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How to choose a drawing tablet?
1 reviewHow to choose a drawing tablet and pen display? Buying guide for beginners
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The graphics tablet is probably one of the most interesting devices to connect to a computer, especially if you want to develop your creativity in the field of digital art or graphic design.
You can edit photos, digitally paint, draw, write and mark up documents with graphic tablet, a fantastic tool for professional artists and hobbyists alike.
Buying a drawing tablet is an exercise in confusion. Even if you know what everything means and know exactly what you want, finding it can be difficult.
Heck, just navigating the manufacturers' websites to locate the model you want is frustrating.
We hope this guide will help you navigate the morass of modern drawing tablets.
pctechtest.com/how-to-choose-drawing-tablet
What is a drawing tablet?
The term tablet is indeed more often associated with the mobile device with touch screen, which for many people is a practical alternative to a desktop or laptop computer. By using it, you can easily check your mail or the latest messages on twitter from almost anywhere.
A graphics tablet, or pen tablet, drawing tablet, digitizer is a device for entering drawings by hand directly into a computer.
Contrary to typical tablets, some drawing tablets don't have screens. Rather, they are essentially a virtual piece of paper that sends pressure from the pad to the computer which powers it.
What really makes the drawing tablet such a pleasure to use is the included cordless stylus Pen features pressure sensitivity, which gives you a natural way to sketch, draw, paint or edit photos.
By holding the pen in artists' hands, they can apply pressure to adjust the pressure level of the pen, creating a different thickness of the brushstroke, from thinner to thicker. Since the pen is sensitive to pressure on the surface, when you press firmly on the pen, the line thickness thickens and decreases in the opposite order with weak pressure.
Types of drawing tablet
If you're looking for a graphic tablet, there have 3 different types of tablets like graphic tablets (without screen), pen display monitors (tablets with display) and standalone drawing tablets (tablets with built in computer).
1. Graphic Tablet without screen
Among all the models of graphic tablets, the graphic tablet without a screen, composed of a drawing area, as well as adapted styluses, is undoubtedly the most represented on store shelves, and the best-selling type of tablet today.
This one is easy to use, you just have to connect it to a laptop, and configure your drawing software to be compatible with it. Then draw with the stylus, almost like on a drawing pad.
But there is a big difference with traditional drawing, and beginners in digital drawing will have to train for long hours to have a higher comfort of use and a more natural fluidity in their movements.
Indeed, the fact that there is neither screen nor paper under the stylus means that you have to look at the computer screen, and not your hand when you draw. This particular hand-eye coordination, therefore, requires learning beforehand.
2. pen display
Tablets with integrated screens are considered the best graphics tablets on the market today in terms of performance. It is a specialized monitor for creating digital artwork that needs to be plugged in to a computer to work.
Often reserved for professionals, graphic designers, or experienced illustrators, they are composed of a work surface, usually elaborated with a Super AMOLED, or a LCD IPS screen, as well as an adapted pen.
The sensitivity levels of this type of tablet are often of high quality, and the resolution of the touch screen is very high.
These graphic devices have a great advantage which is to make the digital drawing interactive, these latter allowing to draw directly on the screen with its stylus, with impressive precision, and without worrying about hand-eye coordination.
However, these advantages come at a cost, and buying a tablet with a screen can quickly blow your budget.
3. Standalone drawing tablet
Increasingly, major brands, such as the Apple iPad Pro, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, or the Microsoft Surface Pro, are promoting their media tablets as graphics tablets.
These are completely portable and standalone, and do not require an additional computer to function. you don't have to carry a laptop and you can just get this out of your bag and start drawing whenever inspiration strikes you.
It can be used in any location, at any time, as long as it has been charged. fits perfectly well in a travel backpack, and is easy to carry around.
However this does come at a cost. A standalone tablet on average costs significantly more than most other (traditional) models.
Also the tablet usually doesn't come with a pen, so you'll have to get a stylus separately.
How to choose the right drawing tablet
Choosing the right drawing tablet can be an uphill task with the wide variety that's currently in the market. However, there are few things you can look at to tell if the drawing tablet is worth buying.
Below is a section on every major component you'll want to know about when you browse for your next tablet. We break down the jargon and try to explain things on a practical level.
1. Active area
Most tablets have two distinct measurements: one is the size of the overall tablet; the other is the actual drawing area, i.e. the surface on which you'll be drawing and can responsive to pen input
All drawing tablets work with absolute positioning, while mice and trackpads are relative positioning devices. For example, the top right corner of the tablet's active area corresponds to the top right corner of your screen. This means that the active area's size is important for comfort and detail.
So screenless tablet sizes should be considered in relation to the size of your monitor. Tablets usually come in sizes where the active drawing area ranges from slightly smaller than an A5 paper to slightly larger than A4.
A small tablet surface will mean you need less hand movement to move the cursor across the screen. But a tablet that is too small might lead to an overly jumpy and sensitive cursor. Trying to make a very fine selection can be frustratingly difficult.
On the other end of the spectrum, having a tablet that is too large can make the cursor feel awfully slow, and you will need larger hand movements to move the cursor significant distances. Your muscles may tire quicker that way.
2. Pressure sensitivity
The pressure-sensitive will allows you to draw lines of different thickness and depth according to the strength you use to hold the pen.
As for pressure sensitivity, you'll see this described in terms of levels. you'll see tablets with 1024 levels, 2048 levels, 4096 levels, and 8192 levels of sensitivity.
The higher the pen pressure value, the weight, and thickness of the line can be easily changed by the amount of force, and the line will be more natural and delicate.
Pressure sensitivity is such an important factor in the quality you can achieve in your drawings. If you only need to do simple sketches, you may not care too much about pressure sensitivity. But for any serious art and design work, it is essential.
Ideally you should seek out a model with the highest levels of pressure sensitivity you can afford. it's essential when working on high-resolution drawings. This will get you the closest feeling to actually working with real pens and brushes on paper or canvas.
When you can see the results pressure sensitivity can provide, you will never consider working with tablets that don't provide it. The difference is just too great.
3. Tilt sensitivity
Higher-end tablets also offer tilt sensitivity, where they can track the angle of the pen and use this to vary the thickness and intensity of the line – ideal for sweeping brushwork or interesting calligraphy effects.
The manufacturers will usually specify the level of tilt sensitivity; 60 levels means it can track 60 different degrees of tilt.
Required to correctly simulate the shapes of natural brushes, making it a must-have feature for illustrators working in programs that simulate natural media.
Tilt function support gives much more natural results in those cases and there's no software workaround for that. but it only works when the drawing software you use like photoshop also support this function.
Stylus with tilt sensitivity allows the artists to shade just like a real pencil when the stylus is tilted at an angle. This can be important for an artist who does a lot of sketching and shading oriented work.
If you are a normal user who uses the stylus for light note-taking tasks, then you don't really need tilt sensitivity.
4. Resolution
Most non-screen tablets measure resolution in Lines per Inch (LPI) standard. the higher the resolution provided, the finer you can get the detail in your drawings.
