July 22, 2021

Do you use a graphic drawing tablet for pixel art?

Thanks to remakes and remasters of retro video games, pixel art has made a return to the spotlight. Although new video game graphics have reached a hyper-realistic level, it still can't beat the charm of pixel art. Which is why game developers and artists alike turn to pixel art tools to create throwback video games and artwork.

Pixel art is a discipline like any other, which means it takes time and practice to learn how to do it well. It helps to have a background in other visual arts, but it's not required, though it will then take longer to learn properly.

If you want to do pixel art professionally (as a freelance artist for example) you'll most likely need to learn about animation as well since most jobs will have you animate characters for a game.

It takes up the same concept as any other forms of art. For the most part, failures will be made and few successes to it, especially when someone is starting out. The great thing about pixel art is that you can use whatever style and size you desire!

Finally, even if you're very skilled, pixel art pieces can take a lot of time. Good pixel art is hard to make. It takes years of practice to get good. This is partly because pixel art is a very minutious discipline, but also because you'll end up redoing a lot of the same sprites over and over as revisions are needed due to the game changing.

It IS however very rewarding. Seeing your animated characters come to life in an interactive environment is very satisfying after you spend so much time and effort creating them!

Do you want to try your hand at creating pixel perfect artwork? Then these pixel art tools will help you get started.

Best pixel art software

art software that allows you to draw on a computer will be your best ally for making pixel art.

While there's great dedicated tools for making pixel art, you can use any drawing program to follow along.

Here's a list of software commonly used for pixel art:
Aseprite: Great professional editor with many time-saving features (paid).
GraphicsGale: A classic, used in many games. It's a little complex, but full of great features (free).
Piskel: Free online pixel art editor (free).
Photoshop: Powerful image editor not intended to make pixel art but you can set it up to use it (paid).
GIMP: comes with all the tools you'll need to make professional pixel art. best known as the "free alternative” to Photoshop (free).

my favorite software is Aseprite, but you should use whatever your're most comfortable with.

Aseprite is incredibly powerful, packed with features and yet simple to use. The main advantage of Aseprite is that you can export gifs (you can't in the free version of GG).

You can also get the free trial for Aseprite, but keep in mind it won't save your files, which I guess it's OK if you are just practicing.

You can use Photoshop or GIMP for pixel art, but in my opinion these are best relegated to very particular kinds of operations. Using a dedicated pixelart app for most of your pixelart stuff saves time setting up and avoids showing options that are ultimately pretty irrelevant to pixel art -- of which there are many. Some features -- like tile autocompletion -- are only found in pixel-art specific apps.

Best device for pixel art

Thanks to the computer, it is now possible to draw without limits and without having to spend hundreds of dollars in drawing materials consumed at a high pace.

There are many different ways to draw on a computer. While starting out with no specific hardware other than your laptop, investing incomputer drawing pad tabletseems to be a must for those who want to improve their design process and draw more accurately and quickly than with a mouse.

A pen tablet is more ergonomic and better for your hand and wrist over long periods (trust me on this one). they have helped me in the past when I have RSI niggles.

It is much quicker navigating the screen when mapped "correctly” ( I think it is called corner to corner mapping) your hand starts to remover where certain button are on the screen and you can just move to them almost instantly. Selecting multiple things is also made much easier.

Big advantages to the tablet are, pressure sensitivity, it feels as if it were a pencil on paper, which is so lovely to work with.

A graphics tablet is worth it for pixel art, but I recommend also experimenting with non-pixel-art (eg CG or ink, with MyPaint, Krita, or Photoshop) -- tablets are very versatile, building up your skills in other areas will help your pixelart skills, and experimenting is VASTLY quicker with a tablet than basically anything else I've ever tried.

Shopping for a drawing tablet can be a bit overwhelming. The pricing is confusing, and important features like pressure sensitivity and latency aren't always easy to understand.

It can be intimidating to see all these expensive big screen displays by Wacom, or products by Apple. But You can get away with using a cheaper tablet when it comes to pixel art since you don't really need a super accurate pressure sensor!

The cheap drawing tablet will allow you to get a feel for digital art and begin building up your skill before you spend too much.

If you bought an iPad and decided you didn't like on-screen drawing, you'd be out a bit of money; likewise buying an expensive non-screen tablet and deciding you prefer on-screen.

A drawing tablet helps if you are already skilled/more comfortable with using a traditional pencil/paper and can be useful for drawing large scenes where you can do broad strokes.

personally I think it Depends on the size of art you're drawing. I prefer using a drawing pad for sizes 64x64px and above, otherwise a mouse works just fine for anything smaller than 64x64px. The mouse is definitely better for detail work, so use that to your advantage to clean up the sketchiness.

Advice on Graphics Tablet

Recommendations for drawing tablet? There are cheaper alternatives to wacom . Doesn't matter the brand, just check the reviews. I always recommend XP-Pen since I use their tablets daily and they never failed me. If you're looking for a premium drawing tablet at an affordable price, then the XP-PEN may be your best bet.

For starters get XP-Pen Deco or Star (see which size is best for you) - those are drawing tablets without screen, meaning you draw on them but look at your PC monitor, similar to a mouse but you have more control with drawing.

You can get a pretty cheap tablet, like aXP-Pen Star G640for around $40 on Internet. It is pretty thing, but it works really well, and if you don't have a lot of money, it is a good start.

If you want drawing tablet with screen, meaning you draw direcly onto the screen, get XP-Pen Artist.

I haveXP-Pen Artist 24 Prowhich is a huge drawing tablet so when i draw high resolution pixel art or 2D animation or drawing in general I use my tablet. I find it works really well, especially for pulling lines.

The tablet has a screen with 2K resolution , battery-free stylus, 2 roller wheels and 20 hot keys, which I really like. The colors are good, and the pressure sensitivity is amazing. It is on the large side, but XP-Pen makes five different sizes of screen tablet, so if you're interested, you can think about which one works best for you, I have the 24 inch one, the others are 11 and 22 inches I believe.

Best of all, it is way less expensive than most screen tablets (Their older versions are a little cheaper, and of course the smaller one is quite a bit less and the larger quite a bit more).

I prefer to draw directly on the screen . I begin my sprites by drawing the lineart on a canvas about four times larger than the final sprite size. Then, after I shrink the lineart to the desired size and clean it up, I fill in the colors and shading.

I am used to digital drawing and painting, so when working with pixel art, it seems very "natural" for me. Of course, with this, it can get a bit messy, and you'll have to clean up your work. If you're working with Aseprite, there is an option to clean up your work a bit called "Pixel-perfect". I prefer just erasing pixels I'm not using.

Conclusion

You don't need anything fancy to make good pixel art, and you can do fine even with just a good mouse and free software.

If you're already used to a mouse then continue with it, a lot of artists use mice and there's no real draw back (I use a mouse myself).

Ultimately just use whatever you are most comfortable with and you should be fine.

The artist makes the art, not the tool. But your tool, as an artist is actually your body.

Posted by: tiangao at 06:44 AM | Comments (65) | Add Comment
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September 25, 2020

XP-Pen Innovator 16 Review - Is this the Pen Display tablet for everyone?

My XP-Pen Star 03, obviously old, has never given me problems, even till today. Having seen a few display tablets recently, I thought of upgrading my old tablet, because why not? Drawing on-screen is better than on tablet right?

I have watched and read almost all reviews about XP-Pen Innovator 16. it seem good, and much more affordable, with all that laminate screen and other nice features. And so I bought XP-Pen Innovator 16 .

Yes, it was expensive . These things cost some serious money. So prepare yourself to spend some hefty amount of money. I bought the tablet and damn that gave me the exact results I wanted. I could see the lines while I was drawing. It felt natural and a joy to draw. Finally, I could draw like I had drawn in a paper before. Seeing all the lines appear beneath my hand.

This was just awesome and totally what I needed. I was impressed, to say the least. Finally, I got the results I was missing before. Finding that joy in the drawing. It surely wasn't too much of joy with the Star 03 .

I bought it myself, this is not sponsored or whatever. I got it from XP-Pen official store , in 3 days. package is solid, you get one glove, one (no battery, autonomous) pen and the usual cables and manual. The tablet comes with a handful of different adapter options - even the weird three-prong UK one - and it’s really easy to switch them out if you’re on the go.

XP-Pen Innovator 16 Specifications:

Dimensions: 17.5” x 10” x 0.35” (WxHxD)
Screen/Draw Area: 15.6” (13.5 x 7.6 inches)
Panel Type: IPS
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Response Time: 16.4ms
Display Input: 3-in-1 Cable
Color Gamut: 125% sRGB, 92% Adobe RGB, 88% NTSC
Brightness: 250cd/m2
Contrast: 1200:1
Resolution: 5080 lpi
Viewing Angle: 178°
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Number of Colors: 16.7 million
Pressure Sensitivity: 8192 levels
Tilt Support: 60 degrees
Data Rate: Max ≥ 220RPS
Function Keys: 8, user assignable
Two Wheels: 2, user assignable
Compatibility: Windows 10/8/7, macOS 10.10 and higher
More details from Official Site :https://www.xp-pen.com/product/638.html

Design and Build

The XP-Pen Innovator 16 is in the middle ground of the company's five size ( 11.6" , 13.3" . 15.6", 21.5" , 23.8" ) pen displays. At 3.6 pounds and significantly less than an inch thick, the 15.6 inch display and integrated pen tablet is also the one of the three size (11.6" , 13.3" . 15.6" ) that's small and light enough to pick up off the desk and work with right on your lap. With a thickness of just 9mm thick, it's thinner than all but the most svelte notebook computers.

Unlike the larger 22 and 24 inch versions, which come by default with conventional LCD monitor stands, the Innovator 16 uses an all plastic stand to support the display at the angle of 20 degrees.

It needs to be hooked up to a laptop or desktop, and needs to be plugged-in. The XP-Pen Innovator 16 uses a clever tri-cable to make this as simple as possible. There's a proprietary socket on the side of the tablet, in which a cable plugs that splits off into three wires – one to hook up to an HDMI port on your computer of choice , another to a USB and a third to the power.

The display side of things is driven via HDMI output, with a single USB connection controlling the input side ( acts as an interface for the digitiser pen ) . Power also can routed through the Innovator 16's video controller as well, so you can work with it without Plug in power .

I think the notable advantage of Innovator 16 is that you don't need any electric outlet to activate it if your computer/laptop is powerful enough to run the tablet through plugging to your PC/laptop alone.

The 1.8 meters cord tethering the display panel to the video controller gives you the ability to work with the Innovator 16 at a pretty decent distance from your desk – great for sketching with the display on your lap.

you will get 8 Shortcut Keys and a two function wheel ( roller and touch ), all of which can be configured with the driver software.

Nice and lightweight display

The main attraction on the Innovator 16 is easily the display panel. The screen measures 15.6 inches with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 for full HD viewing at a smidge over 196 pixels per inch. Wrangling 92 percent of Adobe's RGB gamut, the panel sorts 16.7 million colors and offers 250 cd/m2 of brightness.

In practice, 15.6inch size means more zooming in and out when dealing with minute details. Then, there is the small screen size that many consumers state that it interferes with cursor movements along the edges. A larger screen would work well especially for drawings.

The active matrix panel has a brightness of 250cd/m2, "Semi-gloss" probably describes the surface best as it provides just the right amount of sheen without tossing back too many reflections from outside lighting.

It possesses over 16.7 color variations. This means that the user has 256 color tones to work with. and its response time is a generally smear-free 16.4ms. Coupled with the 16:9 aspect ratio, the colors bring to life any drawing done on the graphics tablet.

The color accuracy is pretty spot on for those who really need it to be accurate, the 92% Adobe RGB can satisfy for your needs.

A 178-degree angle of view and its flip-out stand means it can be used on your lap or tilted at 25-degrees on a desk for a more impact-full display but without to many glitches as it is still usable at that angle.

It uses an IPS panel, fitted with a matt screen protector , a natural choice for a product like this.

new Innovator 16 has a laminated display, The point of laminate is that there is no gap, and you feel like you draw where you put your pen at. From an angle I do see a ever so slightly gap between the glass and digitizer. So it's largely an aesthetic thing, but I also think it makes using the pencil feel more authentic. Like you're actually drawing on glass instead of making inputs to a computer under the glass.

As a display designed specifically for visual artists, its quality is far superior to that of any notebook display I've seen. It has true 24-bit color depth (as opposed to the fudged "millions of colors" on standard notebook displays). Colors, brightness, and contrast are even across the face of the screen. And the device calibrates up nicely using a colorimeter.

Digitiser and Stylus

the stylus is batteryless, the tablet provides 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and a tilt of up to 60 degrees . As with all of XP-PEN's higher-end tablets, you can expect an excellent and highly naturalistic pen-like response from the Innovator 16 .

Hand movements translate into pen movements, which transmit onto the screen via electromagnetic resonance technology. The 8192 pressure sensitivity levels enable the digital pen to work seamlessly and without friction on the surface. The pen simply glides over the surface allowing the creation of flawless fine lines.

The digital pen achieves a co-ordination accuracy of up to plus or minus 0.01 inch . This means that the possibility of errors during input is minimal and by just 0.01 inch. This factor is important in enabling near perfect input in order to achieve flawless digital images on the screen.

The Innovator 16 graphics tablet tilt sensitivity of plus or minus 60 degrees allows the user to achieve tilt angles quickly and accurately. A reading height of 10mm or more is possible from the cover plate at any screen angle.

Pen tips are removable/replaceable, and XP-PEN supplies several of the default tips. The pen has excellent button quality and the buttons are nicely placed. Making them easy to use.

While the all-plastic pen would actually be slightly more comfortable, in my opinion, it was a bit on the heavy side. The contoured grip area is thick enough to promote good pen holding habits (and reduce long-term fatigue). The rubberized finish on the grip area has about the right amount of give and a nice, easy to hold texture.

Setting Up the Innovator 16

Installation is easy, remember to NOT plug it in before wipping clean any other tablet drivers. Don't even plug it while the AC is off, as your OS will detect it anyway and try to install stuff.

Clean any other brand's file, install the latest XP-Pen drivers, and then turn on the tablet. remember that you need navigate to XP-PEN's website to snag the driver software .

The calibration tool is pretty easy to use, and there's a menu accessible via a button above the tablet for the colors, brightness and contrast. Everything looked fine to me when I first booted it up, but you can fine tune it easily.

In terms of driver software, like all XP-PEN tablets you get a broad range of controls over the tablet and pen behaviours. Including sensitivity, adjustments, for pen tip "feel", tilt sensitivity and assigning controls to any of the buttons or modifier HotKeys.

Top product features

One of the best features of this product is the 8 express keys and two wheels design . These features enable the convenience in switching keyboard shortcuts and mouse clicks. They aid in zooming and scrolling.

Individual configuration preferences enable a user to change and alter the controls according to his or her liking. This versatility ensures full control on connection options and device function keys and touch wheel .

XP-PEN supplies software combination bundle to select like ArtRage 5 or openCanvas which is great for drawing and sketching .

In Use

Simply pick up the display or set it in your lap and you're ready to draw. If you're used to working on an angled drawing or drafting table, the Innovator 16 easily goes there too, and its this kind of choose-your-own-adventure flexibility in setting up and using the Innovator 16 that makes it so appealing.

It supports Mac OS X, Windows PCs and Linux devices .It's compatible with all applications, and all major graphics applications have built-in support for the tablet's advanced functionality. including professional software such as Photoshop and Illustrator . It works transparently and is completely plug-n-play.

