Categoria: graphic design drawing

This digital age has artists moving away from traditional materials and jumping into drawing tablets. Designers can draw and retouch more naturally with tablets than with a mouse or a touchpad.

A drawing tablet is an artist’s companion in the creative field. It is the perfect gadget for an artist’s ideation and doodling in a digitalized manner. Spending time bridling the creativity on a digitalized platform gives wings to imagination and ideas.

Are you planning to become a professional artist or graphics designer? Then you will need to use a graphic tablet with professional drawing capability.

Buying a professional drawing tablet can be confusing & difficult for first-time buyers. The pricing is confusing, and important features like pressure sensitivity and resolution aren’t always easy to understand.

This guide is useful for just about anyone in need of advice on what drawing tablet to buy or what tablet to replace their current device with.

So, whether you’re a professional artist, a novice, or you just wish to express your creativity using a drawing tablet for fun, read on to find out which drawing tablet best suits your needs!

What is a Graphic Tablet? the types of the tablet?

A graphic tablet is a computer input device composed of two main parts: a digital pad and a stylus pen.

The tablet’s sensor board receives the stylus’ electromagnetic signals, detects the incoming data, and tracks the pen point’s current position.

Drawing tablets comes with 3 versions: drawing tablet without screen, drawing tablet with screen and standalone drawing tablet.

A non-display drawing tablet is regular graphics tablet with a black drawing surface. You connect it to a computer via a USB cable or wireless and look at your monitor while drawing on the black surface.

This can certainly take some getting used to, but starts to feel natural after a while.

Display drawing tablets, on the other hand, work the same as a pen and paper. You simply trace lines on the drawing tablet with your drawing pen and they appear on the tablet screen.

This type of tablet still need to connect to a computer, and it will be detected by the operating system as an additional monitor. Then our tablet works as a very sensitive and precise screen.

The stangalone drawing tablets are in fact portable computers with a touch screen. The biggest advantage of these graphics tablets is that you do not need a second computer to work with.

Especially it is useful when you travel a lot and you like to create while traveling. For this reason, when choosing a tablet, it is worth paying attention to the battery life.

Tablet Features & Considerations

When choosing to buy a drawing tablet for yourself it’s helpful to check what the features to consider. This can give you a good idea which drawing tablets are worth buying.

Active work area

The working area is the section of drawing tablets that is responsive to pen input and this area’s size is important for comfort and detail.

Drawing tablets without screen come in varying sizes. The smallest have an active area of about 4 x 3 inches, while the largest ones have an active area of more than 13 inches wide and a height of over 8 inches.

With no display, you will want your drawing tablet size to be closer to the size of your monitor and if possible the same size. This is because the way drawing tablets without screens work is by mirroring your monitor.

But if the tablet is much smaller this mirroring is scaled down to be able to match your bigger monitor’s size.

The smaller-sized tablets are more convenient for beginners and hobbyists, while larger active areas (that’s the portion of the screen you can draw on) better suit the needs of professionals.

Pressure Sensitivity

The pressure sensitivity of a drawing tablet is the most important characteristics to consider before making a purchase.

The greater the sensitivity, the more control you have over your strokes.

Pressure sensitivity is important because it allows you to create lines of varying thickness and opaqueness to add dimension, shadows, and highlights to your work. And you can manipulate the lines’ weight with a single pen!

A drawing tablet with at least 2,048 levels of sensitivity is a must if you wish to have better control over your strokes.

Tilt Recognition

This feature, e.g. of the Airbrush tip and eraser, senses the amount of tilt between the tool and tablet. The standard values in which this function operates are ± 60 levels.

This is used to create natural-looking pen, brush, and eraser strokes in applications that support tilt-sensitivity.

Resolution

A tablet’s resolution impacts the quality of the art you create.

The higher the resolution, the more lines per inch (LPI) you can draw, i.e., the more details you can add to your drawing.

Most smaller-screen tablets have 2,540 LPI, while medium and large have 5,080 LPI.

Although the difference between devices of the same size is often insignificant, you should factor in the resolution when buying a tablet.

Responsiveness

Responsiveness impacts the speed at which the lines you’re drawing appear on the screen.

It depends on a laptop or tablet’s operating system, its CPU, GPU, and RAM, which is why it’s important to check the tablet’s specs to avoid having issues with lag.

If your PC has limited processing power and RAM, then you’re destined to run into input lag.

Pen Type

Stylus (pen) comes in two varieties: lithium battery-powered and electromagnetic resonance, but all are intended to simulate the feel of a pen on paper.

Rechargeable: Rechargeable pens have lithium batteries inside. They need to be charged like your phone or a laptop, typically every eight to ten hours. like apple pencil or surface pen.

Electromagnetic resonance (EMR): This type of pen is the most convenient because it doesn’t require recharging or fresh batteries. Instead, EMR styluses rely on the electromagnetic frequency, which wirelessly infuses them with the tablet’s power. like the stylus of wacom and xppen.

Shortcut buttons

Most higher-end drawing tablets offer buttons somewhere along the body of the pad. These can serve as a custom function.

These extra keys, which are normally located on the left, are intended to save you time and streamline your work routine. Instead of flipping between menus, apps, or just clicking brushes in Photoshop, hotkeys will save you a significant amount of time.

Additional Features to consider when buy the pen Screen monitor

Outside of the screenless tablet, there are some special terms used for pen display options. These are fairly important to consider when purchasing a drawing tablet and its accompanying pen.

Screen Size: The screen size dictates how much work space you have on screen. Most pen display monitors range from 10 to 24 inches, measured diagonally from corner to corner.

In order to consider the screen size, you need to look at the space available on your desk or the portability.

The professional user will be happy with 22-24" screens. This range provides enough screen real estate for general productivity tasks and even heavy multitasking without overcrowding your desktop.

Screen Resolution: The most common screen resolution today is 1920×1080. Full HD is characterized by a screen with 1,920 horizontal pixels and 1,080 vertical pixels (1920X1080).

The resolution of 2K QHD is 2 times that of FHD, reaching an ultra-high resolution of 2560X1440. A 2K resolution screen display offers a clearer, sharper image for showing videos and photos with higher source resolution.

Monitor Pixel Density: Another feature that affects the clarity and sharpness of a display is the Pixels per Inch (PPI), which measures the pixel density of a screen. PPI is calculated using the resolution and diagonal size of the screen.

A higher PPI results in a clearer, crisper, and more precise image. ipads and retina screens looks so crisp because they have a very high PPI ratio.

Color Gamut: The color gamut represents the range of colors visible to the human eye on an output device. The wider the color gamut range is, the richer the screen colors are. Otherwise, no matter how high the resolution is or how powerful the graphics card is, the screen will still look gray, yellow, and dim.

The common color gamut range of drawing tablets is NTSC, sRGB and Adobe RGB, which is often represented by a percentage; the higher the percentage, the bigger the color range that can be displayed.

Panel Technology Types: In-Plate Switching (IPS) displays are known for their great image quality, color accuracy, and viewing angles.

They offer a wide viewing angle, which represents how far down, up, to the left, or to the right the content can be observed without loss of image integrity.

The benefit of IPS displays is that the user can view the screen from several different positions, plus several users can collaborate on one screen.

OLED monitors are still prohibitively expensive for most consumers, but they offer incredible contrast ratios, color reproduction, and response times.

Instead of using LED backlights to illuminate the screen, OLED monitors are capable of lighting each pixel individually. This gives them the ability to create incredible levels of black, simply by turning off specific pixels. As a result, these screens can offer up truly remarkable picture quality unmatched by these other technologies.

Refresh Rate：The screen refresh rate (measured in Hertz or Hz) is the number of times per second a video display renders a new picture. For example, a typical drawing tablet monitor will have a refresh rate of 60 Hz, meaning that it displays a new frame 60 times per second. In general, the higher the refresh rate, the smoother video appears on the screen, especially if it involves lots of motion.

Fully laminated vs non laminated screen: When it comes to pen displays, there are two main types – laminated and non-laminated.

Laminated displays are more expensive, but they offer better image quality and durability. The glass and the display panel are actually completely glued to each other, eliminating air gap so you touch what you see.

A laminated display removes parallax and helps significantly to make cursor tracking more accurate. Non-laminated displays are less expensive, but they have more parallax.

Matte vs Glossy Screen: Matte screens offer anti-glare better than Glossy screens and can be visible in well-lit environments such as sun-lit rooms. But it also makes the image quality slightly more dull and hazy.

Glossy monitors, on the other hand, have a more vibrant and intense picture quality, but a very reflective screen.

Since neither coating is flawless, the choice mostly depends on personal preference.

Brand

If you’re looking into purchasing a traditional graphics tablet, these 2 brands probably keep coming up: Wacom and XP-Pen.

Wacom is the brand of choice for most professional artists. XP-Pen carved out a niche by offering appealing, affordable alternatives to the industry leader.

Drawing performance is excellent across the board with both brands of tablets.

And the famous big players like Apple, Samsung and Microsoft also developed some excellent standalone drawing tablets over the years.

Price

Non-Screen Drawing tablets are appealing as a first-time purchase at their much lower price points.

Display Drawing tablets are considerably more expensive than non-display drawing tablets.

The standalone drawing tablet is the most expensive, but it offers the great overall experience.

Wacom tablets tend to be more expensive, than other options. For beginners, the other brand like XP-Pen comes with plenty of accessories and functions at lower price.

7 Best professional and most expensive drawing tablets for artists

The market today offers various kinds of drawing tablets each suited for different users with different configurations.

Below is a short list of some professional drawing tablets. Obviously, you need to make sure that these drawing tablets will be a good match for your needs, so do your research!

1. iPad Pro

The iPad Pro 2022 is a great option for those who are looking for a powerful and portable standalone drawing tablet with a screen. There are many apps for sketching and drawing which is created for iPad Pro specifically like Procreate, Adobe Fresco and Sketchbook.

iPad Pro has a gigantic 12.9-inch mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display with a resolution of 2,732 x 2,048 pixels and up to a 120Hz refresh rate. The colour accuracy is near perfect, with vibrant tones and deep dark shades.

It’s powered by Apple’s M2 chip, which gives it impressive performance, with 16GB of RAM, all your most demanding apps will run smoothly. Plus, with up to 512GB, 1TB or 2TB storage.

Draw on the iPad using the Apple Pencil (2nd Generation), which has lag free tracking and tilt sensitivity that is designed to work like a regular pencil. So if you’re working in Procreate app and decide to shade at an angle, the Apple Pencil will simulate the effect of shading with the side of your pencil with a thicker line.

The other great things about the Apple Pencil, is that it has palm rejection when working with the stylus, low latency, pressure sensitivity and incredible precision. The only downside is that the Apple Pencil will have to be bought separately from the iPad.

The iPad Pro 12.9″ boasts an excellent battery life with a large 40.88 Wh battery (10758 mAh). The device was able to last through a full ten-hour day, but it really depends on how you use the iPad.

This is the best standalone drawing tablet on the market for those who want a versatile device, that they can use for drawing, photography, videography, listening to music and more.

2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 ultra

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 ultra is one of the best Android tablets on the market.

The 14.6″ Super AMOLED display is bright and clear. It’s large enough that you won’t have to zoom in and out too much when working on art projects.

The screen offers the resolution of 2960 x 1848, and a dynamic refresh rate that gets up to 120Hz ensures super smooth animations.

The screen can cover 99.87% of sRGB and 99.4% of DCI-P3 color gamuts while maintaining a very low Delta E number – and that means this screen is very color accurate and doesn’t deviate off from the true color much.

It’s fast, It has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Octa-core chip paired with 8GB, 12GB or 16GB RAM. Storage tops out at 512GB but a microSD card slot lets you get an additional 1TB space if you want it.

The tablet comes with the S Pen, so you can use it to draw, write or take notes. It’s great that the stylus ships with the tablet and we’re not forced to buy it separately.

The S Pen feels nice and sturdy in the hand, shorter than the Apple Pencil, and it feels more natural on first use given the softer, more pen-like tip. It also uses Wacom tech and supports up to 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity with tilt recognition.

One of the best features of this tablet is DeX mode. This allows you to use the tablet as a PC. You can connect a keyboard and mouse and use all your favourite Android apps on a larger screen. This is great for when you need to be productive and get work done.

With a 11,200mAh power pack, the Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra’s battery is meaty enough to provide that gigantic screen with loads of juice. it only has a battery life of 6.5 hours with High refresh rate enabled, and a more acceptable 8 hours with the Standard refresh rate!

If you need a fast, large screen Android tablet that can also double as a PC, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a great option.

3. Microsoft Surface Pro 9

The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is a high end standalone drawing tablet with some great features.

The tablet has a 13″ PixelSense display with a 2,880 X 1,920 resolution, which outputs at a smooth 120Hz and supports Dolby Vision HDR.

The screen achieves 106.1% of the sRGB color gamut, 82% AdobeRGB, and 75.1% DCI-P3, all excellent results. It also has 10 point multi-touch support, so you can use your fingers to draw directly on the screen.

The Surface Pro 9 is powered by an Intel i5 or i7 12th Gen Core processor and has a snappier LPDDR5 RAM of 8GB or 16GB RAM. It can also be kitted out with either 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of M.2 SSD storage.

This is a great tablet, that bridges the gap between drawing tablet and laptop. It’s the 2-in-1 tablet design we’ve all grown to enjoy, including the built-in kickstand and removable keyboard.

This keyboard includes the built-in storage (and charging) solution for the Surface Slim Pen 2 – which will also cost you an extra $130.

Microsoft’s Surface Slim Pen 2 resembles a carpenter’s pencil and it works even better when paired to Surface Pro 9. it offers a smooth drawing and note-taking experience. The pen itself is very nice and has no noticeable lag.

Having Windows 11 is also a major boon for this tablet, as it means you can use the full desktop version of programs like Adobe Photoshop CC and illustrator CC.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9 battery capacity is 5900mAh, it ran the PCMark battery life test for just over eight and a half hours, don’t expect that 16 or 19-hour result.

The Surface Pro line has always looked sharp and performed well. It remains the best overall example of a Windows-based tablet/laptop hybrid.

Use this device for any of your art business needs. For running your favourite drawing software, editing images for print or doing the admin for your art shop.

4. Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16

Wacom makes a tablet at every price point, from the entry-level One by Wacom, to the mid-level Intuos tablets and Cintiq displays, to the top-of-the-line MobileStudio Pro.

The Wacom MobileStudio Pro has something to offer people of all skill levels, but it’s ideal for people who draw professionally and draw often. This device comes in a 13.3” & 15.6” size, and runs Windows OS.

The 15,6" display has stunning 4k UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution, With 4k resolution, you will be able to see all the smallest details and colour transitions in your work.

The display covers 85% of the Adobe RGB color space, which is good, though it’s a bit disappointing that this art-focused device does not hit 100 percent.

The thin etched glass minimizes parallax and provides a distinct, tactile experience as you draw, mimicking the feel of a pen on paper.

Great drawing performance thanks to professional computing power, powered by an i7 Intel chip, 16 GB system memory, 512 GB SSD storage, and powerful 4GB GDDR5 graphics card.

Multi-touch function, 8 customizable ExpressKeys, Radial Menus and one-touch shortcuts are design for better productivity.

The Wacom Pro Pen 2 stylus really makes the drawing experience feel natural on the MobileStudio Pro 16, as there is virtually no lag and no parallax. The pen has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and 60 degrees of tilt function.

The 7.6 V, Li-polymer, 70 Wh battery’s life isn’t as great as one might like. With very light use, you could probably get it to last up to 6 hours, but really we’re talking about maybe 3 hours of use.

The price is the highest amaong the list, but if you are someone who enjoys working on the go without switching between several devices and requires the reliability, multi-functionality and processing speed of a quality computer, then this could definitely be for you.

5. XPPen Deco Pro

The XPPen Deco Pro graphic tablet is reliable, long-lasting, and large enough for the creative.

The XPPen Deco Pro comes in two sizes—Small and Medium. With an active area of 9×5 inches or 11×6 inches, provides you a sufficient creative area.