Larger drawing tablets typically have a greater resolution than smaller ones. But the difference between tablets of the same size is often insignificant.
The entry-level small size model, for example, can address up to 2540 lines per inch, which translates into 21600 by 13500 points on its surface. Professional models have double the resolution at 5080 lpi and a slightly larger active area. Compared to a typical display resolution, that is plenty.
As computer displays increased in resolution. Current pen tablets offer really high resolution and even the regular tablet can handle large resolutions with excellent cursor precision.
5. Report rate
RPS unit (Reports Per Second) measures how many times per second the tablet sends information about the stylus position & pressure back to the computer. Most modern tablets have a report rate of 200+ RPS which is fairly standard.
The reported data is transmitted over a USB cable and it lets the computer know where the stylus is placed on the tablet, how much pressure is being exerted, and how fast it's moving across the drawing surface.
The higher the number, the better the tracking speed, which means there is less delay time (lag) between when you make a stroke on the drawing surface and when the computer responds to that stroke.
Anything around 200 RPS(or higher) is great and most tablets fit this description. But it's still good to know what this stuff means so you can make an informed decision when buying.
6. 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.
7. Stylus
It doesn't matter how nice a tablet is if the pens aren't any good. A pen can feel more natural for writing, and can be much more powerful for drawing.
There are two types of digital pens: passive EMR Stylus and active stylus.
Now Almost all stylus for drawing tablets use the same EMR technology, the key feature of these EMR based pens is – they do not have batteries inside.
EMR uses electromagnetic resonance that occurs between a grid of antennas (the digitizer) and a coil (the pen). EMR sends pressure data through the shape of the pulse that the grid receives. The pen alters the shape of the pulse according to the pressure and whether or not buttons are pressed, and the digitizer reads it and translates it into a level of pressure.
Since the pens draw their power from an electromagnetic field created by the tablet itself, there's also no need for batteries in each pen. That saves you from replacing them at regular intervals and makes the pens lighter and less tiring to use.
An active stylus contains internal electronics and lithium batteries that communicate with your device. This allows your pen to communicate pressure, angle, and user preferences, providing a custom user experience.
The surface pen and Apple Pencil are both examples of active styluses. Both of these pens work very well (and are obscenely expensive).
An active stylus will work with most touchscreen standalone drawing tablets, but the results vary widely because there is no agreed upon standard for these pens.
8. Shortcut Buttons
Most tablets also incorporate a range of hotkeys, which you can program for specific functions in your favourite software. It's a tedious process, but a real productivity boost when you get it right.
As long as you can remember what each one does, these can make it faster and more natural to switch between different presets or different tools.
Some even include a dial you can use to adjust intensity settings or line weights.
9. Connectivity
Many screenless tablets use a simple USB cable to connect to your laptop or desktop to transfer data.
Having a tablet that includes 2.4GHz wireless support and Bluetooth compatibility can make a big difference, as this will allow you to do away with cables and provide greater flexibility, creating an experience that is much closer to drawing with pen on paper.
But wireless connections are always less reliable than a cable, especially on environments with lots of radio frequency interference.
Pen display monitors don't offer wireless connectivity. Since these devices have a display, you would need power and data cables to connect to your laptop or PC.
Nowadays, most pen displays like wacom cintiq come with a 3-in-1 cable (the integration of data, power and USB cables ) and some would support USB-C to USB-C connection for a single cable solution.
10. Multi-Touch function
The Multi-touch function will also be important and will allow you to control the cursor with your finger, move and resize the image you are working on, select and more for greater flexibility.
Taking the basic tap and swipe experience to the next level, allows users to interact with their devices in a multitude of ways. This is particularly desirable when you're drawing on a screen like on a Wacom Cintiq.
For non-screen drawing tablets, the xp-pen deco series and huion inspiroy Line are lack of multi-touch functionality, something that Wacom does include in their Intuos and Pro line.
8. OS and Software Compatibility
Your choice of graphics tablets may be restricted by the operating system you use.
most of the drawing tablets from wacom, huion and XPPen offers the best compatibility with devices that will work on Windows, Mac, and most versions of Linux. you will most likely require the manual installation of drivers regardless of which operating system you use.
The modern graphics tablets models since 2019 are added compatibility with with a wide range of Android and chromebook devices. works well without a driver to make it a simple plug and play solution for any user. but does not support iOS devices like iPhone.
Drawing tablets are simply input devices, function like a mouse or a keyboard. Their compatibility with all popular graphics software is entirely related to the operating system, not to their price, brand name or any other characteristic.
Additional features for choosing a pen display 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 display drawing tablet.
Look for the right technical specifications, including color accuracy, screen size, panel type, resolution, and more.
Screen size
Most drawing tablet monitors range from about 10.1 up to 32 inches (10.1", 11.9", 13.3" 15.6", 22", 24", 27" and 32"), measured diagonally from corner to corner.
The entry level screen tablets are often very tiny, 13, 12 or even 10 inches, which is not that big to start with. plus softwares have interfaces, which are making the work area even smaller, we'll be tempted to get closer to the screen to see what we're doing and…burn our eyes.
A larger screen is ideal for digital drawing, photo and video editing, and viewing documents side by side. Keep in mind, a big screen can increase the overall size, weight and power consumption of a tablet.
At home or in a studio, a larger tablet provides more room for those broad strokes and makes it easier to see what you're doing.
For some, however, it may make more sense to go with a smaller, lighter tablet that's easier to transport. In general, larger tablets tend to be more expensive, so your choices may be limited by your budget.
Screen Resolution
A screen's resolution is a measurement of the amount of information it can display. Resolution is measured in pixels, the tiny squares of light that work together to form the image on a screen.
It's measured by vertical resolution and horizontal resolution. For instance, a 1920 x 1080 monitor has a vertical resolution of 1,920 pixels, and a horizontal resolution of 1,080 pixels.
There are a number of resolutions available. Common resolutions you will likely encounter are:
1920 x 1080 (1080p, also known as Full HD)
2560 x 1440 (1440p, also known as 2K QHD)
3840 x 2160 (2160p, also known as 4K UHD)
A higher resolution mean images appear sharper. The more resolution the monitor has, the more content and details you can see. The more pixels you have, the more detailed an image you can create.
Screen Quality
PPI is a description of a monitor screen's pixel density. A higher pixel density will mean that there are more pixels packed into every square inch of your screen. It also allows readers to zoom into your artwork without losing quality.
The formula to calculate the PPI of a given monitor is this: ?((w²+h²))/diagonal , In that equation, w and h are the number of horizontal and vertical pixels and the diagonal is the size of the monitor.
15.6-inch 1080p monitor has a pixel density of about 141 ppi; 15.6-inch 2K 1440p monitor has a pixel density of about 188 ppi, 15.6-inch 4K 2160p monitor has a pixel density of about 282 ppi.