Graphics work on the 15.6inch Innovator 16 may require more zooming than you're used to on a 20+ inch monitor to make out and manipulate the fine detail rendered by larger, higher-res displays.

With on-tablet programmable buttons and touch & roller wheel that are easy enough to set up for dedicated zooming and scrolling , this isn't as much of an inconvenience as it first seems, and the process quickly becomes second nature.

It takes some getting used to but is worth the effort since it really speeds up workflow. You can zoom in or out of an image in Photoshop / GIMP or, for those more into video production.

This makes the Innovator 16 a joy to use for photographic and retouching work. Display your image on the main monitor, then use the Innovator 16 and its 8 programmable buttons and Touch wheel to touch up the details, while keeping an eye on what effect your changes are having on the overall image. I find that I very seldom need to go back to the keyboard when doing normal editing.

Likewise for jumping back and forth between the XP-PEN and another display: once you figure out how the Innovator 16 behaves in "mouse” versus "pen” mode, reaching across to the primary display to grab work items or select files makes perfect sense.

Because the pen is pressure sensitive, it's very easy and intuitive to use for making selections or painting. With 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, it's possible to make anything from the most finessed of pen strokes to the broadest brush sweeps, and the resolution of 5,080dpi makes the Innovator 16 highly accurate.

The colours on the tablet are very vivid and satisfying to look at, The grip on the pen is really good, and the pen itself is very smooth on the screen (smooth and satisfying tbh). Drawing on the screen is a dream – it's responsive, precise, and with practice it's possible to generate some spectacular results. It's sensitive to the tilt of the pen as well, making drawing as realistic as it can be.

The difference is clear from the very first time you fire up Corel Painter or Photoshop. The pen smoothly reacts to your actions like it would in the real world. The only thing you will miss is the drag of the actual pencil or pastel on paper.

Conclusion

If you work with graphics or images, the concept behind the XP-Pen Innovator or Artist series seems like a no-brainer: Combine a display with a pressure-sensitive tablet so that you can directly edit vector art, retouch images, paint, produce video special effects, and so on. True, tablets aren't for everyone. If you work with a tablet now, you'll probably find a XP-Pen Innovator even more fluid and powerful. Drawing directly onscreen helps to improve your accuracy, especially for tricky selections and masking operations.

XP-PEN's Innovator 16 combines the best of its screenless range of graphics tablets with interactive display technology in a portable format that is both flexible and great to use. As anyone who has used a graphics pad will tell you, once you've got one there's no going back, well now after trying one of these, your old non-screen will be left gathering dust.

In short the XP-Pen Innovator 16 is a serious tool with some serious benefits. 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 ($499 USD).

You can Get it from United States & Canada official Store:https://www.storexppen.com/buy/innovator-display-16.html, If you live in other regions you can select from official site "Store” List.

What we liked:

Unparalleled digital drawing experience
Excellent build quality
Top quality display
Excellent Portability
Low Price Point
Lots of supported software
Many buttons and wheels
Super flexible software for configuration

What could be improved:

Cord can become annoying while rotating the tablet

Update to a USB-C cable

Posted by: tiangao at 09:34 AM | Comments (28) | Add Comment
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August 15, 2020

The best deals worth buying at the XP-PEN 15th Anniversary Sale 2020

you may want to treat yourself or the budding artist/illustrator/animator/Photographer/designer in your life to something special! You can't go wrong with graphic drawing tablets!

Whether you are looking for a graphic tablet to take your first step in digital art or a powerful pen display for your job, you can always look to XP-PEN to offer you elegant and reliable products no matter the use case.

Ever since XP-PEN was founded in Japan in 2005, XP-PEN has always striven to provide users all around the world with digital tablets that are reliable and user-friendly, and they have continued to be a leader in releasing quality tablets at affordable prices.

It's that special time of year again for XP-PEN fans: The 2020 XP-PEN 15th Anniversary Sale is here. The brand's annual shopping event -- XP-PEN's biggest sale aside from the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas Holiday.

so there will be a big promotion on XP-PEN's official stores. Almost every model of XP-PEN tablet is now having up to 30% discount. There have no doubt that this year's sale will be just as exciting as in years past.

If you're ready to upgrade your old pair of art tablets for some fresh kicks, then August 15–September 14 is your lucky time. The Anniversary special Sale giving you the chance to do just that. Thanks to this event, there's a slew of incredible discounts on a wide selection of popular xp-pen drawing tablets , making for the perfect opportunity to snag a new pair of tablets on the cheap (and perhaps shop the best active deals while you're at it).

Don't miss the chance to buy brand new merchandise at a discounted rate from xp-pen brands like Deco 01 , Artist 12 Pro , Artist 15.6 Pro, The Artist 24 Pro, and more. Keep reading this guide for everything you need to know about this epic sale event.

What is the XP-PEN Anniversary Sale?

XP-PEN sure knows how to throw itself one hell of a birthday party. Every Mid-August to Mid-September , XP-PEN celebrates with a can't-miss super sale on graphics art pads , accessories, pen display monitors and more.

As per usual, you can expect the Anniversary Sale to feature new product's Anniversary Edition ( Deco mini4 , Deco MINI7 , Innovator 16 for this year ) at great prices.

When is the XP-PEN Anniversary Sale 2020 ?

this big shopping event of the year dates are from August 15 through September 14 . the sale opens to the general public on August 15 .

Do I need a promo code for the sale?

No. There is no promo code required. The sale is available to all customers .

Should I shop in-store or online?

only support shopping online . In addition to free shipping and free returns, XP-PEN also offers expedited shipping and even international shipping.

Does other regions and countries have Anniversary sales?

official store of other regions and countries also offer the widest range of discounted products for their Anniversary sales events . you can visit different online store by click the link at the end of this guide or click the "store" button in theXP-PEN Official Siteto chose your regions and countries .

What is the Anniversary Edition Tablets?

To celebrate their anniversary, XP-PEN is launching with 3 anniversary edition tablets with custom anniversary packaging and extra goodies included.

The anniversary edition tablets are: the new Deco Mini 4, Deco Mini 7, and Innovator 16 tablets.

The extra goodies included are: An exclusive XP-PEN branded ink pen, a keychain and stickers of XP-PEN's mascot Fenix, and postcards with illustrations of Fenix visiting iconic places around the world.

Every year, shoppers plan ahead for this sale, and rightfully so. They have to, considering how fast everything tends to sell out. Once you find a piece that sparks joy within your soul, you have to claim it before someone else does. You won't regret it either, since you won't find a better deal!

Any frequent XP-PEN shopper knows the Anniversary Sale is one of its biggest and most popular events of the year — it's the best time to score some of the most amazing savings at the online store. But in case you're unfamiliar, we're here to give you all the details. The one-month-long event typically offers majorly discounted prices on all of fashion and useful items.

Take a look at some ofXP-PEN USA & Canada Storedeals below:

Drawing directly onto the XP-PEN Artist series screen removes any mental disconnect you may encounter when drawing on a tablet while looking at a separate screen.

These are great quality machines, newest model's fully laminated screens reduce Parallax and reflections , Support pen tilt & pressure function while providing a natural, pen on paper feel as you draw.

Innovator 16 Anniversary Edition (was $549.99, 27% off)
Innovator 16 (was $499.99, 20% off)
Artist 12 Pro (was $299.99, 20% off)
Artist 15.6 Pro (was $449.99, 20% off)
Artist 13.3 Pro (was $349.99, 20% off)
Artist 24 Pro (was $899.99, 20% off)
Artist 22R Pro (was $699.99, 20% off)
Artist 12 (was $249.99, 20% off)
Artist 22E Pro (was $529.99, 20% off)
Artist 22 Pro (was $499.99, 20% off)
Artist 15.6 (was $349.99, 20% off)

If you're after a quality drawing tablet but are on a budget, or aren't bothered about drawing directly onto a screen, the XP-PEN Deco Series and Deco Pro are great options. Simply connect this nifty but affordable device to your Mac or Windows PC with USB or built-in wireless Kit ( Deco 03 ) , install drivers, and you're ready to start work directly in the software of your choice.

Deco Mini 7 Anniversary Edition(was $59.99, 30% off)
Deco Mini 4 Anniversary Edition(was $49.99, 30% off)
Deco Mini 7(was $39.99, 20% off)
Deco Mini 4(was $31.99, 20% off)
Deco 01 V2(was $79.99, 20% off)
Deco Pro M(was $139.99, 20% off)
Deco Pro S(was $109.99, 20% off)
Deco 02(was $89.99, 20% off)
Deco 03(was $109.99, 20% off)
Deco 01(was $69.99, 20% off)

The XP-PEN Star Series products is the perfect entry-level pen tablet for anyone getting started with digital art or image editing. But the pressure sensitivity levels Still reach 8192 levels , the stylus is battery-free , no recharge needed. Perfect for photographers, re-touchers or any designer looking for the creative control and comfort of the digital pen .

Star Star G960S (was $69.99, 20% off)
Star G960S Plus(was $79.99, 20% off)
Star 06(was $89.99, 20% off)
Star 05 (was $79.99, 20% off)
Star 03(was $69.99, 20% off)
Star G640S (was $49.99, 10% off)
Star G640 (was $39.99, 10% off)
Star G430S(was $29.99, 20% off)

Other Two English official Store List:

XP-PEN Australia Store

XP-PEN United Kingdom Store

Posted by: tiangao at 09:05 AM | Comments (25) | Add Comment
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June 19, 2020

XP-Pen Artist 24 Pro drawing tablet 24inch QHD display review: A Digital Artist Heaven On Earth

Graphic tablets, an invaluable tool for artists and designers

There is a disconnect between the conventional graphics tablet, which is essentially a slate based input device and the screen. Marry these together and you get the best of both worlds, being able to use the stylus and actually see what you draw on the built-in display.

Traditionally, graphic tablets with built-in display are expensive and only reserved for professionals. More and more graphics tablets with display have since come into the market, making them more competitively price and affordable. This is good news for the creatives, both professional, teachers and students allowing them to access the tools required to draw, sketch, paint and design on CAD and 3D sculpting, Illustrator and Photoshop.

Sometimes known as Graphics Tablet Monitor, these displays doubles as a standard monitor and input device. It can be a second monitor if you already have a Full HD or 4K monitor or as a dedicated graphics tablet. My recommendation would be to get the biggest display you can afford. The bigger the graphics tablet, the more room it offers to let your creative juices flow uninterrupted.

It's wonderful to have a decent drawing tablet for art and creative work. It's even better to have a large enough surface on which to work and get in finer details, drawing directly on the screen. XP-Pen's Artist line offers that ability to draw directly on the screen, getting you right up close to your work, just as you would on paper. Having reviewed several XP-Pen products over the years, I thought it would be nice to have a look at the Artist 24 Pro .

The Artist 24 Pro is the latest big-screen monitor from XP-Pen which is the very first tablet to offer a 23.8-inch 2K QHD graphics display. Featuring an excellent screen, industry-leading stylus – the 24 Pro is an artist's dream. It is essetnailly a monitor that you draw on, and it is not a standalone computer with an operating system .

Technology Specifications :

Dimensions:632 x 370 x 44.8mm
Display Area:526.85 x 296.35mm
Color Gamut:90% Adobe® RGBDisplay
Resolution:2560 x 1440 pixels ,QHD
Stylus:Battery-free
Tilt:60°
Pressure Sensitivity:8192 levels
Color Depth:16.7M
Contrast:1000:1
Resolution:5080LPI
Report Rate:Max ≥ 220RPS
Reading Height:10 mm
Response Time:14 ms
Viewing Angle:178°
Aspect Ratio:16:9
Adjustable Stand:16-90°
VESA Mount:100 x 100mm
Brightness:250 cd/m2
Compatibility:Windows® 10/8/7 and Mac OS X® 10.10 (and higher)
Official Site:https://www.xp-pen.com/product/602.html

First Look and Set-up

The Artist 24 pro isn't a subtle bit of kit. The giant screen measures a whopping 632 x 370 x 44.8mm and, unlike most all-in-ones or displays, is designed to be sat flat on a desk – like an artist's easel. As large as it is, it's far lighter than I would have imagined (about 15 lbs.), and it is quick to adapt to. As such, it's likely to take up a whole desk all on its own, leaving little space for a mouse or keyboard, let alone a desktop computer, to sit next to it.

It's also fairly clunky-looking compared to competing all-in-ones, such as the Surface Studio and 4K iMac. The latter two both sport beautiful mixed-metal designs and dinky bezels that make the all-black XP-Pen look a little dull.

However, from a productivity perspective the Artist 24 Pro ticks all the right boxes. The feet on the rear stand feel robust, and are more than solid enough to take heavy pressure.

A simple press on the lever on the back moves the display from almost straight up to nearly all the way down, in about 15 degrees increments. It doesn't rotate, but it is also VESA-compatible and can be used with any mounting arm.

you can change your working angle to suit your various needs of creating more easily and quickly. Working on a large comic page the device suffered no flex, even when I was leaning heavily into it.

You'll find twin USB 3.0 ports on its back right sides, plus a standard 3.5mm , another USB-C port plus HDMI 2.0 , There is even a headphone jack .

You're probably noticed along the top there are some light up icons. These are 4 touch buttons that only light up when the display is on. You can do things like bring up the screen properties or an onscreen keyboard, the XP-Pen settings.

The unit ships with the two PA2 digital Pen , a pen stand/holder that also holds the 8 nibs, and some Adapters ( Power and USB ) .

Connectivity is excellent

You also get a variety of cables to ensure you can connect to your computer, including: HDMI, USB-C to USB-C . There is a quick-start guide that helps in the easy set up of the unit.

You can go the HDMI and usb rout. I decided to try the USB-C cable since it will drive the display and functionality all with one cord.

Install the driver

I downloaded the latest drivers from the XP-Pen website, and I was up and running in minutes. Setup was a breeze. Turn the tablet on, install the driver, restart your computer, calibrate the pen, and start drawing.

The software allowed us to set up software-specific function keys for both pen and tablet, adjust click sensitivity, pen pressure etc., as it was expected from a modern pen display. One can also alter color temperature, RGB, brightness and contrast, and rotate the interface 180 degrees for left-handed use.

On the same driver utility you can configure the mapping of the work area of the drawing tablet to the computer screen, as well as calibrating it to ensure it works with precision.

The biggest gripe I hear about XP-Pen in the Internet comments are the drivers. My experience setting this up and XP-Pen in general has been pretty smooth. Did that on both Windows and on Mac and I've had zero problems it worked exactly the way I expected to.

Huge display is beautiful

 

The colours of the sharp 2K display are bright and beautiful, the extra resolution you'll be getting now makes it worth the wait. For starters, the screen is so vibrant it seems to enhance whatever project you're working on. The combination of size and near-perfect color accuracy made even the smallest details visible.

The specs are impressive, the screen use a 16:9 aspect ratio, IPS, 5080LPI . XP-Pen claims the screen will offer a solid 1000:1 contrast ratio, 250-nit max brightness, and cover an impressive 90% of the Adobe RGB colour gamut favoured by artists. By default the screen comes with a variety of modes targeting different colour gamuts – including Adobe, sRGB and NTSC – out of the box. 90% Adobe RGB color performance, making color matching and calibration a joy.

Out of the box, the XP-Pen's HD screen is brighter than the Wacom Cintiq , because it doesn't have that matte coating Wacom uses to give its screens a paper-like feel. For the adventurous type, there is a screen protector included in the box that can be applied on the screen if desired.