It has Bluetooth capability, allowing you not to worry about carrying the USB cable, and you can still use it while it is charging.

The build quality of deco pro feels like a premium tablet and sleek in appearance, black plastic mixed with silver color aluminum alloy scheme has won several design awards.

The dual wheel (dial + virtual wheel) and eight shortcut buttons are a welcome addition, which can be really handy for making quick changes.

The included PA1 stylus is amazing, It does not have a battery inside and does not need to be charged. The tip is firm, the rubber grip is comfortable, and there are 2 buttons on the side for added convenience.

The 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and ±60° tilt recognition is great, it’s able to detect extremely minute shifts in pressure and tilt. It feels like an actual pen you’re working with.

The XPPen Deco Pro is compatible with Android, Chrome OS, Linux, Windows and Mac OS devices. It comes with a USB cable and an adapter, so you can just plug it in and start using it right away.

The tablet can be used with just about any digital art software, and includes bonus free drawing software (choose one from ArtRage 6 and openCanvas ) to help create and edit your art.

6. XPPen Artist Pro 16TP

The XPPen Artist Pro 16TP tablet has a 15.6" screen with 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution and can display 92% of the Adobe RGB color space.

Its IPS display is color accurate, with good contrast levels, and the pixel density is such that you don’t ever feel you’re working with a screen.

The Artist Pro 16TP’s laminated screen provides excellent precision, Parallax is minimal as the glass screen is quite close to the display. The cursor will always be beneath the pen tip.

The matte textured screen surface reduces glare and makes it easier on the eyes when working for long periods of time.

The battery-free pen has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, 5080 LPI and 60 levels of tilt recognition. it comes with two buttons, a pen nib, and an eraser at the end, Drawing feels fluid and natural.

The screen supports multi-touch gestures for fingers. Touch functionality is a necessity for several types of digital design, where this aspect is totally seamless and smooth.

It features a combination of glass surface and metallic body, giving it a more premium look and feel than most cheap tablets. The only drawback of this tablet is the lack of shortcut buttons.

This Artist Pro 16TP tablet is compatible with Linux, Mac Os, Windows, Android OS and Chromebook devices. it can be used with any design software that supports graphic tablets.

7. XPPen Artist 24 Pro

The XPPen Artist 24 Pro is a professional drawing tablet with a large 24" IPS screen that offers excellent performance, and stunning visuals.

The 24″ tablet is the largest canvas ever made by XPPen, it reduces the need for panning and zooming in and out on the artwork.

It also reduces the need for extra screens to display reference photos and composition sketches, as there is more than enough screen space to have it all right in front of you in one place.

The display has stunning 2k QHD (2560×1440) resolution, and 90% Adobe RGB color coverage, which makes it the perfect tablet for colour sensitive work, like designing prints.

The PA2 stylus is battery free, has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, tilt-response and lag-free tracking. There are two buttons on the pen for access to customizable shortcuts.

The tablet itself also feels well-constructed, with robust, high-quality materials and an impressive stand, which offers shallow angles from 16 degrees all the way up to 90 degrees.

The tablet also comes with 2 Red Dial Wheel and 20 Shortcut keys that you can customise to create shortcuts for your favourite software functions. This is a handy feature that can help speed up your workflow.

This is a great tablet for professionals who have the budget to spend on a high spec piece of kit. It is more appropriate for office and studio use.

Conclusion

Buying a high-quality drawing tablet can be a major investment so we hope this article has helped you narrow down your choices.

Traditional drawing tablets are a staple of digital art and design. But nobody’s saying that you have to do your work at a PC. There’s always the ultra-portable standalone drawing tablets like iPad Pro. it depends on your needs and preferences.

Advanced artists and professionals may elect for an advanced model like the display drawing tablets. The display tablet model is available in various sizes and price tags, but the additional features and investment may not be right for a beginner.

The best choices make a balance between price, screens, size, and other drawing features. Your hard earned money deserves the best drawing tablet for making digital art or your digital markup.

Source: https://www.xp-pen.com/forum-6277.html

Are you planning to buy a new drawing tablet during the Christmas 2022 sales? If yes, then you are in just the right place!

In this guide, we’ll be covering the very best Christmas XPPen drawing tablet deals to save you time and money this December 2022.

Right now, you can save up to a whopping 40% on leading models in the XPPen Christmas shopping season.

Why Drawing Tablets?

Digital drawing is amazing, but you can’t do it efficiently without a graphics tablet. A tablet and pen can provide detailed pressure information to your photo editing or drawing software, unlike a mouse’s binary control.

Drawing tablets are excellent tools for artists because they enable you to sketch and draw using a stylus and touchscreen, which converts your scribbles into digital art that you can view and edit on your computer.

The pen tool is the ultimate and most precise tool for drawing paths. You will have much greater and finer control (pressure control, angle control) once you dial in the pen pressure settings on whatever software you use.

Use a drawing pad for photo editing in photoshop, this all means you have much more control over your brush operations (among other operations). Consider dodging and burning, where instead of having to continually tweak the strength of your tool, you can just press harder or softer. This not only lets you work far faster, but with much more refined control.

A few general benefits of drawing tablets are that the stylus does not require any batteries and you will never run out of ink!

Using a drawing tablet can help reduce the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome or repetitive strain injuries (RSI). it provide some comfort and ergonomic advantages.

Macro buttons are the additional configurable buttons built into the tablet. These typically can be programmed right from the tablet’s driver software, and can perform functions as simple as switching between tools, or as complex as multi-step macros.

Having a good number of accessible macro buttons can make using a tablet a seamless process, allowing you to stay hands-on with the tablet throughout multiple steps in your workflow.

Playing games like osu with a drawing tablet gives you better flexibility and faster movement than a mouse because you can bend your wrist much more quickly and save time when doing jumps.

A drawing tablet is a comfortable, cost-effective, low-maintenance way to add a digital pen to teachers’ classroom experience without distracting from teaching/learning.

The wide compatibility of drawing or graphics tablets makes them ideal for developing pre-recorded videos and lectures in addition to real-time learning.

XPPen Christmas drawing tablet deals 2022

Graphic tablets are essential tools for visual artists. XPPen has made a name for itself as one of the most prominent manufacturers of such tools and related accessories.

XPPen creative drawing tablets and displays are compatible with virtually every piece of creative software, from Mac OS to Windows to online-only apps.

If you are looking for a drawing tablet and want a better deal and better value for money, you should confidently go for XPPen.

Christmas might still be a couple of weeks away, but popular drawing tablet manufacturer XPPen is kicking things off early with an epic Christmas sale.

Purchase directly from the XPPen United States Official Store, and you could save up to 40% off the retail price of some of the best drawing tablets on the market today.

This is an excellent opportunity to pick up a XPPen tablet on the cheap.

See below for quick looks to the best XPPen Christmas drawing tablet deals.

1. XPPen Artist Series

The price makes the XPPen Artist Series a must-have product for any digital artist wanting to move up from a Deco or other non-screen graphic tablet.

XPPen Artist have many things to recommend: a decent screen with fully laminated and anti-glare technology, good color reproduction, a comfortable stand, and a precise & responsive stylus.

If you don’t already have a favorite piece of digital art software, or you’re looking to learn something new, every XPPen Artist product is bundled with 3 free drawing software (ArtRage 6, openCanvas, and Cartoon Animator 4) so you can get your hands on the power of using XPPen Artist for creativity.

Artist 10 (2nd Gen) (10.1", $144.49, -15%)

Artist 12 (2nd Gen) (11.9", $199.99, -20%)

Artist 12 (2nd Gen) Gift Edition (11.9", $199.99, -20%)

Artist 13 (2nd Gen) (13.3", $254.99, -15%)

Artist 16 (2nd Gen) (15.4", $319.99, -20%)

Artist 22 (2nd Generation) (21.5", $399.99, -20%)

Artist 24 (23.8", $559.99, -30%)

Innovator 16 (15.6", $299.99, -25%)

Artist 12 Pro (11.6", $207.99, -20%)

Artist 12 Pro Line Friends Edition (11.6", $209.99, -30%)

Artist 13.3 Pro (13.3", $209.99, -25%)

Artist 15.6 Pro (15.6", $277.49, -25%)

Artist Pro 16 (15.4", $314.99, -30%)

Artist Pro 16TP (15.6", $629.99, -30%)

Artist 22R Pro (21.5", $449.99, -25%)

Artist 24 Pro (23.8", $629.99, -30%)

Artist 12 (11.6", $159.99, -20%)

Artist 15.6 (15.6", $269.99, -10%)

Artist 22E Pro (21.5", $424.99, -15%)

2. XPPen Deco Series

The XPPen Deco Series tablet is really top-notch. It feels great, has a nice heft, and looks professional. which was perfectly engineered to be handled by someone with a soft and precise touch.

Its lightweight design is perfect for using it on a desk or on your lap, and with multiple sizes and colors available, you can use this practically anywhere.

With virtually no lag, 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and ±60 degrees of tilt function in the battery-free pen included, the XPPen Deco is the best one on the market for professional artists.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to creativity with XPPen Deco Series, and that is reinforced with a fully-customizable buttons located on the side of the active area. These buttons allow for artists to add their most-used tools to them for easy access.

Deco Mini 4 (Active area: 4 x 3 inches, $19.49, -35%)

Deco Fun XS (4.8 x 3 inches, $23.99, -20%)

Deco Fun S (6.3 x 4 inches, $31.99, -20%)

Deco Mini 7 (7 x 4.37 inches, $42.49, -15%)

Deco Mini 7w wireless (7 x 4.37 inches, $50.99, -15%)

Deco MW Bluetooth (8 x 5 inches, $62.99, -10%)

Deco Pro S (9 x 5 inches, $74.99, -25%)

Deco Pro SW Bluetooth (9 x 5 inches, $90.99, -30%)

Deco L (10 x 6 inches, $62.99, -10%)

Deco LW Bluetooth (10 x 6 inches, $80.99, -10%)

Deco 01 (10 x 6.25 inches, $46.74, -15%)

Deco 01 V2 (10 x 6.25 inches, $47.99, -20%)

Deco 01 V2 Line Friends Edition (10 x 6.25 inches, $47.99, -20%)

Deco 02 (10 x 5.63 inches, $67.99, -15%)

Deco 03 wireless (10 x 5.62 inches, $74.99, -25%)

Deco Fun L (10 x 6.27 inches, $39.99, -20%)

Deco Pro M (11 x 6 inches, $97.49, -25%)

Deco Pro MW Bluetooth (11 x 6 inches, $111.99, -25%)

3. XPPen Star Series

The XPPen Star Series is a cost-effective drawing tablet that allows for 3D Modeling & Sculpting, writing, taking notes, painting, editing photo and playing osu.

It’s one of the most basic XPPen’s drawing tablets. But don’t be fooled by its looks, it’s still durable and powerful.

With virtually no lag and 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity in the battery-free pen included, the XPPen Star Series tablet is the best one on the market for beginner artists.

Ideal for mobile use (most models). Highly portable. Good value for its price. Pen stylus comes with extra nibs included .

Star G430S (Active area: 4 x 3 inches, $17.99, -40%)

Star G640 (4 x 3 inches, $27.99, -30%)

Star G640 Line Friends Edition (4 x 3 inches, $27.99, -30%)

Star G640S V2 (6.5 x 4 inches, $39.99, -20%)

Star 05 wireless (8 x 5 inches, $52.49, -25%)

Star G960S (9 x 6 inches, $34.99, -30%)

Star G960S Plus (9 x 6 inches, $41.99, -30%)

Star 03 V2 (10 x 6 inches, $44.99, -25%)

Star 06 wireless (10 x 6 inches, $68.79, -20%)

Conclusion

These are the best deals you will find on XPPen drawing and graphics tablet this Christmas.

Your personal needs and budget will determine which graphics tablet works will be best for you. Buy the one that caters to all your needs and falls within your budget.

The XPPen Store Christmas promo in the End of Year 2022 is global. like XPPen United Kingdom Store and XPPen Australia Store . If you are not lived in united states or canada, then head to the XPPen local online store by select your region from the menu at the top.

Tell us which XPPen tablet you purchased this sale season or drop in a few other recommendations, in the comments section below.

Are you planning to buy a fantastic gift for yourself and your friends in the tech world?

Black Friday 2022 falls on November 25 and we’re tracking the best early deasl on drawing tablets.

Early Black Friday XPPen drawing tablet deals in 2022 are now live now! the Deals are live now from November 14 to December 02. And XPPen United States Official Store is offering up to 40% discount on it’s tablets plus free shipping during this period.

It’s great news for those who want the XPPen drawing pad experience without breaking the bank.

What are the advantages of a graphics tablet?

Drawing tablet is a computer device that will enable you to draw on a computer with a pen. This is very helpful for artists because with it you can draw pictures on your computer the same way as you would with a piece of paper and pencil.

Most of the drawing tablets connect to the computer using a USB cord so they are compatible with either Macs or Windows PC.

The drawing tablet can also be used in all applications; they are not specific to Photoshop, Illustrator, Gimp or any other program one might use.

Drawing tablets usually have up to 8192 different levels of pressure sensitivity. Mouse only have two levels of pressure sensitivity; clicked or not clicked. This gives tablets a huge advantage over mice, especially for detail-oriented image editing.

When using Photoshop, the pressure sensitivity applies to your brushes as well. This makes it so much easier to blend colors, add effects, and apply retouching techniques.

Sketch your ideas on the canvas, write notes and doodles with tilt + pressure, draw storyboards, product sketches and design plans, edit photos.

The designers really love them, because of how easy they make both doodling and highly detailed image-editing. Anyone who has ever sketched with a pencil and paper will be able to easily pick up the basics, and the advanced user will be able to open up worlds of deep functionality.

A few other things worth mentioning would be the fact that they are programmable so one could set up quick keys specific to them, which would be useful and efficient.

Finally, the last general advantage of using a drawing tablet is the fact that it can help reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries (RSI) or carpal tunnel syndrome. These tablets could work wonders for people that already have those sorts of wrist problems because it eliminates the repetitive clicking motion that comes with using a mouse.

Is XPPen worth?

XPPen is a popular manufacturer of budget through to high-end drawing graphics tablets, designed for a wide audience and skill level.

XPPen’s EMR (Electro Magnetic Resonance) technology never requires a pen battery or recharge. Excellent pen experience for art with little jitter, smooth flowing lines and great tilt recognition.

There is one for every level from the beginner-friendly XPPen Star, medium level XPPen Deco up to the professional grade XPPen Artist. which are designed to help you make your imagination come to life.

Among them, the XPPen Artist 2nd generation series pen display monitors are the most notable , which offers the most advanced laminated anti-glare screen and X3 smart Chip pen technology designed to digital artists & graphic designers.

These devices are powerful and can connect to Windows, Linux, Android, Chrome and Mac OS devices to transform it into a virtual canvas.

Best early Black Friday 2022 XPPen Tablets Deals

Black Friday is your best chance to get hold of the biggest savings you’ll find all year on drawing tablet devices, whether they be tablet deals on the XPPen Star Series, Deco Series or Artist Series.

Get yourself a new XPPen tablet with the help of these Black Friday XPPen deals. No matter which level you go for, a XPPen drawing pad is a great device for typical digital writing, drawing, editing photos, taking notes and even productivity and creativity.

1. XPPen Artist Series

The XPPen Artist is a Series of interactive pen display monitor that lets artists draw and perform actions on screen.

Its laminated anti-glare technology, IPS panel, FHD resolution, excellent color performance, and best-in-class stylus are more than meets the needs of any working professional, especially photographers and digital artists.

Whether it’s the light super accurate pen, the stylish design, the included downloadable creative software or online tutorials, XPPen Artist is all you need to get creative digitally with a display graphics tablet.

If you’re a graphic designer, you’ll want to upgrade to the larger model with a display, it might be pricey, but it’ll save you time in the long run.