Pixel density is a significant factor because it determines the quality of your image in that a higher pixel density will generally give you better-looking images. That being said, pixel density also depends on screen size.
If you have two different size monitors side by side, both with a Full HD 1080p resolution Then, the smaller monitor will have a more densely packed pixel density, resulting in smoother lines and sharper images.
These are the resolution and sizes I recommend.
1080P: 10.1 to 15.6 inch
1440P: 22 to 27 inch
4K: 32 inch
Aspect Ratio
A monitor's aspect ratio details the relationship between its width and height.
Early cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors and TVs had an aspect ratio of 4:3. This means that for every four inches in width, the screens had three inches of height.
As wide screens and high definition content grew in popularity, so did widescreen computer monitors. As a result, most computer monitors use a 16:9 aspect ratio (almost twice as wide as they are tall).
Panel type
IPS LCD (In-Plane Switching Liquid Crystal Display) and OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) are the two most commonly used screen technologies.
Older technologies, such as TN (Twisted Nematic) and PLS (Plane-to-Line Switching) displays, have almost disappeared (except in the world of PC monitors and budget laptops) because IPS LCD and OLED are clearly better in almost all aspects.
Other technologies such as Mini-LED, MicroLED, and QNED technologies are extremely new and they won't become mainstream for a few years.
Always get a monitor that uses an IPS panel, or a variant of the IPS sub-types. Most manufacturers have that information in their specifications.
IPS panels usually have wide viewing angles, usually up to 178 degrees for horizontal and vertical viewing angles. This means no matter from which angle you're looking at the display, the colours will look the same.
Colours on monitors with lousy viewing angles will shift/change depending on the angle you're looking from. This can be problematic on large monitors because the angle when looking straight vs to the side is different.
OLED is a relatively newer technology and is more expensive to manufacture. it have traditionally been restricted to high-end devices. Even today, only high-end tablets, smartphones, TVs and laptops feature OLED displays.
OLED pixels emit their own light and can be switched off completely, offering really high contrast ratio. IPS LCD screens have really good viewing angles, but OLED TVs are even better on this front.
OLEDs individually-lit pixels can switch on/off or change colour faster. This makes for quicker response time.
But OLED displays are at risk of burn-in, a condition in which a static image left on for too long can get permanently ‘burned' onto the display and may appear like a ghostly dark patch.
And OLEDs use organic substances which tend to decay over time. So, OLED displays lose brightness with age. But It is quite slow.
Colour Gamut
Colour gamut is the range of colours a monitor can produce. which is used to ensure your artwork's color consistency every time, everywhere.
For instance, noticeable discrepancies of color representation on your computer screen and on printed work. And seeing how your artwork was misrepresented in print can be a big disappointment.
Having a monitor with high color gamut is critical because monitors that have a low color gamut don't have enough colors to display so the visuals look dull and inaccurate.
The two most common colour gamut or colour support is sRGB and Adobe RGB so they are often being advertised on spec sheets. You may also see NTSC and increasingly DCI-P3 (apple products) being mentioned.
sRGB is the most common colour space for monitors and the internet. So if your work is for display online, you can get an sRGB monitor.
AdobeRGB colour space has a wider colour range compared to sRGB and is able to simulate print colours. Photographers often take photos in Adobe RGB for more vibrant photos and printing compared to the ones in sRGB.
So if you work work print, and need to compare printed proofs against your screen, get an AdobeRGB monitor. An AdobeRGB display will give you an accurate representation and expectation of how your work will eventually appear in print.
NTSC is used for TV. It has evolved over time to modern standards and is still used in many countries. Typically, 72% NTSC is equal to 100% sRGB.
DCI-P3 is introduced by Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) to cover the color range of cinema. The colour space is around 25-39% larger than sRGB. This is great for video editors.
These colour spaces are just a subset of all the possible colours our eyes can see. So the monitor to choose should depend on the work you do. There's no point spending extra money on an AdobeRGB monitor if your work is only going to be viewed online.
Just for reference, a 100% AdobeRGB monitor can display up to 1 billion colours while a 100% sRGB monitor typically displays up to 16.7 million colours.
Ideally, you'd want at least 99% sRGB or 72%NTFC on your monitor. Having either of these specs indicates that your monitor has enough color range to display visuals properly with accurate colors.
Color Depth
Color depth is also known as bit depth. It refers to the number of colors available for each pixel on the monitor. A higher number of bit depth is important because then the monitor can display a higher number of colors in each pixel.
Color depth is measured using bits. For graphic designing, we recommend having a minimum of 8 bits in every pixel. Without 8 bits in every pixel, the pictures will seem out of color while editing in Photoshop. This will result in adding or reducing more contrast to the picture and making a wrong edit.
Many display monitors today are 8-bit (commonly featuring 16.7 million colours) or 10-bit (commonly featuring 1.07 billion colours).
Refresh rate
Refresh rate refers to the amount of times a display is capable of displaying a new image, and is measured in Hertz (Hz). For example, a 60Hz refresh rate means a display is capable of displaying a new image 60 times per second. The higher refresh rates will be very noticable when playing FPS games.
Most display drawing tablets like wacom cintiq have a 60hz refresh rate, 60 Hz is the lowest refresh rate that produces a smooth, flicker-free image.
A higher refresh rate like 120hz of iPad pro can also help you get a better experience with smoother motion when you're browsing the web or using a digital pen to write or draw.
Brightness
Brightness refers to the light your monitor produces. Too dim or too bright, and viewing becomes a drain. Your drawing tablet monitor's brightness is typically measured in nits or candelas per square metre [cd/m2].
In a high-quality monitor, you could expect brightness in the 300-350 cd/m2 range. If you work in an environment with standard lighting, this brightness should meet your needs. In especially bright environments, however, you could potentially need a brighter monitor.
Contrast ratio
Your drawing tablet monitor's contrast ratio tells you how much range there is between the darkest blacks and the brightest whites in the images it displays.
A ratio of 1000:1 (the higher the first number, the bigger the ratio) will keep many professionals happy for everyday tasks. For some specialist work that requires picture clarity however, some designers and image artists value a higher contrast ratio.
Non-laminated VS fully laminated Display
Parallax error is defined as the difference in distance between your stylus' tip and the registered touch on the display. It's caused by the distance between the top glass panel and the actual display.
Of course, with non-laminated screens, you can notice a delay in touch registering as well as the parallax error which can throw off digital artists. To solve this, laminated screens were developed and now major manufacturers of drawing tablets and other devices included laminated displays in their manufacturing plans.
non-laminated displays are older display technologies compared to laminated displays. In this type of display, the layout design is made of 3 screens which are: Top glass layer for protection, Touch panel for touch recognition, and Display panel for view.
All three layers of this display make the device a whole lot thicker. Since they are stacked on top of each other, air bubbles fill up the space between the two. And when your screen lights up, the light quality goes down because of the air gap creating a dispersed effect.
As a result, you have a hazed display quality where the colors don't reach their full potential. The tapping from the pen on the screen is a lot louder, probably because of the air gap underneath.