Another thing XP-Pen has done with this screen is reduce the amount of space between the glass and the screen below it. And when you get the screen and the pen calibrated right it really does take away the parallax you see on some pen displays.

It no longer feels like I'm drawing on top of a monitor on top of my artwork. For the first time ever, there's no separation between my pen and my artwork, and it's an amazing feeling.

I would say that it matches the iPad Pro's accuracy in terms of pen-to-screen distance.

In short, but crucially, I would say this is the most intuitive and natural way to paint and draw digitally that I've ever experienced.

PA2 digital pen input

The Artist 24 Pro comes with the same PA2 stylus that debuted on the Artist 12 / 15.6 / 13.3 / 22R Pro. The pen remains a key selling point and offers a staggering 8192 pressure sensitivity levels and full tilt support .

Tilt sensitivity is a pretty useful feature on drawing tablets, as it allows you to create more realistic and natural brushstrokes, getting closer to the behaviour of a real pencil.

It's incredibly light but beautifully balanced, and the rubber feels very comfortable to hold for long periods. It doesn't require batteries or charging And in a nutshell feels really great to draw with.

I also work on an iPad Pro, While I enjoy the flexibility and freedom of it, the glossy Apple Pencil simply doesn't feel as good to hold. Also the nib of the Apple Pencil is quite chunky, whilst the PA2 pen nibs are satisfyingly petite and precise.

20 Hotkeys and 2 Red Dial wheels

If you've used a XP-Pen Artist Pro series tablet, then you know about the HotKeys and Red Dial wheel that allow for quick and easy function access, and are always a huge time-saver. The real beauty of the 20 HotKeys is that you can completely customize key settings for each program you use.

One of the features that significantly accelerated my workflow was the inclusion of the two Red Dial wheels , two programmable rotating buttons placed with the shortcut keys, comfortably sitting in the center. It's in the perfect spot, easily maneuverable by your left or right hand, providing a plethora of options, such as zoom in and out, scroll up and down, increase brush size etc. depending on your settings.

In my experience, the knob spun exceptionally smoothly, wasn't overly sensitive and was just a pleasure to use. However, assuming you set up more than one function for the dial as I did, it can be a little fiddly at times.

Drawing Experience

First of all, the 2K resolution of this unit is incredible. Video looks fantastic, and the creative programs I use appear wonderfully.

As before, the pen offers the best drawing experience available. It's super-accurate and works with a multitude of software packages that range from popular professional suites such as Photoshop and ZBrush, to freeware such as Krita and Blender.

Doodling in Krita, I didn't notice any latency and the Artist 24 Pro read changes in angle and pressure sensitivity without issue. I get really smooth lines pressure feels good.

drawing in Photoshop worked surprisingly well, delivering just the right amount of pressure and tilt sensitivity.

Drawing/painting on the Artist 24 Pro feels great, with just the right amount of friction on the glass surface. There is little to no parallax, lots o' pixels. tablet monitor were fast to respond and very helpful .

The large bezel on this display is excellent, as there is support for your hand as you work at the edges of whatever it is you're working on. This is the absolute best drawing experience I've had so far of anything that I've used.

Final Thoughts

There are so many artists , designers or 3D modellers that would love to be able to create digital art with a nice tablet, and Wacom Cintiq 24 Pro makes it impossible for them by charging way more than is reasonable for their products.

Perfection is always going to be an abstract. Nothing is ever going to be 100-percent without flaw or criticism. But with the Artist 24 Pro , XP-Pen has gotten darn close .

I really have been quite impressed with the Artist 24 Pro ...as I expected to be, quite honestly. It isn't cheap ( now for $764.99 in USA ) , But its wealth of power and features designates it as a pro-level tool .

if you have a need for a large drawing surface area, and something you can depend on in your daily work, then this is definitely a solid investment.

now the product can ship to the worldwide , Access the different store by clicking the "store" menu ofXP-Pen official site. Next, select your country / region . Once it's open, you can navigate to there .

Posted by: tiangao at 09:42 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
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March 17, 2020

Best digital drawing tablet for online tutoring , teaching and distance learning courses

Online Tutoring Tools

An unprecedented number of children, youth and adults are not attending schools or universities because of Coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ). Governments in 73 countries have announced or implemented the closure of educational institutions in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease . online tutoring will minimize the educational disruption and facilitate the continuity of learning .

When it comes to tutoring online, there are a couple of tools that every online tutor needs. A decent computer and fast internet are top of the list but if you want to take advantage of online whiteboarding apps like BitPaper and tutor like a pro, having a drawing tablet is a must. Graphic Tablets are great for use with online whiteboards – allowing tutor and tutee to communicate with hand drawn and written diagrams on a shared whiteboard.

Tutors will assist you with your questions or topics with step-by-step explanation on an interactive whiteboard apps .The session will not just be the question and answer tutor will cover each topic and explain you the concept in detail.The tutor and student work on whiteboard and communicate using chat and audio. you can use Zoom/Skype/Facetime to run the call .

Both Skype and Google Hangouts (free for unlimited use, though Skype offers a premium plan for group calling) are mature products that work well and provide most of the same features: free 1–1 video or voice calls, screen sharing, file sharing and chat.

With the launch of Google Hangouts On-Air, it’s now possible to schedule a free group session in advance, which will be recorded and available after the session for students to re-watch.

This is a fantastic tool for online group tutoring — in a 6-week course, it’s unlikely that every student will be able to make every session, but with Hangouts On-Air they won’t fall behind.

The Ultimate Online Tutoring Tool-Graphics Tablets

A graphics tablet is a computer input device that enables a user to hand-draw images, animations and graphics, with a special pen-like stylus, similar to the way a person draws images with a pencil and paper. These tablets may also be used to capture data or handwritten signatures. It can also be used to trace an image from a piece of paper which is taped or otherwise secured to the tablet surface. Capturing data in this way, by tracing or entering the corners of linear poly-lines or shapes, is called digitizing.

The device consists of a flat surface upon which the user may "draw" or trace an image using the attached stylus, a pen-like drawing apparatus. The image is displayed on the computer monitor, though some graphic tablets now also incorporate an LCD screen for a more realistic or natural experience and usability.

The Drawing Tablet can be integrated with computer or laptop. With the help of this interactive teaching tablet; a teacher can write remotely on interactive whiteboards, LED displays, projector screens etc. Typically, a teacher can write down a problem using this slate and just pass it on to student to solve the problem without having student to stand up in front of the class.

Drawing/graphics tablets are relatively cheap but make drawing on an online whiteboard apps a lot easier. you can using a graphics tablet to draw geometric shapes or write equations that are visible on your computer screen,and the free whiteboard software allows you to share your screen in real-time with the student.

Writing tablets allow both tutors and students to use handwriting on the lesson space, and mimics sharing a piece of work between student and tutor.

Which has become very much popular equipment in teacher community for its much useful usage in digital classrooms, distance learning sessions, e-learning lectures.

Digital pen come with graphic tablet is considered as one of the key tech tools for online learning. This stylus allows you to draw very precise and accurate diagrams and have buttons on the side .

Some optional features include mouse functionality and pressure sensitivity for those who want to draw with their digital pens.

Online teaching using your own handwriting . Write on interactive softwares, MS Word, MS Powepoint .

Which Drawing tablet should I buy for teaching online?

Online tutoring provides many challenges, but also opportunities for access to new markets. Using the best tools available sets you up to be as successful as possible. We highly recommend the use of a graphics tablet input device for professional-looking writing in online sessions.

Using a graphics tablet allows you to get natural looking writing as a you write on the whiteboard apps . the freehand drawing function looks very ugly if used with a mouse: it resembles a child's chicken scratch. Not exactly the professional look you want as a tutor.

While there are many ways to get good-looking whiteboard content, like typing your equations in the editor provided, it's much faster if you can just write naturally. If you plan to do a lot of online tutoring, it is an investment worth considering.

You can also use the freehand function on top of existing tools. For instance, you use the circle function to make the basic outlines of Venn Diagrams, and then fill in the details using your pen tool. Or if you are tutoring Calculus, you might graph an example function, and then draw the tangent function, or sketch the derivative by hand.

If you are looking for a budget graphics tablet, you must have come acrossXP-Pen brand tablets. XP-Pen is a supplier of graphics tablets, pen display monitors, stylus pens, and related accessories with a mission to bring artists into the digital age with tools and technology to suit their individual needs.

Over the last 14 years, XP-Pen has been dedicated to the research, design, production, and marketing of digital tablets.

With sales to more than 100 countries and regions around the world, XP-Pen has become a well-known brand of digital graphics tablets.

1. XP-Pen Deco 01 V2 Graphic Tablet

Although we do not recommend a specific tablet, but If you're after the best drawing experience, the XP-Pen Deco 01 V2 comes out top. It's got good sensitivity, it tracks the pen when it's held above the tablet (vital for easy drawing) and it's big . Size is the primary strength over the other contenders. The drawing area is almost twice that of the Wacom, which makes neat handwriting so much easier.

At just over $45 , the XP-Pen Deco 01 offers the best improvement to your drawing abilities. If you're serious about tutoring online, it probably pays for itself in a handful of sessions.

Above everything else, what the Deco 01 V2 Drawing Tablet prioritizes is the size. It makes sure to give artists plenty of room with its ultra-large 10×6.25 inches area.

There are 8 customizable shortcuts that gift you a wide range of control and makes operating the tablet easy-peasy, while the battery-free stylus pen is both environmentally friendly and convenient and comes with the widest range of sensitivity levels that allow you to get the most from your pen.

the pen supports over 8000 levels of sensitivity . This pen has been created to feel as close to a real fountain pen or pencil as possible and achieves it by providing incredible tilt response all without that irritating lag.

It’s a great option for editing, sketching, designing, or just playing around, all while being compatible with Windows, Mac, as well as the very best photography studio software to make any transitions easier than you thought possible. This makes it a great professional tablet, and also comes with enough cool stuff that the experienced artist will find a lot to love with it .

2. XP-Pen Star G430s Drawing Tablet

The XP-Pen Star G430S offers superb value, Once installed, it's reliable and flexible. It Still has the best drawing sensitivity of 8192 Levels .

At just under $25 I still think it represents good value, given how much of a difference it can make. Size is the only issue. The active area is roughly that of 4 × 3 inches . That's reasonably small so sets a limit on your writing size and fidelity. As such, writing much more than a couple of lines/equations per page becomes difficult. Aside from that, the XP-Pen G430S isn't a bad choice.

3. XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro Pen Display

With XP-Pen interactive pen displays such as Artist 12 Pro , you can write directly on your screen and project it for all your students to engage with. No need to turn your back to class to write on a whiteboard or chalkboard.

One of the finest features of the XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro is its red dial interface that will elevate your digital creativity tenfold. Designed for smooth and efficient functioning, it will enable zooming in and out of the canvas and scrolling up and down, at accelerated speeds.

With an 11.6-inch display, artists are given more than enough room to create anything they want. allowing artists to draw on screen like they do on paper. In addition to that, it offers more than needed pixel display with a 1920×1080 resolution.

Artist 12 Pro monitor will display around 72 percent of the NTSC color gamut which roughly equivalent to 100 percent of the sRGB color gamut. 72% NTSC is pretty much the standard for consumer monitors, so it's perfectly adequate for most work.

The addition of a laminated screen is a nice addition and really reduces parallax. the pen has tilt support , using is also really good and jitter free.

The affordable XP-Pen tablet can be purchased online from official store -https://www.storexppen.com.

More expensive alternatives are iPad+Apple Pen/Microsoft Surface Pro etc. If you have an iPad or iPhone and a Mac, you can turn your iPhone or iPad into a writing tablet using an app like Astropad, which is pretty handy!

Posted by: tiangao at 03:32 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
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February 15, 2020

XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro Screen Drawing Monitor review: A perfect tablet for Digital Painting you can buy

If you’re looking for a pro-level display drawing tablet then the XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro is an incredible investment. The tablet is huge with 22" display which similar to the Wacom Cintiq 22HD . It’s one of the few larger tablets coupled with a battery-free pen.

If you want a tablet for making high-quality work that’ll stand the test of time then you can’t go wrong with a Artist 22R Pro . It can be a pricey investment for newbies with little art experience. But even as a newbie you can build your skills and grind on this thing for years to come.

Review

I have received the tablet last week via DHL, it arrived quickly and was boxed very well, same as the Deco Pro that I’ve gotten from XP-Pen a while ago. When I recieved it, It was packed in a HUGE box , very neatly packed .

I was very eager to test the XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro tablet monitor . It’s a massive step up from its predecessor, the Artist 22E Pro . Key improvements include 88% NTSC Color Gamput, lower parallax, Being a battery free pen , and better connections.

Thus far I am satisfied with it. Any issues I had were manageable. Below I’ll outline the main points of owning the tablet.

Specifications:

Product dimensions: 570 x 334.8 x 44.8 mm
Active area: 476.064 x 267.786 mm
Screen: 21.5 inches with 1920 x 1080 resolution
Panel type: IPS
Colors: 16.7 million
Input: USB-C ,HDMI ,VGA
Stand : Included
Visual Angle:178°
Display Color Gamut: 88% NTSC , Adobe® RGB≧91%，sRGB≧120%
Pressure sensitivity: 8,192 levels + 60° tilt
Contrast: 1000:1
Resolution: 5080LPI
Report RateMax≥ 200RPS
Response Time : 14ms
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Adjustable Angle of the stand : 16°～90°
see more details from xp-pen artist 22R Pro official site :https://www.xp-pen.com/product/541.html

USB-C Connect and install a driver

Connecting the Artist 22R Pro to your computer is very straightforward. It’s worth remembering that this tablet might just need USB-C to connect to PC (and of course power to the wall) . if you use a laptop so less stuff to plug-in is a pretty big selling point. Another details its that the USB C cable included it's just too short .

Also it has a VGA / HDMI input, and includes a VGA cable and a HDMI cable. this depending on what inputs your computer has available. The Artist 22R Pro also uses an AC Adaptor and once the three cables are plugged in, you can start setting the tablet up.

Set up was pretty easy. I just had to attached the stand with the screws and L-shaped screwdriver that was provided. It came with all of the cables that I needed. The tablet feels pretty solid in the hand. The stand is really easy to adjust, no wobbling on my desk.

Obtaining the necessary drivers is extremely simple too. I downloaded the latest software from XP-Pen's website. Drivers installed with no problems (on my win 10 PC ). They offer all the functionality you would expect, customization of pen buttons, express keys, pressure sensitivity curve and work area customization.

I had no problems setting up Artist 22R Pro to work properly with my second monitor. By default cursor was not matching up with the pen as the work area was set up to use both of my monitors but few clicks in the driver menus corrected that easily.

Accessories

Nowadays, it seems as if very few products come with everything you could possibly need out of the box. However, as you may have already gathered, the 22R Pro certainly bucks this trend. The pen display is shipped with all manner of items: two styluses, spare nibs, a stylus case/stand, a drawing glove, a tablet stand, a cleaning cloth and all the necessary cables.

All the extra goodies are a big plus and they really make a difference. The glove and screen protector are both really cool.

One accessory that first-time users might find rather curious is the addition of a two-fingered drawing glove. This simple item is made from a lint-free material. It covers the wrist and area of the palm that naturally rest on the screen, as well as the ring and little finger. This leaves the index finger, middle finger and thumb, free to hold the stylus.

The benefits of wearing the glove are twofold: Your palm doesn’t stick to the shiny surface of the screen and instead glides as you draw long sweeping lines. It also does a good job of keeping the screen clean and free from oily hand deposits.