Artist 10 (2nd Gen) (10.1", $144.49, -15%)

Artist 12 (2nd Gen) (11.9", $199.99, -20%)

Artist 12 (2nd Gen) Gift Edition (11.9", $199.99, -20%)

Artist 13 (2nd Gen) (13.3", $144.99, -15%)

Artist 16 (2nd Gen) (15.4", $319.99, -20%)

Artist 22 (2nd Generation) (21.5", $399.99, -20%)

Artist 24 (23.8", $559.99, -30%)

Innovator 16 (15.6", $299.99, -25%)

Artist 12 Pro (11.6", $207.99, -25%)

Artist 12 Pro Line Friends Edition (11.6", $209.99, -30%)

Artist 13.3 Pro (13.3", $209.99, -25%)

Artist 15.6 Pro (15.6", $277.49, -25%)

Artist Pro 16 (15.6", $314.99, -30%)

Artist Pro 16TP (15.6", $629.99, -30%)

Artist 22R Pro (21.5", $449.99, -25%)

Artist 24 Pro (23.8", $629.99, -30%)

Artist 12 (11.6", $159.99, -20%)

Artist 15.6 (15.6", $269.49, -10%)

Artist 22E Pro (21.5", $424.99, 15%)

2. XPPen Deco Series

The XPPen Deco Series are an excellent tool in graphic design and artistic purposes. aimed at beginners that feels capable enough to grow with your skills.

Every aspect is great: Very thin design, intuitive driver, precise pen with phenomenal pressure levels and reliability.

It includes a plethora of great features: Connect wirelessly by Bluetooth, different color options,Ample shortcut buttons, Compatible with android and Chrome devices… highly recommend!

Deco Mini 4 (Active area: 4 x 3 inches, $19.49, -35%)

Deco Fun XS (4.8 x 3 inches, $23.99, -20%)

Deco Fun S (6.3 x 4 inches, $31.99, -20%)

Deco Mini 7 (7 x 4.37 inches, $42.49, -15%)

Deco Mini 7w wireless (7 x 4.37 inches, $50.99, -15%)

Deco MW Bluetooth (8 x 5 inches, $62.99, -10%)

Deco Pro S (9 x 5 inches, $74.99, -25%)

Deco Pro SW Bluetooth (9 x 5 inches, $90.99, -30%)

Deco L (10 x 6 inches, $62.99, -10%)

Deco LW Bluetooth (10 x 6 inches, $80.99, -10%)

Deco 01 (10 x 6.25 inches, $46.74, -15%)

Deco 01 V2 (10 x 6.25 inches, $47.99, -20%)

Deco 01 V2 Line Friends Edition (10 x 6.25 inches, $47.99, -20%)

Deco 02 (10 x 5.63 inches, $67.99, -20%)

Deco 03 wireless (10 x 5.62 inches, $74.99, -25%)

Deco Fun L (10 x 6.27 inches, $39.99, -20%)

Deco Pro M (11 x 6 inches, $97.49, -25%)

Deco Pro MW Bluetooth (11 x 6 inches, $111.99, -25%)

3. XPPen Star Series

The XPPen Star Series drawing tablet has been designed for those who are getting started digital art on their Mac or Windows PC.

The XPPen Star Series is the company’s least expensive entry-level option, and it’s perfect for starters looking for a reliable graphics tablet. Empowering for novice digital artists and hobbyists.

Easy to setup and feels great to use. It’s a good and affordable series for doing sketches, illustrations, digital editing, etc.

Star G430S (Active area: 4 x 3 inches, $17.99, -40%)

Star G640 (4 x 3 inches, $27.99, -30%)

Star G640 Line Friends Edition (4 x 3 inches, $27.99, -30%)

Star G640S Android (6.5 x 4 inches, $39.99, -20%)

Star 05 wireless (8 x 5 inches, $52.49, -25%)

Star G960S (9 x 6 inches, $34.99, -30%)

Star G960S Plus (9 x 6 inches, $41.99, -30%)

Star 03 V2 (10 x 6 inches, $44.99, -25%)

Star 06 wireless (10 x 6 inches, $68.79, -20%)

Conclusion

Black Friday is of course the biggest shopping time of the year. And, you can save ahead of time with early Black Friday deals going on right now.

If you’re on the prowl for some early Black Friday drawing tablet deals, this is where to be.

Black Friday is a great opportunity to get that XPPen drawing tablet that you’ve always wanted, at a steeply discounted price.

XPPen’s black friday sale 2022 are worldwide, people from other countries can navigate to your local online store by click the "choose your country or region" menu to enjoy the XPPen black friday special promos.

If you’re just starting with a graphics tablet, my advice would be to get a big tablet, these cost more, but they’re better for precision and will make learning a whole lot easier.

If you love 3D sculpting or modeling in Blender, Zbrush, Sculptris, SketchUP, Maya….. you need a drawing tablet.

Drawing tablets and pens have always been the popular choice by animators and visual effects artists.

Working with tablets makes your work easier and allow you to create perfect models through various tools.

What is a drawing tablet?

drawing tablet is basically a computer input device which is used used for digital drawing. It is also called pen tablet, graphic tablet, or digital art pad.

You require a Stylus (Pen) to use it, it utilizes pressure sensitivity, and the tablet itself usually comes with a lot more function buttons (hotkeys).

The pen also acts like a computer mouse, giving you the ability to left and right click by using a button on the side of the pen.

It can be a tablet with screen or without screen. The screen drawing tablets still needs to be connected to a computer to function, whether its a PC or Mac.

Blender vs Zbrush

Both ZBrush and Blender are amazing 3D design software. They are similar in the aspect of sculpting and modeling but are quite different at the core.

ZBrush is a sculpting program from Pixologic famous for its perfect digital sculpting technique. On the other hand, Blender is an open-source 3D modeling program famous for its modeling, sculpting, animating, rigging, concept arts, and storyboarding.

Blender is free to use, while ZBrush costs money. This can be a major consideration for some people, as free software is always appealing.

ZBrush is a much more robust and feature-rich program than Blender, so it may be worth the investment for serious 3D modelers.

ZBrush is better suited for modeling intricate details, while Blender is better for more general modeling.

If you’re looking to create models with a lot of small details, ZBrush is the better option. However, if you need to create simpler models or don’t need as much detail, Blender will probably serve you better.

Blender has an integrated game engine, which can be used for creating games or prototypes. ZBrush does not have this capability, so it’s not as good of an option for game development.

Both programs have a learning curve and take some time to master. But they have active communities of users who are willing to help beginners get started.

If you need to sketch a quick concept, with simple but efficient tools: choose Sculptris! which is a very feature limited version of Zbrush, but it’s free.

Are drawing tablets and pens good for 3D modeling?

In the past, most modeling work was done with a simple mouse, a keyboard. As technology evolves, 3D modeling has taken a different shape and modelers are asked to be more resourceful than their counterparts were back in the day.

You’ll be very hard-pressed to find mice useful in 3D sculpting. Sculpting essentially requires a stylus, for best (most natural) results. 3D modeling is close to drawing so you are basically using a pen to sculpt.

If you are a 3D designer or digital artist working with a tablet is more efficient and comfortable than a mouse, especially when you use it for longer period of time. You can use it for making 3D sculpted models in softwares like zbrush, Sculptris, SketchUP, Maya, and blender…

The digital pens have a natural feel that can give you better control in drawing objects or characters. The tablet lets you work as if you are drawing on paper which allows the modeler to freely move their hand in a more natural way.

The pressure sensitivity of digital pen can be mapped to such functions as the strength or size of your stroke (The harder you push the bigger the effect). This allows you to more organically dictate how much of an effect you will have on your model as you perform such tasks as sculpting or texturing.

And you can even customize the buttons on the tablet with your favorite shortcuts conformed to individual software. Hence, with the drawing tablet, you can unleash your creativity in a whole new level. And that too, with such an extent of convenience and efficiency you never knew could be possible!

Tasks such as sculpting and texturing are probably the most suited to tasks for a Drawing Tablet and you can really benefit from using one. The pressure sensitivity helps adjust brush strength whereas the precision helps get each stroke to look exactly how you want it to.

If the tasks you are performing in 3D program only rely on clicking buttons or dragging items it really isn’t necessary. Such tasks include animation, composition and rendering.

Screen tablet vs Screenless tablet

The screenless pen tablet get connected to a computer through a USB cable or through wireless (2.4GHz wifi or bluetooth). Looking at the screen while drawing takes getting used to. but it takes up less workspace, cheaper, better for ergonomics.

Usually the disconnect between drawing on a non-screen tablet and seeing the results on your computer monitor goes away with very little practice. Some people even prefer it as neither your hand or your pen will ever cover what you are drawing.

A display tablet is a tablet that allows users to draw directly on the screen of that tablet. It’s More costly, takes more workspace, ergonomics require some setup (keyboard placement, screen placement, practicing good posture), the hand in the way thing.

But the advantages are 1:1 Interaction with the digital clay when sculpting, larger work area (though you mostly use the middle part), generally pen displays come with better colors than computer.

Even though there are many great tablets for 3D modeling that aren’t display tablets, display tablets have an advantage as it’s easier to do 3D modeling when you can draw directly on a tablet’s screen. It makes work more intuitive and you feel more connected as you are not working on a surface separate from what you look at.

I am not saying you cannot do 3D animation with a drawing tablet, many do, but if you get a chance compare working on both types. Not everyone prefers a heavier, larger, more fragile tablet however.

What should I look for in a drawing tablet for 3D modeling?

Before you go and purchase a drawing tablet for 3D modeling & sculpting, you need to know that there are certain features that a tablet for 3D modeling should have. These features can differentiate what tablet is good for 3D modeling and what tablet isn’t.

Here are a list of features you should consider when picking which tablet to buy:

Size options

Drawing tablet works in absolute mode, each point on the tablet maps to a point on the screen. for optimal experience and precision, buy a tablet that matches (roughly) your monitor dimensions.

Generally, with drawing tablets, the bigger the device, the larger the drawing area. However, as the surface area increases so does the price of the tablet.

The working area you should opt for is dependent on your convenience, preference, mobility, desk space, and the magnitude of artworks or sculptures you need to create.

You’d require larger models for producing bigger artwork as it’ll require wider hand movements and vice versa. But smaller ones can be ideal for portable use or when you are short on space.

Stylus Pen

The Pen is one of the biggest factors to consider when purchasing a tablet. It has to be comfortable to hold for extended periods of time. It needs to feel natural and fit in with your workflow.

The pens come in 2 types. Battery-Free Electromagnetic Resonance pens which as the name suggest do not require to be charged and pens with batteries requiring charging.

Opting for battery-free ones would be a smarter move as it would eliminate the hassle of recharging. It relies on the electromagnetic signal being sent from the pen to the tablet.

Other features you need to consider are the pen’s pressure sensitivity, resolution (Lines Per Inch), Responsiveness (Report Rate Speed), tilt function support, etc.

Pressure Senstivity

High levels of pressure indicate a more sensitive stylus which can detect even the faintest difference between the pressures exerted.

It can provide the most detailed outputs as you’d be able to produce lines of a more versatile range of thicknesses and opacities.

When purchasing a drawing tablet it is pretty standard to have 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity this is basically a measure of how responsive a brush is to pressure. Some cheaper ones with will have half of that with 4096 levels.

8192 levels is preferred for 3D Program however 4096 is adequate. This ensures if you need to make any adjustments to the pressure curve (how hard you need to press to get the desired result) you still have a reasonable amount of levels to do so.

Responsiveness

Report Rate Speed measures how many times per second the tablet sends information about the stylus position & pressure back to the computer. Usually, above 200+ RPS is ideal for drawing.

The tablet for 3D modeling should also be highly responsive to your pen strokes or other inputs. This is crucial for receiving the most realistic sculpting/drawing feel as a laggy device will not only be annoying and time-consuming, but will also result in inaccurate outputs.

Lines Per Inch

Lines per inch (LPI) refers to the resolution of a drawing tablet. The LPI determine how well a tablet can pick accurate strokes and tiny details.

For 3D modeling, you need a tablet with at least 2540 LPI. This LPI is sufficient to provide enough detail for your sculptures and illustrations. Depending on what you want, you can go for tablets with higher LPI, even reaching 5080 LPI.

Tilt Function

You will also note that a lot of the pens have tilt senstivity support. This is irrelevant in 3D Program as it is not supported so don’t be concerned over this function.

Tilt support on a drawing tablet just means that when the pen is tilted, it will result in a different size of the brush. It’s definitely not necessary, but can sometimes make drawing with a tablet feel more “organic” or similar to traditional art tools.

Hotkeys

Hotkey and shortcut keys is where having a tablet for 3D modeling can really come in useful. The need for keys to navigate, masking, smoothing and even undoing soon add up. the more the better.

Wireless Connectivity

this is one of the things that can make a noticeable difference in terms of comfort while using the graphics tablet. A wireless drawing tablet is always a good thing as it reduces the amount of cables over your desk and allows you to work more comfortably.

The wireless tablet can connect to your computer wirelessly via 2.4GHz Wifi technology or Bluetooth technology, with a wireless range of up to 10 meters.

Your non-screen pen tablet can operate wirelessly or in USB cable mode, but not both at the same time.

Pen display monitors generally use 3 cables to connect: a HDMI cable for video, a USB cable for data, and a separate power supply cable.

Some screen tablets however include a convenient 3-in-1 cable that incorporates the 3 functions in one cable, reducing the amount of cables over your desk and helping you keep a much tidier workspace.

Some newest pen display models support usb-c connection, which hailed as one connection to rule them all, it was developed to handle power, data and video, and it was drop-dead simple to use. you just need one cable to connect to your laptop.

Compatibility

The drawing tablets on the market are compatible with almost all operating systems, including the Windows, Linux and Mac OS.

Some new models even support Android and chrome OS devices. Therefore, no need to fret over that since you can connect to practically any device and resume your work.

Basically, any tablet that is compliant with a stylus is good enough for using 3D modeling programs.

Other features to Consider When Buying pen display monitor

A good tablet (≤22-inch) has a screen resolution of at least 1920 x 1080 or more, so that the colors are sharp and crisp.

If two screens both with a 1080p Full HD resolution. the smaller monitor will have a more densely packed pixel density, resulting in smoother lines and sharper images.

The color gamut describes a range of colors within the spectrum of colors, or a color space, that can be reproduced on an output device. The most commonly known color gamut might be “NTSC” ,“sRGB” and “Adobe RGB”.

In-Plane Switching (IPS) panels are the ideal panel technology for monitors for graphic design because they feature a brighter display and higher color accuracy, giving you a clear and real-life color image.

Compared to non-laminated screen, full-laminated screen can effectively reduces parallax and brings the pen tip closer to the cursor, allowing for more accurate positioning.

A matte display comes with an anti-glare coating that helps minimize reflections on your screen. but the image quality in displays with matte finish is not as sharp or bright as a glossy screen.

6 Best Drawing Tablets for 3D Sculpting & Modeling

Choose between Pen tablets without a screen, or a screen drawing tablet, whichever you choose, there is definitely something for you.

If money is not the problem and you need the best drawing tablet, get a Wacom. Wacom is the industry standard and they make fine products.

If you are a beginner then XPPen is the best option. XPPen is a nice option for the drawing purpose with reasonable price. which might give you a bit more for the same price.

As a leading graphic tablet manufacturer, XPPen tablets allows you to draw, paint, and create amazing artworks. you really can’t go wrong with either one.

1. XPPen Deco 03

The XPPen Deco 03 is one of the best tablets for 3D sculpting. This tablet comes with a bunch of features that make it excellent for professional 3D modeling work. Best of all, it is quite affordable.

It features a 10 x 5.62 inches active area with papery texture surface, so you have plenty of space to create and get work done.

The Deco 03 tablet can be used wirelessly or wired. For wired use, you simply need to connect the USB cable a PC. For wireless use, the tablet has an ISM 2.4G USB receiver.

The battery of the Deco 03 tablet charges quite fast. With 2 hours of charging, the tablet will be good for use for up to 16 hours.

The tablet features 6 programmable shortcut keys and a red roller wheel. This will make your sculpting work easier.

This stylus P05 does not need to be charged since it is battery-free. and it has a high 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity. Therefore, your strokes will feel natural and the drawings or 3D models come out life-like.

