Q100640: Pen pressure sensitivity over Remote Desktop Protocol using Windows Ink in Mari 4.8 and 5.0

Pete

Updated: March 26, 2026 17:45

Created: January 20, 2026 15:58

SUMMARY

This article will explain the changes to support for Windows Ink and pen pressure sensitivity over Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) in different versions of Mari. Artists can use the pressure they apply with their pen on graphic tablets to automatically adjust brush settings such as size and opacity while painting. 

Support for tablet pen pressure sensitivity while connected to a remote computer has been introduced to Windows 10 through the implementation of Windows Ink, Windows' new internal protocol for pen input devices.

Whilst Mari 4.8 and 5.0 can make use of Windows Ink, Mari 4.7 and earlier only support the legacy WinTab to interface with graphics tablets. WinTab does not support pen pressure over remote connections. However, you will still want to use Mari with WinTab for local connections and maybe even for remote connections, as there are currently 5 known bugs in Mari caused by Windows Ink which can make some operations in Mari feel clunky.

Please refer to the table below for a summary on how to launch Mari with support for pen pressure sensitivity over remote connections using Windows Ink, or how to launch Mari with WinTab for optimal pen handling for local users:

MORE INFORMATION

How to launch Mari with pen pressure sensitivity for remote connections (Windows Ink) 

Support for tablet pen pressure sensitivity over Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) was implemented in Windows 10 through Windows Ink. However, Mari 4.7 and earlier used the legacy WinTab to interface with graphics tablets, instead of Windows Ink. This meant that pen pressure could not be used over remote connections.

Compared to 4.7, Mari 4.8v1 and 5.0v1 switched methods on how to interface with your tablet peripheral, from WinTab, to Windows Ink. With support for Windows Ink, artists can now use pen pressure over remote connections.

However, some undesirable behaviours were observed while using a pen via Windows Ink in Mari 4.8v1 and 5.0v1. The Mari development team are working on resolving these issues for a future Mari release, and further information can be found in the relevant Bug Tracker articles linked below:

ID 496140 - Sliders stick when they are being manipulated with a Wacom tablet using Windows Ink

ID 494883 - Windows Ink creates additional clicks on short tablet strokes

ID 498306 - Click and holding the toolbar group buttons with a Wacom pen does not reveal the pop-out selection menu when Windows Ink is enabled

ID 498345 - Unable to zoom when using Alt+Right Click with a Wacom pen while Windows Ink is turned on

ID 498462 - Dragging warp points with a Wacom pen has a delay when Windows Ink is enabled 

In Mari 4.8v2 and 5.0v2, to prevent these issues for local users, a workaround was implemented that forces Mari to use WinTab.

This workaround has been achieved by adding a command line argument to Mari’s default desktop shortcuts, which forces all tablet interactions to be interfaced through WinTab:
-platform windows:nowmpointer

To maintain the option of launching with Windows Ink, for remote pen pressure sensitivity, a new default desktop shortcut was also added.

To launch Mari 4.8v2/5.0v2 and later with Windows Ink, please use the Mari <version> (Windows Ink) shortcut, as this does not include the command line argument which forces Mari to use WinTab:

The Mari <version> (Windows Ink) shortcut is created during installation, and is located in C:\Users\Public\Desktop\Mari <version> (Windows Ink) by default.

Please remember that until the bugs listed above are addressed, they will still be present if you use Windows Ink.

How to launch Mari with optimal pen handling for local connections (WinTab) 

In Mari 4.8v2 and 5.0v2 a workaround was implemented to prevent the issues with Windows Ink from affecting users who are not working remotely.

This workaround forces Mari’s pen handling to be interfaced through WinTab, as it was in Mari 4.7 and earlier. When Mari is forced to use WinTab, pen pressure will not work over remote connections, but the bugs seen when the pen handling uses Windows Ink are avoided.

This workaround has been achieved by adding a command line argument to Mari’s default desktop shortcuts, which forces all tablet interactions to be interfaced through WinTab:
-platform windows:nowmpointer

Please note that if you are launching the Mari executable from the command line or have created your own custom desktop shortcuts, and you would like to force tablet interactions to use WinTab, you will need to add this command line argument. For example:

“C:\Program Files\Mari5.0v1\Bundle\bin\Mari5.0v1.exe -platform windows:nowmpointer”

Conclusion

The conditions described in this article mean that you'll always want to use Mari with WinTab when working locally, and use Mari with Windows Ink when you're working remotely and you'd like to have pen pressure sensitivity (at the cost of experiencing the current Windows Ink bugs).

FURTHER HELP

If you are experiencing difficulties please create a support ticket and provide us with the information requested in this article:
Q100090: Information to send Support when reporting a Mari issue

For more information on how to open a Support ticket, please refer to this article:
Q100064: How to raise a support ticket