Part of what makes drawing on the Artist 22R Pro feel so close to real paper is the textured screen protector that’s included when you buy it. The protector gives the screen some tooth which prevents you from slipping with the pen and also makes it easier to look at the screen for a longer period of time before your eyes start to burn.

The textured screen protector really gives you a traditional feel. It’s just a free extra and you don’t need to use the screen protector if you don’t like it.

Design and form factor

The overall look and feel is very slick and modern out of the box. The same nods to the Intuos range are here too, with 20 ExpressKeys and 2 red dial wheels to the left and right of the active area, or in this case the display area.

It’s so huge, more like a drawing table then a tablet. The tablet itself is about 44.8mm thick, not much deeper than most flat-screen TVs.

Next up is the Stand. it has a satisfying weight and sturdiness. It is reassuring to note there are no flimsy components, as the display is a very precious item indeed and not something you’d want to become unhooked from the stand too easily.

Attaching the stand is no effort at all. The monitor simply slips onto the stand and You can then adjust the tablet’s tilt at your leisure.

Display Color is Great

The pen display’s colour gamut is 88% of NTSC , Color is great . The resolution is full HD (1920 x 1080), with a 1000:1 contrast ratio, so I’m not concerned about eye strain when working with the tablet. I would of course recommend taking regular eye breaks though, to give your peepers time to readjust.

It's not a laminated screen so there's a little space but it's so little that you won't even see it (Like me, I had to ask to the brand directly if it was laminated or not!) " .

The screen is of wonderful quality. I've seen others complain why it's not 4k but it doesnt need to be! The parallax is barely there and there is no lag. The screen has a slight grip but not too much which is perfect.

Im pretty anxious to hear about any product development from them because I feel like they’re this close to trouncing rivaling Wacom in quality and drawing experience.

And since the 22R Pro boasts an IPS panel, you can alter the viewing angle without distorting the image. viewing angles are great .

Tilt sensitivity and Pressure in PA2 Stylus

you may don't need to be worry about put off by the rechargeable stylus now . the new PA2 pen is battery free which is a huge improvement . I’ve used a few battery-free pens before and this is one of the best.

It boasts 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity and feels very good, transitions when shading or controlling line thickens feel very smooth and natural. Pen provides a truly great feel.

The tilt range is 40 degrees, with approximately 60 levels of tilt recognition by the Artist 22R Pro . It does support pen tilt but as I very rarely use that function, I don't have much to say about it other than it worked fine on the few brushes I have set up for it.

The Grip Pen has a rubberized grip for comfort, a tip switch that can be replaced with included nibs . The pen has a good weight and width and feels great when drawing on the screen.

It has two buttons on the side. Functions of this buttons can be changed in the drivers settings. which allows you to toggle between brush and eraser. While this is a nice idea, I did find myself tapping it by accident. That said, my overall experience with the stylus was one of comfort and adequate precision.

Artist 22R Pro has provided a pen stand to keep your digital Pen upright and ready to use. 8 pen nibs - I haven’t even switched any nibs yet .

drawing experience

The tablet is quite large, so much so that it’s actually larger than the screen Of the laptop I’m using, which makes it that little bit easier to see small details while working, and much like other good drawing tablets you can use the pressure of your drawing to adjust how thick or thin your line is.

I gave it a few test runs in my favorite and most used programs such as Photoshop, Corel Painter, Sketchbook Pro, Clip Studio and Paint Tool Sai. To my surprise, the pressure sensitivity and the rest of the device’s features were all workin and I also haven’t noticed any other issues.

Inking with the Artist 22R Pro inside of Clip Studio Paint actually felt extremely natural to me (much better than with the non-display graphics tablets that I’ve used in the past). Again, I haven’t noticed any issues such as jitter, lag or jumps.

The increase in responsiveness is just on par with the (to be left unnamed) much more expensive units. Battery free pen is definitely a plus compared to the older pens.

Positioning is most precise in the center of the screen with very small offset at the very edges (not enough to bother me or interfere with clicking on tiny icons).When drawing at normal speed I did not notice any jittering in the lines, but there was some waviness when doing very slow strokes. The waviness is minimal and I only noticed it when doing deliberate slow tests. I did not notice any fishhooks or any other artifacts when lifting the pen of the screen very quickly.

I find the 20 expresskeys and 2 red dial wheels are very useful and they are easy to customize. I like using the red dial wheel to change the size of the brush when drawing. I love these buttons on the sides of the tablet for easier and quicker access.

This is a little fun and quick piece that I did a few months ago… Done in Photoshop CC with Artist 22R Pro like usually.

Conclusion

All in all I am extremely pleased with XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro . I think it is a great value for the money. It's more accurate than the previous one and the feeling of drawing on it feels like drawing directly on a canvas even tho it's not a laminated screen. The 21.5 inch screen does provide a much more comfortable work area than 12~16 inch tablet displays. This was a good buy.

This is one of the most professional-feeling tablets I’ve seen outside of a Wacom Cintiq. I’m blown away by the screen’s depth and clarity. I also like the back stand both in quality and flexibility.

The tablet itself feels very smooth while drawing and the setup should be a breeze for any operating system. Also you can’t hate the extra Artist 22R Pro goodies like the pen holder , screen protector, and the anti-fouling glove.

If you’re looking for smaller version of this tablet check out the Artist Pro Series . But I would highly recommend the Artist 22R Pro tablet for any artist with enough scratch to grab one.

It’ll last a long time and prove to be a treasure for inexperienced artists as they improve and slowly learn the value of a 22" screen.

Buy Here

XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro Official Store $699.99 :https://www.storexppen.com/buy/artist-22r-pro.html

Posted by: tiangao at 09:13 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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December 07, 2019

Christmas Drawing Tablets deals 2019: top new savings on XP-Pen brand

Drawing Tablet Christmas Gift 2019 for Digital Artists & Painters

Christmas Day 2019 (also known as Christmas) is a religious and cultural holiday, celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas Day 2019 is celebrated annually by Christians on December 25 in the United States and throughout the world.

The holiday season is upon us, and there's no better time to start searching for the perfect gifts for all the important people in your life.

If you're looking for the best Christmas gift for artists and designers, this article is just what you need. Treat the artist in your life with something special! graphic tablets are some of the best Christmas gift for digital artists and painters that they will surely love. Perfect for your special someone, your friend, and even yourself...surely you deserve it!

Remember, your gift doesn’t need to be practical. It sure can be, but there is one thing artists carve for – inspiration.

And when they have something beautiful in their hands, be it a sketchbook or just a coffee mug, they just can not help feeling more positive, which is a doorway to creativity.

The drawing pad may seem a humble little tool, but finding the perfect one for your specific discipline is crucial and with such a plethora of options, it can be tricky to choose the best one for you. Whether you're just starting out in your drawing adventure, or you're a professional artist, the tool you choose can make a huge difference to your final project.

Creating art on the computer as opposed to the canvas opens up a new range of creative possibilities. This digital canvas and stylus gives artists the feel of traditional drawing and painting combined with the power of modern technology. The cost of this thingamajig is minimal compared to buying paints, brushes and canvases for each new work of art.

The Black Friday weekend is now over, but many of its deals continue through what's known as Cyber Week and beyond. You will find numerous graphics tablet discounts in the run-up to Christmas 2019. December is an excellent month for digital tablet deals.

Looking to save money on a new drawing tablet, or hunting for a great gift? Here are the best deals, offers and discounts on an graphic tablet brand XP-Pen for Christmas 2019 . These Christmas drawing pad deals are the lowest prices we've seen.

Founded in 2005, XP-Pen has quickly established themselves to be one of the top suppliers of drawing tablets. XP-Pen is a good brand that is known for producing affordable drawing tablet with displays. They have call centers in China, Taiwan and the US and their customer support is quick to respond via email. Learn more you can visit their Global official site:https://www.xp-pen.com

XP-Pen Christmas deals 2019

XP-Pen always features fantastic deals on graphics tablets and pen displays of all types. The products feature the latest technology and the best quality, while the prices won't put you in debt. Regardless of whether you're shopping for a gift for a loved one or you're looking to treat yourself to new technology, you can find what you're looking for at XP-Pen.

XP-Pen Christmas discounts will continue throughout the month,from Dec.06 to Dec.26. There's plenty of time to get your holiday shopping wrapped up, thanks to the fantastic sales throughout December.

There's one thing that you can count on during the holiday shopping season: A series of incredible sales from XP-Pen. You can find amazing prices during the pre-Christmas , and Christmas sales from the official store each year. We look forward to these saving events every year! For even more XP-Pen discounts, be sure to visit XP-Pen official store full tablet Price Guide.--https://www.storexppen.com/topic/20.html.

XP-Pen's Christmas sale is live with incredible discounts throughout its site. You can save up to 30% on selected products . You can buy quality XP-Pen products direct from the XP-Pen USA&Canada online store with coupon Prices .

These XP-Pen deals offer shoppers the lowest prices available with the Artist 15.6 Pro holiday model qualifying for free delivery in time for Christmas. Supplies may be limited at the special models, and these deals have a high likelihood to sell out quickly.

people from other regions can also get amazing deals :

Australia Store :https://www.storexppen.com.au

United Kingdom Store :https://www.storexppen.co.uk

Plus, below we'll also break down the differences between XP-Pen's tablets so that you get the drawing tablet that suits both your budget and your needs.

Save up to 30% on XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro drawing Screen Monitor Holiday version

If you are in Tablet Drawing for a long time, and looking for the finest piece of tech that’ll translate your moves into brilliant art – here’s the one!

The XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro's laminated screen has an extremely small gap which is less distracting, while also making it feel like the display is almost sitting on top of the glass. which reduces parallax to a minimum, making your drawings accurate like never before.

It comes with anti-glare film, which not only protects your eyes but gives the feel like you are drawing on paper. Now, what makes this drawing tablet so accurate are 8192 pressure levels with approximately 60 degree pen tilt support.

It also offers one-Red Roller and 6 press keys for a fully adjustable experience on 15.6 inches wide IPS display. It’s lightweight and thick, and a diameter of 11 mm. You will have a much better transition between the colors, as it offers 120% sRGB color gamut.

Finally,Connectivity is powered via USB for a neat and tidy setup, making it semi-portable should you need to work on the go. It’s worth noting though that there’s no option for standalone usage, so you’ll be chained to your computer when using this drawing tablet.

Save up to 30% on XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro best 22inch budget monitor for graphic design

The XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro is one of the best gifts you can give to the professional (or hobbyist) artist in your life. This 22” inch tablet gives a natural pen-on-screen feel in a compact, slim design. The screen, combined with the stylus, has the sort of resistance 'tooth' that imitates high-quality drawing paper. It’s the sort of gift that makes you say ‘I love you, and want you to succeed’.

XP-Pen’s PA2 Pen gives you great control with pro-level pressure sensitivity and tilt support. There’s almost no lag and it’s battery-free so you’ll never find yourself in the irritating position of being low on charge.

you’can find 20 ExpressKeys and 2 Roller wheel which make navigation easier, and the side switches on the pen itself put even more control at your fingertips.

If the price of the Artist 22R Pro version makes you balk, there’s also a 22-inch version of the same tablet for $100 off the price.

Extra 20% Off XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro Tablet Monitor for beginners

Artist 12 Pro over here is a smaller tablet that comes with an 11.6-inch fully laminated display with 100% sRGB color accuracy. which is actually more than enough to work on.

Everyone can get behind the return of the Artist 12 Pro's fully laminated display that presses the screen up against the glass without gaps .

You get a total of 6 shortcut buttons along with a Roller Wheel . The red roller is a game-changer and very useful while drawing. It can do tasks like zoom, ran, scroll and most important – change the size of the brush or eraser by simply rotating it.

I love that I draw directly on the screen, so that it feels natural, and intuitive. It`s also portable, and I can stick my entire digital setup in my bag and go do art anywhere.

So if you are low on budget and still want a good display drawing tablet then this could be your best bet.

Extra 10% Off XP-Pen Artist 13.3 Pro pen display for professional graphics

The Artist 13.3 Pro comes with 13.3 inches of a full HD 1080p display which produces brilliant color and pictures, with exceptional clarity. Packed with a wide 88% of the Color gamut , you get what you see.

With Full-laminated technology adopted, no air gap,visually the parallax will be deduced to the lowest level. The 13.3-inch FHD drawing display comes with anti-glare film. This not only protects your eyes from light reflection but also provides you a better feel while designing.

It’s highly sensitive and supports up to 60 degrees of tilt function. That means that it will easily respond to any hand movement, so you’ll be able to naturally move your hand as if you draw on paper. 8192 levels of pressure levels on top of that, and you get a perfect sensitivity. Thick or thin lines will not be the problem.

The interactive display works as a functioning second monitor, allowing the user to essentially draw directly into programs as if they were drawing on paper. For those looking to make a long term investment in a drawing tablet, the Artist 13.3 Pro should definitely be taken into consideration.

Extra 10% Off XP-Pen Artist 22E Pro cheap 22 inch drawing monitor

XP-PEN’s Artist22E Pro is one of the best drawing tablets with a screen and is our go-to for a cheaper version of Wacom’s 22HD.

The Artist 22E Pro comes with a well-designed, 22 inch Full HD IPS display with 1920x1080p resolution, 9 point display calibration, and an extra wide-angle.

The extra-wide angle display gives great color accuracy across the entire surface, and with 77%-82% Color Gamut accuracy, you get vibrant colors and rich detail.

XP-PEN’s latest stylus technology delivers an astounding level of pressure sensitivity which gives you excellent control and fluidity. It’s fully rechargeable, and when the batteries are full you should get two months out of them.

16 customizable shortcut keys can be linked to various third-party design software which is great if you tend to work with more than one program.

Unlike other tablets, this one comes with 2 rechargeable pens in the package. also Comes with a very sturdy stand.

Extra 17% Off XP-Pen Artist 16 Pro art display tablet with 92 percent RGB

The 15.6" Full HD screen covers 16.7 million colors and 92% of the Adobe RGB color gamut so you can create shades and tones exactly as you imagined them. The included drawing glove ensures that your hand glides smoothly across the surface of the screen, making every drawing session effortless.

This tablet comes with a digital pen that provides 8192 levels of sensitivity, allowing for great variations in line width, opacity and creative designs . XP-Pen promotes their pen as the perfect tool to create detailed brush strokes, and it’s great for digital drawing and photo retouching among other applications.

The Eight Fast Access keys can up your productivity and are fully customizable to suit how you work. The two side buttons on the pen make your creative process even more intuitive.

You do get an ergonomic stand with the drawing tablet making it a stable surface to work on. It also gives you a better grip and prevents the tablet from unnecessary shaking.

You get two digital pens along with the tablet that can be charged via the USB cable that comes in the box. Along with the pen, you get a pen stand which can be used to store the pen both horizontally, and vertically. The stand also comes with 8 nibs inside.

Extra 20% Off XP-Pen Artist 15.6 best value digital display tablet

The generous 15.6 inches wide display has full HD/1080p resolution and offers large viewing angles (178° degree), 75 adobe Rgb Lcd Screen Suppliers, with great contrast and excellent color reproduction. Moreover, the tablet supports Ultra HD/4K external displays, if so required.

Another great feature of the XP-Pen Artist 15.6 is the passive pen design (no batteries required), which provides industry-leading pressure sensitivity (8192 levels of instant pen pressure). which making painting/drawing a pleasure.

