Raw SmithBlog
Editing RAW photos with Apple Pencil: masks, brushes and pressure
Apple Pencil makes RAW editing on iPad better in one place above all: masks. In Raw Smith, paint a brush mask with the Pencil and pressure sets how strongly each stroke paints, double-tapping the Pencil switches between Paint and Erase, and once the Pencil has painted, your fingers pan and zoom instead of leaving marks.
Most of a RAW edit is sliders, and a finger or a trackpad is fine for those. Local work is different. Darkening a bright window, lifting a face or dodging a path is careful painting, and that's what the Pencil is for.
Why Pencil support matters
Photographers who edit on iPad care about this, and it's easy to get wrong. Two threads on Adobe's community forums show the kind of trouble people run into:
- Cannot use Pencil 2 on iPad Pro to use Mask/Brush was opened in August 2021, was still getting replies in March 2025, and is marked In Development. Adobe said its team couldn't reproduce it in-house, and some users fixed it by changing the Pencil tip or removing a screen protector.
- Masks change or created when moving or zooming an image using two-finger gesture, from February 2025, reported that pinching to zoom while masking with the Pencil left a brush mark between the fingers. Adobe released a fix in Lightroom 10.2.2 later that month.
Neither is a reason to avoid Lightroom; bugs come and go. They show what photographers expect: the Pencil paints, fingers navigate, and the two never get mixed up.
Which Apple Pencil do you need?
| Pressure | Double-tap | In Raw Smith | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Pencil Pro | Yes | Yes | Pressure flow and double-tap to erase |
| Apple Pencil (2nd generation) | Yes | Yes | Pressure flow and double-tap to erase |
| Apple Pencil (USB-C) | No | No | Precise painting at full flow; switch Erase on screen |
| Apple Pencil (1st generation) | Yes | No | Pressure flow; switch Erase on screen |
Apple's Apple Pencil page compares the current models. Check which Pencil your iPad supports before you buy one; they aren't interchangeable.
What Apple Pencil does in Raw Smith
Pressure sets the flow
A brush mask has Size, Feather and Flow. With a pressure-sensitive Pencil, how hard you press scales the flow, from a light touch at a tenth of your Flow setting to full flow when you press firmly. Each stroke keeps the firmest pressure it reached, so you can start light and press in to build it up, and a stroke's lighter start doesn't weaken it.
Size and feather stay as you set them. Pressure doesn't make the brush bigger, which keeps edges predictable. To build up an effect gradually, set Flow low and paint over an area several times.
Pencil paints, fingers navigate
The first time you paint with the Pencil after opening the editor, Raw Smith switches to Pencil-only painting. From then on a finger drag pans the photo and a pinch zooms it, and only the Pencil leaves marks. If Only Draw with Apple Pencil is on in the iPad's Settings › Apple Pencil, it's Pencil-only from the start. Without a Pencil, a finger paints as usual.
This is what lets you work fast at 100%: zoom in with two fingers, paint along an edge, push the photo along with a finger, carry on.
Double-tap switches Paint and Erase
With a brush open, double-tap the Pencil to switch between Paint and Erase. Raw Smith follows the double-tap action you've chosen in iPadOS: it switches when that's set to Switch between current tool and eraser or Switch between current tool and last used, and leaves the brush alone for other choices. The brush outline shows a minus sign while it erases.
Smooth strokes
Raw Smith reads every position the Pencil reports between screen updates, not just the latest, so fast strokes follow your hand closely rather than cutting corners.
What it doesn't do
- No squeeze. The Pencil Pro's squeeze isn't used.
- No hover preview. The brush outline, with its feather shown as a dashed inner circle, appears once the tip touches the glass, not while it hovers.
- No tilt or barrel roll. The brush is round and doesn't change with the Pencil's angle.
- No pressure on other tools. Elsewhere, such as dragging gradient handles or tapping a spot in Remove, the Pencil works like a precise finger.
A Pencil workflow for local edits
- Start with what Raw Smith can find. In Masks, tap New Mask and try Subject, Sky or People first. These are found on the iPad, and they're usually most of the work.
- Refine with the brush. In the open mask, use + to add a brush where the selection missed, or − to subtract a brush where it spilled over. A brush in Erase mode works too.
- Turn on the overlay. While you paint, the area the mask covers shows in red. Toggle Overlay later, or press O with a keyboard, to check the edges.
- Zoom in for edges. Pinch to zoom, set a smaller Size and a low Feather, and trace the edge with light pressure.
- Paint dodges and burns. For a classic dodge, make a brush mask, raise its Exposure a little, set Flow low and build it up with gentle strokes. Make a second mask for burning.
- Adjust after you paint. The mask's sliders and Amount can be changed any time, so paint the shape first and fine-tune the strength later.
The masks guide covers every mask type, and Darken a sky and brighten the subject walks through a full example.
Pencil, keyboard or both?
With a Magic Keyboard attached, you get the keyboard shortcuts and Speed Edit for global sliders, and the Pencil for local work. A good split is the trackpad and keys for the overall edit, then the Pencil for masks. Brushed masks sync with the rest of the edit, so a mask painted on iPad appears on your Mac, where you can keep refining it with a mouse or trackpad.
How Raw Smith fits
Raw Smith is a RAW editor for iPhone, iPad and Mac. On iPad it supports Apple Pencil pressure, Pencil-only painting and double-tap to erase for brush masks, alongside on-device AI masks for subject, sky, people and more. It doesn't use squeeze, hover or tilt, and it has no generative remove; Remove is heal and clone. It's a free download with a free tier and a 14-day trial; Pro is a one-time purchase or a yearly plan. Try it in the public beta on TestFlight.
Questions
Is Apple Pencil worth it for photo editing?
For local adjustments, yes. Painting a mask around a face, a doorway or a branch is far more precise with a Pencil than a finger, and in an editor with Pencil-only painting your fingers stay free to zoom and pan.
Does Raw Smith support Apple Pencil pressure?
Yes, on Pencils with pressure sensitivity. Pressing harder paints a brush mask with more flow, up to the Flow you've set. Brush size doesn't change with pressure.
How do I switch to the eraser with Apple Pencil?
Double-tap the Pencil while a brush mask is open. Raw Smith switches between Paint and Erase when the iPad's double-tap setting is Switch between current tool and eraser, or Switch between current tool and last used.
Can I zoom with my fingers while painting a mask?
Yes. Once you've painted with the Pencil, only the Pencil paints, and fingers pan and zoom the photo. If Only Draw with Apple Pencil is on in iPadOS Settings, that's the case from the start.
Does Raw Smith support Apple Pencil Pro squeeze or hover?
Not yet. Raw Smith uses pressure and double-tap. Squeeze, hover previews and barrel roll aren't used, so the brush outline appears once the tip touches the screen.