2. XPPen Deco Pro

The XPPen Deco Pro tablet features a very sleek and unique design with silver aluminum alloy casing, which gives this tablet a much more beautiful and durable feel.

It has 8 programmable keys for functionality, however what is really cool is the double wheel deign. You could map one to brush size the other to zooming for instance.

The Deco Pro is available in two sizes, small (9" x 5" drawing surface) or medium (11" x 6" drawing surface), but these should not be confused with Wacom’s small and medium sizes as XPPen’s small and medium sizes are much larger!

The Deco Pro MW & Deco Pro SW version features Bluetooth connection option. So you can work wirelessly by pairing your tablet to a computer by Bluetooth.

It comes with PA1 battery-free stylus which has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, has virtually no lag, and has a natural tilt response, making each stroke more organic.

Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS. It is even compatible with Android OS, so you can connect it to your Phone or tablet.

3. XPPen Artist 13 (2nd Gen)

The XPPen Artist 13 (2nd Generation) is a well-positioned entry into the budget drawing tablet market that costs only $300.

The 13.3-inch display size with 1920 X 1080 pixels of resolution is ideal to carry around.

The tablet’s color gamut is incredibly high with 96% Adobe RGB. The screen shows 16.7 million colors. Therefore, you can be as creative as you want when it comes to coloring your models.

The fully laminated technology and anti-glare screen coating reduces parallax to create a pen-to-paper feel.

It comes with 9 fully customizable express keys on the left side. It allows for different key setup for different programs.

It can connects with a single USB-C cable or 3-in-1 Cable to your computer. but the single USB-C cable is sold separately.

The Artist 13 (2nd Gen) tablet offers precision control when sketching, sculpting, or drawing when bundled with the stylus X3 Elite.

The stylus is powered by the X3 smart chip, without the spring mechanism, have a reduced initial activation force to just 3g. offers better stabilization, sensitive and accurate.

The device offers three other display size variants – 10.1-inch, 11.9-inch and 15.4-inch. which has almost same technical specifications.

4. XPPen Artist 15.6 Pro

The XPPen Artist 15.6 Pro is a 15.6-Inch creative graphic display with 1920×1080 FHD resolution.

The color gamut is also incredibly high with 120% sRGB. Showing you 16.7 million colors on the screen, this is loved by professionals who work in 3D animation and have to deal with multiple colors and shades.

On the Artist 15.6 Pro tablet, the glass and LCD panel are laminated into one piece, which reduces or eliminates parallax. the parallax will not bother you.

The pre-applied, and replaceable film cover’s anti-glare properties reduce reflections considerably.

The tablet has 8 fully customizable shortcut keys, alongside the unique red dial, which can be programmed to zoom in and out, alter brush sizes, and so on.

The stylus is battery-free and boasts 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, as well as 60 degrees of tilt functionality. It is easy to maneuver, and you can change the angle at which you work.

The Artist 15.6 Pro is unquestionably an excellent product and value for money for all the 3D artists and designers out there.

It also offers two other display size variants – 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch. which has almost same tech specs.

5. XPPen Artist 22R Pro

With a 21.5-inch IPS screen, you get a lot of space to let your creative juices flow.

The resolution of XPPen Artist 22R Pro tablet is 1920 x 1080 pixels. and will display sharp images and provide a good drawing experience.

The tablet performs great in terms of vibrancy and color accuracy. Its display is capable of producing rich colors that cover 88% NTSC – 120% sRGB color space.

This tablet includes an adjustable stand that allows you to adjust your work level. It is compatible with popular 3D software packages.

It includes 20 customizable hotkeys and 2 red-ringed rotary wheels that can be customized in the tablet’s driver settings.

The pen is battery free and has all the features of more expensive tablets like 8192 points of pressure senstivity, 60-degree tilt functionality, 200RPS report rate.

The buttons on the side of the pen can be assigned to things like mouse clicks etc. It comes with an artist glove included for less resistance while working.

This model is ideal for those who want a big screen to work on. The larger the work area, the more control you have over your final outcome.

If you don’t need the hotkeys, you can get the XPPen Artist 22 (2nd generation) in the same size at a much lower price than the Artist 22R Pro.

6. XPPen Artist 24 Pro

This is a huge, heavy, well-built monitor. Boasting a 23.8-inch workspace with the attached adjustable stand. the monitor can adjust from 16 degrees up to 90.

The tablet’s screen resolution is 2560 x 1440. This high resolution allows you to create models with superior color quality. Your modes will be both vibrant and detailed.

The XPPen Artist 24 Pro has a 90% Adobe RGB color coverage, looks very vibrant, and is capable of displaying subtle differences between the color tone which are not distinguishable on generic computer monitors.

It comes with a textured film overlay bringing the feel of drawing on paper. This helps to give it a real pen on paper feel, which always works to bring out the most natural finishes.

It has 20 customizable keys on the two side of the tablet as well as 2 red dial wheels for changing brush size, etc.

The PA2 battery-free stylus provides 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity as well as tilt response, ensuring superior definition of even the finest lines.

XPPen provide a non shortcut key version and you can save $100.

Conclusion

The possibilities of drawing tablet are endless! you can draw, you can retouch or restore pictures, you can make digital paintings with greater accuracy than a mouse, you can make past of your design work flow be faster, you can use it as a mouse and click on things, scroll things.

Pen Tablets are great for 3d art they aren’t only used for 2d. If you are a professional, beginner, or hobbyist I can almost assure you will see the benefit in having one provided you are performing the kinds of tasks that will best utilize its features.

They are a really fun tool to use and one I personally couldnt function without one. I have a XPPen Artist 15.6 Pro tablet and use it daily for Blender work. It is MOST useful for sculpting, texture painting, and grease pencil.

At the end, it will really come down to preference and what you’re able to get used to and be comfortable with. Kindly take note that these are just tools and won’t be an instant thing that will make you a good sculptor. Good luck with your decision and happy sculpting!

Source: https://www.xp-pen.com/forum-6140.html

Tattoos are a great way to express yourself and your personality. those with tattoos are usually very proud of them.

Tattoos have become less taboo and more of a trend in recent years.

Tattooing is a permanent choice, so it is important that the design is well thought out and executed flawlessly. one thing that remains the same about getting inked is the ability to design your own meaningful tattoo.

When it comes to sketching out a tattoo design, artists have a few different options for tools. The most common and classic tool is the pen and paper method.

Using a pen and paper gives the artist a lot of control when it comes to the line work and details of the tattoo.

Another popular method is using a computer program to design the tattoo. This can be anything from a basic drawing program to a more complex tattoo specific program.

This method is becoming more and more popular as it gives the artist a lot of freedom to experiment with the design and make changes quickly and easily.

Tattoo artists print the design on a special transfer paper, then transfer it to the client’s skin. This makes any tattoo designed in art programs like Photoshop easy to get permanently drawn onto your skin.

I loves the fact that it saves on paper and sketching time and it’s so easy to add layers and remove lines. Being digital it’s backed up in the cloud, so I’m not hunting through masses of paper trying to find that sketch, for the client who’s in the waiting room !

Tattoos are art just like anything else, they just have different styles and rules that make them special. Once you get the hang of drawing and coloring and shading in general, you can apply what you’ve learned to tattoo styles.

7 Best Tattoo Design Software & Apps

Whether you’re a tattoo artist or someone looking to get a tattoo, there are plenty of design apps to aid your decision.

While using an app from the Apple App Store or Google Play is the most common, many revert to using software like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop. That being said, you should use the option that best fits your budget and skills in technology.

Procreate

Procreate is great for “painterly” work and pencil sketching because of the minimalist interface, Available only on iPad, and packed with features artists and creative professionals love.

One of the biggest advantages of this app is that the default brush sets are beautiful and they are fully customisable.

Moreover, you can create your own brush/ brush set to meet your own drawing needs.

Moreover, the powerful “Adjustment” function located at the top left corner in Procreate (icon looks like a magic wand),

allows you to apply various effect to the selected layer, including Blurs, Sharpen, Noise, Hue, Saturation, Brightness, etc.

In almost no time at all, Procreate has become the essential tool for digital illustration on the iPad due to its intuitive interface and the variety of resources and artistic styles for which it can be used.

Designing digitally makes it easy to create perfect lines for stencils, present work to clients, and quickly resize designs during an appointment.

Adobe Fresco

Adobe Fresco replaced the two previous mobile drawing apps from Adobe, Photoshop Sketch, and Illustrator Draw. both were discontinued for iOS and Android and are no longer available for download.

Adobe Fresco is a powerful new iPad app that combines your favorite Photoshop brushes with vector brushes and Live brushes.

This new functionality allows you to “paint with watercolors and oils that blossom, blend, smear, and smudge just like the real thing.” Since vector brushes are also an option, you can create crisp, clean lines that are infinitely scalable so you can print your masterpieces at an size.

Adobe Fresco has the power of the Photoshop painting engine. It’s USP, the “real-time brushes” that duplicate the communication of ink or paint with paper. Its element of the specialist system jobt hat Adobe brands like Sensei.

Adobe Fresco is free for the basic version, but like all things Adobe, there’s a monthly fee for more advanced features and Photoshop Creative Cloud integration. If you have an iPad and an Apple Pencil, it’s worth downloading the trial just to check it out.

Some tattoo flash I did on Adobe Fresco. It’s got a super neat watercolor live brush. Works like a charm!

Clip Studio Paint

Clip Studio Paint Pro is the perfect program for artists on a budget since it doesn’t cost very much but still provides plenty of vector and brush tools for you to create professional-looking comics.

For more detailed work for both lineart and painting, I prefer CSP due to it’s more advanced features. I don’t use CSP for manga/comics or animation, but I use it kind of like a better Photoshop geared towards illustration and general digital art.

It is definitely more complex and takes a lot of time to learn, but it has a lot of features that Procreate just doesn’t even try to have.

For example, the vector options alone would probably be worth the price for you. You can draw a line and then pull/adjust it into place. The inking brushes are extremely smooth and crisp. Anything that involves inkwork is going to be better on CSP than Procreate.

The most impressive feature of this is how easy it is to draw. The brushes “feel” natural and drawing is smooth. Changing sizes and shapes are intuitive and line weights react excellent from graphic tablets.

Available on Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Android & Chromebook. You don’t need a new device to make pro art!

Adobe Photoshop CC

Photoshop is one of the most popular and powerful photo editing software programs used by tattoo artists. It allows them to create custom designs and make changes to existing designs.

In addition to providing a complete photo editing experience, Photoshop is a great drawing program for improving drawings. Many digital artists use this system to make beautiful images.

You can use it to draw up all kinds of tattoo designs and ideas. The program features layers, freely zoom for finer details, and a variety of other drawing tools. The Pen tool and Freeform tool can be used for drawing on a blank canvas.

There are several painting tools available in the Photoshop application. The Brush and Pencil tools are used as traditional drawing features to apply color with strokes. You can use the Eraser, Blur, and Smudge tools to modify the image further.

Making tattoo art in Photoshop is a lot more straightforward than you probably think it is.

Adobe illustrator CC

Adobe Illustrator is a magical software. Rich in features and functionalities, it provides infinite opportunities for designers to create any sort of design. The interface is intuitive, the toolset is impressive, and the number of tutorials you can refer to whenever you are stuck with your design makes it a top-choice for every designer.

you can create a tattoo vector illustration in Adobe Illustrator. it has powerful shape tools. you can make curves faster, shade with mask and blob brush, and color quickly.

Adobe Illustrator CC is an industry-standard tool in vector drawing and editing for professional design and artwork.

Rich in features and functionalities, it provides infinite opportunities for designers to create any sort of design. The interface is intuitive, the toolset is impressive, and the number of tutorials you can refer to whenever you are stuck with your design makes it a top-choice for every designer.

you can create a tattoo vector illustration in Adobe Illustrator. it has powerful shape tools. you can make curves faster, shade with mask and blob brush, and color quickly.

I have used Adobe Photoshop for sketching, Then I transfared the sketch into Adeobe Illustrator. Inking process is important for defining outer lines of your artwork. Try to crate all lines as clean as possible when inking process. This will huge impact your final result of artwork.

Medibang Paint Pro

If you’re looking for a free app to draw and design your tattoos, then MediBang Paint is the one for you. Initially created as a comic creation app, MediBang is a great graphic app that you can use to design a tattoo for yourself or your clients.

It offers multiplatform support and is available for Android, iOS devices (iPhone and iPad), Windows, and macOS. You can use the app to draw and paint gorgeous tattoos. Start a design on your PC, then take it over to your iPad or Android tablet with ease.

You can use it to import photos to help create or design a photo tattoo. MediBang also has a network of users that you can share your work with when you create an account. That’s a great way to get your work out there, besides the traditional social media route.

While the app does have ads, they don’t disrupt the creative process. It may not replace the likes of Photoshop or the beloved Procreate. However, MediBang is a simple, yet powerful drawing app that any tattoo lover or artist would enjoy.

Autodesk Sketchbook Pro

Autodesk Sketchbook is one of the easiest to grasp designing/ sketching apps out there. Used by concept artists, designers, architects, and even Tattoo Artists. it is one of the go-to options for deigning.

It lets you create basic sketches and convert them into intricate designs with minimal efforts. It is opted by professionals looking for clarity and speed when working on their stylistic projects.

Users can also capture ideas on the go since the software lets users use device cameras as scanners.

It helps digital artists and illustrators design with professional-grade perspective tools and intuitive user interface.

Works with graphics tablets. Changing the size of the brush is very intuitive – this operation can be performed using a keyboard shortcut or a special toolbox.

It is a popular app suitable for all systems – iOS, Mac OS, Windows and Android. You can sketch, draw, and paint on any platform it’s badass !

what drawing tablets do tattoo artists use?

If you’re a graphic designer, illustrator, or digital tattoo artist you’ll know that a drawing tablet can boost your creativity and streamline your workflow.

You can use a graphic tablet such as Wacom or XPPen to create and use calligraphic brushes in digital painting software.

Almost all drawing tablets for tattoo design have a number of sensitivity levels (some as few as 2000, others can go over 8,000.

A pen with high pressure sensitivity picks up even light pen strokes, making it easy to create different shades and shapes without digital augmentation.

In the same vein, many pro-grade tablet pens feature “60-degree tilt,” which allows you to press down on the pen tip from many angles, offering much a wider range of marks, and less frustration.

Before we jump in, it’s important to make sure you understand the difference between the different types of graphics tablets.

There are 3 types of drawing Tablets for Tattoo Sketches:

Classic drawing pad

Don’t have screens are more common and affordable. They’re basically large, pressure-sensitive trackpads that you control with a special stylus.

Using a classic drawing tablet like xppen deco 01 v2 can still work really well, but it takes some time to get used the hand-to-eye coordination.

Screenless is a great affordable option for a beginner don’t concern yourself with what the pros are using get what works for you and fits your needs now. Your equipment will grow with your skills as and when required.

Pen display monitor

Built-in external monitors that hook up to your computer. Drawing directly on the screen is really nice to have, similar to the pen-to-paper drawing, however, these tablets also come at a much higher price tag.

They offer a natural experience and help take your creative ideas and illustrations to the next level. Apart from looking stunning, you can draw or paint directly on the screen using your favourite 2D Software or 3D Software which makes it more intuitive and responsive for the digital tattoo artist to use.

I recommend that tattoo artists use drawing tablets with display, the possibilities presented by having a digital surface with countless colors and hues means that anyone with enough skill and creativity can find a way to apply digital capabilities to physical objects.

XPPen is a great brand, and I recommend their Artist line there’s a variety of sizes there, so just browse the specs and see what best suits you. Their products are quality and their customer service (should you ever need them) is good too. XPPen Artist have to be plugged to your computer and to the wall to work, but give you the freedom to use all your desktop apps.

Standalone Pen Computer

The main want/need for this type of tablet is to be portable, and have a decent battery life. This is because the tattoo artist wants to continue drawing the hours away from the comfort of being outside, or in different areas of their house without needing to be plugged in.