In terms of connectivity, you have the latest USB Type C port, for blazing fast connections and sharp details. The tablet is compatible with both Mac and PC software, including major designer software bundles, such as Clip Studio, Painter, Photoshop, Gimp, Krita, SAI and others.

If you’re looking for one of the best drawing tablets with the screen out there, the XP-Pen Artist would fit the bill perfectly.

Extra 20% Off XP-Pen Artist 12 Cheap Display Drawing Tablet Holiday version

If the Wacom Cintiq 13HD sounds like the perfect tablet, but the price tag seems too high, then you’re in luck. The XP-Pen Artist 12 is a Cintiq alternative, mimicking nearly every capability of the more expensive product.

Complete with a Small 11.6-inch screen, some even find this tablet to rival its pricier companion.The Full HD screen packs in 16.7 million colors and about 72% of the NTSC space which allow you to see your work directly on the tablet and with an accurate level of color reproduction.

The next good thing about the tablet is the pen that comes along. Its a battery-free and charge-free pen that comes with 8192 pressure levels. It comes in a unique hexagonal design with an eraser at the end. Included is a pen stand that could either be used to store the nibs or use as a pen stand.

XP-Pen’s Touch Bar controls are great for zooming, scrolling, and changing brush size, giving you a much more intuitive way of working. 6 Customizable ExpressKeys up your productivity by making it easy to access all your favorite shortcuts.

If you are a beginner looking to get a decent display integrated drawing tablet for a low price, then Artist 12 would be your best bet.

Extra 20% Off XP-Pen Note plus digital notebook

Drawing on a computer has its advantages but will never have the feel of drawing with pencil and paper.

This XP-Pen Note plus pad is the size of 245 x 176 x 15mm . For those artists who prefer paper to digital screens, but can not resist the temptation to have all their work backed up and available in digital format, this is by now the best solution .

This thingamajig bridges the gap between the physical and virtual worlds and enables artists to digitally edit and enhance their traditionally hand-drawn artwork.

The note plus "smartpad” captures drawings from actual paper, converts them to data, and sends them by bluetooth to any computer. The pad also works well with iOS and Android tablets or mobile devices.

Extra 20% Off XP-Pen Deco Pro professional drawing graphic tablet

The XP-Pen Deco Pro comes in tto models (small 9*5 inch and medium - 11*6 inch). Other than the price and size, there is no difference between these two models. You get the same premium built quality and features in all of them.

the PA1 pen is very precise, with 8192 pressure sensitivity levels and natural tilt support – with software like Adobe Photoshop you can pain with digital brushes, pressing lighter or harder, tilting them – just like in real-life painting.

Deco Pro comes with a metal body which feels strong and sturdy in hands, it also gives it a professional look. In terms of the overall design, the tablet looks modern and minimalistic.

If you are one of those artists who heavily use shortcut buttons, you will be happy to know that you get a wide variety of shortcut options. There are a total of eight shortcut buttons along with a mechanical wheel and a touch-sensitive trackpad.

The tablet also comes with LED lights which looks really great in dark environments. In the settings, you have the option to dim the lights or completely shut them off – if you want to.

Extra 20% Off XP-Pen Deco 01 V2 most popular tablet for professional artists

If the Wacom Intuos pro feels a little expensive, then you should have a look at this bad boy. The XP-Pen Deco 01 V2 has everything from a massive drawing area to excellent stylus with tilt support.

It comes with a massive active drawing area of 10 x 6.25 inches. Its stylus has a pressure sensitivity of 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity along with tilt recognition up to ±60°. The pen does not has any battery inside and works by wireless transfer of energy. The pen comes with a pen holder along with extra pentips.

If you like to customize your tablet to suit your needs, the Deco 01 V2 comes with 8 customizable buttons. It is easy to set up and start using.

The Deco 01 V2 offers excellent value for money. If you are a casual artists or a beginner looking for a larger drawing tablet, then you will be thrilled with this tablet.

Save up to 30% on XP-Pen Deco 03 wireless art graphics drawing pad

XP-Pen Deco 03 graphics drawing tablet is one of the tablets that offer wireless connectivity, which will give you complete freedom of the drawing tablet with no wires at all.

All you have to do is plug the USB receiver in your computer, and you’re ready to go.

You will never lack out of the drawing space because Deco 03 features a large surface of 10 x 5.62 inches .

The level of pressure sensitivity is 8192 which will give you the ability to draw different lines by applying different pressure, and Deco 03 graphics Art tablet comes with a pen rest which will give you the place to balance the stylus on.

Extra 20% Off XP-Pen Deco 02 best digital art sketch tablet for pc

The XP-Pen Deco 02 is an impressive tablet. It is well built yet light and slim with an easy to use button configuration. The drawing surface has a matt finish and feels like you are drawing on a smooth paper surface.

The drawing surface area is 10″ x 5.63″ inches big, and it has a resolution of 5080 lines per inch, which is more than enough to show off your talent and skills. Report rate of drawing tablet is 266 .

The 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity of the pen will make you feel like you’re drawing just on a paper. Pen of Deco 02 drawing tablet is also battery-free, so you won’t have to worry about it too.

The pressure sensitivity of the pen will give you the ability to draw lines from thin to very thick ones. Adjusting your pressure on the Deco 02 will result in better drawings.

silver roller and buttons are located on the left of the Deco 02 drawing tablet, which means this tablet is made to fit right-handed people, which is definitely something you should keep in your mind.

Although, if you really like the Deco 02 drawing tablet and you’re a lefty, you can set settings for the left-handed person and just rotate the Deco 02 drawing tablet.

Save up to 30% on XP-Pen Star 06 Wireless painting tablet for illustrators

The XP-Pen Star 06 is popular among beginners as a budget tablet. It recently got a major upgrade from their previous generations and now have the latest specs and features.

The most noticeable upgrade was the introduction of wireless connectivity. Now it can connect to the computer over USB Cable or wireless kit .

Other than connectivity the pressure range has been upgraded to 8192 levels- – perfect for a full-time digital art professional .

The Star 06 is excellent for the casual artists who enjoy a larger drawing area ( 10 x 6 inches ). If you are use to drawing on paper, then the feel of the stylus on this tablet will be very comfortable for you. The pen sensitivity is excellent with no noticeable lag.

There are six custom buttons laid out in two groups of three along with a multifunctional touch ring. The touch ring gives quick access to some handy options like rotation, zoom, brush size and scroll. It is very handy while working. Toggle button in the middle quickly switches between different modes.

Star 06 tablet comes between 60 to 100 dollars and is perfect for beginners… but many experianced professionals also use it… Apart form that, they are known to last very long…

Extra 20% Off XP-Pen Star 03 top cheap electronic sketch pad

Pocket-friendly and affordable, the XP-Pen Star 03 Tablet is incredibly powerful compared to some of its rivals but it has an impressive report rate of 266 reports per second, , huge working area 0f 10 x 6 inches , and a 5080LPI resolution. The M708 provides 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity pen as well as the tablet itself, giving you the feeling of writing on paper.

The feature-packed tablet is ideal for drawing, working well with a number of different software such as Photoshop, Corel Painter and Illustrator, so designers won’t have to worry about switching between devices.

It also supports different operating systems, including Mac OS X 10.6 and Windows OS. The M708 is easy to set up and is incredibly user-friendly, so it’s perfect for hobbyists, amateurs and professionals of all kinds.

Extra 10% Off XP-Pen Star 05 Wireless usb art design graphics tablet

One thing I love about the XP-Pen Star 05 is it is smaller than the Wacom Intuos Pro, but the drawing area is significantly bigger! Its design is compact and slim. No space is left unused. The combination the Star05’s built-in lithium battery (up to 14 hours of use) and it’s wireless USB capability makes it one of the best wireless tablets for the money.

However, one of the biggest issues we found was the placement of the touch keys. Depending on how you hold the tablet, your palm could potentially brush these keys and activate them. It is not a huge issue, but it is something to be aware of.

This tablet is small, lightweight and perfect an artist on the go. If you are looking for a wireless tablet (without breaking the bank), the XP-Pen Star05 is excellent.

Posted by: tiangao at 09:19 AM | Comments (26) | Add Comment
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November 12, 2019

Best XP-Pen Drawing Tablet Black Friday Deals and Sales in 2019

If you've ever tried to draw on a computer using a mouse, you know how difficult it is to draw a straight line, let alone a recognizable picture. The necessity of a drawing tablet is obvious if your job or habits require even the slightest bit of digitization. Graphic designers, engineers, architects, and digital artists all find great use for drawing tablets.

Drawing tablets can also make editing photos extremely simple. Some models even offer buttons on the tablet itself, which you can assign to functions you use often - like the zoom and brush tools. Plus, the low lag time and smooth feel of a stylus makes for quicker, smoother edits, with less need to spam those hotkeys. Hobby artists and animators are also turning to drawing tablets as simple ways to create and save their work before making questionable edits. You can draw 5 different scenes on the same saved background, rather than having to hand draw or photocopy the same image over again.

A teacher utilizing a drawing tablet can make edits to presentations in real time, enhancing the retention rate of the information being taught. A student can utilize a drawing tablet to leave digital notes in their e-book, and propel their learning forward. Drawing tablets are even well suited to filling out digital forms. Instead of having to print out the documents, fill them in by hand, and scan them into a computer before sending them; you can simply input data into the form using your drawing tablet.

When is Black Friday 2019 and when do the Black Friday deals start?

Black Friday always takes place the day after Thanksgiving. This year, that'll be Friday, Nov. 29. However, Black Friday deals tend to begin way sooner than that.

Black Friday deals are officially here. Due to the shorter holiday season, retailers are launching their Black Friday deals earlier than ever. (We're expecting to see earlier than average Cyber Monday deals as well).

The date this year is closer to Christmas (less than a month before Christmas Day), and that gives you less time to shop online. That may not seem like a big deal today, but you'll have to factor in waiting on the best deals, pouncing on the lowest price, and factoring shipping wait times.

The origin of Black Friday: a history lesson

Let’s take a Black Friday history lesson: the first known mention of Black Friday related to this shopping experience was in November 1951, when the journal Factory Management and Maintenance used it to describe people calling in sick the day after Thanksgiving so they could have an extra day off work.

At the same time US police were using the phrases "Black Friday” and "Black Saturday” to describe the horrendous traffic that occurred at the beginning of the pre-Christmas shopping season. In 1961 there was a movement from the local government to change the shopping season to "Big Friday” and "Big Saturday”, but it clearly never caught on.

The countdown for Black Friday has just begun, with the passage of each day the event is getting closer. The holiday shopping season would be a perfect time if you are looking for exclusive offers. Here, we are going to talk about the amazing deals which Black Friday 2019 is now coming up . XP-Pen official Store has already getting a headstart on the gadget deals. XP-Pen Black Friday 2019 is now arriving & obviously, the hunt for the tech lovers is now going to an end. Gear up yourself, to hatch the Black Friday deals on XP-Pen Tablets, this year.

XP-Pen Black Friday 2019 Deals & Offers

Do you love Wacom’s range of Cintiqs but cringe at the price tag? When you decide it’s finally time to buy a drawing tablet, or upgrade your current device, Wacom is often the first brand you think of.

Most artists would love a wacom to work with. But they aren’t the most affordable option out there, especially for hobby artists interested in digital art.

If you are looking for a budget drawing tablet then you may have come across xp-pen brands . XP-Pen is clearly one of the most popular brands in drawing tablets . XP-Pen is very cheap and can get you the same quality of graphic tablet for a cheaper price.

Both products ( wacom & xp-pen ) have great features, awesome functionality and just a few differences in specifications that make a great advantage to buying these amazing tablets, especially for drawing.

This year Black Friday 2019, Kickstart your shopping by grabbing amazing sale & discounts on XP-Pen Tablets. XP-Pen is a Chinese brand specializes in manufacturing graphical tablets. Get the latest & new upgraded version of XP-Pen Tablets with exciting discount offers. Planning to buy an amazing gift for your techy friends.

XP-Pen Artist / Deco Series prove to be an amazing present. you can Save a good amount on XP-Pen Black Friday sale . XP-Pen’s Black Friday deals are official and the store is pumping new deals all the time. You will save around 30% on theXP-Pen US official Store. So don't miss this chance and grab the best deals from here -https://www.storexppen.com/topic/18.html( blackfriday activity page). Deals will kick-off on November 11nd and run through Black Friday delivering new all-time lows on a variety of its first-party products.

people from other regions can also get amazing deals :

Australia Store :https://www.storexppen.com.au

United Kingdom Store :https://www.storexppen.co.uk

Global official site:https://www.xp-pen.com

Black Friday 2019: Best XP-Pen device deals

Up to 30% Off XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro inexpensive Screen drawing tablet Holiday version

Large active drawing area - At 15.6 inches, the active area is more than enough to offer the user a comfortable drawing experience.If you need a tablet that is large, but that can still be carried around without much hassle, this one fits the bill perfectly well.

Full-laminated technology - This is where the XP-PEN Artist 15.6 differs from the others. The glass/screen is easy to look at and yor eyes won’t feel as tired even after working for consecutive hours. That doesn’t mean that you’re supposed to draw for 12 hours in a row without looking away. Everything in moderation, please!

Easy brightness adjustment - These days, nearly every tablet that comes with a screen allows you to regulate brightness, but this is usually done through the software. The cool thing about the XP-PEN Artist 15.6 Pro is that brightness can be increased or decreased through a little button that’s easy to access.

Easy zoom - The zoom feature is, without a doubt, the most used tool when it comes to digital art. In order to get all those tiny details in, it’s necessary to zoom in and out of the canvas hundreds if not thousands of times.

By observing this behaviour, the XP-PEN Artist 15.6 came up with the idea of adding a zoom dial to the drawing board. This is simply a red circle that mimics the way volume buttons work, but instead of raising and lowering sound, it does the same for the zoom.

Tilt sensitive PW2 Stylus performs like traditional brushes, pencils and markers. The pressure sensitivity of 8192 levels lets you draw variety of lines, meaning when you apply more pressure, it will render a thicker line.

Compared to normal version), the holiday version will include 1X Greeting Card , 1X Mascot Cleaning Cloth, 1X Calendar Featured With Xfans Artworks 1xMascot Badge , 1x Mascot Mobile Phone Holder . this would be and affordable choice for digital artists.

Up to 30% Off XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro best large drawing tablet with screen

The Artist 22R Pro is the first graphics display that supports a Type-C to Type-C connection, letting you directly connect your iMac/Mac Book Pro and other Windows computers that support Type-C input to the 22R Pro without using a Type-C to HDMI &USB adapter. A strikingly large 21.5-inch display and features 1080p resolution, allowing you to draw, design, model and create directly onto the 22R Pro’s surface, letting you unleash new creative possibilities.

By applying the latest innovation and technology, the XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro lets you draw with virtually no parallax and a more precise cursor positioning even at the four corners for an improved drawing experience. The 21.5-inch FHD Display pairs a superb color accuracy of 88% NTSC (Adobe RGB≧90%，sRGB≧120%), adding brilliance to your creation with more exquisite details and vibrant colors.

Two easy-to-control red dial wheels and 20 customizable shortcut keys that are conveniently placed on both sides, making it equally accessible for left and right-handed users. It also comes equipped with the USB Hub that can be used to connect your mouse or other devices. Integrated adjustable stand, you can change your working angle to suit your various needs of creating more easily and quickly. And the specially-designed pen slot on the front side provides quick and safe access to your pen .

