Creating art began with a pencil and paper for most artists. Paint and the paintbrush were introduced further down in the art journey. And with many crumpled-up canvases and unfinished ideas, many potential masterpieces fell by the wayside. Although nothing can replace traditional art material, drawing tablets for beginners are efficient pieces of technology to expand your ideas and store them digitally.
Drawing tablet are often called graphic tablets. They are unique devices that allow you to create digital hand-drawn images and edit photos. They use styluses that closely resemble the look and feel of pens. Using the stylus with the drawing tablet, you can create a wide variety of beautiful digital art and navigate photo editing software.
The tablet surface is connected to a computer, and the drawings are translated into digital form on the computer screen. Which are essential tools for artists, animators, and graphic designers, as they offer a more natural and intuitive way of creating digital art.
Stylus
No matter if have a screen or a non-screen tablet, it’s also good to adjust the pressure sensitivity. The greatest advantage of a drawing tablet over a computer mouse is that the former is sensitive to pressure—it registers how hard you press the pen to the tablet. Just like with a pencil, you can push harder to draw thicker, darker lines, and lighter to draw thinner, lighter lines.
This refers to how closely the drawing tablet and pen can capture how hard you are pressing the pen. The best drawing tablet for Photoshop tend to have pressure sensitivity measured at around 8000 levels.
The pen 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.
Customizable Buttons
Some graphics tablets do not contain any customizable buttons, while others have a number of buttons and scrolling wheels on both the tablet and pen. I find these incredibly helpful in my day-to-day use of my editing pad for Photoshop.
Customizable buttons and dials add more control for each individual user to allow them to program their most used commands into them, allowing for a much more distraction-free experience when editing. The addition of buttons, jog dials, and wheels allow users to zoom, scroll, and swap tools quickly without having to go back to their keyboards, keeping their eyes on the task at hand.
Size
Size is more of a personal preference. Some people like smaller tablets because it’s more portable and space-saving for small working desks.
This refers to the area or surface you can actually draw, write, paint, or annotate on using a stylus. If the drawing tablet has a screen, this refers to the actual screen size (not the area surrounding the screen). If the drawing tablet doesn’t have a screen, the active area is the surface, which works with the stylus. Some tablets have buttons or controls surrounding the work surface.
Connectivity
To connect a drawing tablet to a PC, you will typically need a USB cable, and the appropriate driver software. The specific steps may vary depending on the brand and model of the tablet. Once the drivers are installed, and the tablet is connected, it should be recognized as a separate input device by the computer, and you can use it to draw or take notes in compatible software.
Screen
Seeing what you’re working on is vital when it comes to Photoshop. A good screen makes a huge difference, allowing you to get up close and personal with every aspect of your artwork. The display is one of the most important factors to consider when buying a tablet.
The screen size of your tablet will determine how much working area you have and the dimensions of the screen impact the overall size of the tablet. The size of the screen doesn’t affect the tablet’s capabilities but rather depends on your preference.
The screen resolution is measured in pixels and refers to how much detail is shown on the screen. The higher the resolution, the better the overall screen quality.
Conclusion
Choosing the right drawing tablet can be a daunting task, While there are some technical differences, most graphics tablets work in the same way. The drawing area of the tablet creates a magnetic field, and the pen draws on this to produce its own magnetic field, which is tracked by the sensors in the tablet.
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.
Photo editing tablets are one of the most valuable tools for your editing workflow. A drawing tablet is almost a second touchscreen for computer, making it possible to use a pen or stylus to input information onto a screen. Any creative task on a computer that requires pinpoint precision can benefit from a pen’s tactile response. Drawing tablets can help presenters, artists, graphic designers, and Photoshop geeks.
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.
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.
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″) 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, an screen drawing tablet, or a standlone tablet computer, 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.
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!
Architecture software has become indispensable in today’s digital world. Architectural drawing software allows architects to simply and easily create their designs, and edit, delete and add them as they see fit.
Building design software are not just architect programs that help you choose the design of the facade. They make it possible to visually plan the entire site, decorate the adjacent territory, and develop an interior environment.
There are many notable software programs that architects and building design professionals opt to use, predominately because they assist the user and company to be more competitive and effective and to increases staff productivity.
The architecture software is not only limited to just architects, interior designers, landscape architects, architectural visualizers and engineers also all use these programs.
Since architectural development is a fairly complicated process that encompasses multiple different stages of modeling, it has a massive number of software solutions available on the market for different purposes and end goals.
What are the two main types of architecture software?
Architects and design studios are increasingly turning to two main types of architecture software to design and build projects: BIM and CAD.
BIM and CAD solutions are the ones that make up the majority of our software list.
CAD solutions are used to create accurate representations of ideas and designs of detailed 3D models and renderings, BIM is used to fill those models with various information, such as HVAC, wiring, plumbing, material costs, and so on.
CAD Software
CAD stands for computer-aided design and is a way to digitally create 2D drawings and 3D models of real-world products before they’re ever manufactured.
CAD enables architects to create comprehensive designs in 2D or 3D of the manufacturing process involved in constructing a building.
Detailed diagrams of a product’s materials, processes, tolerances, and dimensions can be done using the 3D architectural design software.
It’s also a good solution to edit, do and re-do models very quickly and easily to match your expectations. It can turn your ideas into detailed designs!
CAD systems exist today for all of the major computer platforms, including Windows, Linux, Unix, and Mac OS.
BIM Software
BIM stands for Building Information Modeling and is a workflow process which includes four steps: planning, design, construction, and Operating.
A good BIM-model is more than a professional tool – the diagrams, analyses and drawings that is so easily and quickly made removes a lot of 2D-pain, and allows you to work smart.
BIM software enables architects to create three-dimensional virtual models of buildings. Also it use “real” construction material to design some actual parts of the building model. all of which give clients a great idea of how the building will look.
Because the BIM process includes multiple visualization tools, the structure may also be more aesthetically pleasing. Architects can see what the building will look like in its final form and can even see how natural and artificial light will behave in the structure.
BIM is often a connection between the construction process and CAD since it makes the most of the accuracy of computer-aided design and applies it to real-life dimensions and specifications.
BIM is quickly becoming one of the most important construction technology innovations because of its numerous advantages in terms of cost, safety and efficiency.