Standalone drawing tablets, such as the iPad Pro, Surface pro, and samsung galaxy tab, function without being connected to a laptop. extremely portable, good battery life, and works great, so you can draw on the go.

This types of tablets also comes with a pressure-sensitive stylus offering features designed to replicate the experience of drawing, writing and sketching on paper, with a real pen or pencil.

The ability to take a picture (fitted with a camera) and instantly edit it, or use it as a template for an illustration or concept drawing, is priceless for many creative users, such as tattoo artists, muralists, and sculptors.

One of the main disadvantages of buying a standalone drawing tablet like iPad for drawing is the cost. Even the cheapest iPads are much more expensive than other drawing tablets, which is why it’s best to think about how you want to use your tablet before you set a budget.

6 Best drawing tablets for Tattoo Artists: Reviews & Recommendations

Now that you know the basics, it’s time to go out and pick the best drawing tablet for you.

1. iPad Pro

iPad Pro with apple pencil is a great tool for tattoo work and can make creation of any tattoo design a lot easier and less time consuming.

The 12.9 inch large screen will feel as big as a laptop, plus apple pencil will blow your mind with on intuitive and reactive it is. Procreate drawing app is great for doodling, sketching, and doing linework .

As far as screen quality goes ipad pro is great, it’s a glass screen, offering a resolution of 2048×2732 pixels at a pixel density of 264 pixels per inch (ppi). plus the super retina hd display tech of apple is supposed to be really good.

The display can refresh at up to 120Hz and supports dynamic refresh rate switching. It also has lower reflections, DCI-P3 color space, True Tone, and HDR video.

Apple Pencil is considered one of the most advanced styluses in the market and known for its consistent, smooth, and reliable performance.

Drawing has a better feel thanks to the speedier processor. The higher refresh rate also ensures that latency when using the Apple Pencil is reduced further to 20 ms.

As for the cameras themselves, the rear-mounted 12MP wide and 10-MP ultra-wide sensors take great photos.

2. Samsung Galaxy tab S8 Ultra

Incredibly slim, sleek design, a brilliant, punchy screen that’s expansive – perfect for watching, photo editing, or sketching on, and plenty of power help Samsung’s Galaxy tab S8 Ultra stand out.

With Samsung’s AMOLED screen technology, which is incredibly deep, vibrant, and rich, which is one of the finest and most color-accurate displays out there with support for HDR10+.

The 14.6-inch display supports a resolution of 2960 x1848, plus the high 120 Hz refresh rate makes every touch and pen input interaction feel very smooth.

The display looks beautiful. Bezels are thin. Colours are vibrant and display is bright. All visuals look sharp.

The included S Pen is well built, has a matte textured surface, nice to hold, has one side button and a firm rubberised tip.

The S Pen is almost cylindrical, and it feels more natural on first use given the softer, more pen-like tip. supports up to 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity with tilt recognition – and it works great.

This is the best Android tablet for creating digital art and tattoo design.

3. Surface Pro 8

The Surface Pro 8 is an excellent tablet that comes with Windows 11. Digital creatives will love the power on offer here in a tablet form factor, but you’ll need to spend extra for a stylus.

It comes with a 13-inch PixelSense display with a resolution of 2,880 x 1,920, and at this screen size, that leads to a fantastic looking display with pin-sharp details.

On some models you can now up the refresh rate from 60Hz to 120Hz. it makes using a stylus for doodling even more responsive.

The most advanced versions featured an Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor with integrated Iris graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. You can opt for an i5 model with half the RAM and storage, but performance will take a hit.

The image is very sharp, because there with a good 10MP rear-facing webcam and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, which can capture video/image in 1080p.

Surface Pro 8 battery lasts only 6~8 hours on average use but advertised to last 16hr! Good tablet, good pen, not so good battery life.

If you want a capable tablet but don’t want to switch to iOS or Android, the Surface Pro 8 is a great choice.

Unlike iPads or Android tablets which run mobile operating systems, the Surface Pro 8 isn’t limited to mobile apps. So, you can run full Windows apps such as Adobe Photoshop, while still benefitting from the slim and light tablet form.

4. XPPen Artist (2nd generation) series

The XPPen Artist (2nd generation) is a pen display. Basically a second monitor that plugs into you Windows or Mac computer allowing you to draw in it with the included pen.

The resolution of these displays are FHD, that’s 1920 x 1080 pixels. On the 10.1” / 11.9” / 13.3” / 15.4” display of the XPPen Artist 10 (2nd gen) / Artist 12 (2nd gen) / Artist 13 (2nd gen) / Artist 16 (2nd gen) that looks really nice and crisp.

The IPS panel can reproduce 1.67 billion colors and features ≥ 90% Adobe RGB color gamut the colors and accuracy are amazing.

XPPen Artist (2nd generation) series is equipped with an anti-glare glass, which makes the screen can virtually eliminate reflections and reduce eye strain.

The display is laminated so there’s no gap between the line and the pen tip. it’s meant to remove parallax, ensures the cursor will always follow the pen nib closely.

The X3-Smart-Chip battery-free digital pen is a very popular stylus amongst artists and is known for its accurate tracking and well-balanced pressure sensitivity.

Initial activation force of the pen is low to 3g and thin lines can be drawn easily even with a thick brush selected.

The tablet also comes in four colors: Black, Blue, Pink, and Green. which is quite rare to find.

This tablet is compatible with windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Linux, as well as Android phones / tablets both via USB-C or HDMI wired connectivity.

It also comes loaded with ≥ 6 customizable express keys that you can set for general usage and your most-used tools/key commands to keep keyboard use to a minimum while working.

The reverse side of the tablet features four rubber feet to help keep it secure on most desks/tabletops to avoid any slips and shakes while editing.

On paper the XPPen Artist (2nd generation) looks very good indeed. It’s commonly agreed that XPPen do a good line in affordable and good quality screen drawing tablets.

5. XPPen Artist Pro series

It is very important for a drawing tablet to have a color-accurate screen. The XPPen Artist 12 Pro / Artist 13.3 Pro / Artist 15.6 Pro comes with a 11.6″ / 13.3″ / 15.6″ screen which covers 100% sRGB / 120% sRGB / 120% sRGB color space. it is decent enough.

The screen’s quite sharp thanks to the FHD resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, the colors are pretty punchy for an IPS panel, and it gets sufficiently bright.

The fully laminated display technology reduced the parallax to the lowest level, which means a thinner profile, improved display quality, better outdoor visibility, wider viewer angle, more accuracy. Drawing experience are really good.

XPPen provide a high-quality matte screen protector for the Artist 12 Pro / Artist 13.3 Pro / Artist 15.6 Pro drawing monitors, it support anti-glare and radiation protection. Plus you get extra scratch and drop resistance and an oleophobic coating to see off greasy fingerprints, too.

The Artist 12 Pro / Artist 13.3 Pro / Artist 15.6 Pro comes with some of the very unique features – like the red roller wheel, combine with other 8 programmable shortcut buttons on the tablet. you can get things done faster with the quick access to shortcuts.

Features a non-slip rubber grip design, the Battery-free digital pen PA2 will bring you a comfortable & stable grip that helps to relax your mind and enable you to come up with more creative ideas.

The 200PPS data transfer rates, 5080LPI in resolution, ±60° tilt function and 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity allow getting a professional level of drawing (make the thinner line with one simple movement).

XPPen’s Artist Pro tablet is one of the most compelling entry-level graphics displays on the market. It’s lightweight, well-built, highly customizable, color-accurate, and all for a reasonable price.

6. XPPen Deco MW / Deco LW

Loved for its thin and light design, the XPPen Deco MW / Deco LW comes in 4 gorgeous colors: Black, blue, green, and pink.

The XPPen Deco MW / Deco LW has a active drawing area of 8″ x 5″ / 10″ x 6″. It’s light, thin, and easy to maneuver around on the desk, but has rubber feet to help keep it from sliding.

The tablet’s enhanced effective surface also gives more friction to the tips, which gives a feel that is similar to writing on paper with a pencil.

There are a row of eight express (shortcut) keys along the side. The tablet can be turned so the keys are on the left or right side depending on if you are right or left-handed.

This tablet has a resolution of 5,080 lines per inch, and the pen has 8,192 pressure levels and can be used tilted down up to 60 degrees on either side.

The battery-free Stylus used the X3 Smart Chip has a more stable pen tip, less latency and better durability, as well as improved precision.

The XPPen Deco MW / Deco LW packs a 1,000 mAh battery which can last up to 10 hours of continuous use. This operates the Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity that uses significantly minimal power while maintaining very low latency.

This tablet is compatible with windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Linux, as well as Android phones or tablets both via Bluetooth or wired connectivity.

The two XPPen Deco MW & Deco LW tablets are thin, lightweight and stylish. But yet feels solid due to a high-quality plastic build.

It works flawlessly and provides a professional experience at lower cost.

Final Verdict

I make this guide for anyone wanting to learn or improve designing tattoos.

Some drawing tablets are ideal for beginners while others boast advanced features and technology that are suitable for professionals.

I’m a professional artist and for me, a PC and dedicated drawing tablet like wacom cintiq or XPPen Artist is an absolute must, while the iPad is nice to have but not necessary.

Personally, it feels more natural drawing on a screen tablet than an iPad because of that- a matte screen protector could help with that (I have one on my iPad).

There are professionals who can use iPads for their main workflow so it really depends on you!

Pen displays generally speaking provide better value for money simply because it’s cheaper. Eg a XPPen Artist 15.6 Pro 15.6-inch pen display is around US$370. And there are so many brands to choose from.

Source: https://www.xp-pen.com/forum-6074.html

Many photographers, illustrators, artists, and graphic designers often use drawing tablets for digital illustration or photo retouching jobs because it is more convenient and enjoyable than just using a mouse.

By using a drawing tablet and computer program you can select from all sorts of different tools and settings. Choose from endless brushes including watercolour, calligraphy and even chalk. Then there are the limitless colour selections on offer.

The freedom to not only draw with any pen, whether it’s a fine fountain pen or a thick marker, but also edit your designs however you please, whether that’s increasing their size, duplicating sections, or changing colours, the power to create the most amazing designs is at your fingertips.

Drawing Tablets have two types of connections: standard corded and wireless Bluetooth. The main limitation of the cable is the distance in which its transmissions can travel.

You require a wireless portable graphic tablet if you’re operating as an artist or visual developer. This convenient tool lets you mark wherever you are and make digital skills with comfort.

The most reasonable wireless bluetooth drawing tablets for laptop are lightweight, responsive, and make editing effortless. It’s a stage up from your traditional pen and paper, permitting you to perform on the go. Then, you can mail it to customers or transfer it on social media in moments.

Wireless Support

Having wireless connectivity is a very nice feature. It’s both nice if you plan to place the tablet on your lap, or in case you plan to carry it around with your laptop.

It makes it easier to move it around, so you will appreciate it if you plan to use wireless drawing tablet with your laptop on the go.

The Wireless drawing tablet connects wirelessly via the USB dongle or bluetooth. But it still giving users the option to use the wired USB connection when desired.

In case the tablet’s battery needs to recharge, you can still use it while you’re charging it. You can turn wireless off via the switch on the side in case you don’t want to use it as well.

Now to be honest, while wireless connectivity is lovely, especially when it doesn’t cost much. It sometimes doesn’t work as reliably as cable. It depends on the tablet.

Wireless USB vs Bluetooth USB connector

Bluetooth and WiFi (2.4GHz) are extra norms for wireless transmission.

Bluetooth advancement is helpful when communicating data between two or more appliances that are around each other when the pace is not a problem, such as printers, telephones, headsets, and modems. It is excellently done to low-bandwidth applications like driving sound data with telephones or byte data with hand-held computers (transmitting files) or keyboard and mice.

Wi-Fi (2.4GHz) is excellently done for working full-scale webs because it enables a more direct link, more helpful content from the ground station and more useful wireless protection (if configured correctly) than Bluetooth.

Different wireless tablets like the XP-Pen Deco Mini7w links utilize a wireless USB receiver. The receiver ought to be bonded to the USB port of your tablet.

This gets to the foremost point, the enclosed wireless connector has a USB type A plug, which is fast disappearing from most of the current laptops.

Most computers and portable appliances marketed nowadays come only with a Type-C USB port. This implies you have to utilize a dongle or a USB Hub, which is not an excellent answer.

Wireless drawing tablet with screen

Classic pen display monitors like Wacom Cintiq series and XPPen Artist series must be connected to a computer before you can draw.

Portable standalone drawing tablets like the iPad Pro, Surface pro, samsung Galaxy Tab that use a self-powered input device and active pen to transmit signals directly to your tablet.

In other words, standalone tablets cut out the middle man, enabling the best possible finishes on your digital artwork, even when you’re on the go. All without a piece of bulky equipment in sight!

However, standalone tablets can be expensive, with prices rising up to $400 or more for pro-level models. So, before you buy a graphics tablet, you need to have a clear idea of exactly what you need.

About XPPen

When it comes to drawing tablets or pen displays, Wacom is the first name to come to mind. Wacom is still “king of the hill” but they are flipping expensive.

If you are looking to get started with Digital Painting on a budget, then check out XPPen Drawing Tablets.

XP-Pen is a one of the leading brands when it comes to drawing tablets. Their products are ideal for digital artists and photographers alike, making the process of creating art on a computer a more enjoyable and seamless experience.

The main selling points for the XPPen screenless tablets are the battery-free stylus with high pen pressure levels and tilt recognition, bluetooth connection and nice looking design.

Here are our top picks for the best XPPen wireless drawing tablets:

1. XPPen Star 05

The XPPen Star 05 is a beautiful device. It is a sleek off-black, and very smooth. The beveled edges are a nice touch. It’s overall design is very minimalist, it is just so good looking.

The 2.4 GHz wireless feature well is worth every penny as it is highly responsive. For those who want finer detail control without having to zoom in constantly on your work: this is your graphics pad. It’s very solid and has good battery life when charged and not tethered for use.

In regards to size, the Star 05 is 11.7 x 7 x 0.4 inches. With an Active Area of 8 x 5 inches, it is pretty large- which in this case is a good thing! While it isn’t the biggest tablet, it’s not too small; nearly perfect in size actually.

Instead of shortcut buttons, this tablet has 6 touch-sensitive shortcut keys! You can customize two keys to switch between options like zoom in/out, undo/redo, or even increase/decrease brush size! It’s very handy.

The lightweight feel and simple shape of this stylus pen may feel a bit strange at first, however the P03 stylus has no battery and never needs to be recharged.

With 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, the stylus is very responsive. the pen movements are very accurate. You can make the tiniest lines, like quotation marks, and they will show up just where you wanted them.

2. XP-Pen Star 06

Its massive drawing area of 10 x 6 inches, sleek form factor, excellent stylus, and overall good drawing performance are the main selling points of XPPen Star 06 tablet.

The haptic and overall built quality seems very good. The 4 rubber feet on the back design to prevent it from moving around on the table. The drawing surface itself duels good too, its not slippy and has a little grip while you draw on it.

The 2.4GHz wireless function works well with excellent 1050mAh lithium battery life. harging does not take long and battery life up to 16 hours is satisfactory.

If you’re someone who does a lot of zooming and brush size changing, the wheel function is a life-saver. Thanks to the fact that the 6 hotkeys lay on the side, access is convenient. Making workflow easier.

The included P01 battery-free stylus enables uninterrupted drawing. 8192 pressure sensitivity does feel different. It’s convenient to get broad strokes.

Unless you need tilt or touch support along with all these functions, there’s no need to get the pricey Wacom Intuos Pro. It works the same way.

3. XPPen Deco Mini7W

XP-Pen Deco mini7w Wireless tablet is one of the most pocket-friendly drawing tablets in the market.

The XPPen Deco Mini7w comes with an active drawing area of 7 x 4.37 Inches. This is considered a ideal size for both working on laptop screens and external monitors.

The tablet feels solid which does not even flex on pressing. It has round corners and beveled edges with four large rubber pads at the back help the tablet to firmly grip the surface.