The PA2 battery-free Stylus supports up to 60 degrees of tilt function and provides superior line performance to create the finest sketches and lines. Included with the Artist 22R Pro, the multi-function pen holder keeps your pen and pen nibs safe and doubles as a pen stand or pen holder. The XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro comes with a protective film to help protect your screen and reduce glare while keeping your screen crisp and clear even bright light.

The XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro supports Windows10/8/7, Mac OS X10.10 and higher. Compatible with popular digital art software such as Adobe, Photoshop, Illustrator, SAI, CDR, GIMP, Krita, Medibang, Fire Alpaca, Blender 3D and more. XP-Pen provides a one-year warranty [warranty only valid under the situation that damage is not caused by man-made] and lifetime technical support for all our pen tablets/displays. [Warm Reminder: Artist22R Pro drawing pen display must be used with a computer] .

Up to 30% Off XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro drawing tablet with screen for beginners

A suitable Cintiq 13HD alternative in terms of size, the XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro has 1920 by 1080 screen resolution , The screen comes with an IPS display with 72% NTSC Color Space .

it has 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity and is compatible with both Windows and Mac. Now coming to the details, the product has a ±60 tilt support from the pen. The best part of all is that the pen is completely battery-free so you do not have to worry at all about charging it.

What makes it special is the fully laminated screen . They have reduced the space between the glass and the screen reducing parallax and making drawing much more accurate in the process.

The Artist 12 Pro includes a sleek Red Dial interface to make your workflow as smooth as possible. 8 fully customizable shortcut keys Letting you capture and express your ideas faster and more easily .

There is a matte screen protector that comes with this tablet monitor, which is ideal for artists who prefer a natural, paper-like feel. It also reduces glare. As an artist who likes to work in a variety of places with different lighting, I would appreciate this feature.

Up to 10% Off XP-Pen Artist 22E Pro drawing tablet with 22 inch display

If you’re looking for an alternative to the 22-inch Cintiq, the Artist 22 Pro or Artist 22E Pro is worth looking at and has a 1920 by 1080 screen that shows over a billion colors , the screen covers 78~ 82 percent of RGB gamut in Adobe. .

The Viewing Angles: This is an IPS monitor, meaning it offers rich colors and accuracy with various viewing angles. You will only see a little color degradation with extreme angles viewed from the side.
Lots of Extras: The Artist 22 comes with a fair amount of extra items. This includes an extra stylus, cleaning cloth and brush, an adapter for Mac, a screen protector, and various types of cables.
Programmable Stylus Buttons: Like the Cintiq, this option has programmable pen buttons to increase the efficiency of your work flow.

the difference between Artist 22 Pro and Artist 22E Pro is the 22E Pro tablet has 16 customisable shortcut keys.

Up to 20% Off XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Portable Drawing Tablet Monitor

For an alternative to the 16-inch Cintiq tablet, there’s the Artist 15.6 by XP-Pen. This tablet monitor is 15.6 inches with an glass screen. This feature plus 1920 by 1080 screen resolution give you a clear image even in less-than-ideal lighting.

The Artist 15.6 supports a 75% Adobe RGB color gamut and can display up to 16.7 million colors.

Light Stylus: The stylus that come with this tablet is light and easy to hold. Since I’m used to working with pencil, this is the type of tablet pen I’d prefer.

Pressure Control: The pressure control on the Artist 15.6 is smooth and gives good feedback. With 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, this makes it very as good to Wacom in terms of quality.

Suitable for Left-Handed Users: You may move the display connectors to the left side of the tablet monitor for a better working experience if you’re left handed.

Up to 20% Off XP-Pen Artist 12 Entry-Level Drawing Monitor Holiday version

The XP-Pen Artist 12 features a 11.6 inch Full HD IPS LCD with 72% NTSC color gamut which allows the display to light up 16.7 millions color even more vividly.
8192 levels Pressure Sensitivity, Control line thickness, color and transparency conveniently provide the value for money experience an artist expects from a drawing tablet. Moreover, the XP-Pen Artist 12 is ultra thin and light so that you can carry it anywhere easily.

I love how it feels to draw on this the lines were really smooth and it just felt really natural. I also was impressed with the little details in the build quality it feels really solid and the button layout and slider along the side are great.

Really good price and really great pen. I was pleasantly surprised by the Artist 12 Pro . It's one of the better 12" pen displays out there. It does everything really well. A really well drawing device. The only real drawback for me is I prefer a less glossy screen but the pen feels so good it trumps everything else.

In the package, along with the device, you will get a screen protector, 1 pen, 8 replacement nibs, 1 USB cable and other necessary cables. All in all, the XP-Pen Artist 12 is a complete package of features and is also one of the best tablets for artists, designers, architects, and students who are expecting a good value for their money.

Up to 20% Off XP-Pen Note Plus digital notebook smart notepad

If you are looking for an easier way to digitise your notes, the XP-Pen Note Plus doesn’t lock you in to buying expensive paper. And while the Note Plus needs to be charged, it is a regular micro USB connection rather than proprietary cradles, and the pen itself feels and acts just like a regular ballpoint.

It also works as a way to digitise your child’s drawings, once they use the Slate as the backing for their artwork.

If you have a lot on your mind that you want to pen to paper, the XP-Pen Note Plus can be your new best... Works great for taking notes naturally with a pen and convert it to digital...

XP-Pen Note Plus smartpad gives everyone from students to office workers the ability to seamlessly switch back and forth between handwritten note-taking and typing into a device, making notes potentially more effective and personal.

Up to 30% Off XP-Pen Deco Pro Medium and 25% Off Small Version professional drawing tablets

XP-Pen’s Deco Pro Tablet is one of the most ergonomic graphic tablets available. It’s larger than most of the tablets in this list which come with 11x 6 inches (large) or 9 x 5 inches (small) . but is accuracy is something to be desired. You can create astonishing outputs in such precision that you will never imagine to be possible.

Its work area has a resolution of 5080 lpi and its pen has a standard 8,192 pressure levels and tilt recognition . If you are into drawing website mascots, illustrations for infographics or creating web-based elements, this is a great choice.

Meet the groundbreaking double wheel design paired with trackpad functionality! crafted with an aluminum casing and features a 7mm thin curved casing. As such a professional designed tablet, Deco Pro has been awarded as the 2019 Red Dot Design Award Winner and the 2018 Good Design Award Winner!

The XP-Pen Deco Pro Series is compatible with Windows® 7/8/10, Mac OS X® 10.10 and above, Android 6.0 and above and works with most major creative software including Photoshop, SAI, Painter, Illustrator, Clip Studio, GIMP, Medibang, Krita, Fire Alpaca, Blender 3D and more.

Up to 30% Off XP-Pen Deco 03 Wireless affordable drawing tablet

The Deco 03 Creative Pen Tablet from XP-Pen is a flexible graphical tablet that can be used to digitize your work . It features a 10 x 5.62 inch drawing area .

The Deco 03 is a standard drawing tablet that connects to your system via USB or wireless module .

It has 6 customizable ExpressKeys and a roller wheel to assist you with your workflow, and comes with the battery-free stylus P05 , which has 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity.

Up to 15% Off XP-Pen Deco 02 best computer art pad

This large tablet (10 by 5.63 inches) is a tool in graphic design and illustration that offers great precision. And while it allows you to create outputs that you will be proud of, it helps your hand reduce the risk of strain, allowing you to extend the longevity of working.

The Deco 02 tablet that comes with a ring or roller wheel to set with the last shortcut key and has a lot of built-in functions. This roller wheel will save a lot of time for you because when we artist tend to calibrate sizes of the brush or doing the zoom in and out, this roller wheel comes very handy ( way better than shortcut keys). Also it comes with a sort of lid or cover for the ring made out of rubber, which is nice to the tact and easy to handle.

The pen is a passive pen that won't need any charge and very ergonomic and light , Its pen comes with 8,192 pressure levels, even this time xp pen put an eraser on the pen...that is cool.

Using this tablet will not only save you space and money but will allow you to take full advantage of your creativity and produce outstanding results.

Up to 25% Off XP-Pen Deco 01 best starter animation drawing tablet

XP-Pen’s Tablet Deco 01 is relatively larger than the Wacom Intuos Pro Medium , but cheaper. Its 10.0 (254 mm) x 6.25 inches (158 mm) by 8mm dimensions take advantage of more space making it easier to draw.

 

Also, with Deco 01’s 8 programmable HotKeys, it becomes a great choice for designers who would want to make the most out of their money.

It also comes complete with XP-Pen's powerful digital Pen, featuring 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and no need charging or battery .

XP-PEN also produces the very similar Deco 01 V2 Version ; the difference is the Deco 01 V2 Version supports up to 60 degrees of tilt function .

Up to 20% Off XP-Pen Star 06 Wireless graphic art tablet

If you haven’t dabbled much in tablet drawing but want to try it, the XP-Pen Star 06Wireless Digital Painting Tabletis a smart choice to start with. It has six simple hot keys and a touch ring allow quick access to most commonly used keystrokes and software shortcuts , and it also comes with a two-finger glove .

Measuring 10 by 6 inches, the XP-Pen Star 06 will easily slide into most briefcases or laptop bags and won't take up much space on your desktop. Installation takes only a few minutes, so you’ll be editing photos or creating digital sketches in no time.

Plus, it’s capable of sensing over 8,000 levels of pen pressure, which gives you optimal control over line weight and thickness.

One of the primary selling points of the XP-Pen Star 06 is its powerful battery — you’ll get up to 14 hours of continuous use out of this device on a full charge. It’s compatible with most types of drawing software, such as Adobe Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint.

Up to 20% Off XP-Pen Star 03 good cheap drawing tablet

XP-Pen’s Star 03 graphic drawing tablet has almost surgical precision that allows you to take control of the cursor and efficiently and effectively create an eye-popping design. It features eight programmable express keys. It is easy to use and helps your hands relax with its ergonomic design.

XP-Pen Star 03 is a large graphic tablet built using Electromagnetic Digitizer technology. it’s just 10 by 6 inches in area, Star 03’s resolution is a monstrous 5080 LPI, allowing an accuracy of more or less 0.01 inch.

Its passive pen comes with 8,192 levels. Using this tablet will not only save you space and money but will allow you to take full advantage of your creativity and produce outstanding results.

Up to 10% Off XP-Pen Star 05 Wireless electronic art tablet

XP-Pen’s 8 x 5-inch Star 05best drawing pad for laptopis small, but its power transcends its size. Despite its small size, the Star 05 is admired for its control and precision, something that many designers and artists need.

The Star 05 features both wired and wireless USB capabilities . P03 stylus has outstanding tactility, allowing you to draw with more precision and control than ever before.

The Star 05 features six touch-sensitive shortcut keys that may be customized to streamline your workflow in any software.

Automatic line correction and intelligent anti-shake functionality joined with 2048 pressure levels to create smooth, natural lines and an outstandingly natural work experience.

It’s also compatible with major graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and Corel Painter.

Posted by: tiangao at 09:54 AM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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October 21, 2019

XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro review 2019: amazing entry-level laminated screen drawing tablet for Digital Art

We may heard about graphic tablet , but not know much about it. So I would like to share some my opinion about this kind of product.

With the developing of the computer art painting, the graphic tablet comes out. Using the graphic tablet to draw, just like the painter draw with his palette and brushes. When we watch the TV, we can see that lots of lifelike characters. It is draw by the graphic tablet. That are so perfect so that the keyboard or palette can’t comparable with graphics tablet.

The graphic tablet mainly makes for designer, artist, add agencies, as well as vector flash animator. But as a amateur, it is also a good choice for us to use a graphic tablet to draw.

What is a graphic tablet ?

Normally we can call it pen tablet, drawing tablet, pen pad, digital tablet, graphic tablet, and so on. It is a device connects with your computer and then transfers information into the computer. It is combined of a tablet and a pen with sensitivity. It looks like a pen tablet, but it is much different from it. The digital tablet usually makes for designers, artist designers; advertising company and they can use such kind of product to draw, paint and write.

As the keyboard, mouse, the hand-painted plate is a computer input devices. When you draw on the tablet, it will transfer your action into the computer, and then you can see the things you draw. And with the cartographic software such SAI, Photoshop, Adobe image, you can draw any kind of picture you want.

How to choose a proper graphic tablet for yourself?

Now I will show you several concept of the hand-painted plate. Pen sensitivity, Resolution, Report Rate,Active Area, these several concept is very important to a hand-painted plate.

1.Pen sensitivity means when you draw with the pen on the tablet, how it will reflect on the computer. If you push hard, the line will be thick. If you push the pen slight and the line you draw will be slender. Now there are three levels of the pen sensitivity, 1024, 2048, and 8192. The higher, the better.

2.Resolution. There are several common levels of the resolution, 2540, 3048, 4000, and 5080. The resolution means the accuracy of the tablet. When we draw on the tablet and enlarge the canvas to 800%, and then you can see the line is combined of little lattice. If the lattice is smooth and uniform, that means the resolution is high enough. And the picture you draw will looks much more nature and beautiful.

3.Report Rate: the report rate means when you draw on the tablet, how many time does the graphic reflect on the computer. Most time , there are several level to describe the report rate: 100,150、200、230、233 and so on.

4. Active area: The active area means the working area of the tablet. As this parameter, it doesn’t mean the higher the better. If the active area it too big, you will feel very tired too draw on it. And it is easy to get your arm harmed. The size of 5*8 inch or 6*8 inch is good for drawing. And also the most popular size for people who buys a graphic tablet.

XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro affordable drawing tablet monitor

Nowadays more and more people get used to draw with a graphic tablet, and with many kind of cartographic software, their creativity on art are express thoroughly. The advance of the technology makes our life and work become much easier, and also it reflect on the art working. Drawing on a tablet is not just a fashion but a normal in our daily work.And many companies are working on this area to make this kind of product better. Such as Wacom, XP-Pen , Huion.

The best manufacturer is Wacom , it is the leading in this field. And it sets many industry standards for his follower. But also its price is higher compared with many other brands. And there are several other brands I like which are from China. As we all know, china is famous with its productivity. And nowadays, they become much more professional in design.

I like the XP-Pen most, for it active social community activities on the internet, fans who love XP-Pen can get together to share their work and feeling on their page. And also the XP-Pen has produced many really good and not expensive products. Especially the Deco Series & Artist Series attract many people. I think it is really a good choice for those who can’t afford the high price of the Wacom.

I have been using wacom intuos 4 for many years. Wacom may be the best, but not by as much as they used to be; and for the price that they are asking... at some point you have to be looking at the diminishing returns.
I purchase a XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro drawing tablet with screen last week and by far I am really satisfied with this little graphic display tablet. The Artist 12 PRO is an advance version of Artist 12 .

The XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro graphics tablet has the coveted 8192 pressure senstivity, as well as tilt functionality,the stylus is battery-free and wireless . and The Artist 12 Pro’s 11.6 inch completely laminated IPS display enables 178-degree viewing angle with 1920*1080 high resolutions. There is a red color dial interface and 8 hotkeys customizable in the right side that facilitates smooth workflow.

I tend to use my monitor tablet more for better hand-eye tracking. It feels better to me so I do the majority of my work on it. I would never go back to a regular tablet, the Artist 12 Pro is so natural.

