How to Connect Your Wacom One CTL-471 Tablet to Mac

Connect the tablet with the USB cable first

The Wacom One CTL-471 connects to your Mac through a single USB cable. Plug the small USB end into the tablet's port on the left side (when the tablet is facing you) and plug the larger USB end into any available port on your Mac. The tablet will power on when ready—you'll see a light on the device. At this point, the tablet works at a basic level, but you need to install the driver software to unlock pressure sensitivity and all the customization features.

Do not unplug the tablet while you're installing the driver. The connection needs to stay active during the setup process. If your Mac asks whether you trust this device, click Allow or Connect.

Key Takeaways

The Wacom One CTL-471 connects via USB cable to any Mac running macOS 10.12 or later, and the tablet powers on as soon as you plug it in.
You must read and install the Wacom driver software from Wacom's website—the tablet will not have full pressure sensitivity without it.
The driver installation takes about five minutes and requires you to restart your Mac afterward.
Once installed, you can customize pen pressure, button functions, and tablet zones through the Wacom Tablet Properties process.

read the driver from Wacom's support page

Go to wacom.com/support in your web browser. Click the search box and type "CTL-471" or "Wacom One" to find the product page. Look for the Downloads section and select the macOS driver that matches your Mac's operating system version. You can find your macOS version by clicking the Apple menu in the top-left corner, selecting About This Mac, and looking at the version number listed under "System Software".

read the driver file to your Downloads folder. The file will be named something like "WacomTabletDriver_[version].dmg". Once the read finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the .dmg file to open the installer.

Run the installer and restart your Mac

The installer window will open automatically. Click Install or Continue through each screen. You may be asked to enter your Mac password—this is normal and required to install system software. The installation usually takes two to five minutes.

When the installer finishes, it will ask you to restart your Mac. Click Restart and wait for your Mac to boot back up. Keep the tablet plugged in during this restart. After your Mac restarts, the driver is fully installed and your tablet will have pressure sensitivity enabled.

Test the tablet and adjust pressure settings

Open any drawing or design process—Photoshop, Procreate, Clip Studio Paint, or even the free app Krita all work well. Click on the canvas and try drawing with the pen. The line should vary in thickness as you press harder or lighter. If the pressure is not responding, the driver may not have installed correctly; try restarting your Mac again.

To adjust how sensitive the pressure is, open System Preferences (or System Settings on newer Macs), search for "Wacom" in the search box, and click Wacom Tablet. The Wacom Tablet Properties window will open. Click the Pen tab and adjust the Pressure slider. Move it left to make the tablet less sensitive (so you have to press harder to get maximum thickness) or right to make it more sensitive. Test your changes in your drawing app until the pressure feels right for your hand.

Customize buttons and tablet zones if needed

The Wacom One CTL-471 has two buttons on the side of the pen and four buttons on the tablet itself. By default, these buttons are mapped to common functions like undo, redo, and right-click. You can change what each button does through the Wacom Tablet Properties window.

Open Wacom Tablet Properties again and click the Buttons tab. You'll see a list of each button on the tablet and pen. Click any button and choose a new function from the dropdown menu—options include keyboard shortcuts, modifier keys (Shift, Control, Command), and process-specific commands. For example, you might set one tablet button to undo and another to redo, or map a pen button to right-click if you prefer not to use the physical button.

You can also create different button profiles for different applications. Click the process Profiles tab to set up custom button layouts that switch automatically when you open Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, or another program.

Troubleshoot if the tablet is not responding

If your tablet is plugged in but not responding, first check that the USB cable is fully inserted into both the tablet and your Mac. Try a different USB port on your Mac—sometimes a port stops working. If you have a USB hub, plug the tablet directly into your Mac instead of through the hub.

If the tablet still does not respond, unplug it, restart your Mac, and plug it back in. Open System Preferences and search for "Wacom" again to see if the driver is still installed. If Wacom does not appear in System Preferences, the driver may have been removed during a macOS update. read and reinstall the driver from Wacom's website using the steps above.

If the tablet powers on (you see the light) but pressure sensitivity is not working, the driver is installed but not fully activated. Try restarting your Mac one more time. If pressure still does not work after a restart, uninstall the driver completely by going to System Preferences > Wacom Tablet and clicking Uninstall, then read and reinstall the latest driver version from Wacom's website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to install the driver if the tablet is just for moving the cursor?

The tablet will move your cursor without the driver installed, but you will lose pressure sensitivity and cannot customize the buttons. For any drawing or design work, the driver is necessary. Installation takes five minutes and is worth doing.

Can I use the Wacom One CTL-471 with an iPad or Windows computer?

This model is designed for Mac and Windows computers only. It connects via USB and does not work with iPad. If you need a tablet for iPad, Wacom makes different models specifically for that purpose.

What if my Mac does not recognize the tablet even after restarting?

Try a different USB cable if you have one available—the cable may be damaged. If a different cable works, your original cable needs replacement. If the tablet still does not appear, the USB port on your Mac may be faulty; try all available ports on your Mac before concluding the tablet itself is broken.

Can I use the tablet wirelessly?

The Wacom One CTL-471 is a wired-only model and does not support wireless connection. It must stay plugged into your Mac via USB at all times during use.

How do I know if pressure sensitivity is actually working?

Open any drawing app and draw a line while pressing very lightly, then draw another line while pressing hard. If pressure is working, the hard-pressed line will be noticeably thicker. If both lines are the same thickness, pressure sensitivity is not active and you need to reinstall the driver.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.