1. Autocad
Developed by AutoDesk, AutoCAD Architecture can be very useful for your architectural projects as it allows you to do both 3D and 2D design.
It has been a pillar of the architectural and construction sector since its release in 1982. Many architects, engineers, and designers owe their genius works to AutoCAD.
For architects, AutoCAD is mainly used as a 2D drawing tool for creating floor plans, elevations, and sections. The architecture drawing software speeds up the drawing process with pre-made objects such as walls, doors and windows that behave like real-world objects.
AutoCAD allows you to mix solid, surface, and mesh modeling equipment to create realistic plans and models, and you can also do the same with two-dimensional plans.
If you adjust the user interface to your preferences and start experimenting with layers and line weights, you will get a decent draft with standard drawing conventions and measurable construction details.
Because of how popular this AutoCAD architecture software is, many other design packages are compatible with its files. And for BIM-oriented customers, Autodesk offers Revit .
It produces purely representational drawings and usually is the stepping stone to 3D modeling software. You’ll find that many architects use AutoCAD as the first step on their way to creating 3D models.
Another benefit of AutoCAD is that it’s available as a mobile app and offers cloud-based storage, so you can view and edit your drawings in real-time when you’re away from your PC.
It is also worth remembering another version of AutoCAD – AutoCAD Architecture – a specialized application based on AutoCAD, created for the needs of architectural design.
This software is available in LT & FULL versions and the full AutoCAD version does have include 3D functionality. Subscribers also have access to specialised toolsets such as the specific Architectural, Mechanical, Plant 3D etc toolsets. In the past, these toolsets were separate product offerings that provide more intelligence to drawings.
2. Revit
Revit is a software for BIM, developed by Autodesk. This powerful tool is essential if you’re working in the architecture sector, as all its features are specially made for architects.
Revit is the all-in-one software for 2D and 3D projects, that produces a total project output including modeling, rendering, and 2D construction documents. Instead of lines and circles, you can use actual walls, roofs, beams, columns, and other building components and also real-world characteristics of the physical building such as windows and doors.
It is compatible with AutoCAD, so it is pretty easy to insert a DWG file and use it as a trace reference to start shaping your model. One of its biggest advantages is that every change you make to the model is updated in all views, including plans and elevations. This reduces coordination and drawing time significantly.
Autodesk aims to incorporate all relevant disciplines of building design into one suite. The advantage of this approach is obvious; architects need to collaborate with MEP, electrical, mechanical, and structural design teams, so using the same tool eases the communication and coordination between the disciplines.
A big advantage of Revit is its collaborative aspect: any coordinator can access centrally shared models to work on it. Collaborative designs are a good way to improve collaboration with your colleagues. And, most of all, avoiding rework will help you to save time.
Designers using this construction design software work with objects, not with a vector between two points, and this allows them to work quickly and confidently. However, even though they both use a command-line interface, it doesn’t feel like AutoCAD.
And for those who come from this discipline, it can be difficult to transition at first. Once they overcome the steep learning curve, Revit can offer a competitive advantage over those using traditional architectural design programs.
Revit offers a large array of tools for rendering. These are capable of producing photorealistic renderings of interior and exterior scenes. The built-in Autodesk Raytracer is a rendering engine that employs realistic shading/lighting models to accurately represent real-world materials. For more advanced rendering, Revit models can also be imported into Autodesk 3ds Max.
Autodesk Revit only runs on Microsoft Windows, so if you’re using an Apple Mac, you will either need to Boot Camp your computer or use Parallels Desktop 17 to get the software to run.
3. Archicad
ArchiCAD, developed by Graphisoft, was released back in 1987 and was the first CAD software that was able to create 2D and 3D models on a PC. It was also the first BIM product for personal computers.
This combination of 2D, 3D and BIM modeling makes it a popular product among architects, urban planners and designers. so it’s a versatile software.
ArchiCAD offers intuitive design, automated documentation processes, accurate information management features, and more. It is widely used to combine the efforts of engineers and architects by allowing for easier collaboration and by introducing an improved workflow for it all.
Other features that ArchiCAD can offer are graphics overriding, data modeling, attribute management, and many more.
It’s known for being able to store large amounts of information in your 3D models, so it’s suitable for designing buildings, interiors and urban areas.
ArchiCAD’s main feature is its user-friendly nature. You can learn the basics of the software with minimal effort. This has made it a favourite with students and those just starting out in architecture.
It’s also a time-effective software and offers several automating tools to ease complex processes, such as an inbuilt library of stair designs, with staircase designing often considered a difficult aspect of large projects.
ArchiCAD can be integrated with several software packages, such as V-Ray which allows you to create photoreal renderings of your designs.
Even those who don’t integrate V-Ray into ArchiCAD can create realistic models. The new versions of ArchiCAD feature CineRender for creating lifelike models. Also Integrating Twinmotion (a visualisation extension) into ArchiCAD allows you to create photorealistic renderings of architectural models.
ArchiCAD is tightly integrated into Graphisoft’s ecosystem, you can find more solutions such as BIMx and BIMcloud on the ecosystem. Because of these, work becomes enjoyable, efficient and there’s smooth collaboration in an open BIM workflow.
You can use ArchiCAD to design spectacular urban areas, buildings, and interiors as it gives you a wide range of design tools to let your creativity shine. Besides, this architecture software has free version for students.
4. Rhino 3D
Rhino 3D, also known as ‘Rhinoceros 3D’, is a CAD based design software best known for its ability to create organic and fluid forms, and for this reason it is both popular in architecture and product design.
While most CAD programs are great at rectilineal architecture, Rhino was designed from the start to handle curved lines, meshes, and NURBS surfaces of high complexity, like those in the features of a human face or the sweeping curves of a super-car.
For architectural design, Rhino can easily model the complex intersections of curved roofing or any part of the structure that isn’t inherently straight.
Rhino offers great flexibility, as designers can enter physical models or drawings into Rhino and it will then automate the creation of complex 3D modeling, so you can model without CAD skills. This makes Rhino more suitable for beginners than some other architecture design software.
With Rhino you can also have Grasshopper for parametric modeling and V-Ray for rendering.
Grasshopper is a graphical algorithm editor specially made for 3D geometry. It is a visual programming language and environment, created by Rhino’s developers. This program is recommended for structural engineering, architecture, and fabrication.