The Deco Mini 7W drawing tablet provides up to 10 hours of wireless use and takes 2 hours to charge. The Deco Mini 7W drawing tablet has stable, 10-meter range wireless connection, thanks to using 2.4Ghz radio frequency connection.

The P05D digital pen feels solid and has 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity which allows you to easily make variable pen strokes when drawing. It also offers 60 degrees of tilt which means you can add shade just like a real pencil.

The battery-free stylus covered with a rubber material that’s very soft, which makes the whole drawing experience much more comfortable. It feels very nice in your hands and also easier to grab..

You can now use Chrome OS & Android OS on your XPPen Deco mini7W, allowing you to write and create digitally effortlessly.

With its compact size and wireless connectivity available at a budget price, there’s no need to worry about budget or workspace.

4. XPPen Deco 03

The design of XPPen Deco 03 looks sleek and minimalist. Design and build quality are Really solid!

The working area is 10 x 5.62 inches and it comes with large bezels that you can rest your hands on. Drawing surface is matte and has a nice texture to draw on.

The red dial is responsive and a really distinct aspect of the table, it really gives it personality. The other 6 buttons are clicky and give nice feedback when pressed.

Talking about wireless it comes with a small 2.4 Ghz dongle like if it was a wireless mouse, and there is no input lag at all!

The P05 Stylus is well built, sturdy and has a nice weight. The surface is smooth matte and the grip section has a matte rubberised texture to it.

The battery-free stylus comes with 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, which is very sensitive, the lines are smooth and tapers nicely when drawing.

The Deco 03 is one of the higher-spec graphics tablets in the XP-Pen range and offers a feature-set comparable to market-leaders, with the exception of tilt-detection on the pen — something that’s only really relevant to professional digital artists and illustrators, and is available in the newer XP-Pen Deco series.

5. XPPen Deco MW

A beautiful tablet, in both size and color. The XPPen Deco MW comes in four color variants: Black, blue, green and pink. It’s active area is 8 x 5 inches.

The XPPen Deco MW tablet is compact, thin, light weight and bluetooth enabled. And the fact that you can still use it while it is charging makes it worth it right there.

8 Programmable function keys work a treat and can be customised in the driver for different software packages. makes it easy to open apps, change brushes, swap through open apps, etc., it’s perfect.

X3-Smart-Chip is a bonus, enhancing the pen performance across the board. which comes with a more subtle initial pressure sensitivity and a much shorter tip retraction.

The Deco MW tablet is compatible with mac, Windows, Linux, chromebook, and android OS. and works great for drawing, photo editing, comic and manga artwork.

This is a great tablet for retouching photos pen point accuracy, long lasting battery and conivent in tight spaces and on the go.

6. XPPen Deco LW

The XPPen Deco LW tablet’s build quality is fantastic, and comes in four color options: Black, blue, green and pink.

Thin, lightweight yet well-built tablet with large drawing area of 10 x 6 inches. the drawing surface is slightly rough, providing a pencil-on-paper feel.

Enjoy the convenience of wireless creating with built in Bluetooth connection, so it’s simple to use almost anywhere.

The Deco LW tablet comes with 8 express keys, you can apply different settings on a per application basis giving you access to the hotkeys you use most in whatever software you are using.

The pen is powered by the same X3-smart-Chip inside which supports tilt and 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity. Its initial activation force is just 3g which captures every nuance of pen pressure.

This is a beautiful pen tablet with Bluetooth and fantastic drawing performance. Ergonomic pen and tablet, for both right- and left-handed artists.

7. XPPen Deco Pro SW & Deco Pro MW

XPPen improves on its excellent Deco Pro tablet by adding relatively seamless Bluetooth connectivity.

The XPPen Deco Pro SW & Deco Pro MW is a nice looking tablet with solid build quality that also performs really well at drawing.

The metal body and wonderful finishing make this feel like a premium product. The build quality for the whole tablet feels sturdy and classy, high end.

The Deco Pro, available in two size variants: small version ( 9 × 5 inches of active area) and medium version (11 × 6 inches of active area) , gives pro and amateur artists and photographers enough working space.

One additional cool way XPPen Deco Pro has made it different is their creation of the double Dial wheels ! the Dial is an accessory built for your non-drawing hand. It functions as a navigational device for your application tools.Helping you pick colors, changes brushes or brush size and much more.

The PA1 battery-free stylus provides 8192 pressure sensitivity and 60 degrees of tilt function, It’s pleasant to use and makes editing fine details easier thank to the 8,192 levels of pressure. With tilt sensitivity you can change the angle of the pen to control things like opacity.

The XP-Pen Deco Pro is a great tablet that is an absolute bargain at its price point (especially when compared to offerings from Wacom Intuos Pro).

Final Words

It is without a doubt that pen tablets are among the most useful photo editing and retouching tools for photographers, graphic artists, and illustrators.

The ability to use it as a precision tool to make specific changes in the same way that we illustrate with pen and paper has an irreplaceable value.

Online teaching or distance learning is aided by the wireless drawing tablet. Teachers can annotate, write comments, solve Math problems, and draw with the tablet while students can easily take down notes with it.

Pen tablets come in a wide range of sizes that aim to fit the preference of individual users. Generally speaking, you’ll want the graphic tablet size to be close to the size of your monitor.

The advanced technology doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a better option because in creative tools, user preference and experience is still the most important factor.

For those looking for a simple and affordable alternative to the Wacom Intuos and Intuos Pro line, the XPPen Star & Deco series is highly rated amongst artists.

Easy to set up, Very portable, Can be used wirelessly via Bluetooth or dongle. Using a XPPen wireless drawing tablet to help expand the types of images you create.

Overall, XPPen tablets are a good way to get into digital art. Particularly if you want something affordable, or if you just don’t want a Wacom tablet.

Source: https://www.xp-pen.com/forum-6039.html

You may be considering getting a tablet to help with digital art such as 2D illustrations, Photo editing, digital painting, 3D texture painting, 3D sculpting, or other common uses.

A drawing tablet is a tool that can translate the strokes from a pen-shaped stylus to a digital screen in an extremely accurate way. It’s a good buy for any level digital artist who uses their computer as the locus of their workstation.

This technology is commonly used by artists, illustrators, animators, digital photo editors, architects and engineers, for example, to transplant their art and work onto a digital canvas.

Well, creating digital art with a drawing tablet is a given. It can be super-useful for creating eye-catching visuals. or just a wonderful hobby in and of itself.

If you’re on a budget, you can Save big on select XPPen drawing pads this summer with their 17th Anniversary deals on the XP-Pen Star series, Deco series, Artist series, and more!

Graphic Tablet vs Pen display: Advantages and Disadvantages?

Pros for a screenless tablet, there’s less cable management and it’s cheaper. which is a great affordable option for a beginner to digital art.

But there is a learning curve to tablets without a display since you have to look at your monitor and not where you’re drawing, but once you get used to it, it’s pretty easy to use.

Pros for a screen display, it’s definitely nice to be able to be able to draw directly on the screen. It is easier as it is the most like drawing on paper and you are able to look at your hand whilst drawing.

But They’re more expensive; They break much more easily so you can’t carry them around carelessly like you would do with a Wacom Intuos or XPPen Deco; Once you start drawing on a graphics tablet that has a screen you will never want to draw with another that doesn’t.

Plug your drawing tablet into your computer using the plug-in cable and download the tablet driver from the Brand‘s official site. At this point, your tablet should be ready to start using.

Download and open a graphics application such as photoshop or illustrator that is compatible with your tablet. then just Start creating! There are also a lot of free digital art programs for you to use. which can helps you create stunning images.

Drawing tablets – are they worth it?

The digital pens comes with graphic tablet can be used as a mouse as well as a drawing tool. Even if you’re not drawing, a tablet is a game changer. It’s just so much easier to do certain things with a pen than it is with a mouse.

The big benefits are the pressure sensitivity. The drawing board on the market now usually offers about 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, which let them feels much more natural and responsive.

With a small amount of practice your fingers on a pen are likely far more dexterous than your arm and wrist manipulating a mouse; it takes some effort to learn, but it can become a more natural and precise motion when using a pen.

You can use this device for concept art , sketches, preparing compositions, preparing stencils, doodling. It will changed your career. It’s a joy to draw, and your production and efficiency are through the roof.

You can use it on photos that need touching up (more than just slider/level adjustments). It’s very beneficial if you’re using tools that take advantage of the pressure sensitivity. Masks, brushes, dodge/burn, etc all become far more effecient when you don’t have to muck about with brush sizes and whatnot.

If you’ve ever worked with a 3D software like Zbrush, Blender, Maya or 3D Max you know that you spend a lot of your time looking at the character model and moving its body parts around. Doing that with a pen feels so much more natural than a mouse, it’s like touching the model with you hands. You get more precise with your tweaking and you move around incredibly faster.

A Drawing tablet and the stylus can significantly improved the work flow for note taking and productivity. with the note taking apps such as OneNote, Evernote… which support pen input function, you don’t have to worry about losing/damaging the notes, and searching for specific topics / info is much quicker, you can re-edit and re-add anything and everything whenever you want.

It even have the ability to write in Microsoft edge browser. To do this, select the drawing tool in Microsoft Edge and you’ll be able to write over any webpage.

About XP-Pen

Wacom is the industry standard. and they have the most experience brand wise and user experience. but the price is quite expensive and pricey.

Wacom has more competitors now than it has ever had in it’s life and there are more coming every day.

If you’re starting out, XP-Pen might be a more budget friendly way than Wacom to get into trying digital art using a drawing tablet, and the reviews one the Internet are much and seem quite good.

Founded in Japan, XPPen is a professional company that has been making graphics tablets since 2005 and they improve their products and closing the gap with Wacom products and in even exceeding in some areas while keeping them more affordable.

Their screen-less drawing pads includes Star series and Deco series offer great control that attaches to your computer via USB or Bluetooth.

The XPPen Artist series elevates this functionality with a truly beautiful screen display that syncs right in with your computer, to make a deeply integrated digital art workstation that especially for Windows and Mac users.

You will find non-screen xppen tablets for any size, including A4, A5, A6, A7. And the drawing monitors offers from 10″ to 24″. both types of tablets come with plenty of buttons and roller wheels to customize shortcuts, etc. it’s amazing.

The XPPen’s stylus uses the most advanced EMR technology. It creates an electromagnetic field that extends 10 millimeters up from the tablet/screen surface. This means the digital pen can works without batteries, it doesn’t need to be charged. When the device is on, the pen is on.

To get you started, XPPen provides you with free creative software: Artrage 6, Toon Boom, Zoner Photo Studio X, ArtRage Lite, openCanvas, Cartoon Animator 4. Software bundles differ by model. you just need to register your product on xppen official site after purchase.

XPPen Anniversary Sales Event 2022

XPPen 17th Anniversary Sales Event 2022 has arrived! Don’t miss out on this chance to save a lot of money and get some excellent discounts.

Whether you’re back-to-school shopping or thinking about upgrading your graphic tablet and pen display monitors, the XPPen Anniversary Sale has everything from XPPen Star series, Deco Series to Artist series marked down now.

You can save up to 35% off on selected XPPen drawing tablets and Accessories during their 17th anniversary promotion. These XPPen drawing tablet deals are available from August 16 to September 16. nonetheless, I strongly advise taking advantage of them right now. the next special sale would be black friday and christmas.

See the list below for opportunities to save up to $270!

1. XPPen Artist Series

The XPPen Artist’s display is magnificent. It’s a low-gloss glass pane that’s comfortable to draw on. The IPS panel has a rather remarkable color gamut. for example the 15,4″ xppen artist pro 16 model is capable of displaying 99 percent of the Adobe RGB spectrum.

What this means is that Adobe RGB is well suited for CMYK printing for paper projects, and more accurately displays a band of cyan-inflected hues than the other color spaces.

The screen is also impressive for its resolution and brightness. even the cheapest 11,6″ xppen artist 12 model has a 1920 x 1080 resolution, meaning it’s really pixel rich (strong feature for a pixel manipulator).

The brightness of XPPen artist series is rated at 250 nits. That brightness and resolution paired with the glass ( come with an anti-glare screen protecter ) means that you can see everything on the screen clearly, even in direct sunlight.

Artist 10 (2nd Generation) (10,1″, was $169.99, 10% off)

Artist 12 (11,6″, was $199.99, 15% off)

Artist 12 (2nd Generation) (11,9″, was $249.99, 20% off)

Artist 12 (2nd Gen) Gift edition (11,9″, was $249.99, 20% off)

Artist 12 Pro (11,6″, was $259.99, 20% off)

Artist 12 Pro LINE FRIENDS Edition (11,6″, was $299.99, 20% off)

Artist 13 (2nd Generation) (13,3″, was $299.99, 15% off)

Artist 13.3 Pro (13,3″, was $279.99, 15% off)

Artist 13.3 Pro Holiday Edition (13,3″, was $299.99, 20% off)

Innovator 16 (15,6″, was $399.99, 25% off)

Artist 16 (2nd Generation) (15,4″, was $399.99, 15% off)

Artist Pro 16 (15,4″, was $449.99, 20% off)

Artist Pro 16TP (15,6″, was $899.99, 25% off)

Artist 15.6 (15,6″, was $299.99, 10% off)

Artist 15.6 Pro (15,6″, was $369.99, 20% off)

Artist 22 (2nd Generation) (21,5″, was $499.99, 20% off)

Artist 22E Pro (21,5″, was $499.99, 15% off)

Artist 22R Pro (21,5″, was $599.99, 25% off)

Artist 24 (23,8″, was $799.99, 30% off)

Artist 24 Pro (23,8″, was $899.99, 30% off)

2. XPPen Deco Series

The big difference between the regular Star series and Deco series range is mainly in the build quality of the tablet. the deco series tablet have a better stylus that come with a squishy rubber grip，which is extremely comfortable to use.

The high end xppen deco series tablet is beeter at simulating natural media. most of the deco tablets comes with ±60º of Tilt sensitivity, Allows you to quickly and professionally edit photos and create digital artwork using natural pen control.

If you do a lot of drawing and painting then the xppen deco is a worthwhile investment. It has better control and is a lot more durable.

Deco Mini 4 (4 x 3″, was $29.99, 20% off)

Deco Fun XS (4,8 x 3″, was $29.99, 20% off)

Deco Fun S (6,3 x 4″, was $39.99, 20% off)

Deco Mini 7 (7 x 4,37″, was $49.99, 20% off)

Deco Mini 7w Wireless (7 x 4,37″, was $59.99, 10% off)

Deco MW Bluetooth (8 x 5″, was $69.99, 10% off)

Deco Pro S (9 x 6″, was $99.99, 20% off)

Deco Pro SW Bluetooth (9 x 6″, was $129.99, 25% off)

Deco L (10 x 6″, was $69.99, 10% off)

Deco LW Bluetooth (10 x 6″, was $89.99, 10% off)

Deco 01 (10 x 6,25″, was $54.99, 15% off)

Deco 01 V2 (10 x 6,25″, was $59.99, 15% off)

Deco 01 V2 Line friends (10 x 6,25″, was $59.99, 10% off)

Deco 02 (10 x 5,63″, was $79.99, 15% off)

Deco 03 Wireless (10 x 5,62″, was $99.99, 25% off)

Deco Fun L (10 x 6,27″, was $49.99, 20% off)

Deco Pro M (11 x 6″, was $129.99, 20% off)

Deco Pro MW Bluetooth (11 x 6″, was $159.99, 25% off)

3. XPPen Star Series

If you are a photographer pen angle don’t matter much but if you are drawing freehand you will need the pen angle in order to aim the airbrush tool. With no pen angle on the XPPen Star series (except the star g960s plus model) tablet the angle is forever fixed at “straight down”.

Notably, the XPPen star series graphics tablets are relatively inexpensive at about $20 – 50 USD, and perfect for beginners. but it’s backed with the assurance of the XPPen brand and features the most important specs such as the battery-free pen, 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, plenty of active area size options, hotkeys…..

The XPPen Star is a good pick for a starter graphics tablet if you’re on a tight budget or just trying out digital art.