Additionally, you'll be facing a dust problem where dust fills up the air gap in the display, worsening the hazy visual quality.
Almost every premium drawing device now proudly sports a laminated display.
Whether it's a wacom cintiq, xppen artist, huion kamvas, or ipad, they all offer laminated displays because of how well they can disperse light.
While non-laminated displays have 3 layers, the laminated display forms a single layer of the screen using special glue that provides multi-tasking abilities.
So it is a top glass layer, touch panel, and display panel all in one. Thanks to that, you can enjoy no air gap and no disturbing light dispersion!
It makes your device thinner, improves visual quality, and does so much more. But that does come along with a heavy price tag compared to a non-laminated counterpart.
Matte vs Glossy Screen
There are two main kinds of panel coatings used in modern LCD monitors: matte (anti-glare) and glossy. Both have their pros and cons and are a subject of many heated discussions.
Matte displays have a "rough" anti-glare surface which diffuses light, eliminating reflections. The downside is significantly reduced contrast and less vivid colors, as light from the backlight of the monitor also has to pass through the same light-scattering layer.
Glossy displays have vibrant colors as well as high contrast and brightness because they have a smooth surface which lets most of the light through. However, strong lighting sources in the environment cause glare on these screens which is not only annoying, but can also cause eye strain and pain. Depending on the lighting, you will also see distracting reflections on top of the image.
Since neither coating is flawless, the choice mostly depends on personal preference.
If you're looking for a display drawing tablet for outdoors, a matte screen tablet is the obvious choice, whereas if you spend most of your tablet time in a dim-lit room, you will benefit more from a glossy screen.
You can also get an anti-glare screen protector on your glossy screen surface, Protects your tablet lcd screen against dusts and scratches.
Additional Features to consider for the standalone drawing tablet
Standalone drawing tablets can be used without a computer or laptop.which have good capacity of storing, operating and running drawing software. you need pick your operating system; know your CPUs; graphics cards; pick your processor; How Much RAM? How Much Storage Space?
Processor
Graphic design software is processor-intensive, and it only becomes moreso every year.
For a tablet to handle complex graphic design work, it will need to have a fast processor.
A drawing tablet with a slow processor will lag and freeze when you install heavy graphic editing software rendering it useless.
For most programs, you'll want a processor (or “CPU”) that runs at least 1Ghz (meaning the computer can make one billion calculations per second). That's the minimum; look for an even faster processor if you can afford it.
RAM
As for RAM, it should be sufficient to run heavy graphic design software while saving some for background tasks.
RAM is kind of like short-term memory; it's the stuff that your computer keeps at the forefront of its mind.
The more RAM you have, the more things you can process at once, because it's faster than going to the hard drive for the files in use.
You'll want, at minimum, 8Gb of RAM; more if you can afford it.
Storage
A good standalone drawing tablet should have enough internal storage to hold any graphic editing software. There should also be enough storage left for other apps that you might need and, of course, the graphics themselves.
Some graphic formats are space-intensive and will fill up small storage fast, warranting you to delete some work or transfer it, which can be inconvenient.
If a drawing tablet doesn't have enough storage, it should at least have the option to expand it. A micro SD card or a USB port for storage expansion is, therefore, an important feature.
There are two types of hard drives: Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and Solid State Drives (SSD). But the real advantage of SSDs is their speed.
If your internal hard drive is an SSD, you'll notice your computer boots faster, and programs launch faster. For your external drive, data transfers more quickly from SSDs than HDDs.
HDDs are cheaper, usually about half the price for the same amount of storage. In fact, HDDs have a higher ceiling for total storage.
Graphics card
Unless you're doing 3D modeling, you probably won't require a high end card. 2D digital painting, vector work or layout don't really require that card to calculate 3D data. Generally speaking, the graphics card that already come with your computer should suffice.
But noticed that Many enhanced features are enabled in Photoshop only if one has a 2GB dedicated graphics card. Which is almost always an optional feature when making a purchase.
If you use a particular 3D software, you should check out the graphics cards recommended by the software company. Each 3D software might have their own little quirks when running on non-recommended graphics card.
Battery capacity
An important question to ask when choosing a standalone tablet is the length of time you will require the device to sustain its power without it needing to be recharged.
Having to always ensure that you have close access to a power supply can not only be inconveniencing but also reduces the portability capacity of the tablet.
Several factors can influence battery life; among them is the screen resolution and brightness of the display and the nature of the tasks to be carried out.
All in all, a good tablet should be capable of serving you for a significant 10 hours without regard to these factors.
OS and drawing apps
Predominantly there are three types of operating system in standalone drawing tablets: Android (like samsung galaxy tab), Windows (like microsoft surface pro), and IOS (iPad Air or iPad pro).
Each of these systems have their own unique strengths, for example android is known for its excellent optimization and personalization, windows boasts of application integration, and IOS carries the trophy for fluidity and integration of the brand's eco-system.
While the features of an operating system might differ, the most important things are the applications that you use during drawing, all of which can be supported by the above.
Brand
When you think of pen tablets, you probably think of Wacom since the company has long been the best-known brand in its field. it also famous for it's very expensive price tags.
But nowadays, it has quite a few rivals worthy of a closer look, like Huion and XP-Pen which boasts similar features and performance of an expensive Wacom tablet, but at a budget price.
Wacom, Huion and XP-Pen are certainly the leading brand and probably has the most sophisticated models, but you will also find very good tablets at other brands like Ugee, Gaomon, Parblo, Veikk and xencelabs.
Apple, Lenovo, Xiaomi, Huawei, Samsung and Microsoft offer fanciers standalone drawing tablets support digital pen input that can be used for other purposes besides drawing and graphic design. At the same time, there are fewer options to choose from.
Price
Cost is a crucial factor for some as not everybody has a professional's budget.
Luckily, There are countless drawing tablets without display on the market that don't even crack the $100 threshold.
The advantage of a graphic tablet with a screen is its premium quality, but its cost is unaffordable for the majority of amateur or beginners. it starts from $200 (XPPen Artist 10 2nd Generation ) to $ 3300 (32" Wacom Cintiq Pro 32).
There's no hiding that the standalone drawing tablets (ipad pro...) sit in the highest price bracket, but a good product should always combine the aspects of quality and affordability.
The price of the Wacom drawing tablet is far more expensive than similar budget-friendly devices from XP-Pen and Huion.
Each user can find one according to his or her needs, from the most affordable, to the most versatile, to the most expensive professional graphics tablets.
Conclusion
What type of digital art you do? Vector? 3D? Comics? Digital Painting? Animation? Do you need to carry your computer around?
What you do determines what you buy. You don't want to spend too much money on a maxed out drawing tablet for power you don't need.
The prices of graphic tablets vary greatly, as do their performance or the number of brands that offer new models several times a year.
While there are some technical differences, most graphics tablets work in the same way.
Its purchase is a long-term investment and it is important to pay attention to different criteria.