If you have some programming skills, you’ll get an added advantage because you can adjust the Rhino 3D workspace to suit you using RhinoScript and creating your plugins. Nonetheless, even if you can’t program, don’t worry, as you will still have a fantastic experience with this architecture design software.
You will have access to a database of pre-built plugins that you can use to customize your workspace. You can also export your Rhino 3D designs using 3D printing and laser cutting.
5. Sketchup
SketchUp is known to be an intuitive program and one of the free CAD software available. You’ll save time by using this program as it is an easy drawing tool to use.
Its main selling point is a vast library of extensions that allow you to customize the abilities of SketchUp, tailoring it to your tastes. Technically speaking, this enables SketchUp to provide BIM-like features for just a fraction of a full-fledged BIM software’s cost.
It can be used for anything when it comes to 3D modeling, and architecture is not an exception! It is a great drawing tool, and it will certainly help you to be productive and creative with your 3D architectural designs.
It’s possible to create walkthroughs and flyovers with SketchUp, which can be useful for your architectural projects when you have to show your work to your clients.
Obviously, you can use SketchUp for 3D, but it is also ideal for scaled and accurate 2D drawings.
SketchUp was bought by Google in 2006 and, though it’s since been sold to Trimble, Google implemented some nice features, such as the ability to pull topographical and satellite images from Google Maps into the software.
This software does lack some of the features of paid packages, but it still has the tools to create professional models. The free package comes without most of the exporting features, but you can choose to invest in the features that best suit your project for increased flexibility.
Due to its free release, SketchUp has become very popular. This has generated a large active community that’s always ready to help any inexperienced user. This user-base has also led to an extensive object library, a vast resource of pre-constructed parts that you can drop into any project.
Although it’s not the best for designing a building in its entirety, this design software is an excellent tool for quickly prototyping a design at the conceptual stage.
6. Vectorworks
US-based company Vectorworks has been around since 1985 and is a favorite for architects working on Macs.
Vectorworks is similar to Revit and ArchiCAD in that its a cad program built for BIM, however out of the three tends to be the most cost efficient.
It has excellent 2D drafting and 3D modeling capabilities, and beats most programmers in terms graphical output, and like the above two programs, provides an all in one package for information output and presentation.
Vectorworks Architect is a building information modeling (BIM) software used by construction companies to execute their 3D design and modeling purposes.
Vectorworks Landmark is designed for architectural landscape design and GIS planning. which is widely recognized as the market leading technology for doing BIM in landscape planning.
And Vectorworks Fundamentals offers users the ability to sketch product designs, build models, and analyze them. One of the benefits is that you can use this building designing software for free.
A key strength of Vectorworks is its ability to serve your entire creative process, from the initial concept stage through design development, construction drawings, and presentations.
2D drawings and graphics are of rich quality and renderings can range from sketch-styles to photorealistic – All within this one application. Using Vectorworks means it is very likely you will not need to purchase, learn or maintain any other software for your design needs.
With deep BIM integration, Vectorworks enables many techniques and pathways for incorporating construction data into your design and reporting that data on demand. This results in a high level of accuracy and productivity for your firm.
Built-in collaboration tools allow Vectorworks to be a suitable solution for both small and large teams, and for projects of all sizes. A wide range of import and export options permits Vectorworks users to collaborate with users of most other software as required.
6 best Programs for rendering
3D architectural rendering programs allow both architects and their clients to visually experience designs before carrying out a project.
The main activities of the architectural rendering process are the ability to model, texture, and render at a professional level. It is an essential tool that offers great results for a flawless presentation.
7. V-Ray
V-Ray is not a standalone design software. It is actually a plugin. You can use it with ArchiCAD, Rhino, SketchUp, 3ds Max, Maya, and Cinema 4D. Its purpose is to create realistic rendering. This allows you to show off your 3D models as they would look in the real world.
This makes V-Ray ideal for those who need to add that extra spark to their designs. The software offers access to stunning textures. Further, its colour palette has few rivals. This means you can use light and shade to your advantage with V-Ray more so than most other design software.
Designers across many industries use V-Ray in their work. Beyond architecture, it has proven ideal for video game design and CGI rendering for film and TV.
V-Ray has a large community of users and is recognized for its incredible versatility. V-Ray has been honored with a Sci-Tech Academy Award and an Engineering Emmy Award for bringing fully ray-traced photorealistic CGI to the film and television industries.
Coming back to architecture, V-Ray is all about placing clients in a visual space. It helps them see what your designs will look like once they’re built. Further, designers benefit from an extensive resource library to help them take their base designs to another level.
V-Ray isn’t well suited to beginners, as it requires a high level of operational expertise to use it effectively. You can purchase the whole package for around $697, or you can save money if you only buy the plugin for use with one particular software.
Vray is famous for its ability to create photoreal visualizations. This makes it a useful tool if you’re looking to give your designs an extra flourish.
8. Lumion
Whether you’re looking to create compelling 360 panoramas, videos, or images, Lumion is the right 3D visualization software for the job.
With a range of intuitive rendering effects and tools included in the software, Lumion is the latest state of the art rendering tool that allows architects to breathe life into their 3D visualizations.
The program is essentially a 3D modeling tool designed to help professionals visualize CAD models. It’s a user-friendly tool that allows you to render models in the most realistic ways. Thus, it is perfect for creating 360 panoramas and videos and adding materials and objects from a huge library.
Lumion is fully compatible with and has LiveSync plug-ins for Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Formit Pro, Allplan, Rhino, SketchUp, Vectorworks, AutoCAD, ArchiCAD and BricsCAD. Lumion is fully compatible with 3DS MAX, Blender and many others.
By integrating this tool with your sketching software and CAD, you can create the most realistic 3D visualization models. Professional 3D artists use Lumion plugins to enhance their CAD software by adding additional functionalities.
One of the most significant selling points of Lumion is the ability to work with it without architectural skills as a prerequisite, which allows everyone to start creating panoramas and images in no time.
It also enables you to show how the surroundings of the project will look like at different times of the day and even seasons. With this software, you will significantly reduce rendering times from many days to a few hours.
Lumion is available in regular and PRO versions. With the Pro version, you have access to all the features and effects, such as high detail nature, phased animation, Open Street Maps, photomontage, Pure Glass and much more. Regular Lumion has a limited selection of effects and ⅓ of the entire content library.