Star G430S (4 x 3″, was $29.99, 35% off)

Star G640 (6 x 4″, was $39.99, 25% off)

Star G640 Line Friends Edition (6 x 4″, was $39.99, 25% off)

Star G640S (6,5 x 4″, was $49.99, 20% off)

Star 05 Wireless (8 x 5″, was $69.99, 10% off)

Star G960S (9 x 6″, was $49.99, 20% off)

Star G960S Plus (9 x 6″, was $59.99, 20% off)

Star 03 (10 x 6″, was $59.99, 35% off)

Star 06 Wireless (10 x 6″, was $85.99, 25% off)

Conclusion

If you live in the US or canada, you can buy from the XPPen US online official store: https://www.storexppen.com

If you live in other country or Region, just select your country or Region from the “choose country” menu then jump directly to the locial online store. The XPPen Anniversary Sales event is global，but the discounts will vary based on regions.

If you have drawing skills, there are also drawing contests to enter and win the award. the award include three display drawing tablets: XPPen Artist 10 (2nd Generation), Artist 12 (2nd Generation), Artist 16 (2nd Generation). it’s great, isn’t it?

At the same time, you can subscribe to the xppen social channels (youtube, tiktok, instagram, and twitter) for livestream, discounts and giveaways! more details you can visit this page: https://www.xp-pen.com/AnniversaryGuide

Having the right tool is important! Let’s get ourselves a new drawing tablet and enjoy it. Maximum power for design work and digital drawing!

Whether you are a graphic designer, illustrator, video editor or photo retoucher, having a comfortable workspace and professional tools is fundamental to fuel your creativity and productivity.

If you want to get started in digital art the drawing tablet is an ideal choice. Using the best drawing tablets can make creating art digitally as natural as sketching on paper or painting on canvas.

There’s so much to choose from when it comes to drawing pads! the best quality tablets will come from Wacom and XP-Pen. Once Wacom was the only brand in drawing tablets, now XPPen carved out a niche by offering appealing, affordable alternatives to the industry leader.

XP-Pen is a chinese firm that specialises in graphic tablets, pen display monitors and related devices. It was formed in 2005 in Japan. With Star, Deco and Artist series, it is a national high-tech firm with multiple patents and autonomous R&D capabilities.

I have been a XP-Pen user since 2018 as well as for writing detailed reviews of their new products a few years ago. my old model tablet is still served but the Specifications are out of date now. because the technology has improved a lot since then!

Since the type of artistic freelance work I do requires me to have a tablet, I went ahead and bought the smaller XPPen Deco MW, hoping it could serve me well for a couple of weeks. It turns out the tablet is a good buy for beginners, an acceptable fit for artists on a tight budget.

Like the other XPPen Deco tablets, the XPPem Deco MW Tablet is a graphics tablet—with a writing surface but no screen—responsive to an included pen stylus commands. Your pen strokes are mapped to your computer’s screen or monitor, so you can draw, edit photos, and perform other actions and see the results almost immediately.

The XPPem Deco MW is a great addition to the lineup, because it’s small and portable, while packing the punch of its larger siblings. it comes in two versions: Deco M, and Deco MW. Deco MW is the wireless Bluetooth model and Deco M is the wired.

I love to use the small Deco MW when traveling and its great to fit on a podium or table while speaking at events.

It’s a good choice as a graphics tablet for use with a laptop, especially for mobile use where your working space may be at a premium.

Introduce

The active horizontal drawing area of the Deco MW is 8″ x 5″. Thickness is 8.8 mm. It’s light, thin and easy to move around the table, and it has rubber feet to prevent slipping.

This tablet uses two-shot molding with a rubber material to protect the edge. which help protect it from drops, bumps and scuffs. Overall design looks quite seamless.

There is a row of eight shortcut keys on the side. The tablet can be turned so the keys are on the left or right, depending on whether you’re right or left handed.

One of the unusual features of the Deco MW is wireless Bluetooth 5.0. Also new is that the XP-Pen has rebuilt its wireless stylus from the ground up. The X3 Elite Pen equipped with the most advanced X3 Smart Chip technology.

The colors offered are pleasant to look at. The XP-Pen Deco LW Pen drawing tablet comes in four colors: green, pink, blue, and black.

More Information about Deco MW tablet from XP-Pen official site: https://www.xp-pen.com/product/1250.html

Unboxing

The box the XPPen Deco MW comes in is small, light and has a nice design on the front to catch your eye. On the back, You have all the information you need at your fingertips, including the size, colour and other infors.

On opening the box you will find the tablet, the stylus, 2 Adapters, Wireless Dongle, 10 Nibs, Nib Extractor, Quick Guide, Warranty Card and a USB-C cable.

The cable is used for charging the Deco MW as well as connecting it to a computer, which you will need to do to get started.

The two small adapters for use with Android or Chrome OS devices with USB-C or micro-USB ports.

Unlike other drawing tablet makers, XP-Pen is known for giving out so many useful accessories.

Connectivity

Bluetooth connectivity means you have extensive flexibility with your work setup—without annoying cords and cables in the way.

Bluetooth may or may not require the supplied USB dongle to work—it depends on your computer model and setup. The dongle is USB A, but the XP-Pen offers USB-C and Micro USB adapters if needed.

Surprisingly, the Deco LW feels snappy and responsive overall when being used wirelessly.

The device can also connects to your computer using the latest generation USB type-C connector.

One of the main advantages of USB-C is, it can be plugged on both sides which makes it very comfortable to use in both left or right-handed mode.

It comes with L-shaped connectors which makes the wires swiftly run along the sides of the tablet without making a mess. The wires are long and seem to be made of quality materials.

Driver Install

You can get your product drivers, manuals from xp-pen official site, There are drivers for Windows, MacOS and Linux. The driver enables the tablet to properly communicate with the computer and take full advantage of the hardware.

On the very first page of the driver, you will find a pressure curve that changes the pressure sensitivity of the pen. You also get the option for mapping your monitor, changing your button shortcuts and much more.

The 8 buttons can be customized to execute your choice of actions (apply modifiers like Shift, Ctrl or Alt for example), commands or navigation functions and can be used alone or in combinations. Think of them as a flattened and expanded set of mouse buttons. Once you decide and assign the operations you want automated, the keys are great time savers when used in drawing and photo editing.

The drawing tablet can be used with Android and Chromebook devices but because there’s no driver, you won’t be able to use or customise the shortcut keys or pressure sensitivity.

Setting up your XPPen Deco MW with a smartphone is pretty easy. To get started you would need a USB OTG connector and a compatible Android smartphone. Once you have those all you have to do is connect your tablet with your phone through the USB OTG connector. you can then use your Deco MW with a smartphone.

For Chromebook, The XPPen Deco MW is fully plug and play so all you have to do is connect your tablet with your chromebook laptop and unleash your inner artist.

Bundled free software

You have a few different options depending on the xppen’s model that you get. Since I have the XPPen Deco MW model, I can download 4 different pieces of software. I can get Explain Everything, ArtRage Lite, Toon Boom and Zoner Photo Studio X.

“Explain Everything” is a software you are getting for free together with this tablet. It’s great for remote learning and allows both students and teachers to share their thoughts and ideas in real-time.

ArtRage Lite is a realistic art media painting program that you can mix colors directly on the paper while you are painting.

Toon Boom Harmony is a 2D vector- and raster-based animation suite with a robust animation and compositing toolset.

Zoner Photo Studio X is a full photo-editing toolkit, with workflow, corrections, effects, online galleries, print ordering, and even Photoshop-like layer editing……

Drawing Surface

The work area of the Deco LW is slightly textured, which can make moving the stylus around while drawing feel more natural, like a pen on paper, by providing some resistance for the nib.

The Active area of XPPen Deco MW is 8 x 5 inches, which is verity good for the price you will pay for this tablet, giving how any Wacom with similar active area will cost much more than this one.

The current beginner Wacom Intuos Art tablet has a medium size of 8 x 5 inches drawing area costs a whopping 200 USD.

Bear in mind that the active area is different than the overall dimensions of the graphics tablet itself, which are 10.2 x 6.2 inches.

The bigger the tablet, the better the precision. As a rule of thumb, I normally recommend a large sized tablet for anyone using a monitor of 20″ or larger.

I’ve tried the various sizes and Medium size has always worked best for me. Your mileage may vary, but I always encourage people to start with a Medium size and if you are dissatisfied after using it for a week then work with your seller to get an alternate size.

Stylus with X3 Smart Chip

The new stylus feature XP-Pen’s most advanced X3 smart chip technology. This new tech allows for the stylus to have a lower initial activation force meaning, allowing the stylus to be much more sensitive. This results in nice, smoothly tapered lines and better control of the pen’s 8,192 points of pressure overall.

There is over 8,000 levels of pen pressure, which means that you can get really nice, smooth transitions between opacity and line width, and it feels a lot more natural to draw.

The Stylus features a 60 degree tilt angle which allows you to simulate accurate brush strokes and create realistic drawing effects. “Tilt Angle” is actually the direction your pen is tilting. Which is controlled by the direction feature, in Photoshop under the brushes pressure drop downs menus. It will allow you to do things like use arrow brushes and have them always follow your crazy curvy lines to follow in the drawn’t direction.

The stylus has two buttons by the side. There’s no eraser and to me it’s not really a big deal. I got around the inconvenience by customizing two express keys in Photoshop; one for the brush and the other for the eraser.

The stylus is thinner than the usual Deco ones. There’s no rubber grip but the textured surface throughout ensures that it’s not slippery even if you have sweaty hands. It has a nice weight and comfortable to hold and draw with.

Use Performance

All the shortcut buttons are placed on the left side of the device which is an ideal position for your hand to rest naturally. The quality of the buttons is great as they make a crisp click sound with good feedback.

This reliable wireless design also makes it easy to take it on the road with your laptop when you travel too!

The matte textured surface is nice to draw on. There’s a nice tactile feel to the nib as it glides on the working area. There’s no lag to speak of. Strokes appear instantly as dictated by the stylus movement. Quick strokes are smooth and have no jitter.

Apart from the physical feel, it performed great in various digital painting software. The stylus was very responsive, with no delay in between me placing a stroke and it showing up in Photoshop.

Its pressure sensitivity was on point, and there were no wobble and jittering in fast as well as slow movements. I was able to place some lovely strokes with different sizes and opacity.

The transition from low pressure to high very accurate and on point with no traces of pressure bumps. Lines are able to taper smoothly.

The Initial activation force is really very low. I was able to draw a thin line with barely any pressure applied. This is the most sensitive pen XP-Pen has made so far.

My digital artwork made by xppen deco mw tablet:

I love how the pressure-sensitive pen allows you to draw realistic and precise strokes. It almost feels like drawing with an actual pen. Besides drawing, I designed different hand-drawn fonts, icons, and brushes using the tablet.

I also highly recommend it for doing photo editing work like using the healing brush, creating complex masks, HDR, dodge & burn, painting, etc…

Even if you have a good touch screen, nothing replaces the XPPen Deco MW for photo editing in Photoshop (and it’s pretty darn handy in Lightroom if you use the adjustment brush). It’s just so much more easy and natural than using a mouse, and you get used to them really quick to the point that you can’t live without them.

Although I used Adobe Photoshop throughout this review, let it be known that the Deco MW works with all major graphics applications.

In this new era of touch everywhere devices, one place where things were a bit clunky with pen tablets was that there was no mechanism for doing natural touch gestures like swipe.

Final Verdict

XPPen is a highly affordable, credible and reliable brand which makes it stand out from other brands. For many reasons, XPPen has quickly grown to become one of the the most popular drawing tools for digital artists around the world.

XPPen Deco MW is a good tablet for all kinds of creative digital work like illustration, vector design, image editing, etc. Although it’s mainly advertised as a beginner or student drawing tablet, any level of creatives can use it.

This tablet is good value for money because its drawing experience is just as good as other fancier tablets that I use, and it costs much less. The size is small enough to take anywhere and at less than $70 USD its really worth it.

It can be a great option for your first tablet if you’re new to graphic design and drawing. It’s also a good budget option for those who are looking for a quality tablet at a lower cost.

I like how portable it is because I can work anywhere with the tablet and it doesn’t take up much space in my bag or on the desk. This small size option is probably one of the most pocket-friendly tablets that you can find in the market.

I would also recommend investing an extra $20 to get the XP-Pen Deco LW which has a larger working area of 10 x 6 inches, if only for the better X3-Smart-Chip pen, less $20, get the Deco M version without bluetooth.

Once you advance in your career and start becoming a pro you might want to opt for a display drawing tablet like the XP-Pen Artist series. But, as a beginner or intermediate, the XPPen Deco MW will be your best friend for a long time.

Buy it from XP-Pen US Official Store: https://www.storexppen.com/buy/deco-mw.html

People from Other regions can select your country from the menu to reach the local store, the price may be different because of the Transport costs and customs tax.

There is nothing like drawing and painting directly on screen! Which allows you to work directly on your images via a display and pressure-sensitive stylus, giving you a real-world, natural-style workflow for painting and retouching that’s hard to beat.

XPPen offer quality pen display drawing pad for Beginner and Professional Artists. and both of their premium lines of tablet are highly respected – Deco, their screenless tablets, and Artist, their display tablets.

With a Deco, there is a hand-to-screen disconnect to get used to, moving your hand on the tablet to imitate brushstrokes while looking at your screen to see the results.

The Artist line, cranks it up a notch. It’s the same tablet experience, except you are drawing directly on screen. Using a Artist feels more like real drawing and painting.

I have used a XPPen Artist for a number of years owning the 22″ and then the 24″. These tablets always retailed for over $1,000.

I just received the new XPPen Artist 16 (2nd Generation) and it has far exceeded my expectations. The response-rate is fast, the pen tip accuracy is better, it’s lightweight and it’s the perfect size for me.

This is my third product from XP-PEN and I am completely impressed with the brand’s performance and pricing.

In this Article, I’m going to look at the product more from a design perspective.

Introduce

XPPen Artist 16 (2nd Generation) is a 15.4″ creative pen display designed to help you make your imagination come to life in rich color and sharp detail.

It comes with the super responsive X3-Smart-Chip Stylus – so you can create with incredible control and high accuracy and offers the familiar feel of pen on paper with the boundless potential of digital creativity.

The 2nd Generation version of the XPPen Artist 16 is a refresh of the previous generation and costs $399.99. XPPen took a lot of the feedback from users and used it to improve upon the device.

The Artist 16 (2nd Generation) is a fantastic tool for digital sketching, illustration and technical drawing and incorporates XPPen’s many years of experience and know-how in building products that make creativity more natural and productive.

Click here to visit the XPPen’s official site if you want more information: https://www.xp-pen.com/product/1203.html

Unboxing

The packaging just felt fancy, super high quality, and really pretty to boot.

Once open, the first thing you find inside the box is the tablet. The tablet is covered in a plastic bag.

This tablet also comes with Stylus, Quick Guide, 18 months warranty card in the US, 3-in-1 USB Cable, USB Extension Cable, Power Adapter, 3 Power Plug, Cleaning Cloth, Black Drawing Glove and 8 additional standard nibs.

The ACS05 foldable adjustable tablet stand, Protective Case and the single USB-C to USB-C Cable are optional which not included.

Overall, I’m extremely happy with the tablet and the addition items in the tablet.

Design

The XPPen Artist 16 (2nd Generation) includes an attractive but compact design, making it easy to incorporate the tablet into a workspace.

The enclosure is machined from a solid piece of plastic, giving it a very durable and professional feel.

Four gorgeous colors are available to fit your personal style: Black, blue, green, and pink. the green one is really aesthetic.

There are eight shortcut buttons on the display’s left side that can be programmed to carry out simple tasks.

On the right side, you’ll find several buttons and connectivity options. There is the power and a pair of dedicated brightness buttons starting from the top. Below are two USB-C ports connecting the pen display to the computer.

Behind the tablet are 4 large rubber feet to prevent it from sliding around on table.

I was a little shocked by the weight of the tablet, I figured it would be super light and slight playable which is a big plus for transport.

If you’re looking for a pen display to use on the go with a laptop, you should definitely check the Artist 16 (2nd Generation) out – you won’t be disappointed.