Choosing a drawing tablet can be as easy as it is confusing. Following the steps above will ensure that you get the right one for you.
Please feel free to share this post, using the principles that I've discussed, and by providing a summary and a link back so people can read it on my site – thank you!
You can edit photos, digitally paint, draw, write and mark up documents with graphic tablet, a fantastic tool for professional artists and hobbyists alike.
Buying a drawing tablet is an exercise in confusion. Even if you know what everything means and know exactly what you want, finding it can be difficult.
Heck, just navigating the manufacturers' websites to locate the model you want is frustrating.
We hope this guide will help you navigate the morass of modern drawing tablets.
pctechtest.com/how-to-choose-drawing-tablet
What is a drawing tablet?
The term tablet is indeed more often associated with the mobile device with touch screen, which for many people is a practical alternative to a desktop or laptop computer. By using it, you can easily check your mail or the latest messages on twitter from almost anywhere.
A graphics tablet, or pen tablet, drawing tablet, digitizer is a device for entering drawings by hand directly into a computer.
Contrary to typical tablets, some drawing tablets don't have screens. Rather, they are essentially a virtual piece of paper that sends pressure from the pad to the computer which powers it.
What really makes the drawing tablet such a pleasure to use is the included cordless stylus Pen features pressure sensitivity, which gives you a natural way to sketch, draw, paint or edit photos.
By holding the pen in artists' hands, they can apply pressure to adjust the pressure level of the pen, creating a different thickness of the brushstroke, from thinner to thicker. Since the pen is sensitive to pressure on the surface, when you press firmly on the pen, the line thickness thickens and decreases in the opposite order with weak pressure.
Types of drawing tablet
If you're looking for a graphic tablet, there have 3 different types of tablets like graphic tablets (without screen), pen display monitors (tablets with display) and standalone drawing tablets (tablets with built in computer).
1. Graphic Tablet without screen
Among all the models of graphic tablets, the graphic tablet without a screen, composed of a drawing area, as well as adapted styluses, is undoubtedly the most represented on store shelves, and the best-selling type of tablet today.
This one is easy to use, you just have to connect it to a laptop, and configure your drawing software to be compatible with it. Then draw with the stylus, almost like on a drawing pad.
But there is a big difference with traditional drawing, and beginners in digital drawing will have to train for long hours to have a higher comfort of use and a more natural fluidity in their movements.
Indeed, the fact that there is neither screen nor paper under the stylus means that you have to look at the computer screen, and not your hand when you draw. This particular hand-eye coordination, therefore, requires learning beforehand.
2. pen display
Tablets with integrated screens are considered the best graphics tablets on the market today in terms of performance. It is a specialized monitor for creating digital artwork that needs to be plugged in to a computer to work.
Often reserved for professionals, graphic designers, or experienced illustrators, they are composed of a work surface, usually elaborated with a Super AMOLED, or a LCD IPS screen, as well as an adapted pen.
The sensitivity levels of this type of tablet are often of high quality, and the resolution of the touch screen is very high.
These graphic devices have a great advantage which is to make the digital drawing interactive, these latter allowing to draw directly on the screen with its stylus, with impressive precision, and without worrying about hand-eye coordination.
However, these advantages come at a cost, and buying a tablet with a screen can quickly blow your budget.
3. Standalone drawing tablet
Increasingly, major brands, such as the Apple iPad Pro, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, or the Microsoft Surface Pro, are promoting their media tablets as graphics tablets.
These are completely portable and standalone, and do not require an additional computer to function. you don't have to carry a laptop and you can just get this out of your bag and start drawing whenever inspiration strikes you.
It can be used in any location, at any time, as long as it has been charged. fits perfectly well in a travel backpack, and is easy to carry around.
However this does come at a cost. A standalone tablet on average costs significantly more than most other (traditional) models.
Also the tablet usually doesn't come with a pen, so you'll have to get a stylus separately.
How to choose the right drawing tablet
Choosing the right drawing tablet can be an uphill task with the wide variety that's currently in the market. However, there are few things you can look at to tell if the drawing tablet is worth buying.
Below is a section on every major component you'll want to know about when you browse for your next tablet. We break down the jargon and try to explain things on a practical level.
1. Active area
Most tablets have two distinct measurements: one is the size of the overall tablet; the other is the actual drawing area, i.e. the surface on which you'll be drawing and can responsive to pen input
All drawing tablets work with absolute positioning, while mice and trackpads are relative positioning devices. For example, the top right corner of the tablet's active area corresponds to the top right corner of your screen. This means that the active area's size is important for comfort and detail.
So screenless tablet sizes should be considered in relation to the size of your monitor. Tablets usually come in sizes where the active drawing area ranges from slightly smaller than an A5 paper to slightly larger than A4.
A small tablet surface will mean you need less hand movement to move the cursor across the screen. But a tablet that is too small might lead to an overly jumpy and sensitive cursor. Trying to make a very fine selection can be frustratingly difficult.
On the other end of the spectrum, having a tablet that is too large can make the cursor feel awfully slow, and you will need larger hand movements to move the cursor significant distances. Your muscles may tire quicker that way.
2. Pressure sensitivity
The pressure-sensitive will allows you to draw lines of different thickness and depth according to the strength you use to hold the pen.
As for pressure sensitivity, you'll see this described in terms of levels. you'll see tablets with 1024 levels, 2048 levels, 4096 levels, and 8192 levels of sensitivity.
The higher the pen pressure value, the weight, and thickness of the line can be easily changed by the amount of force, and the line will be more natural and delicate.
Pressure sensitivity is such an important factor in the quality you can achieve in your drawings. If you only need to do simple sketches, you may not care too much about pressure sensitivity. But for any serious art and design work, it is essential.
Ideally you should seek out a model with the highest levels of pressure sensitivity you can afford. it's essential when working on high-resolution drawings. This will get you the closest feeling to actually working with real pens and brushes on paper or canvas.
When you can see the results pressure sensitivity can provide, you will never consider working with tablets that don't provide it. The difference is just too great.
3. Tilt sensitivity
Higher-end tablets also offer tilt sensitivity, where they can track the angle of the pen and use this to vary the thickness and intensity of the line – ideal for sweeping brushwork or interesting calligraphy effects.
The manufacturers will usually specify the level of tilt sensitivity; 60 levels means it can track 60 different degrees of tilt.
Required to correctly simulate the shapes of natural brushes, making it a must-have feature for illustrators working in programs that simulate natural media.
Tilt function support gives much more natural results in those cases and there's no software workaround for that. but it only works when the drawing software you use like photoshop also support this function.
Stylus with tilt sensitivity allows the artists to shade just like a real pencil when the stylus is tilted at an angle. This can be important for an artist who does a lot of sketching and shading oriented work.
If you are a normal user who uses the stylus for light note-taking tasks, then you don't really need tilt sensitivity.
4. Resolution
Most non-screen tablets measure resolution in Lines per Inch (LPI) standard. the higher the resolution provided, the finer you can get the detail in your drawings.