Technology Specifications :

Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels, Full HD
Display Colour Gamut: 72% NTSC, 100% sRGB
Resolution: 5080 LPI
Pen Pressure: 8192 levels
Tilt: 60 Degrees
Ports: HDMI/USB
Size: 351.52 x 225.38 x 12.9 mm
Active Area: 256.32 x 144.18 mm
Brightness: 250 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio (Typical): 700 : 1
Number of Colors: 16.7 M
Report Rate: ≧200 RPS (Revolutions per Second)
Response Time: 14ms
Hand Input Resolution: 5080 LPI (Lines per Inch)
Viewing Angle:178°
System: Windows 10/8/7 (32/64bit), Mac OS X version 10.10 or later
official site:https://www.xp-pen.com/product/479.html

What's in the box?

The tablet comes in a white box with a front view image of tablet with a pretty drawing displayed on it.

The things that come in the box:

XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro tablet
XP-Pen PA2 battery-free pen
Pen holder
Combined cable (USB type-C to USB type-A, HDMI, and USB type-A for power)
USB type-A extension cable (for power)
USB power adapter
Outlet adapters for international power outlets
HDMI to Mini-DisplayPort adapter
Pen nib replacements x8
Anti-fouling glove
Screen cleaning cloth
User manual
Warranty policy and warranty card
"Thank you” card

fully laminated Display

The XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro has an active drawing area on tablet of 11.6 inches diagonally, which gives it a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080.

The display has an impressive gamut of 72 per cent of Adobe NTSC , which is actually same with the Wacom Cintiq 16. However, the colour accuracy is good, but not perfect, so you'll need to use a colour calibrator to fix it to avoid your artwork's colours being inaccurate when printed.

The screen is capable of being extremely bright, and brightness can be conveniently adjusted by buttons on the side of the tablet.

The 12 Pro's screen is laminated and bonded, That's where they reduce the space between the screen and the glass to increase accuracy and reduce the parallax. The low levels of parallax are very similar to the Cintiq. It's noticeable, but minor, and you'll get accustomed to it quickly.

The pre-applied, and replaceable film cover's anti-glare properties reduce reflections considerably. this is to give your pen more grip and improve control when drawing. Because the 12 doesn't have etched glass, the tablet surface is slippery, feeling more like a phone screen than paper.

The Artist 12 Pro comes with a free, anti-fowling glove, because the palm will often stick to and smudge a display when drawing.

Battery-free Stylus PA2 support tilt and pressure

This tablet uses the newest XP-Pen PA2 battery-free pen. It has a rubber grip with a plastic top, and has a nice shape with a bulge near the bottom to allow for an easy and comfortable grip on the pen.

The stylus is battery-free and boasts 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, as well as 60 degrees of tilt functionality. Also what I have to say is that the pen sensitivity is really awesome. Feeling that you are using a real pen to draw or write.

I have checked several XP-Pen's model . They make lots of model, such as Artist 12, Artist 13.3 Pro and Artist 15.6 Pro, Artist 22E Pro and so on. It is really hard to decide. But after I have compared XP-Pen’s graphic tablet, I found that almost all XP-Pen's tablet is 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity for precise pressure control and the resolution is 5080. It is better than most other brands'graphic tablet at the same price.

Tilt support is another things that has always set Wacom apart until recently. I can confirm that the tilt definitely works but I don’t use it in my work so it’s hard for me to tell how well it works.

I like the feel of the Wacom pen more, but this is still one of the best pens i have used on a Cintiq alternative and for a lot of folks, they just aren't going to be able to tell the difference.

The stylus comes with a plastic pen holder that houses eight replacement nibs and will definitely keep your stylus safe while travelling, and the holder opens to become a pen stand.

Connection

The XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro has a USB type-C port on it to connect to the combined USB/HDMI/power cable. Also if its connected to laptop. It will take the power from laptop, so we can work remotely without direct power support also.

The 12 Pro's USB connection cable allows you to both connect the display and draw power with the same cable, you don't need to attach it to an AC adapter. It can even be run from an external power bank, which adds to its portability.

Install Tablet driver

The XP-Pen tablet driver are extremely easy to install. Just go download the latest version directly from XP-Pen's site and remove all other tablet drivers you have on your computer before installing it.

Once you’ve installed the driver and plugged in your tablet, the XP-Pen driver icon should appear in the system tray in the bottom right. You can access the tablet settings by clicking on that. The installer will also create a shortcut on your desktop for opening the settings.

8 hotkeys and 1 Red Dial

The Artist 12 Pro has eight built-in shortcut keys positioned down the side of the tablet, alongside the new red dial, which can be programmed to zoom in and out, alter brush sizes, and so on. It works on most of the software so far, but sometime you will find it will be a lot of trouble when you use on some other kind of software, but when I contact to the XP-Pen service center, they response to me quickly and with patience. It makes me feeling so good.

Don't even forget the foldable tablet stand that you can install on the back of the tab and lift it with just few angle, makes the drawing more comfortable. There are no mounting holes for mounting to a stand or a VESA mount.

Drawing Experience

XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro Screen drawing tablet need to be plugged into a computer to function. The software for it measures out how hard your pressing down so it has a weight pressure in it and only reacts to a pen so that way your fingers aren't moving the mouse when your drawing.

This product is amazing. Colors are even better than my monitor. Easy set up and great definition. I've used Wacon intuos tablet for more than 5 years. But I feel more excited for this tablet with display. Works perfectly with photoshop for some photo manipulation and full on digital art. The pen works really good its well balanced and doesn't need charging. I like that its portable an very light also doesn't heat.

Thing is it makes you work faster. Or at least that's how it worked for me. When you're drawing on a screen-less graphics pad, it might have a different ratio than your monitor and that's a bit weird when you first try it. So if you draw a circle on the tablet it will never look like a circle on your monitor, but that changes when you have a graphics display. For me, it was nice that it decreased the production time. If you're doing a lot of work on it, you might feel a difference. I went from drawing 8 hours on a piece to only 2 or so. Of course, that might differ for each individual. With screen is mostly useful for tracing line-art.

Pros:

-Easy setup
-simple software
-Colors are great/ full HD resolution
-Great size for on the go with a laptop
-No pen delay/no pen battery
-THE SHORTCUT KEYS ARE MARVELOUS
-the scroll wheel is awesome
-Uses type C connection
-pressure is a advertised
-comes with a tablet stand and glove
-extra pen tips/pen case

Cons:

-Some issues with the specific drawing apps

Conclusion

A Standard Tablet can totally get the job done - but if you are a hardcore illustrator/modeler, you love sketching in notebooks, painting etc, and you've got the money I'd recommend a XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro. Where you put the pen is where you draw - there's no learning curve, there's no disconnect, the screen real estate is fantastic , plenty of buttons and Red Dial to customize shortcuts, etc. it's amazing.

Attracting design makes me love it at first sign. I think this is most important thing for a product. It is not attractive at first sign, it is hard for people to choose it. We all love beautiful things, right. So the outward appearance is very important.

I can't say that XP-Pen is perfect and they can replace wacom. While for this competitive price and good service, it is a good choice for people who would like to buy a drawing tablet with no much cash. Just as the daily use and dress, someone can easily afford the best things without hesitation. But I think also part of people would think twice and carefully make a decision. And the XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro is an amazing entry-level screen drawing tablet and is super fluid and has no lag at this low price. You deserve it.

I bought the $250 on the XP-Pen official store , here is the link . You can check it for more information.

https://www.storexppen.com/buy/artist-12-pro.html

Posted by: tiangao at 08:50 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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October 08, 2019

XP-Pen Artist 13.3 Pro 2019 laminated pen display Review : there's much for digital artists and designers to love

I've been using an Intuos (using a Pro M now) for around six years, It was a model that didn't have a display screen. and I've been using the iPad Pro+pencil combination for a little over a year. I do 2d digital art semi-professionally, mostly involving linework/comics. The software I use (Clip Studio Paint) is available both on Windows and IOS.

The best thing about a pen display is drawing directly on the screen. It's easier to be accurate and you don't have to develop the hand-eye coordination of looking at a screen vs where your hand is. Besides that, there's basically no difference, as long as you have a good monitor.

Wacom is expensive and they can justify their prices by having market dominance in the drawing tablet and monitor industry, but other brands have released products that work just as good for a lot less.

Wacom is the industry standard, so you pay a premium for a premium product that all the professionals use. But after reading and watching reviews of the other tablet brands, I decided to buy XP-PEN Artist 13.3 Pro because it was my first drawing monitor purchase and it was only a little over $300. Other than its small screen, I really have nothing bad to say about it and I enjoy drawing on it.

I've had the XP-PEN Artist13.3 Pro since August and I absolutely love it. The display is big and beautiful and there's no lag. The screen feels great to draw on. Not exactly "like paper" as some have said, but it definitely feels nice. Nice glide but with just enough resistance to feel like an authentic drawing experience.

It's super good, every version gets amazingly better, it's also very large, great for animating and painting for 1/3rd the price of a Cintiq.

First Impressions

The product arrived on time.The packaging was pretty impressive .

The box was very well, I loved the packaging it has a beautiful and very firm and strong box so in case you are shipping it far away rest assure the package is well protected.

The overall build quality is solid. Edges are all rounded off. It actually looks quite good.

XP-Pen Artist13.3 Pro is one of the most affordable Cintiq alternatives out there, price-wise. It’s really a good choice if you’re cash-strapped, as long as you don’t mind drawing on a smaller screen.

Specifications:

Product dimensions: 39 x 25 x 1.4cm
Active area: 29.3 x 16.5cm
Screen: 13.3 inches with 1920 x 1080 resolution
Panel type: IPS
Colors: 16.7 million
Input: USB-C
Graphic ports supported: HDMI, miniDisplay
Pen does not require battery
Stand : Included
Visual Angle:178°
Pressure sensitivity: 8,192 levels + 60° tilt
Display Color Gamut: 88% NTSC , Adobe® RGB≧91%，sRGB≧123%
Artist 13.3 Pro official site :https://www.xp-pen.com/product/464.html

Package Contents :

XP-Pen Artist13.3 Pro tablet
HDMI/Power/USB all-in-one cable
USB extension cable
HDMI to miniDisplay adapter
Pen and stand
8 replacement nibs
Wall charger and various international plugs
Manual, warranty card, cleaning cloth and glove

The packaging box features a very simple clean design. With this box, you lift up the cover to reveal the pen display and all the things included.

The fully-laminated Screen

When you first open up the box, the screen has a protector film over it which has to be peel off to reveal the matte screen protector. It’s a nice texture to draw on.

On XP-Pen Artist13.3’s screen there’s a screen protector that adds texture to the screen. The purpose for this texture is to add friction while you draw, and to hopefully make it similar to drawing on paper. also it can reduces glare and also protects the glass in the long run from scratches.

Calibration on the tablet is decent and does stray a bit towards the edges, but not so bad to ruin the drawing experience. I recommend calibrating the tablet before you draw if you are moving the tablet around.

XP-Pen Artist13.3 Procomes with a 13.3-inch screen, which provides you with a decent drawing area (the active drawing area is 293.76 X 165.24 mm). the tablet used an IPS panel so colour reproduction is quite decent. Some one will think this is small draw area, but you could get used to it if this is your first pen display, or if you want a portable one to take with you on the go.

This 13.3 inch pen display supports a 1920 x 1080 resolution. For a screen this size, which isn’t too big, everything appears sharp.

The colors are on point with 120% sRGB color space support in XP-Pen Artist 13.3 Pro , The viewing angles in this display are really good and you would notice no color shift or rainbow effect when looking off the axis. The display of tablet is sufficiently bright and you can easily use them in bright indoor environments.

XP-Pen Artist 13.3 Pro comes with a fully-laminated display. It results in better image quality with more vibrant colors.

In older displays ( artist 13.3 V2 ) when you draw on the tablet there is a small gap between where the strokes appear and the point where the stylus is actually touching the display surface. This is called parallax.

This small gap affects the drawing experience and makes you feel disconnected from what you are drawing.

One of the biggest advantages of laminated displays is that – they reduce parallax and the strokes appear exactly where you draw them on the screen.

The stylus support pressure and tilt

XP-Pen Artist13.3 Pro comes with a passive pen. The pen supports 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and ±60° of tilt support . It does not use battery so it does not need to be charged.it has two side buttons but no eraser.

The front end of the stylus is made of rubbery silicone material that helps with a comfortable grip. The Stylus has the maximum width near the pen tip which slowly tapers off towards the back.

Weight distribution and balance are also optimized for better drawing performance and more control over the stylus. The pen is tip heavy which feels comfortable while drawing.

The pen comes with a pen holder to store it away while not in use. Inside the pen holder, you can find 8 replacement nibs.
Replacing the pen nib is something you ought to do when the current nib become pointy.

Anyone can learn to add tilt into their work space though and it can become another modifier when drawing. For instance maybe you want pressure to adjust opacity not size, and you want tilt to adjust size not opacity. This would be like how a real pencil works. Pressing harder doesn't make a pencil line bigger it just makes it darker. But tilting the pencil does make the line wider.

People who like to do digital painting may also find tilt useful as the hairs of a brush can be simulated in programs like Corel Painter where the shape of the digital brush changes with angle just like a real paint brush which can be spread out when pushed into the canvas, or thin lines if gently brushed, or thick lines if tilted.

I am an airbrush and pencil/charcoal person in real life and especially when doing digital airbrushing the tilt is important because many of the most basic airbrush strokes, dagger lines, etc all depend on the distance from the surface and the angle and direction the needle is pointing. I could never reproduce my airbrush techniques digitally until tilt and rotation was added. I use my Artist 13.3 Pro when I need those effects.

XP-Pen is a popular brand and they have a lot of experience with making graphics tablets and it shows in their products.

The stylus performs good, totally on par with what you would expect from a premium tablet. The strokes are accurate with no signs of pen jitter or wavy lines. There are no issues of inconsistency or ghost strokes appearing. These pens have well-calibrated and smooth pressure curves with no weird pressure bump issues.

8 Hot Keys and 1 red Multipurpose Dial

XP-Pen Artist13.3 Pro comes with 8 hot keys. Out of which 7 buttons can be used for the shortcut . You could customize these keys to do all sorts of the shortcuts you do on your art program. For example, you could set one of the keys to switch to the selection tool(assuming you use it a lot), while having another one to activate a certain filter. The possibilities are high.

Buttons of the tablet is easy to press and have a satisfying click to it. the buttons are marked with raised dots to easily identify them without looking.

Multipurpose shortcut buttons are great as they allow you to perform multiple shortcuts with a single button.

the Artist 13.3 Pro has a freely rotating dial as their multi-shortcut button. It also has the same shortcuts like changing the size of brush and erasers, pan, zoom, and scroll. You can switch between these modes with the help of the mode switcher button. The roller makes a clicking sound after every 15° of rotation which adds a nice touch.

How to connect the tablet to the computer

The XP-Pen Artist 13.3 Pro is not standalone device and need to be connected to a computer.

The tablet comes with a hybrid 3 in 1 cable. The cable has a USB Type-C connector at one end and an HDMI port, Full-size USB and a power connector at the other end.

For connecting your tablet to the computer, first, you need to connect the single USB Type-C cable to the tablet. Next, connect the HDMI and Full-size USB cable to your computer and the power cable to the Power adapter. After that install, the driver and you are ready to go.

Some of the newer generations of laptops do not have an HDMI and full-size USB port. In that case, you can get a USB hub . It has all the ports you need for connecting your tablet.

The Driver and tablet settings

A driver is a software that helps the computer to understand pen and tablet data. The instructions for installing and setting up the drivers & controls were on the xp-pen official website and super clear .

