Graphic Tablet: Best To Buy

To improve the quality of your digital drawings, in addition to the skill and expertise, you will need a good graphic tablet.

If you want to improve the quality of your graphic design on the computer, you must use a drawing tablet. There are all kinds and for all needs, from those for fans of those more complex for those who work with the graphics. A graphics tablet provides better performance than the mouse because a pen is used just like a piece of paper. Ergonomics and precision are just some of the strengths of this drawing pad. Let’s not waste any more time and see which pen tablet to buy.

Before you see which tablet is best suited to your needs, we understand how it is made of such a tool and the factors considered to understand the quality of a tablet.

How to Choose a Graphic Tablet?

A tablet is nothing but a sort of trackpad on which you can write and draw. Unlike the latter, however, not all the surface is dedicated to drawing. In fact, on the body, there are some empty spaces and buttons that allow you to increase ergonomics and productivity.

We will call the part that comes into contact with the pen (and which allows us to draw) “active area”. The quality of the active area and of the tablet, in general, is defined by analyzing some parameters, which we will explain to you better.

Resolution

The first factor that allows us to distinguish a good graphic tablet from a bad one is the resolution. A bit ‘like the display can be measured in DPI (dots per inch), but it is preferable to measure it in LPI (lines per inch). Just like a screen, the higher the resolution, the better the quality of the device.

Pressure levels

Another key point in choosing the best graphics tablet is the number of pressure levels supported. The cheaper drawing tablets have pressure values around 1024 points, while the high-end graphics tablet reach over 3000 pressure points. This parameter will increase the thickness and the size of the line drawn on the basis of the force you are going to impress with the pen.

Dimensions

Precisely because there are all kinds of tablets as well as all sizes of tablets. The most common formats are the same as those of drawing sheets, so you can come across an A4 tablet, but also A3 or A6. The size of the active area and the tablet, in general, depends on your needs and the type of use you will need to make.

Pen

Last but not least, we find the pen that is used to write better on the tablet. The characteristics we will take into account are:

• Grip: makes it easier and more convenient to use.
• Power supply: which can be performed by batteries or by EMR (electromagnetic resonance).
• Additional keys: to move better in graphics environments such as Adobe Photoshop CC.

Graphic Tablet: Best To Buy

Before you see which tablet to buy, stop for a moment to analyze your budget: are you looking for a graphic tablet for Photoshop? Or more simply a drawing pad to start? After this brief reflection, let’s proceed with our selection.

Wacom Intuos S

The first tablet we talk about is produced by Wacom. It has a very compact design, in fact the overall dimensions are 200 x 160 mm, while the active area is 152 x 95 mm.

The PC connection can be done via USB cable or using Bluetooth, as both types of products exist.

Speaking of active area, the drawing pad supports 4096 levels of pressure; while the pen has no battery and is recharged via EMR.

HUION 1060 Plus

If you are looking for more pressure points, here you are satisfied. This HUION 1060 Plus supports 8192 pressure levels, has 12 physical buttons and 16 customizable soft keys.

Inside there is an 8GB SD card to save your work when you are not connected to the PC. The pen is rechargeable and has two customizable keys.

Wacom Intuos Art

The price rises, but the dimensions also go up.

The Wacom Intuos Art supports only 1024 pressure levels, but allows multi-touch and are customizable buttons called ExpressKeys.

Also, in this case, the Wacom drawing tablet does not require batteries because it can be recharged via EMR, and it is possible to connect it to the PC using the wireless adapter, which is an optional accessory.

XP-Pen Artist

In contrast to the graphics tablets we have just seen, this XP-Pen product has an integrated display that will allow you to see better what you are drawing and modifying.

The IPS display from 15.6-inches has a 16:9 format and Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. Thanks to the Film-type Stylus technology, 8192 pressure points are supported, with a resolution of 5080 LPI.

Even in this case, the pen does not need batteries.

Wacom Intuos Pro

Among the high-end graphics tablets we find the Intuos Pro, sensitive pressure levels up to 8192 and equipped with a touch ring and several multi-function buttons.

The included Wacom Pro Pen 2 provides high control and does not need to be recharged. PC connectivity is via USB cable and Bluetooth.

If you are looking for a product that also allows you to draw on paper, then we recommend the Paper version of this Intuos Pro.

Conclusions

The market is full of graphic tablets, but we have shown you the best for your needs and price range. If you do not have great needs, such as those that may derive from a job in the industry, we advise against betting on graphics tablets that cost more than $100 because, as already seen, there are really very interesting products.