Larger drawing tablets typically have a greater resolution than smaller ones. But the difference between tablets of the same size is often insignificant.
The entry-level small size model, for example, can address up to 2540 lines per inch, which translates into 21600 by 13500 points on its surface. Professional models have double the resolution at 5080 lpi and a slightly larger active area. Compared to a typical display resolution, that is plenty.
As computer displays increased in resolution. Current pen tablets offer really high resolution and even the regular tablet can handle large resolutions with excellent cursor precision.
5. Report rate
RPS unit (Reports Per Second) measures how many times per second the tablet sends information about the stylus position & pressure back to the computer. Most modern tablets have a report rate of 200+ RPS which is fairly standard.
The reported data is transmitted over a USB cable and it lets the computer know where the stylus is placed on the tablet, how much pressure is being exerted, and how fast it's moving across the drawing surface.
The higher the number, the better the tracking speed, which means there is less delay time (lag) between when you make a stroke on the drawing surface and when the computer responds to that stroke.
Anything around 200 RPS(or higher) is great and most tablets fit this description. But it's still good to know what this stuff means so you can make an informed decision when buying.
6. 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.
7. Stylus
It doesn't matter how nice a tablet is if the pens aren't any good. A pen can feel more natural for writing, and can be much more powerful for drawing.
There are two types of digital pens: passive EMR Stylus and active stylus.
Now Almost all stylus for drawing tablets use the same EMR technology, the key feature of these EMR based pens is – they do not have batteries inside.
EMR uses electromagnetic resonance that occurs between a grid of antennas (the digitizer) and a coil (the pen). EMR sends pressure data through the shape of the pulse that the grid receives. The pen alters the shape of the pulse according to the pressure and whether or not buttons are pressed, and the digitizer reads it and translates it into a level of pressure.
Since the pens draw their power from an electromagnetic field created by the tablet itself, there's also no need for batteries in each pen. That saves you from replacing them at regular intervals and makes the pens lighter and less tiring to use.
An active stylus contains internal electronics and lithium batteries that communicate with your device. This allows your pen to communicate pressure, angle, and user preferences, providing a custom user experience.
The surface pen and Apple Pencil are both examples of active styluses. Both of these pens work very well (and are obscenely expensive).
An active stylus will work with most touchscreen standalone drawing tablets, but the results vary widely because there is no agreed upon standard for these pens.
8. Shortcut Buttons
Most tablets also incorporate a range of hotkeys, which you can program for specific functions in your favourite software. It's a tedious process, but a real productivity boost when you get it right.
As long as you can remember what each one does, these can make it faster and more natural to switch between different presets or different tools.
Some even include a dial you can use to adjust intensity settings or line weights.
9. Connectivity
Many screenless tablets use a simple USB cable to connect to your laptop or desktop to transfer data.
Having a tablet that includes 2.4GHz wireless support and Bluetooth compatibility can make a big difference, as this will allow you to do away with cables and provide greater flexibility, creating an experience that is much closer to drawing with pen on paper.
But wireless connections are always less reliable than a cable, especially on environments with lots of radio frequency interference.
Pen display monitors don't offer wireless connectivity. Since these devices have a display, you would need power and data cables to connect to your laptop or PC.
Nowadays, most pen displays like wacom cintiq come with a 3-in-1 cable (the integration of data, power and USB cables ) and some would support USB-C to USB-C connection for a single cable solution.
10. Multi-Touch function
The Multi-touch function will also be important and will allow you to control the cursor with your finger, move and resize the image you are working on, select and more for greater flexibility.
Taking the basic tap and swipe experience to the next level, allows users to interact with their devices in a multitude of ways. This is particularly desirable when you're drawing on a screen like on a Wacom Cintiq.
For non-screen drawing tablets, the xp-pen deco series and huion inspiroy Line are lack of multi-touch functionality, something that Wacom does include in their Intuos and Pro line.
8. OS and Software Compatibility
Your choice of graphics tablets may be restricted by the operating system you use.
most of the drawing tablets from wacom, huion and XPPen offers the best compatibility with devices that will work on Windows, Mac, and most versions of Linux. you will most likely require the manual installation of drivers regardless of which operating system you use.
The modern graphics tablets models since 2019 are added compatibility with with a wide range of Android and chromebook devices. works well without a driver to make it a simple plug and play solution for any user. but does not support iOS devices like iPhone.
Drawing tablets are simply input devices, function like a mouse or a keyboard. Their compatibility with all popular graphics software is entirely related to the operating system, not to their price, brand name or any other characteristic.
Additional features for choosing a pen display 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 display drawing tablet.
Look for the right technical specifications, including color accuracy, screen size, panel type, resolution, and more.
Screen size
Most drawing tablet monitors range from about 10.1 up to 32 inches (10.1", 11.9", 13.3" 15.6", 22", 24", 27" and 32"), measured diagonally from corner to corner.
The entry level screen tablets are often very tiny, 13, 12 or even 10 inches, which is not that big to start with. plus softwares have interfaces, which are making the work area even smaller, we'll be tempted to get closer to the screen to see what we're doing and…burn our eyes.
A larger screen is ideal for digital drawing, photo and video editing, and viewing documents side by side. Keep in mind, a big screen can increase the overall size, weight and power consumption of a tablet.
At home or in a studio, a larger tablet provides more room for those broad strokes and makes it easier to see what you're doing.
For some, however, it may make more sense to go with a smaller, lighter tablet that's easier to transport. In general, larger tablets tend to be more expensive, so your choices may be limited by your budget.
Screen Resolution
A screen's resolution is a measurement of the amount of information it can display. Resolution is measured in pixels, the tiny squares of light that work together to form the image on a screen.
It's measured by vertical resolution and horizontal resolution. For instance, a 1920 x 1080 monitor has a vertical resolution of 1,920 pixels, and a horizontal resolution of 1,080 pixels.
There are a number of resolutions available. Common resolutions you will likely encounter are:
1920 x 1080 (1080p, also known as Full HD)
2560 x 1440 (1440p, also known as 2K QHD)
3840 x 2160 (2160p, also known as 4K UHD)
A higher resolution mean images appear sharper. The more resolution the monitor has, the more content and details you can see. The more pixels you have, the more detailed an image you can create.
Screen Quality
PPI is a description of a monitor screen's pixel density. A higher pixel density will mean that there are more pixels packed into every square inch of your screen. It also allows readers to zoom into your artwork without losing quality.
The formula to calculate the PPI of a given monitor is this: ?((w²+h²))/diagonal , In that equation, w and h are the number of horizontal and vertical pixels and the diagonal is the size of the monitor.
15.6-inch 1080p monitor has a pixel density of about 141 ppi; 15.6-inch 2K 1440p monitor has a pixel density of about 188 ppi, 15.6-inch 4K 2160p monitor has a pixel density of about 282 ppi.
Pixel density is a significant factor because it determines the quality of your image in that a higher pixel density will generally give you better-looking images. That being said, pixel density also depends on screen size.