Connections

The connections are fantastic, including USB type-c. not providing a USB-C to USB-C cable with the tablet seems like an oversight.

The USB-C to USB-C cable for connection shoule be full-featured. In this case, “full-featured” means a cable that’s rated for power, video, and data transfer.

With the apple Macbook Pro, I can easily use the USB type-c cable to connect the XPPen Artist 16 (2nd Gen) tablet. So easy and convenient.

I can also use the pen display with the desktop computer with the HDMI connection (3-in-1 cable).

The included 3-in-1 cable is USB-C port on the pen display’s end and has a separate HDMI and two USB-A (power and data) plugs on the other.

The HDMI plug and black USB Type-A plug need to be connected directly into your computer. However, the red USB Type-A plug is only used for power delivery. The USB extension power cable gets you about three extra feet of reach.

If you don’t have an extra USB port on your laptop, you can use a simple USB-C adapter.

Driver Download and Install

Once I downloaded the driver from XPPen’s official site, installed, and restarted, it didn’t take long at all to get started at all.

The driver functions as expected, allowing pen calibration, canvas area and pen pressure customization, and setting up the dedicated shortcut buttons.

Of those, we get eight on the tablet and an additional two on the pen. these buttons can be programmed to activate shortcuts and other commands.

Compatibility

The XPPen Artist 16 (2nd Gen) will work with pretty much any computer. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, Chrome OS, Linux, and even Android OS. If your device has the necessary ports, you shouldn’t have any issues. The same is true for your software. You can dig right in and start working in all Adobe software, GIMP, MediBang, Krita, and others.

The operating systems I’ve tested are MacOS and Windows 11. I have seen reviews of people using this with a Android phone or another tablet out and about on the go, but I don’t use it with Linux and Android devices so I can’t say much.

Screen Technology

The XPPen Artist 16 (2nd Gen) have a beautiful, vibrant screen. which is pleasant and really smooth.

This pen display uses a 15.4-inch IPS panel that supports 1920×1080 resolution. the high-definition provides outstanding clarity and color.

The screen response is fantastic, thanks to it being fully laminated, eliminating any air gap between the screen and the touch-sensitive sensor.

The tablet can reproduce 94% of the Adobe RGB color range, equivalent to 90% of NTSC or 127% of sRGB. It means a screen with colors you can trust compared with a regular monitor. which is an extremely useful function when you publish a lot on the internet.

XPPen Artist 16 (2nd Gen)’s wide color fidelity improves a photographer’s workflow and helps guarantee better results every time. Photo prints that always look right make this a photographer’s favorite.

Even out of the box, the colors look accurate. Of course, I recommend you calibrate the monitor before starting to work with it. I use X-Rite i1 Display to calibrate my monitors, and after the calibration, I can say that the display looks even better. The contrast and sharpness are both perfect for photo editing.

It has a glossy display and, rather than an etched glass screen, but it comes with an anti-glare textured matte screen protective film.

The onscreen feel is a very personal choice. the matte screen protective film makes drawing more natural and can help deal with glare issues.

The Screen protector also protect screen from irreversible damage such as scratches, dings, and harsh cleaning chemicals.

Stylus with X3 Smart Chip

Its companion stylus, the X3 Elite, provides 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, a low activation force, and tilt recognition of even the lightest pen strokes. As with other pens in the XPPen family, you don’t have to charge it.

It reacts to as little as 3 grams of Initial activation force with ten times better sensitivity, so “artwork can be produced with a featherlight stroke.

The nib has less retraction of about only 0.6 mm when pressed against the screen, and lines appear instantly upon the slightest touch of the surface. The pen is also very light and handles perfectly.

This new X3 smart chip technology certainly makes the stylus very responsive that shows while carefully crafting sun-shadow ink line transitions or adding rapid brush strokes for color texturing.

The super precise pen is combined with virtually no parallax and just enough screen resolution, allowing the artist to achieve exact line placement when needed!

Drawing Performance

For the past few weeks I have been using the Artist 16 (2nd Gen) Display Tablet by XP-PEN and I must say I was really impressed by the drawing experience.

This product’s build is elegant, The screen feels so nice to glide the pen on. There’s very little parallax, and the beautiful matte etched screen protector creates a drawing experience that feels natural.

It has such a high color accuracy and such good contrast that – when combined with the provided pixel density – it makes you completely forget that you’re working on a screen.

The tablet runs smoothly – of course this also has to do with the computer you plug it into – it has no lag, working on the screen surface is really comfortable & the pressure sensitivity is really great.

Having used XPPen tablets since the 22″ Artist 22 (2nd Generation), I have become used to the fluid drawing experience that the EMR (Electro Magnetic Resonance) pens provide. The pens don’t have batteries and are well balanced with a comfortable feel and never need to be charged.

When in Photoshop, there are so many tools that take advantage of pressure sensitivity, that I can’t image drawing or retouching without one.

The pen has minimal initial activation force. As long as the pen tip touches the drawing surface, even without any pressure applied, you can get a line. The pen is very sensitive at low pressure levels.

Lines can transition from thin to thick and back smoothly. Curves turn smoothly. It’s easy to maintain consistent pressure. Drawing performance is consistent and predictable.

I did not experience any glitches with various drawing software I’ve tested, namely Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, Medibang Paint Pro, Clip Studio Paint and Krita. Pressure and tilt sensitivity work as expected.

The overall drawing experience is excellent. Lines come out exactly the way I expect them to.

The Digital Artwork made by this tablet:

The shortcut buttons are such a life saver! They don’t wobble, are large, and have a delightful, rubbery feel with a satisfying click when pressed.

The included Drawing Glove is made of Lycra which is an elastic material that provides comfort and flexibility, it fits my hand perfectly, keep sweat off of my tablet and help me draw smoothly.

XP-PEN’s attractive design and attention to detail are admirable, especially considering the company’s target user base at this price point.

Final Verdict

XPPen Artist 16 (2nd Gen) is a good looking graphic tablet with solid build quality. I really love my new tablet so much, it has given me the ability to create the art I’ve always wanted.

The Drawing performance is consistent and predictable, in other words, excellent. I did not encounter any glitches with the various drawing software I’ve tested.

My overall experience is very positive. The product works as expected so this review is easy to make.

The only downside is perhaps the limited number of physical shortcut buttons. If you need more than 8 buttons, you can purchase the optional XP-Pen AC19 Wireless Shortcut Remote.

So if you’re interested in looking to get more hands-on with your work in a digital way, with one of the best and most affordable pen tablets on the market right now I think you are really going to like this product.

You can decide whether this is worth the money based on the experience I’ve shared.

Buy it from XPPen US official store: https://www.storexppen.com/buy/artist-16-2nd.html

Remember the light pens that let you draw right on your screen? Take a look at XP-Pen’s updated digitizing pad version – Artist 12 (2nd Generation).

Digitizing pads are wonderful things, but we’re at our best when we can look at what we’re drawing as we draw it. Looking down at your pad and then up at your monitor to see what the computer “saw” may be a great way to strengthen your neck muscles, but it’s a tiring way to draw.

Designed to work in a multi-monitor environment or to be your only monitor, this tablet’s display screen shows you what you’re drawing as you draw it.

This is a huge upgrade for me. I have gone from the lower end XP-Pen tablets (Star, Deco…) to this. I am not a die-hard serious artist, but I do commissions from time to time and overall want to improve my work and the speed of my workflow.

My goal is to work on compiling coloring books at some point, so I really wanted to get serious without completely breaking the bank. I read each review on this product several times before finally making the decision to buckle down and buy this Artist 12 (2nd Generation) Pen display monitor .

Since XP-Pen is the only brand of tablet I have used and essentially the only brand that I trust, I had no concerns at least giving this tablet a try. And let me say, I am so very glad that I did!

Design

The XP-Pen Artist 12 (2nd Generation) combines the advantages of a high quality IPS LCD monitor with XP-Pen’s patented, professional X3-Smart-chip pen technology to form the perfect interactive companion for your Mac or PC.

Thin and light, the new Artist 12 (2nd Generation) gives you the flexibility to work directly on screen as you would on paper.

Easily rotate your display when working flat on your desktop to find the right position for your hand, or for grater comfort, recline the Artist 12 (2nd Generation) on the desktop.

Ergonomically designed for maximum comfort, it’s even light enough for use on your laptop.

Any way you choose to use it, the Artist 12 (2nd Generation) gives you a natural pen-on-paper feel in a digital environment.

The XP-Pen Artist 12 (2nd Generation) tablet is available in 4 beautiful colors: Black, blue, green, and pink.

There are four rubber feet on the tablet back to help it stay still on flat surfaces.

The bezel on the unit also sports 8 customizable keys. and the buttons are a productivity enhancing joy.

As well as being able to connect it to a Windows or Mac OS computer you can also use it with an Android device, like the Samsung Galaxy Smartphones.

Connection

The setup for the XP-Pen Artist 12 (2nd Generation) is technically simple. Plug in some cables, install the XP-Pen drivers which you can download from XP-Pen official site: https://www.xp-pen.com/product/1069.html , restart your machine, and you’re good to go.

Admittedly, the set-up is a little daunting with all the cords that come with it.

The XP-Pen Artist 12 (2nd Generation) uses an all in one adapter that splits to 3 connectors for power, HDMI and USB.

The HDMI powers the display and the USB acts as an interface for the digitiser pen. The third cable ends in a jack, to which a cable to the power adapter connects.

you can also connect to any Mac or PC with a single USB-C cable (not included) to a USB-C port for both video and data.

I read over the instructions a couple of times before I started to ensure I had a good grasp on what I needed to do, and once I began plugging things in, it was a breeze.

Don’t let the cords worry you too much. It is not pick-up-and-go portable, but not impossible to bring it with you on the go. Just set aside a little extra time for setting up everywhere you do go.

Driver Features and bundled drawing software

Like all XP-Pen tablets, the Artist 12 (2nd Generation) includes driver software that provides a variety of controls over the behavior of the tablet and individual pens.

This includes sensitivity adjustments for tip feel, and pressure sensitivity; button assignments for individual pens; and functions for the buttons on the tablet itself.

These settings can be made globally or assigned as custom settings for individual applications. This is useful, for example, when you want to set the button to scrub in Paint Tool SAI but zoom in Adobe Photoshop.

Like other XP-Pen Artists, the Artist 12 (2nd Generation) include a utility (built into the driver software) for calibrating the cursor with the position of the pen.

On the software side, it’s also worth noting that the Artist 12 (2nd Generation) comes bundled with Artrage 6 , openCanvas, and Cartoon Animator 4 digital art software.

Color Accurate Screen

The Artist 12 (2nd Generation) sports a 11.6-inch IPS LCD display–a bit smaller than a Apple MacBook display. The screen has a resolution of FHD 1,920 x 1080 pixels and looks good at this size. so the images on screen appear sharp, crisp, and vibrant.

IPS display technology boasts bigger, better, and brighter colour contrast, visual and sound quality, and more robust viewing angles among other attributes than its predecessors (TN and VA monitors).

The viewing angle of this tablet is a whopping 178°, meaning that you are able to get the same crisp, colour saturated picture even when looking at the screen almost sideways.

The Artist 12 (2nd Generation) monitor have the capability of displaying a much wider range of colour of 94% Adobe RGB. What this all means in real world terms is the reproduction of much deeper more saturated, accurate and natural colours.

This enables better rendition of colour tones and better gradation in colour. For image processing and printing this is a key advantage and for photographers is critical to achieving the best possible results.

As a display designed specifically for visual artists, its quality is far superior to that of any notebook display I’ve seen. Colors, brightness, and contrast are even across the face of the screen. And the device calibrates up nicely using a colorimeter.

Above that, Artist 12 (2nd Generation) tablet has a laminated display, something that reduces parallax. This means there is no air gap between layers, thus there is no light refraction or light interference, making the screen clear and vibrant.

Many of the non-laminated display drawing tablets suffer from a common issue called parallax. In use there is a slight gap between the tip and the pen and the display when you draw, which allows for parallax error.

The tablet screen does not have a etched glass surface, but is covered with a matte film. As you’d expect from a matte screen protector, it does reduce glare considerably and it cuts down on fingerprints too.

X3 smart chip powered Stylus

As for the pen which comes with the X3 smart chip. The initial activation force is lower than other XP-Pen stylus which is a huge plus.

X3 Elite Stylus requires as little as 3 gram-force and probably less which is about equal to simply resting the pen tip on the digitizer. It can even start writing and drawing without exerting force and only relying on the gravity of the pen itself.

As usual XP-PEN Stylus works without batteries and is lightweight, so there’s no need to charge it at all.

It has 8,192 pressure sensitivity levels, placing it among the best styluses on the market.

Pressure sensitivity determines how much you can vary the width of the lines you paint. This is done by applying different pressure on the tablet surface.

When it comes to that. Pressure sensitivity helps you draw like you do with traditional media. Like pencils & brushes.

The 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity will provide you with ultimate precision and control with every art and illustration that you are doing.

This stylus also supports a tilt function of up to 60 degrees. It means that when you use the appropriate brushes in Photoshop, the line on the drawing file will change from what angle the pencil holds to the screen.

Using the XP-Pen Artist 12 (2nd Generation)

Couple this with a laptop or, say, a Mac mini, and you have yourself an excellent, compact, portable setup for visual arts. Or combine it with a higher-end workstation and additional displays, and it makes a great companion tool that can also be taken on the road when needed.

The XP-Pen Artist 12 (2nd Generation) is compatible with any drawing software, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Paint Tool SAI, Sketchbook, Clip Studio Paint, Gimp, Krita…. and etc. It works transparently and, it’s completely plug-and-play.

The screen is the perfect size for the type of work that I do, so I have absolutely no complaints about that in the least. I was initially concerned that the size would be to small, but it is great!

However, if you are more serious about your art or currently seeking to become a professional, it probably wouldn’t hurt if you got a larger size.

Others have commented that they were scared about the stylus not being able to go all the way to the edge of the screen, but I do not have this problem at all. I am able to easily click, write or draw at the very edges with no concerns.

The pen is great. It is not too large or bulky and when I am drawing, it feels just like I am using a pen on paper. The cursor goes exactly where I intend for it to go with no lag or jumping. I like that I do not feel disconnected from my picture as I did in the past with my previous screenless tablets.

I could not believe how comfortable and natural it felt, the fact you can make strokes directly on the screen and see the result right beneath provided greater control and comfort.

The buttons to the side are an excellent addition. I love being able to zoom in and out freely while I am working on my lineart or coloring. Eliminating the need to stop drawing, look for the magnifying glass to zoom in/out, then returning to drawing saves me a lot of time.

The tablet is only senstivity to the pen input. So I have no issues with where my hand lays on the XP-Pen Artist 12 (2nd Generation), as I can always see what I’m drawing without any problems.

The XP-Pen Artist 12 (2nd Generation) a joy to use for photographic and retouching work. Display your image on the main monitor, then use the Artist 12 (2nd Generation) and its HotKeys to touch up the details, while keeping an eye on what effect your changes are having on the overall image.

Conclusion

For the price of $250 USD this is a terrific device that I have used this every day since I got it. and It had really streamlined my work and gave everything a boost in quality because it is just natural to use a pen and draw right on the display.

Taking it on the road is not much of a hassle, and it truly allows me to be able to do the same type of work in the same way, and in the same amount of time, as I can from the comfort of my studio.

If you are looking for a portable pen display experience solution, or can’t afford the larger units but still want a drawing monitor for your work, this is the ticket.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this product on the XP-Pen Artist line, despite a few minor concerns. If you are interested in designing anything, this is the way to go for way cheaper than its big brother the 21.5 inch model – XP-Pen Artist 22 (2nd Generation) .

For the professional designer the pay off period is very short and the question of whether to purchase is a no brainer. For the student it is a good investment for the future and will certainly prove its worth.

That is really everything that I can think of, but if anyone has a question I will be more than happy to do my best to answer it. I am sure I have forgotten something!

XP-Pen US official Store: https://www.storexppen.com/buy/artist-12-2nd.html