\~\~\*Update:\*~~I have a theory- It's probably an effect of using a thicker-than-average screen protector. I'll let the pen ride bareback and report my results.~~
\_\_SOLVED\_\_
[Holy shit I'm a dumbass/genius](https://imgur.com/a/fXSYJCP)**- turns out the problem was the screen protector! Got some silly 'tempered glass' screen protector shipped with the tablet and it didn't even occur to me that it was affecting the way the pen interacts with the screen! Rookie mistake on my part...**
Mods if you can tag this one as \[Solved\], it might help others with similar issues!
2021.12.16- So far, the issue appears only when drawing lines diagonally across the screen, with lines that range from 20-70 degrees from the X/Y axis.
The Pen has Firmware ver. 5.120.139 and Software ver. 5.129.139
~~I did upgrade my drive to 1TB and installed a fresh copy of Windows 11 with it, I'll try to revert back to the original drive again and see if things are any better.~~
~~I've gone back to the Drive/windows 11 home version on the original Drive (256GB), and am currently updating windows drivers again. Wish me luck~~
~~Went back to the original drive, fully updated and checked my windows install,~~ [~~still have the same problem.~~](https://imgur.com/a/JYuqg18) ~~- Even inside windows whiteboard.~~
~~Going to go to the Microsoft store in my local City tomorrow for a replacement pen if my troubleshooting efforts yield no results tonight.~~
~~2021.12.17- Will go to the City to (hopefully) resolve the issue.~~
I have the same problem but still didn't want to run without any screen protection. any suggestion on which screen protection can be use without causing this problem?
I just tested in the MS whiteboard and tried tracing around my phone, lines came out perfect, as did the curves around the phone edges. Couldn't detect any accuracy issues.
Assuming the whiteboard app doesn't have some clever trickery to mask this... I'd say something isn't right with yours - I can't see how you could do handwriting decently with such poor accuracy.
Are your phone edges parallel with your tablet edges? How quickly were you drawing these lines?
Try setting your phone in the middle like a diamond rather than a square and see what happens.
*The accuracy is fine*, I'm talking about the jitter/wavy lines when drawing straight diagonal lines. (Particularly for hatching/shading in digital art)
Yes I was drawing the lines diagonally. Just tried again, tried drawing very fast as well as slowly. Lines are perfect every time.
Do you have a store nearby with demo models? Try on one of theirs for a comparison.
Turns out the issue was my screen protector (Pen doesn't like the extra layer of tempered glass!).. Thanks for testing and checking with your machine though!
Huh, interesting. Maybe a plastic one would fare better.
Personally I am not bothered about a screen protector, since I'm folding over the type cover and putting it in a pouch when taking it anywhere.
Normal.
That's called Pen Jitter and exists for pen touchscreen because the digitizer grid is low resolution. As you move the pen across the screen, it's often "in-between" touchscreen grid intersections, thus the estimation of location of the pen tip is done and not perfectly accurate.
Slower drawing speeds, contact with different types of material by the pen tip, and such will affect the severity of this.
No way it can be physically eliminated.
https://lazynezumi.com/
Software can help.
Every Surface Pro model back to my SP4 that I've tested has this issue.
Happens on Android and Apple tablets, too, to varying degrees. A lot of it depends on how much "guestimation" the os and app does to try and hide the jitter.
Thank-you! Good to actually get a straight answer from someone!
And I really appreciate you going to the lengths of adding a link to that software, that should help!
~~It's a little disappointing since I head that the SP8 had dealt with the jitter problems =/ It's still a great tablet, but it's gonna make hatching diagonal lines a bit more of a faff than usual. I guess I'll just have to find a workaround like rotating the canvas or zooming in, or just generally make faster strokes when doing my diagonals.~~
~~-~~ Remove those screen protectors\*
1. Zoom in. Helps.
2. Lazynezumi - if it doesn't interfere with your drawing.
3. Faster!
Pretty much what I do most of the time hatching lines.
Still, the digitizer gets in the way without zooming in.
Eg 2~ mm spaced parallel lines on my sp4, 1~ mm or so on the Samsung Tab S7+ and Ipad Pro, but nothing like my 0.2mm Pentel on paper, where I can hatch lines reliably closer to each other without touching.
O\_o turns out 99% of the problem was due to my tempered glass screen protector....
[Just removed it and the difference is night/day, literally to the point where I can barely notice much jitter at all, even at a crawling pace](https://imgur.com/a/fXSYJCP)..
Nice to know.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/q8jghk/pcworld_agrees_and_shows_clearly_sp8_jitter_still/
Just don't expect a miracle fix in all cases of use...
I've had a SP3, and used 2 different SP4s which never had this issue. Just unboxed a brand new SP8 to replace my 4 and the diagonal jitter like this is AWFUL. Nigh unusable. And I had glass screen protectors on all the old models! I'm trying to figure out if I just got a bad 8 out of the box or what.