If you have two different size monitors side by side, both with a Full HD 1080p resolution Then, the smaller monitor will have a more densely packed pixel density, resulting in smoother lines and sharper images.
These are the resolution and sizes I recommend.
1080P: 10.1 to 15.6 inch
1440P: 22 to 27 inch
4K: 32 inch
Aspect Ratio
A monitor's aspect ratio details the relationship between its width and height.
Early cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors and TVs had an aspect ratio of 4:3. This means that for every four inches in width, the screens had three inches of height.
As wide screens and high definition content grew in popularity, so did widescreen computer monitors. As a result, most computer monitors use a 16:9 aspect ratio (almost twice as wide as they are tall).
Panel type
IPS LCD (In-Plane Switching Liquid Crystal Display) and OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) are the two most commonly used screen technologies.
Older technologies, such as TN (Twisted Nematic) and PLS (Plane-to-Line Switching) displays, have almost disappeared (except in the world of PC monitors and budget laptops) because IPS LCD and OLED are clearly better in almost all aspects.
Other technologies such as Mini-LED, MicroLED, and QNED technologies are extremely new and they won't become mainstream for a few years.
Always get a monitor that uses an IPS panel, or a variant of the IPS sub-types. Most manufacturers have that information in their specifications.
IPS panels usually have wide viewing angles, usually up to 178 degrees for horizontal and vertical viewing angles. This means no matter from which angle you're looking at the display, the colours will look the same.
Colours on monitors with lousy viewing angles will shift/change depending on the angle you're looking from. This can be problematic on large monitors because the angle when looking straight vs to the side is different.
OLED is a relatively newer technology and is more expensive to manufacture. it have traditionally been restricted to high-end devices. Even today, only high-end tablets, smartphones, TVs and laptops feature OLED displays.
OLED pixels emit their own light and can be switched off completely, offering really high contrast ratio. IPS LCD screens have really good viewing angles, but OLED TVs are even better on this front.
OLEDs individually-lit pixels can switch on/off or change colour faster. This makes for quicker response time.
But OLED displays are at risk of burn-in, a condition in which a static image left on for too long can get permanently ‘burned' onto the display and may appear like a ghostly dark patch.
And OLEDs use organic substances which tend to decay over time. So, OLED displays lose brightness with age. But It is quite slow.
Colour Gamut
Colour gamut is the range of colours a monitor can produce. which is used to ensure your artwork's color consistency every time, everywhere.
For instance, noticeable discrepancies of color representation on your computer screen and on printed work. And seeing how your artwork was misrepresented in print can be a big disappointment.
Having a monitor with high color gamut is critical because monitors that have a low color gamut don't have enough colors to display so the visuals look dull and inaccurate.
The two most common colour gamut or colour support is sRGB and Adobe RGB so they are often being advertised on spec sheets. You may also see NTSC and increasingly DCI-P3 (apple products) being mentioned.
sRGB is the most common colour space for monitors and the internet. So if your work is for display online, you can get an sRGB monitor.
AdobeRGB colour space has a wider colour range compared to sRGB and is able to simulate print colours. Photographers often take photos in Adobe RGB for more vibrant photos and printing compared to the ones in sRGB.
So if you work work print, and need to compare printed proofs against your screen, get an AdobeRGB monitor. An AdobeRGB display will give you an accurate representation and expectation of how your work will eventually appear in print.
NTSC is used for TV. It has evolved over time to modern standards and is still used in many countries. Typically, 72% NTSC is equal to 100% sRGB.
DCI-P3 is introduced by Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) to cover the color range of cinema. The colour space is around 25-39% larger than sRGB. This is great for video editors.
These colour spaces are just a subset of all the possible colours our eyes can see. So the monitor to choose should depend on the work you do. There's no point spending extra money on an AdobeRGB monitor if your work is only going to be viewed online.
Just for reference, a 100% AdobeRGB monitor can display up to 1 billion colours while a 100% sRGB monitor typically displays up to 16.7 million colours.
Ideally, you'd want at least 99% sRGB or 72%NTFC on your monitor. Having either of these specs indicates that your monitor has enough color range to display visuals properly with accurate colors.
Color Depth
Color depth is also known as bit depth. It refers to the number of colors available for each pixel on the monitor. A higher number of bit depth is important because then the monitor can display a higher number of colors in each pixel.
Color depth is measured using bits. For graphic designing, we recommend having a minimum of 8 bits in every pixel. Without 8 bits in every pixel, the pictures will seem out of color while editing in Photoshop. This will result in adding or reducing more contrast to the picture and making a wrong edit.
Many display monitors today are 8-bit (commonly featuring 16.7 million colours) or 10-bit (commonly featuring 1.07 billion colours).
Refresh rate
Refresh rate refers to the amount of times a display is capable of displaying a new image, and is measured in Hertz (Hz). For example, a 60Hz refresh rate means a display is capable of displaying a new image 60 times per second. The higher refresh rates will be very noticable when playing FPS games.
Most display drawing tablets like wacom cintiq have a 60hz refresh rate, 60 Hz is the lowest refresh rate that produces a smooth, flicker-free image.
A higher refresh rate like 120hz of iPad pro can also help you get a better experience with smoother motion when you're browsing the web or using a digital pen to write or draw.
Brightness
Brightness refers to the light your monitor produces. Too dim or too bright, and viewing becomes a drain. Your drawing tablet monitor's brightness is typically measured in nits or candelas per square metre [cd/m2].
In a high-quality monitor, you could expect brightness in the 300-350 cd/m2 range. If you work in an environment with standard lighting, this brightness should meet your needs. In especially bright environments, however, you could potentially need a brighter monitor.
Contrast ratio
Your drawing tablet monitor's contrast ratio tells you how much range there is between the darkest blacks and the brightest whites in the images it displays.
A ratio of 1000:1 (the higher the first number, the bigger the ratio) will keep many professionals happy for everyday tasks. For some specialist work that requires picture clarity however, some designers and image artists value a higher contrast ratio.
Non-laminated VS fully laminated Display
Parallax error is defined as the difference in distance between your stylus' tip and the registered touch on the display. It's caused by the distance between the top glass panel and the actual display.
Of course, with non-laminated screens, you can notice a delay in touch registering as well as the parallax error which can throw off digital artists. To solve this, laminated screens were developed and now major manufacturers of drawing tablets and other devices included laminated displays in their manufacturing plans.
non-laminated displays are older display technologies compared to laminated displays. In this type of display, the layout design is made of 3 screens which are: Top glass layer for protection, Touch panel for touch recognition, and Display panel for view.
All three layers of this display make the device a whole lot thicker. Since they are stacked on top of each other, air bubbles fill up the space between the two. And when your screen lights up, the light quality goes down because of the air gap creating a dispersed effect.
As a result, you have a hazed display quality where the colors don't reach their full potential. The tapping from the pen on the screen is a lot louder, probably because of the air gap underneath.
Additionally, you'll be facing a dust problem where dust fills up the air gap in the display, worsening the hazy visual quality.
