If you’re thinking about buying a resistive touchscreen, you might be wondering whether or not a stylus will work with it. Many people prefer to use a stylus to perform touch commands. Consisting of an inkless pen-like device, styluses have become synonymous with touchscreen devices. Not all touchscreens, however, work with a stylus. So, will a stylus work with a resistive touchscreen, or should you choose a different touchscreen device?
Yes, Resistive Touchscreens Support Styluses
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Resistive means a touchscreen is made of multiple layers consisting of an electrically resistive material. Most resistive touchscreens feature two of these resistive layers, which are separated by air. Tapping or touching the display interface will force the two layers to make contact at the location of your touch command.
How Resistive Touchscreens Work With a Stylus
You can use any object to control a resistive touchscreen — and styluses are no exception. Resistive touchscreens essentially use a mechanical method of operation, which allows them to work with all objects. Whether you use a bare finger or a stylus, you’ll push the top layer of the resistive touchscreen into the bottom layer.
What About Capacitive Touchscreens?
You can use any object to control a resistive touchscreen — and styluses are no exception. Resistive touchscreens essentially use a mechanical method of operation, which allows them to work with all objects. Whether you use a bare finger or a stylus, you’ll push the top layer of the resistive touchscreen into the bottom layer.
An exception, however, is projected capacitive touchscreens. Projected capacitive touchscreens can detect some touch commands without the need for conductivity. You can wear thin gloves, for instance, while using a projected capacitive touchscreen. With that said, you typically won’t be able to use a stylus to control a projected capacitive touchscreen.
There are some styluses that are designed to work with capacitive touchscreens. They are known as capacitive styluses. They look and feel like all other styluses. The difference is that capacitive styluses are made of conductive material. They feature a conductive tip that allows them to work with capacitive touchscreens.