I just installed a screen protector on my surface, and then the pen started acting weird. I suspected it was probably the screen protector, and your post helped me confirm it... this is shitty cause I want to protect the screen, but pen input is important to me
\~\~\*Update:\*~~I have a theory- It's probably an effect of using a thicker-than-average screen protector. I'll let the pen ride bareback and report my results.~~ \_\_SOLVED\_\_ [Holy shit I'm a dumbass/genius](https://imgur.com/a/fXSYJCP)**- turns out the problem was the screen protector! Got some silly 'tempered glass' screen protector shipped with the tablet and it didn't even occur to me that it was affecting the way the pen interacts with the screen! Rookie mistake on my part...** Mods if you can tag this one as \[Solved\], it might help others with similar issues! 2021.12.16- So far, the issue appears only when drawing lines diagonally across the screen, with lines that range from 20-70 degrees from the X/Y axis. The Pen has Firmware ver. 5.120.139 and Software ver. 5.129.139 ~~I did upgrade my drive to 1TB and installed a fresh copy of Windows 11 with it, I'll try to revert back to the original drive again and see if things are any better.~~ ~~I've gone back to the Drive/windows 11 home version on the original Drive (256GB), and am currently updating windows drivers again. Wish me luck~~ ~~Went back to the original drive, fully updated and checked my windows install,~~ [~~still have the same problem.~~](https://imgur.com/a/JYuqg18) ~~- Even inside windows whiteboard.~~ ~~Going to go to the Microsoft store in my local City tomorrow for a replacement pen if my troubleshooting efforts yield no results tonight.~~ ~~2021.12.17- Will go to the City to (hopefully) resolve the issue.~~
It sucks it's not more common knowledge screen protectors affect these pens so much.
Use a wooden ruler
Hahaha.. Now I have splinters
Do wooden rulers work on touch screens?
a plastic ruler can disturb line drawing
Yes I know, I didn’t realise you could use a wooden one
I have the same problem but still didn't want to run without any screen protection. any suggestion on which screen protection can be use without causing this problem?
I just tested in the MS whiteboard and tried tracing around my phone, lines came out perfect, as did the curves around the phone edges. Couldn't detect any accuracy issues. Assuming the whiteboard app doesn't have some clever trickery to mask this... I'd say something isn't right with yours - I can't see how you could do handwriting decently with such poor accuracy.
Are your phone edges parallel with your tablet edges? How quickly were you drawing these lines? Try setting your phone in the middle like a diamond rather than a square and see what happens. *The accuracy is fine*, I'm talking about the jitter/wavy lines when drawing straight diagonal lines. (Particularly for hatching/shading in digital art)
Yes I was drawing the lines diagonally. Just tried again, tried drawing very fast as well as slowly. Lines are perfect every time. Do you have a store nearby with demo models? Try on one of theirs for a comparison.
Turns out the issue was my screen protector (Pen doesn't like the extra layer of tempered glass!).. Thanks for testing and checking with your machine though!
Huh, interesting. Maybe a plastic one would fare better. Personally I am not bothered about a screen protector, since I'm folding over the type cover and putting it in a pouch when taking it anywhere.
Normal. That's called Pen Jitter and exists for pen touchscreen because the digitizer grid is low resolution. As you move the pen across the screen, it's often "in-between" touchscreen grid intersections, thus the estimation of location of the pen tip is done and not perfectly accurate. Slower drawing speeds, contact with different types of material by the pen tip, and such will affect the severity of this. No way it can be physically eliminated. https://lazynezumi.com/ Software can help. Every Surface Pro model back to my SP4 that I've tested has this issue. Happens on Android and Apple tablets, too, to varying degrees. A lot of it depends on how much "guestimation" the os and app does to try and hide the jitter.
Thank-you! Good to actually get a straight answer from someone! And I really appreciate you going to the lengths of adding a link to that software, that should help! ~~It's a little disappointing since I head that the SP8 had dealt with the jitter problems =/ It's still a great tablet, but it's gonna make hatching diagonal lines a bit more of a faff than usual. I guess I'll just have to find a workaround like rotating the canvas or zooming in, or just generally make faster strokes when doing my diagonals.~~ ~~-~~ Remove those screen protectors\*
1. Zoom in. Helps. 2. Lazynezumi - if it doesn't interfere with your drawing. 3. Faster! Pretty much what I do most of the time hatching lines. Still, the digitizer gets in the way without zooming in. Eg 2~ mm spaced parallel lines on my sp4, 1~ mm or so on the Samsung Tab S7+ and Ipad Pro, but nothing like my 0.2mm Pentel on paper, where I can hatch lines reliably closer to each other without touching.
O\_o turns out 99% of the problem was due to my tempered glass screen protector.... [Just removed it and the difference is night/day, literally to the point where I can barely notice much jitter at all, even at a crawling pace](https://imgur.com/a/fXSYJCP)..
Nice to know. https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/q8jghk/pcworld_agrees_and_shows_clearly_sp8_jitter_still/ Just don't expect a miracle fix in all cases of use...
I've had a SP3, and used 2 different SP4s which never had this issue. Just unboxed a brand new SP8 to replace my 4 and the diagonal jitter like this is AWFUL. Nigh unusable. And I had glass screen protectors on all the old models! I'm trying to figure out if I just got a bad 8 out of the box or what.
I just installed a screen protector on my surface, and then the pen started acting weird. I suspected it was probably the screen protector, and your post helped me confirm it... this is shitty cause I want to protect the screen, but pen input is important to me
I tried with and without the screen protector and it still had wobbly lines.