9. Autodesk 3DS Max
Autodesk 3DS Max is one of the best architecture software packages for 3D designing. This was the first software to offer hardware accelerated rendering of 3D images.
This 3D modelling and rendering software is designed to produce visualisations and animations. It’s also a good tool for importing 2D drawings and translating them into objects that can be textured and rendered in 3D, which is useful for beginners as you can create realistic 3D models with minimal CAD knowledge.
Its modeling and animation tools, feature a huge array of modifiers, shaders, dynamic simulations, lighting scenarios, and rendering settings, all through a highly customizable user interface, that can be added to via additional plugins.
It has tools for structural analysis, steel detailing, building performance analysis, and even vehicle path calculations. And it’s packed with automation features to keep the design process on track.
Its perfect for architects wanting to produce full architectural visualisations of their project to show to clients. Here you can create photorealistic renderings of the interior and exterior perspectives.
If the project requires to further impress clients and investors, users can choose to create a walkthrough rendered animation which elevates the audience’s experience to a whole new level.
Although the software requires a medium to high learning curve, the output will deliver outstanding results that often lead to winning more potential projects.
10. Enscape
Enscape is a real-time rendering application that connects directly to five different design applications popularly used in AEC: Revit, Archicad, SketchUp, Rhino, and Vectorworks.
Since the link between the design application and its Enscape plug-in is live, any changes made to the model are immediately reflected in the Enscape window.
With it, designers can see the impact of design changes in real time, which is not just useful to them for their design work, but also for sharing their designs with their clients and getting immediate feedback.
Enscape allows you to work intuitively with accessible rendering that requires no prior specialized knowledge to use. You can design, document, and visualize simultaneously from one model. It is the easiest and fastest way to turn your models into immersive 3D experiences.
you can instantly create a 3D visualization in a matter of seconds. With just one click, your planning data is automatically transformed into a realistic render – particularly handy for when you want to reality-check your design or quickly prepare for an internal or client presentation.
The quality of the renderings is so good that most of the time, a separate rendering application would not even be needed, unless a highly sophisticated animation with moving objects is required (of the kind that can be created, in say, Twinmotion or Lumion).
By utilizing NVIDIA’s RTX technology, Enscape is able to calculate lighting and reflections at considerable speed, giving our users impressively detailed and accurate renders in no time.
Used by renowned architecture firms in over 150 countries, such as Foster + Partners and Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), Enscape brings your designs to life and enables you to give clients an unparalleled design experience.
10. Maxwell Render
Maxwell Render is a rendering engine based on the mathematical equations governing light transport, meaning that all elements, such as emitters, materials and cameras, are derived from physically accurate models.
Maxwell Render is unbiased, so no tricks are used to calculate the lighting solution in every pixel of a scene; the result will always be a correct solution, as it would be in the real world.
Maxwell Render can fully capture all light interactions between all elements in a scene, and all lighting calculations are performed using spectral information and high dynamic range data.
The other Innovative feature is Multilight! It allows you to set lights and manage them in between the render and post-production. Multilight removes the need to re-render an image when light changes are required.
Due to its very nature, Maxwell Render enables users to create accurate and extremely realistic images. Maxwell Render is a recognized standard in architectural visualization, product design, jewelry, film production, scientific research and other high-end rendering markets, and the leader in render quality.
Maxwell Render is a rendering engine that accepts models and scenes created in 3D or CAD applications ( like SketchUP, Rhino, 3DS Max, and Cinema 4D). Several of these applications are directly supported through a Maxwell Render plug-in; others can be used in conjunction with Maxwell Render by importing the geometry into Maxwell Studio, a component of the software.
Maxwell Render is the perfect solution for the high end, photo quality visualizations that architects and designers need.
12. Twinmotion
Twinmotion is an architectural visualisation tool powered by Unreal Engine, which is a game engine developed by Epic Games.
Twinmotion is one of the most popular rendering tools in the architecture industry. It’s popular due to its power, as it’s based on the Unreal Engine.
Twinmotion is used to create photorealistic objects, visually accurate space rendering and presentations in virtual reality.
It enables architects and designers to quickly and easily create high-quality images, panoramas, fly-throughs and animations of products, buildings, cities and even entire landscapes. It can be used to produce standard or 360° VR videos from imported BIM or CAD models.
Twinmotion is noted for impressive lighting and models. You can have more realistic render even if you work on a sustainable architectural project.
Twinmotion is commonly paired with all major 3D CAD & BIM modelling products, no matter which 3D modeller you use it makes the creation of professional visualisations easy.
One-click synchronisation is possible with downloadable direct link plugins for SketchUp, Revit, ArchiCAD and Rhino, meaning your 3D objects and surfaces are reworked within the Twinmotion environment.
unlike many other rendering programs, Twinmotion is constantly updated and improved. Every few years, it’s updated, with each new member of the Twinmotion family entirely overhauling what the prior program could achieve.
In addition, for your personal use of Twinmotion is free. Twinmotion’s affordable price is for business uses.
Tablet for sketching and modeling
A pen tablet is really good for drawing. just buy a XPPen tablet and connect it to your computer if you have one.
For tablets I’m using the 15.4″ XPPen Artist 16 (2nd generation) pen display monitor for writing and sketching and love it. The drawing experience is great because of the matte anti-glare laminated screen and ultra-Precise Stylus.
With a screen tablet you’re drawing directly onto the program which is more intuitive and natural than drawing in one spot and the painting appearing in another.
XPPen Artists have to be plugged to my computer and to the wall to work, but give me the freedom to use all my desktop apps.
I also got an iPad pro for its portability. It’s great for work, I use it to scan the sites i work on, sketch 2d designs with clients on the spot, show 3d designs to clients or contractors, do presentations off of it, do revisions on design and construction drawings etc.
Conclusion
Architecture software has made the design process faster, where designers can now easily test ideas and form consistent project workflows.
Every piece of software has it’s strengths and weaknesses so we usually use them all at the same time.
For example when i was in architecture school i would draw plans in Autocad, and then model in either sketchup or Rhino(depending on what i was designing).
If the building has straight walls, i would use archicad to model. Then i imported the Sketchup/Rhino/Archicad model to Lumion or Vray to render it.
Then i would take that render into photoshop and edit it and then i would import that edited version into Adobe illustrator and create my panels for presentation.
