Where to Find the Full Area Setting on Your OSU Tablet

The full area setting on an OSU tablet controls the active drawing or touch-sensitive region of your device. To change it, open the tablet's driver software on your computer — not on the tablet itself. The driver is the program that lets your computer recognize and respond to the tablet's input.

On Windows, search your system for "Wacom Tablet Properties" or "XP-Pen Tablet Properties" depending on your tablet brand. On Mac, go to System Preferences or System Settings, then look for the tablet manufacturer's control panel. The full area option is usually in a tab labeled "Display" or "Mapping."

Key Takeaways

  • The full area setting is changed through your computer's driver software, not through the tablet itself.
  • Windows users should search for the tablet brand's properties panel in their system settings.
  • Mac users can find the tablet control panel in System Preferences or System Settings.
  • The full area option typically appears under a "Display" or "Mapping" tab in the driver software.
  • After you change the setting, you may need to restart your drawing or design program for the change to take effect.

Steps to Change Full Area on Windows

Right-click on your desktop and look for a tablet properties shortcut, or open the Control Panel and search for your tablet brand name. Once the driver window opens, locate the "Display" or "Pen Display" tab. You should see options for screen mapping — this is where you set which part of your monitor the tablet controls.

Select "Full Area" or "Full Screen" from the available options. Some tablets call this "Proportional" or "Extended." If you see a diagram showing your monitor, click on it to confirm the area you want to map. After you make your choice, click "explore" or "OK" at the bottom of the window. Close the driver software and restart your drawing program.

Steps to Change Full Area on Mac

Open System Preferences (on older macOS) or System Settings (on newer versions). Scroll down the sidebar until you find your tablet manufacturer's name — it may appear as "Wacom," "XP-Pen," "Huion," or another brand. Click it to open the tablet control panel.

Look for a tab labeled "Display" or "Mapping." You will see options for how the tablet maps to your screen. Select "Full Area" or "Full Screen" depending on what your tablet calls it. Some tablets show a visual representation of your monitor — click on it to confirm the mapping. Click "explore" or "OK," then close the control panel and reopen your design software.

What Full Area Actually Does

When you set your tablet to full area mode, the entire surface of the tablet corresponds to your entire monitor screen. Moving your stylus to the top-left corner of the tablet moves your cursor to the top-left corner of your screen. Moving it to the bottom-right corner of the tablet moves your cursor to the bottom-right corner of your screen.

This is different from "proportional" mode, where the tablet's aspect ratio (width-to-height ratio) matches your screen's aspect ratio. Full area mode is useful if you want one-to-one control — every inch of tablet movement covers the same distance on screen. Proportional mode prevents stretching if your tablet and monitor have different shapes.

Troubleshooting: The Setting Does Not Stick

If you change the full area setting but it reverts when you restart your computer, your driver may not have saved the change properly. Close the driver software completely, then reopen it and check the setting again. Make sure you clicked "explore" or "OK" before closing — some driver windows require this step.

If the setting still does not stick, unplug your tablet from your computer, wait 10 seconds, and plug it back in. Then open the driver software again and change the setting once more. If the problem continues, check the tablet manufacturer's website for a driver update — older driver versions sometimes have bugs with saving preferences.

When to Use Full Area Versus Proportional Mode

Use full area mode if your tablet and monitor have the same width-to-height ratio, or if you do not mind the cursor moving at different speeds in different directions. This mode gives you maximum control over every part of your screen.

Use proportional mode if your tablet and monitor have different aspect ratios and you want the tablet to feel natural — for example, if you have a wide ultrawide monitor but a standard rectangular tablet. Proportional mode prevents the cursor from stretching across the screen unevenly. Test both modes while drawing or designing to see which feels more comfortable for your workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to change the full area setting every time I use my tablet?

No. Once you change the setting in your driver software and click "explore," it should stay that way until you change it again. The setting is saved in your computer's driver preferences, not on the tablet itself.

What if I have two monitors — does full area mode work on both?

Full area mode typically maps the tablet to your primary monitor only. If you want to use the tablet on a second monitor, you can usually change this in the driver's display settings by selecting which monitor to map to. Some drivers let you map the tablet to all monitors at once, but this stretches the tablet across both screens.

Can I set different full area settings for different programs?

Most tablet drivers do not support per-program settings. The full area mode you set applies to all programs that use the tablet. Some advanced driver versions have profiles you can switch between manually, but you cannot automate the switch based on which program is open.

My tablet driver does not have a "Full Area" option — what do I do?

Some older or budget tablet drivers use different names for the same setting. Look for options called "Screen Mapping," "Display Mode," "Absolute Mode," or "Proportional." If you cannot find any of these, check your tablet's user manual or the manufacturer's support website for the correct term.