Almost every premium drawing device now proudly sports a laminated display.
Whether it's a wacom cintiq, xppen artist, huion kamvas, or ipad, they all offer laminated displays because of how well they can disperse light.
While non-laminated displays have 3 layers, the laminated display forms a single layer of the screen using special glue that provides multi-tasking abilities.
So it is a top glass layer, touch panel, and display panel all in one. Thanks to that, you can enjoy no air gap and no disturbing light dispersion!
It makes your device thinner, improves visual quality, and does so much more. But that does come along with a heavy price tag compared to a non-laminated counterpart.
Matte vs Glossy Screen
There are two main kinds of panel coatings used in modern LCD monitors: matte (anti-glare) and glossy. Both have their pros and cons and are a subject of many heated discussions.
Matte displays have a "rough" anti-glare surface which diffuses light, eliminating reflections. The downside is significantly reduced contrast and less vivid colors, as light from the backlight of the monitor also has to pass through the same light-scattering layer.
Glossy displays have vibrant colors as well as high contrast and brightness because they have a smooth surface which lets most of the light through. However, strong lighting sources in the environment cause glare on these screens which is not only annoying, but can also cause eye strain and pain. Depending on the lighting, you will also see distracting reflections on top of the image.
Since neither coating is flawless, the choice mostly depends on personal preference.
If you're looking for a display drawing tablet for outdoors, a matte screen tablet is the obvious choice, whereas if you spend most of your tablet time in a dim-lit room, you will benefit more from a glossy screen.
You can also get an anti-glare screen protector on your glossy screen surface, Protects your tablet lcd screen against dusts and scratches.
Additional Features to consider for the standalone drawing tablet
Standalone drawing tablets can be used without a computer or laptop.which have good capacity of storing, operating and running drawing software. you need pick your operating system; know your CPUs; graphics cards; pick your processor; How Much RAM? How Much Storage Space?
Processor
Graphic design software is processor-intensive, and it only becomes moreso every year.
For a tablet to handle complex graphic design work, it will need to have a fast processor.
A drawing tablet with a slow processor will lag and freeze when you install heavy graphic editing software rendering it useless.
For most programs, you'll want a processor (or “CPU”) that runs at least 1Ghz (meaning the computer can make one billion calculations per second). That's the minimum; look for an even faster processor if you can afford it.
RAM
As for RAM, it should be sufficient to run heavy graphic design software while saving some for background tasks.
RAM is kind of like short-term memory; it's the stuff that your computer keeps at the forefront of its mind.
The more RAM you have, the more things you can process at once, because it's faster than going to the hard drive for the files in use.
You'll want, at minimum, 8Gb of RAM; more if you can afford it.
Storage
A good standalone drawing tablet should have enough internal storage to hold any graphic editing software. There should also be enough storage left for other apps that you might need and, of course, the graphics themselves.
Some graphic formats are space-intensive and will fill up small storage fast, warranting you to delete some work or transfer it, which can be inconvenient.
If a drawing tablet doesn't have enough storage, it should at least have the option to expand it. A micro SD card or a USB port for storage expansion is, therefore, an important feature.
There are two types of hard drives: Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and Solid State Drives (SSD). But the real advantage of SSDs is their speed.
If your internal hard drive is an SSD, you'll notice your computer boots faster, and programs launch faster. For your external drive, data transfers more quickly from SSDs than HDDs.
HDDs are cheaper, usually about half the price for the same amount of storage. In fact, HDDs have a higher ceiling for total storage.
Graphics card
Unless you're doing 3D modeling, you probably won't require a high end card. 2D digital painting, vector work or layout don't really require that card to calculate 3D data. Generally speaking, the graphics card that already come with your computer should suffice.
But noticed that Many enhanced features are enabled in Photoshop only if one has a 2GB dedicated graphics card. Which is almost always an optional feature when making a purchase.
If you use a particular 3D software, you should check out the graphics cards recommended by the software company. Each 3D software might have their own little quirks when running on non-recommended graphics card.
Battery capacity
An important question to ask when choosing a standalone tablet is the length of time you will require the device to sustain its power without it needing to be recharged.
Having to always ensure that you have close access to a power supply can not only be inconveniencing but also reduces the portability capacity of the tablet.
Several factors can influence battery life; among them is the screen resolution and brightness of the display and the nature of the tasks to be carried out.
All in all, a good tablet should be capable of serving you for a significant 10 hours without regard to these factors.
OS and drawing apps
Predominantly there are three types of operating system in standalone drawing tablets: Android (like samsung galaxy tab), Windows (like microsoft surface pro), and IOS (iPad Air or iPad pro).
Each of these systems have their own unique strengths, for example android is known for its excellent optimization and personalization, windows boasts of application integration, and IOS carries the trophy for fluidity and integration of the brand's eco-system.
While the features of an operating system might differ, the most important things are the applications that you use during drawing, all of which can be supported by the above.
Brand
When you think of pen tablets, you probably think of Wacom since the company has long been the best-known brand in its field. it also famous for it's very expensive price tags.
But nowadays, it has quite a few rivals worthy of a closer look, like Huion and XP-Pen which boasts similar features and performance of an expensive Wacom tablet, but at a budget price.
Wacom, Huion and XP-Pen are certainly the leading brand and probably has the most sophisticated models, but you will also find very good tablets at other brands like Ugee, Gaomon, Parblo, Veikk and xencelabs.
Apple, Lenovo, Xiaomi, Huawei, Samsung and Microsoft offer fanciers standalone drawing tablets support digital pen input that can be used for other purposes besides drawing and graphic design. At the same time, there are fewer options to choose from.
Price
Cost is a crucial factor for some as not everybody has a professional's budget.
Luckily, There are countless drawing tablets without display on the market that don't even crack the $100 threshold.
The advantage of a graphic tablet with a screen is its premium quality, but its cost is unaffordable for the majority of amateur or beginners. it starts from $200 (XPPen Artist 10 2nd Generation ) to $ 3300 (32" Wacom Cintiq Pro 32).
There's no hiding that the standalone drawing tablets (ipad pro...) sit in the highest price bracket, but a good product should always combine the aspects of quality and affordability.
The price of the Wacom drawing tablet is far more expensive than similar budget-friendly devices from XP-Pen and Huion.
Each user can find one according to his or her needs, from the most affordable, to the most versatile, to the most expensive professional graphics tablets.
Conclusion
What type of digital art you do? Vector? 3D? Comics? Digital Painting? Animation? Do you need to carry your computer around?
What you do determines what you buy. You don't want to spend too much money on a maxed out drawing tablet for power you don't need.
The prices of graphic tablets vary greatly, as do their performance or the number of brands that offer new models several times a year.
While there are some technical differences, most graphics tablets work in the same way.
Its purchase is a long-term investment and it is important to pay attention to different criteria.
Choosing a drawing tablet can be as easy as it is confusing. Following the steps above will ensure that you get the right one for you.
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