As you can see i was using 5-6 maybe more pieces of software to do the one project so your best bet is to learn them all.
If you are wondering which is better ArchiCAD vs Chief Architect, you have to study all their features to choose the one most suitable for you.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Photographers, Graphic designers and digital illustrators would agree that a drawing tablet makes the work easier and more fun.
When looking at photos taken by professional photographers, it’s important to understand that they were post-processed.
Experienced photographers know how to fine-tune colors, edit the background or remove unwanted objects.
Today, almost all professional photo retouchers and graphic designers use graphic tablets for editing photos.
I have been using a XP-Pen Drawing Pad for about 5 years now. The degree to which it has impacted my Photoshop work is so high that I just couldn’t go back to using a mouse.
I love my graphics tablet and as much as I’d like to encourage all photographers and creative professionals to run out and buy one.
Whether you’re looking for a drawing tablet with a large drawing area, or one that’s smaller and lighter; an expensive tablet or one that’s most affordable, you’re sure to find the best fit in this article.
Popular Photo editing software
If you stick with photography for any length of time, even as a beginner/hobbyist, you’ll eventually end up with Lightroom and Photoshop.
Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom are the best-in-class photo editing software, but it also comes with a hefty price tag and an annoying subscription model.
If you are a graphic design professional, that price might be negligible considering how much your time is worth, but for people who are more of a hobbyist, the Adobe subscription is a bit much.
For beginners and amateurs who do not wish to invest in a paid software, they can turn to Gimp, the free equivalent of Photoshop, or Photofiltre, this easy-to-use photo software that allows you to retouch your pictures with a really specialized software, as you would do with Photoshop.
Gimp is among the very best free image processing programs one can find. Its capable of doing almost anything Photoshop can do. but the lack of cmyk support does kinda get in the way.
You can also Check out darktable and RawTherapee. Both are free open source Raw editors, and have almost the same functionality as Lightroom.
What is a graphics tablet?
A graphics tablet (a.k.a pen tablet or drawing tablet), just like a mouse, is an alternative input device that allows the user to interact with a computer using a stylus.
The device consists of two main parts: a flat surface that is mapped to your screen and a stylus. The image is shown on the computer monitor.
The drawing tablet with a screen, also known as a pen display tablet, is a tablet that has the obvious benefit of seeing what you create on the screen.
Benefits of drawing tablet for photo editing
It provides a more natural input for activities like photo retouching, drawing and digital painting because it emulates the way you draw with pencils on paper.
graphics tablets unlock new potential with the brush tool in Photoshop. Rather than having to continually change brush sizes, a tablet uses pen pressure. Just like when you are drawing on paper, the harder you press will alter the look of the brush stroke. This is exceptionally efficient when making adjustments to layer masks or dodging and burning.
If you dodge and burn or use luminosity masks its a must have to use a pen NOT a MOUSE. You will be able to target the important points of the photograph with your stylus, and correct the image, not in a global way, but by selecting each element independently of the others, in order to lighten, darken, or perform any advanced effects, on a fragment of the shot in particular. This makes image editing easier and faster.
For drawing paths with the pen tool or lasso tool a tablet is a hand saver so much faster, personally I wouldn’t even begin to edit without one.
Think of making smooth Unnoticeable transitions of light vs stamped circles of light. even using LR filters with a pen is less effort.
Pen Tablets are absolute positioning devices while mice are of the relative positioning variety. Simply put, this means is that you may have to move your mouse several times to get the cursor from one side of the screen to the other. With tablets all you have to do is just place your pen on the device’s surface and your cursor position will be mapped precisely to your screen.
Drawing tablets are more intuitive and ergonomic, offering for a more pleasant experience for those not only wanting to reduce the chance of developing repetitive strain injuries but especially for individuals who already have carpal tunnel syndrome, for example.
Most drawing tablets enable you to customize buttons on the tablet and on the stylus to perform certain actions. This can be a huge time-saver, especially when you need to frequently switch back and forth between tasks.
For these reasons, professional photographers, as well as experienced amateurs, can no longer do without their drawing tablet for image processing.
And so whether you’re using Photoshop, Affinity Photo, Paint.Net, Photofiltre or Gimp, you’ll probably find it surprisingly intuitive.
How to choose a drawing tablet for photo editing and photoshop?
Display vs Non-Screen
The distinction between display drawing tablets and graphics drawing tablets is pretty much self-explanatory. You may use the display drawing tablets to draw on their own screen.
You may don’t need a graphics tablet with a screen, but they can improve the accuracy of your Photoshop work, depending on your technique.
If you do want one, you will be looking at a significantly increased cost, although it is possible to get a relatively cheap drawing tablet with screen, such as the XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro, if you are more budget limited.
For tablets with a screen, pay attention to the color gamut (a wider color gamut is always better), the size, and the resolution.
Size
Large drawing tablets provide a larger drawing surface to work with, however as their size grows larger, the device’s portability suffers.
You have more portability with compact tablets. If you’re searching for a tablet that’s small and portable, these may well be the ones for you. There are also medium-sized drawing tablets to choose from.
For most photographers, a smaller tablet is more than sufficient. as it means you can move the cursor with smaller strokes of the pen. You can always zoom into a photo for higher drawing accuracy.
However, if you have space (and the money), then perhaps you might see an advantage in using a larger tablet.
Pen Pressure sensitivity
The sensitivity of the pen ranges from 2048 to 8192 levels. the harder you press on the stylus, the greater the pressure level identified and the thicker the line.
Beginners should look for a tablet that has at least 2048 pressure levels.
You may have a more natural and hands-on photo editing experience with higher degrees of pressure sensitivity, but for some people, it might not be as noticeable.
Tilt sensitivity
It is a vastly more precise input mechanism , Tilt Sensitivity is a digital tablet feature that allows the device to perceive the angle of the digital pen over the tablet surface.
The tilt function replicates what you get with a real world brush or pencil. The pen angle is useful when using certain brushes. In general use, the tilt will not affect your work.
Stylus Type
Battery-powered styluses are usually thicker so that they can accommodate the battery, which can make them feel too large for small hands.
Rechargeable styluses need charging like your phone or laptop.
EMR styluses employ an innovative electromagnetic frequency that transfers power to the pen wirelessly right from the tablet, so there’s no need to charge it.
