressure enabled, you can try adding and importing new brushes to Krita.

Solution 2: Identify if the issue in your hardware or your software 

Try to draw using another drawing app to determine if the problem is with your hardware or software. For example, I try to draw in CSP since I have both Clip Studio Paint and Krita installed.

If you don’t have another drawing app, Install a free drawing app like Medibang Paint or Inkscape on your computer.

If you want to know more about other drawing apps, check out our comparison guide:

Krita vs. Medibang

Krita vs. Paint Tool SAI

If the pen pressure sensitivity works appropriately in another app, the issue is in your software, which is caused by an issue in Krita Settings.

If the pen pressure issue persists, the problem is on your drawing tablet. Ask the company that made your tablet for help or advice.

You can open these links to get support if there is an issue with your drawing tablet:

Wacom: https://support.wacom.com/hc/en-us#product-support

XP-Pen: https://www.xp-pen.com/support

Huion: https://www.huion.com/contact_us.html

Check out: Best Drawing Tablet Under $200

If your tablet is still under warranty, you might get it fixed or replaced for free.

Solution 3: Change the preferences for WinTab vs. Windows Ink

Follow these steps to change how Krita receives input from your drawing tablet:

Step 1: Open Krita preferences by clicking Settings > Configure Krita in Windows. On MacOS, click Krita > Preferences …

Krita Preferences in MacOS

Step 2: Select Tablet settings on the left menu

WinTab and Windows Ink settings in Krita

Step 3: Choose between the Wintab and Windows 8+ Pointer Input (Windows Ink) options under the Tablet Input API section.

Step 4: Select OK to save your changes and apply the new settings.

“Wintab” refers to your drawing and display tablets connected to your computers, while “Windows Ink” applies to Windows tablets and touchscreen 2-in-1 laptops like Microsoft Surface Tablet.

If you’re using a Wacom drawing tablet, it is recommended that you use the WinTab setting.

If you use Huion and Xp-Pen drawing tablet, try to choose the Windows Ink Option. Test which option is better based on the result.

If you are interested in which drawing tablet is the best, check our drawing tablet guide:

Best Drawing Tablet Brand Compared

Huion vs. Xp-Pen For Artists

Solution 4: Add “Use Pen Pressure” in Krita Toolbars

Pen pressure sensitivity is enabled by default in Krita. Choosing Wintab as the option for tablet input will let your drawing tablet configure the pen pressure in Krita.

But if you choose the Windows Ink option, you must manually add the pen pressure option in Krita. Follow these steps to add pen pressure sensitivity in Krita.

Configure toolbars in Krita

Step 1: On the top menu, click Settings and select Configure Toolbar

Step 2: On the left menu, search for the “Use Pen Pressure” option

Adding use pen pressure action to the main toolbar in Krita

Step 3: Click the right arrow to move the action to Krita’s current actions box on the right side.

Step 4: Click OK to save the changes in Krita Toolbar

Step 5: On the toolbar, click the Pen Pressure icon. When turned on, it will be highlighted in blue. After it is turned on, you can use the pen pressure sensitivity feature in Krita

Solution 5: Reset Krita Setting

If all the solutions above don’t fix the problem, the last thing you should do is reset Krita’s Settings to the default settings.

You might wonder why resetting is recommended instead of uninstalling Krita.

Because even if you uninstall Krita, your previous Krita settings will be saved on your computer as a backup if you reinstall Krita. So you should reset Krita because uninstalling the app won’t fix the problem.

Resetting Krita will delete all custom configurations. Any personalized settings, brushes, or workspace layouts you’ve created will be lost when you restore the default settings.

To reset the Krita configuration, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Krita

Reset all settings menu in Krita

Step 2: Select Settings on the top menu and click Reset All Settings

Clear all settings file in Krita

Step 3: A pop-up confirmation window will appear. Click Yes to reset all settings on Krita

Step 4: Restart Krita to make sure the changes are applied. Try to follow the previous solution to add pen pressure in Krita.

Solution 6: Enhancing Krita’s Performance to Improve Pressure Sensitivity

Sometimes, if Krita lags, the pen pressure sensitivity feature might not work correctly on your computer. 

When the app is lagging, processing and responding to the input from your drawing tablet takes more time. This delayed response can lead to inconsistent pressure sensitivity in Krita.

Luckily we have already covered the solution to this topic in the article below:

[Solved] Krita Feels Laggy? 7 Ways to Fix It

Conclusion

Pen Pressure sensitivity is an important feature you must have in Krita. In case you don’t know, a similar feature called stabilization in Krita makes the line smoother instead of thicker.

We hope our solution can help you fix your issue when you draw using pen pressure sensitivity in Krita. If you still encounter any issues, please contact us or leave a comment.

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Kenny HD
Hi, I’m Kenny. I’m a digital artist who began learning art at the age of 21. I enjoy drawing cartoons and fan art.

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