EMR powered digital pens are more common than you think. This technology could be seen in stylus from all the major brands such as Wacom, XP-Pen, Ugee , etc.
Resolution
Resolution refers to how many lines per inch (LPI) the tablet’s display has & how much it can detect from the stylus. The higher the LPI, the more detail you can add to your drawings.
Responsiveness
Responsiveness refers to the speed at which the lines that you’re drawing show up on the screen. In most cases this is instantaneous. But it all depends on the tablet’s drivers and your computer’s specs (CPU, GPU, RAM).
Controls and shortcut keys
Shortcut keys are helpful for digital artists of all skill levels. With these buttons, you have a more efficient workflow as they allow you to quickly browse any software or feature you use regularly. Shortcut buttons also allow you to change the size of the brush.
These buttons are often adjustable and may be modified. The more shortcut buttons, the more navigation options you get and that in turn results in a smoother workflow.
The best drawing tablets for photo editing
Choosing the best drawing pad for photo editing & retouching , though, isn’t easy, because there are so many of them about. In this article, then, I’ll narrow your choices down to the absolute best buys.
If you are not familiar with XP-Pen yet, you should know that the brand is one of the most popular manufacturers of graphics tablets.
XP-Pen has become very popular with designers and photographers in recent years. They create quality products at affordable prices.
XP-Pen manufactures professional graphics tablets, pen display monitors and Stylus Pens.
Whether you’re a beginner, a professional graphic designer, or a photographer retouching headshots in photoshop the best XP-Pen tablets are listed below and consist of various models.
1. XP-Pen Deco Mini7w Wireless
XP-Pen Deco Mini 7w is currently one of the most value for money drawing tablets in the market.
The tablet is available in two variants – wired and wireless ( via 2.4 GHz wireless receiver ). Xp-Pen Deco Mini 7 is the wired version, whereas the Deco Mini 7W (wireless) works in both wired and wireless modes.
This digital drawing tool comes with a 7 x 4.37 inches active drawing area and 9.3mm thick. The tablet feels more on the premium end and has a nice surface-like feel to it.
The battery-free Stylus has 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity with tilt function support, a silicone grip, and 10 durable pen nibs. Now you can forget about having to charge your tablet before use!
It has 8 customizable express key shortcuts along the top of the tablet that can be customized as you see fit. For example, you could map the ‘undo’ or ‘export’ command to an express key on the tablet.
It connects to your Mac, Windows, Linux, Android or Chromebook via USB and is fully compatible with such photo editing software as Gimp, Photoshop, Lightroom, Affinity Photo, Paint.Net, and Photofiltre.
This tablet is a perfect starting ground for any photo editor or digital artist. Its small size is ideal for travel or limited desk space.
2. XP-Pen Deco L & Deco LW Bluetooth
This is one of the most advanced pro-spec tablets XP-Pen has ever introduced which has a very slim profile with a stylish design.
XP-Pen Deco L & Deco LW comes in four gorgeous colors to fit your personal style: Black, Blus, Green, and Pink.
Additionally, the manufacturers have provided you the option of selecting between plain ( Deco L ) or Bluetooth ( Deco LW ) featured models.
Its 10 x 6 inches drawing area enables you to have more space to edit your photos and create your drawings.
This Stylus uses the new X3 Smart Chip, It draws smoother, more accurate lines, and the initial activation got upgraded significantly force to just 3g as it takes less pressure to initiate a line.
The eight buttons are entirely programmable and can be customized to control whatever function you want to in whatever apps you use.
The tablet enable superior pen input action for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and Chromebook devices.
This tablet is very well suited to be used as a photo editing tablet, with its support for the most-used photo editing software Adobe Photoshop as well as several other photo editing softwares that photographers use.
3. XP-Pen Deco Pro MW & SW Bluetooth
This drawing tablet is the best non-screen tablet from XP-Pen!
Slim, stylish design. aluminium build, and it feels extremely durable.
It provides wireless capabilities in models Deco Pro SW & MW that have Bluetooth support.
The drawing tablet comes in two sizes, i.e., small and medium. The active area for small and medium variants is 9 x 5 inches and 11 x 6 inches, respectively.
It’s easy to configure the 8 Shortcut Keys and 2 innovative dial wheels to your preferred workflow setup.
It comes with a battery-free stylus PA1 with an impressive 8192 pressure sensitivity.
Moreover, the tilt function support makes the digital stylus draw as natural as a normal pencil.
When you use the pen at a slant angle, it changes the behavior of the strokes from a normal line to shaded ones.
This tablet for photo editing and color grading may become an indispensable device for professional designers.
4. XP-Pen Artist 12 2nd Gen
If you need a budget drawing tablet with a built-in screen that offers a premium experience, XP-Pen Artist 12 2nd Generation might be for you.
The Artist 12 2nd comes in four interesting color options, including Black, Green, Pink, and Blue.
The XP-Pen Artist 12 2nd Gen features a gorgeous 11.6-inch display plus a Simple and stylish body, light and portable.
Its 1920×1080 FHD IPS-display boasts 16.7 million colours and a colour gamut of 94% Adobe RGB, allowing you to view and edit your images in crisp, lifelike detail.
The lack of parallax combined with a fully laminated display was very appealing to designers and photographers.
Artist 12 2nd is equipped with the latest X3 chip, this chip makes the pen more sensitive to your strokes by increasing IAF sensitivity.
It also makes the overall experience more realistic as the X3 technology reduces the response distance to 0.6mm. That’s two times better than the regular XP Pen and most active pens on the market.
Finally, the eight additional shortcut keys allow you the flexibility to quickly access commonly used functions.
5. XP-Pen Artist Pro 16TP
That high-end tablet features a beautiful 15.6-inch 4K UHD display, delivering images on a new level of detail and clarity.
Its IPS display provides class-leading color accuracy of 92% Adobe RGB, allowing you to fuel your creativity with vibrant colors and stunning visuals as you edit.
XP-Pen Artist Pro 16TP is manufactured with matte, anti-glare screen surface that are easy to use in bright light.
The display is laminated so there’s no gap between the pen tip and the line it creates.
It has an additional multi-touch feature and gesture support.
Battery-free stylus with a digital eraser at the end: XP-PEN advanced PH2 passive pen was made for a traditional pencil-like feel.
The pen has 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity with 60 degrees of tilt, which allow you to create fine and hard strokes with ease.
What all this means is that the Artist Pro 16TP is the best premium 4K XP-Pen tablet there is right now. And while that may or may not be overkill for your photo editing needs, it is a very, very nice tablet.
6. XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro
The XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro tablet is an absolute powerhouse for all photographers.
Enjoy 21.5 inches of space to create your masterpieces when you use this impressive tablet.
With a color accuracy of 88% NTSC and a FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080, this tablet fully meets the boldest expectations.
It include a PA2 pen which has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition, allowing for ultimate creative control and instant reproduction of your movements.
This stylus offers an integrated and ergonomic grasp. The pen is battery-free and doesn’t require charging since it’s a EMR tablet.
It includes 2 red dial wheels and 20 hotkeys. The touch ring can be adjusted to canvas zooming, page scrolling (zoom in/out), and brush adjusting.
The 20 shortcut keys allow you the flexibility to quickly access commonly used functions.
This tablet also comes with a stand that helps to prevent the screen from shaking.
7. XP-Pen Artist 24
XP-Pen Artist 24 offers the ability to sketch and edit directly on its built-in screen.
The 23,8″ display is a great size, as it will make you feel like editing on a sheet of large canvas.
The Resolution is 2K resolution, 2560 X 1440, which means you have amazing details while drawing even with such a big display size.
Colour reproduction is excellent with support up to 94% Adobe RGB. So this tablet is definitely fit for high end print production work where you need to compare printed proofs.
Moreover, XP-Pen has included a great PA6 battery-free stylus that you can easily set up to mimic multiple pens and brushes in a vast amount of colors.
The pen utilizes first-class accuracy and pressure sensitivity to make you feel like using a real pen. This is very important for photographers.
The Artist 24 proves to be a great editing tool for photo-editing with software like Photoshop, GIMP, or Affinity Photo.
The Artist 24 has a lot to offer to anyone who uses it. Although this device is perfect for students and beginner photographers, it is also an excellent choice for professionals.
Conclusion
Drawing and graphics tablets are very useful for creatives. Whether you are a photographer, designer or artist, the XP-Pen drawing tablets could be the device you need.
The drawing tablet has to be connected to a Windows or Mac device. However, you can also connect some special models to your Android smartphone or tablet via an OTG adapter. For this reason, it could be portable to use on the go.
I use my XP-Pen Deco Pro graphics tablet for all my Photoshop stuff because it makes my work so much easier and fun and just gives me that great feeling of human to pixel connection (similar to how painters feel the connection to their brushes, painting surface and paints).
As an artist this just goes a long way, at least for me. Masking, making selections, painting etc with a graphics tablet is an amazing experience. I love it!
I’d love to hear from you guys, so let me know down in the comment section what you use, what your experience is, how these devices have benefited you etc. Of course questions are more than welcome!
Note Taking, though it sounds simple, is a task without which many things will go haywire. Whether you are a student, a businessman, or just anyone attending a seminar, you are bound to make notes for future reference.
Note Taking has traditionally been done using paper and pen. But with the advancement of digital technology, there’s a shift of population from pen and paper to laptop or a digital device. It is also a skill for which you can be expected to get paid.
Gone are the days when notes and pens were mandatory; now, laptops or digital tablets with stylus are preferred to take notes.
A perfect device for note-taking does not really require expensive and top-notch specifications. However, a few basic specifications and configurations are essential.
When you think of a device to take notes, it must be something convenient and easy to carry. It must also have a decent battery life not to have to look for a plug point instead of writing.
Stylus pens have gotten increasingly more precise in the last few generations of tablets, and can pick up even the finest lines you put down. For digital artists, designers, students, editors, even anyone putting together a presentation for the office, these are an invaluable tool for boosting productivity and making your work look great.
Benefits of Digital note-taking
Digital note-taking has a lot of advantages over its physical counterpart. Firstly, less paper is used therefore it is better for the environment.
Anyone who is in school has probably experienced having mountains of notebooks piling up. Not only do they require hundreds of trees to be cut down, but also take a lot of space, which can be avoided by simply having a laptop and a drawing tablet.
Digital notes are also easier to search, making studying or projects easier.
Moreover, all your notes for every subject will be in one place for convenient usage. Even if you don’t have your laptop with you, you can still view them by uploading them to the Cloud.
So you don’t lose important information when a traditional paper notebook or sticky note accidentally ends up in the trash or goes missing.
Note Taking apps support Handwriting with stylus
Note Taking apps let you capture your ideas and stick them somewhere useful. That way, no matter what you need to know and no matter where you are, you can pull up the information you need.
There are literally hundreds of note-taking apps on the market. A lot of them are free, or at least provide a free trial.
If you are searching for the app to make note with your stylus for tablet, then OneNote, Evernote, Google Keep, Notability, Goodnotes, Xournal++, and Squid is the most appropriate option for you.
Portable standalone tablet with stylus for note taking
The thought of writing down every word on your tablet with a screen keyboard appeared tedious.
The solution is a tablet with a stylus with installed note-taking apps, high-efficiency technology, and advanced intelligent styluses.
If you’re looking for the perfect tablet for taking notes, ipad air, ipad pro, Microsoft Surface Pro, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Huawei MediaPad Pro, and Xiaomi Mi Pad Pro are the best choice.
Some tablets, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab come packaged with compatible styluses so you can get to work right away, while others like the Apple iPad Pro, surface pro require additional purchases for peripherals.
Tablets make it easy to take notes on the go and provide almost as much computing power as a laptop. But It’s more expensive than the laptops.
If you think an iPad is kinda pricey as of now and you’re looking for a budget-friendly tablet with digital pen to achieve your dream handwritten digital notes on your laptop then you can try the graphic tablet.
Also often called a drawing tablet or a pen tablet, “graphic tablet” is really a blanket term for a touch technology that uses a stylus that, when used to draw on the tablet’s surface, will translate the strokes from your tablet on to your computer.
There are two different types of tablets for drawing, pen tablets and pen display monitors . Pen tablets are simpler drawing pads that need to be connected to a PC with screen monitor to display your work. While pen display monitors allows you drawing directly on the tablet screen.
Both Mac and Windows are able to properly support handwriting recognition and indexing. Being able to index an dynamically search your handwritten notes and diagrams is a unique and spectacular advantage when you’re dealing with months’ worth of scatter-brained thoughts.
The drawing tablets offer support for Windows and Mac platforms, some newly models now compatible with selected Android and Chromebook devices.
A drawing tablet usually comes with a stylus, which is closely related to a pen in shape. They are generally much easier and more comfortable to hold in your hand than a mouse, and they allow for an incredible degree of precision in your work.
The kind of precision that writing utensils bring, compared to fingers, is a chasm of difference. That is the appeal of using a stylus.
Most digital pens of drawing tablet come With EMR technology, the stylus will never die and never need recharging. It’s designed to feel comfortable in the hands, with a natural feel in the way it writes.
Thousands of individuals use Drawing tablet for NON-artistic purposes. Think note-taking, CAD, medical imaging, teaching, presentations, annotating, signatures, people who can’t use mice due to repetitive strain, etc.
Not only is this device perfect for note taking, it is also excellent for many other intensive applications such as graphic design and digital art. Most people will have no problems with the performance, so we highly recommend that you go for it.
graphics tablets such as XP-Pen brand have up to 8192 different levels of pressure sensitivity. With 8192 levels of pressure, you’ll not only be able to take advantage of note-friendly applications such as Notability (Mac) and OneNote (Windows), but programs with dedicated graphic tablet support (Photoshop, Sketchbook, etc).
With a stylus, you can tilt the pen, and move your hand and wrist into a natural drawing position. This allows you to have much more control over the strokes that you make. You can literally sketch with your computer.
4 Best drawing tablets for note taking
You can easily write your thoughts on OneNote and other note taking apps with digital pen tablet, write papers on Word and organize your files, among other productivity tasks.
The drawing tablet enables you to have one powerful laptop that runs everything. Whether it’s for painting, sketching, whiteboard writing, online classes, taking notes, annotating PDF/PPT documents or productive zoom meetings. Having a drawing tablet next to your Laptop can help you a lot.
If you just want a graphics tablet for note-taking, no Ipad, I say buy a xp-pen tablet, you don’t need some expensive wacom tablet if all you’re gonna do is take notes, it would be a total waste of money to buy the expensive tablet just take notes.
XP-Pen provides a cheap and great alternative to Wacom when it comes to drawing tablets for note taking.
1. XP-Pen Star G430S / Star G640
There’s not a whole lot to this XP-Pen Star G430S / Star G640 tablet but it’s a great entry-level device.
With an active surface measuring just 4 x 3 inches / 6 x 4 inches it’s not great for really detailed work but combine the high resolution 5080LPI with a pen that supports 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and you can still create quite sophisticated work.
The pen is comfortable to hold and its battery-free which delivers a high-quality e-writing experience. The feel of pen on the surface is surprisingly good for such a cheap device, with just the right amount of drag, and the accuracy is spot on.
If you’re serious about your art or design work you’ll want something bigger but this compact, lightweight option is just fine for people starting out. and It can be carried around and used on the go!
2. XP-Pen Deco Fun XS / S / L
XP-Pen offers the following 3 sizes in it’s “Deco Fun” line: 4.8 x 3″, 6.3 x 4″ , 10 x 6.27″. Available in four colors: Classic Black, Apple Green, Space Blue, and Carmine Red.
The battery-free pen has a 8192 pen pressure levels and 60 degrees tilt sensitivity which is comfortable to use and feels like a pen on paper. Deco Fun XS Version doesn’t support the tilt function.
This tablet is simple to set up, you don’t need any external power adapter, just plug it in the USB port of your PC using the USB cable provided and you are good to go.
Valid for Chrome OS, Windows , macOS, Linux and Android operating system. You can use this device with your favourite note taking apps like OneNote, Evernote, Google Keep and Xournal++.
XP-Pen Deco Fun XS / S / L tablet itself doesn’t have any customizable buttons. However, the pen has 2 buttons that you can customize for tasks such as scrolling or erasing.
3. XP-Pen Deco Mini4 / Deco Mini7
XP-Pen Deco Mini4 / Deco Mini7 is a great budget device and has a compact size ( 4 x 3 inches / 7 x 4.37 inches active drawing area ) which is perfect for limited desktop areas.
It also has 6 / 8 customizable Expresskeys for keyboard shortcuts such as undo, copy/paste etc.
As for the pen, it has 8,192 pressure levels and “tilt recognition” to provide a natural drawing experience ( Deco Mini4 Version doesn’t support this tilt function ). The pen also has programmable buttons for easy access to your favourite shortcuts.
XP-Pen Deco Mini4 / Deco Mini7 tablet works with Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android and Chrome OS devices. ideal for online tutoring, distance education, zoom meetings, editing of documents, photos, videos etc.
If you’d like to minimise the cables trailing across your desktop, the Deco Mini7w Wireless version is a great option. It connects via 2.4Ghz radio-frequency connection rather than a USB cable.
4. XP-Pen Artist 12
Artist 12 tablet is the cheapest pen display model XP-Pen has produced yet. It has a 11.6 inch FHD display with 72% NTSC Color gamut.
Meanwhile, on the display you get six customisable buttons and a touch bar. so you can program a greater number of shortcuts in your display tablet.
The battery-free pen has 8192 pressure levels and a digital eraser at the end. Moreover, this pen uses software to act as multiple pens and brushes in a full range of colours, with superb accuracy.
One can easily sketch or paint directly on screen, draw diagrams, annotate documents, enhance photos and videos with ease using this tablet.
Note that, XP-Pen Artist 12 is not a standalone device. You’ll need a USB port, HDMI port on your PC to connect. it can get power from the laptop or from power socket.
If you need a screen fully laminated, tilt senstivity, more sharper with better colour accuracy. you can have a look at XP-Pen Artist 12 2nd Generation or Artist 12 Pro version tablet.
Final Words
Note-taking tablets allow you to jot down ideas and questions quickly, holding a stylus gives you far more control over what you are doing.
If any of the above-mentioned tablets tick the boxes on your list, you are good to go.
Getting used to using a non-screen graphics tablet can be challenging, so don’t be disheartened if you aren’t getting it perfect first time round. It takes time and practice and once you try out a few of these tips, you might find that you improve a bit quicker.
This article should help you to find the best tablet and stylus to make your note-taking and your life that much better.
Choose Best Drawing Tablets For Graphic Design , Illustrations and Digital Art 