Before you get to install the driver, it’s important you remember to uninstall any graphics tablet driver on your computer, either from Wacom or another manufacturer.

With the driver, you can change the pressure sensitivity, assign functions to the side and physical shortcut buttons and switch to left-handed mode if you want to. Some of the other settings include adjusting the color, contrast, brightness of the tablet and creating application-specific shortcuts.

It is very easy to install and I love the way everything looks and feels. I use both photoshop, paint sai, and clip studio and this tablet works great for all of those programs.

Drawing performance

Most of the functions such as sketch, paint, design and edit can be executed directly from the tablet screen, work naturally and intuitively.

There’s this inconsistency or the challenge of maintaining a consistently smooth line when drawing curves. When you’re testing for it, it’s going to show up, but when actually drawing with it, it’s not that big of an issue. Out of all the apps, Clip Studio Paint works perfectly without any of the wobble or stroke issues.

Enjoy Every Detail Artist13.3 pro driver can support 4K displays, allowing you enjoy every sharp detail and every soft line. The newest brightness adjustable buttons help you to find the most suitable lightness, offering you an comfortable drawing experience.

If you’re using Windows, the performance of the pen is better than on Mac. You get nicer looking lines.

Pros

- Good build quality and design
- Pen does not require battery
- 8 shortcut buttons are useful
- Smooth lines, no wonkiness at all!
- The lighting and color display matched my monitor
- No brightness issues
- All the shortcuts worked well
- The 13” screen is nice and there was no display compression , Screen has decent colour accuracy and viewing angles
- Pressure worked well and coloring my art was nice with the slant you can do with the pen
- Price is very competitive on this size , Great for art hobbyists!

Cons

- Matte screen protecter affects sharpness of the screen

- the bezels are huge!

Neutral

- The bigger sized models of these are probably better if you’re an artist so you can have more space to work with.

- If you use a small laptop, you may not have enough usb slots for all the cables you need to hook up for the tablet so this works better on a bigger laptop/desktop.

- Of course, you need to configure your pen settings and stability settings for your satisfaction with the tablet output.

Summary

It’s a great little drawing tablet! Full support for Windows 10, I definitely recommend this tablet to artists who cannot afford the Wacom price.

For anyone that wants one of those fancy Wacom Cintiqs but can’t afford one, this tablet might be a great alternative!

Warm Reminder: the drawing tablet could draw power from USB port, as that could mean the ability to use it on the go more easily than other pen displays.

XP-Pen Artist 13.3 Pro comes with a very basic tablet stand which is made of plastic. It has a single adjustable angle of 20 degrees.

If you want to buy this XP-Pen Artist 13.3 Pro graphic tablet monitor , check out the link blow

Official store :https://www.storexppen.com/buy/artist-13-pro.html

Posted by: tiangao at 09:48 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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August 20, 2019

Digital Art Tablet XP-Pen celebrate 14th anniversary with great Deals Coupons Discount Sale

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

Their ability to turn hand drawings into accurate digital representations is enough to tempt beginners and seasoned professionals away from traditional pencil and paper, and as the trend grows so do the number of options for drawing tablets available on the market.

If you have ever use a drawing tablet , you should know XP-Pen brand , XP-Pen is one of the most popular brands in drawing tablets Market . While XP-Pen Graphics tablets consistently rank alongside the best drawing tablets in terms of quality and functionality, they also tend to be available at fantastically competitive prices. This makes them a great option for ambitious creatives working to tight budgets .

About XP-Pen

XP-Pen is founded in Japan in 2005, it specializes in graphics tablets, pen display monitors, light pads, stylus pens and digital graphical products. In 2008 they established an office in Taiwan. In 2013, XP-Pen Technology Co. was founded in the United States. In 2015 they opened their office in Shenzhen, China.

XP-Pen is a professional and reliable supplier of graphics tablets, pen display monitors, stylus pens and more digital graphical products. They strive to enable young artists to realize their full digital potential by pushing the limits of tablet technology.

More details you can visit their official site >https://www.xp-pen.com

XP-Pen Anniversary Sale

To celebrate the company's 14th anniversary, XP-Pen is running a huge sales event on a wide lineup of Graphics Tablets and Drawing Monitors .

XP-Pen Anniversary Sale 2019 dates are August 16 to September 15. you can get Big Savings for Huge Selection . Anyone who buys any product from XP-Pen will have a chance to win a pixiv Premium Account (valued at $16) for free for 3 months. also you can get free creative software Artrage Lite or Artrage 5 , openCanvas , learn more you can visit XP-Pen 14th Anniversary activity Page -https://www.storexppen.com/topic/14.html.

As part of its anniversary celebration, XP-Pen offers up to $100 discount on select drawing tablets. This includes popular machines like the XP-Pen Deco 01 , XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro , and XPPEN's newest Artist 12 Pro Tablet Monitor .

Save with amazing Deals and Free Shipping when you buy now online. Get best deals when you shop on XP-Pen official store . this Anniversary Sale activity is Globally , just select your country or region from the top of the page .

If you see a XP-Pen tablet you like at a price to suit your budget, be sure to pick it up quickly. The best XP-Pen deals are selling out quickly, especially because graphics tablets discounts are some of the most hotly anticipated deals.

Latest XP-Pen Anniversary Sale deals Products

30% off XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro Graphic monitor

Tilt Function Battery-free Stylus - Comes with 8192 levels of pen pressure, battery-free pen provides a more accurate and natural drawing experience; Plus with ±60 degrees of natural tilt recognition, you will have much more fun when drawing. （An plastic stand is included）.

8 Press Keys and 1 Red Roller Wheel - With 13.3 Inches IPS screen, not only save your time but also enhance your productivity.

120% sRGB Color Gamut - Comes with more than 200 PPS Report Rate, you can have better performance and quicker response when working on the pen display; The drawing monitor cannot only provide users with a wider field of view, but also offering richer colors and more natural transition.

Full-laminated Anti-glare Glass - Thanks to the full-laminated screen technology, the stroke you drew is accurate and natural, and almost without offset; Besides, the screen surface is covered with anti-glare glass, effectively reducing the "glare" effect and providing better protection for your eyesight.

Compatibility - XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro is compatible with Windows 7 or later and Mac OS 10.10 or later; It is also compatible with mainstream software like Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio, Paint Tool Sai and more; XP-Pen provides one year warranty.

20% off XP-Pen Artist15.6 Pro Drawing Tablet With Screen

A more affordable pen Display with XP-Pen advanced technology, 8,192 pressure levels and tilt recognition.

It's amazing precision and reduced Parallax ( Because of the full-laminated screen technology ) provide the most natural drawing experience .

XP-Pen’s 15.6” 1920x1080 HD display provides you with clarity to see every detail of your work.

See your creations in vibrant color on the Artist 15.6 Pro’s HD display (16.7 million colors Bit, 88 percentage NTSC ). Work as long as you'd like with the battery free pen that charges off the screen while you create .

XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro features 8 fully customizable shortcut keys and 1 innovative Red Dial , puts more customization options at your fingertips, and allows you to optimize your workflow to capture and express your ideas faster and more easily .

Connect to your computer with the convenient 3 in 1 (HDMI) connection cable and get into the perfect position with foldable legs that let you adjust how you want to work. Brightness 250 cd/m2 .

XP-Pen Artist13.3 Pro come with a colorable mascot gift worth for $59.99

The Artist 13.3 Pro Pen Display from XP-Pen is designed for casual artists and professionals alike who want a medium-sized drawing tablet.

Measuring 13.3", its display has a 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution for clear details as well as an anti-glare coating with reduced parallax to help minimize distractions and replicate a pen-to-paper-like feel. Specs-wise, its display has a 250 cd/m² brightness rating, a 1000:1 static contrast ratio, wide 178° viewing angles, and support for up to 16.7 million colors with 88% NTSC color coverage.

Apart from the tablet, the Artist 13.3 Pro comes with a battery-free stylus , 8192 pressure levels sensitivity. Furthermore, there's virtually no lag or batteries and recharging required. With tilt support, you'll be able to draw naturally as you would with a pencil or brush.

Aside from the Stylus , a set of accessories are included such as a pen holder, replacement nibs, and a nib removal tool. For a more comfortable drawing experience, the Artist 13.3 Pro come with foldable built-in Stand.

For additional features and functionality, you can use 8 ExpressKey and 1 red dial to help boost your productivity.

20% off XP-Pen Artist15.6 best Budget Screen Drawing Tablet

The XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Drawing Tablet monitor features the P05 Stylus which uses Electro Magnetic Resonance technology to draw the power it needs from the tablet so it does not require a battery.

Features 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and a low activation force, enabling it to detect even very light pen strokes.

Full 1920 x 1080 HD display , 16.7 million colors and 75% Adobe RGB .

11mm thin design, 3 in 1 cable, and a new brightness adjustment button.

6 express keys available to be customized according to your own needs.

Compatible with Most Operating Systems and Applications

Adobe suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, Lightroom), Autodesk Sketchbook, Paint Tool SAI, ArtRage, Krita, Artweaver, Rebelle, Clip Studio Paint., Corel suite (Painter, Draw, Paintshop Pro),

17% off XP-Pen Artist 16 Pro display drawing tablet

15.6 inch 1920x1080 resolution IPS 16:9 Display with 178° degree of visual angle .

It is made with a 92% Adobe RGB color gamut, which is obviously necessary for high-quality animation and photographic retouching. Plus,

Battery-free stylus technology provides 8192 levels of instant pen pressure sensitivity.

8 fully customizable express keys create a highly ergonomic and convenient work platform.

Enjoy the high quality glass design , allow users to sketch, paint, design and edit photos directly from the drawing tablet screen.

Find a perfect and comfortable position with the adjustable stand by dragging the switch to create your work.

20% off XP-Pen Artist 22E Pro Graphic Tablet Monitor

The XP-Pen Artist 22E Pro is the upgraded version of the Artist 22E , including a large amount of programmable express keys on both sides .

21.5 inch Full HD screen with 1920x1080 resolution, color gamut 78%~82% Adobe RGB , full viewing angle of 178 degrees .

8 programmable Express Keys per side. More ease of use and comfort, faster workflow with easy access to frequently used shortcuts.

P02S digital pen with 8192 pressure levels, rechargeable, no tilt sensitivity .

5080 LPI and 233 PPS report rate (good figures to avoid broken lines and delays while drawing) .

Adjustable multi-position stand, allows inclination of the screen from 20 to 80 degrees .

10% off XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro Pen Display Tablet

The XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro is a professional level 21.5 inch Full HD graphics tablet. It is part of XPPEN's high-end range and it is designed to meet the most demanding expectations.

21.5-inch Full HD screen (1920 x 1080 pixels). The screen surface is huge, it's like drawing directly on a computer screen.

P02S rechargeable digital stylus with 8192 pressure levels (it gets recharged with a USB cable)

It features a multi-position stand that allows you to tilting the screen .

This is a high quality graphics tablet with screen for drawing, graphic design, 3D or any other creative endeavour.

5% off XP-Pen Artist 12 portablet Drawing Monitor

11.6 inch, Full HD drawing monitor with 1920x1080 resolution, colour gamut 72% NTSC, 178 degree full viewing angle.

5080 LPI and 233 PPS report rate (a good figure to avoid broken lines and delays while drawing) .

New P06 battery-free stylus, completely battery-free, 8192 pressure levels but without tilt function support. has 2 express keys on the digital stylus.

6 programmable shortcut keys and a touch bar (useful for zooming and moving around the work area), on the left side (good for left-handed use simply by turning the tablet around) .

Good value for money. A very good set of specs for a very decent price, makes this tablet the top of the list when it comes to quality-price ratio.

20% off XP-Pen Deco Pro Android Digital Drawing Tablet

New pen technology supports 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, tilt-response and virtually lag-free tracking.

Large size is a super-slim tablet design with a more larger active area than previous models (11” x 6” Medium or 9" x 5" Small ) .

XP-Pen Deco Pro graphic tablet features 8 Customizable Express Keys and double wheel design .

System Requirements: USB port, Windows® 7 or later (64bit). Mac OS 10.10 or later,

Internet connection to download driver and Software.

20% off XP-Pen Deco 01 V2 Android Graphic Tablet Support Tilt function

Every stroke you draw on the XP-Pen Deco 01 V2 tablet can be precisely and originally recorded by pen and tablet and immediately display on your computer screen. 10" x 6.25" large working area .

8 Customizable Express Keys set individual shortcut way to skip tedious typing and clicking time and improve efficiency.

8192 Levels Pressure Sensitivity, ±60 degrees Tilt function support , 5080 LPI Resolution, ≧ 200 PPS Report Rate, providing professional drawing experience.

OS Compatibility: Compatible with Android 6.0 , Windows 7/8/8.1/10 and Mac OS 10.8.0 or above.

Works with major programs like Adobe Photoshop, SAI, Illustrator, Clip Studio, Krita, CorelPainter, Manga Studio and more.

20% off XP-Pen Deco 01 Animation Tablet

The XP-Pen Deco 01 Graphic Drawing Tablet features a large 10 x 6.25-inch work area.

Features a 5080 lines per inch (LPI) drawing resolution, a 266 RPS report rate, and 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity.

Eight user assignable Express Keys on the left side of the drawing area.

The Express Keys can be assigned to input specific keystroke combinations, launch applications, open web pages, send email, or to emulate a specific mouse function (e.g., left-click of the stylus ).

10% off XP-Pen Deco 02 Digital Art Tablet

The XP-Pen Deco 02 Graphics Drawing Tablet features a large 10 x 5.63 inch drawing area. Portable design is only 9mm thick .

Features six express keys and 1 sleek newly designed silver roller for a variety of software functions.

Includes the ability to adjust the pressure sensitivity, up to 8192 level. battery-free stylus Does not require charging.

The XP-Pen Deco 02 USB Graphics Tablet is compatible with most applications including Corel Painter, CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, 3D MAX, Autodesk MAYA, and more.

20% off XP-Pen Deco 03 Wireless graphic tablet

This might be a great choice for your powerful drawing tablet. It’s very portable, big , lightweight and full of great features.

Sufficient Compact Working Area - The large working surface of 10×5.62 inches provides users with larger space to draw, bringing users a more enjoyable working experience of the digital tablet.

Battery-free digital stylus with 8192 pressure sensitivity levels, no need for batteries and it doesn't need to be recharged. Report rate of 266 RPS, even higher than other high-end drawing tablet .

8 User-defined Shortcuts and 1 red roller wheel - The drawing tablet is convenient to set up your favorite shortcuts according to your own needs.

20% off XP-Pen Star 06 Wireless painting Tablet

large Work Area : a fair amount of drawing space, 10 x 6 inches. This drawing tablet is thin (only 10 mm) and light enough so you can carry it around your workspace.

Battery-free pen with 8192 level pressure sensitivity,Responsive and no need to charge , allowing for constant uninterrupted using.

1 Touch ring & 6 customized express Keys: touch ring make your working easily for zoom in & out, and Undo/redo etc.The 6 express keys can be customized according to your usage habits.

Wireless connectivity gives you an amazing cable-free work experience making for a tidier desktop environment at work.

Compatible with Mac and Windows. Compatible with drawing softwares such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel painter, Comic studio, Manga Studio ,Clip Studio etc.

10% off XP-Pen Star 05 Wireless Graphic Tablet

The Star05 features both wired and wireless USB capability: Simply plug the included USB receiver into your computer to draw wirelessly using the ISM 2.4G and FHSS, or connect to your computer with the included USB cable for standard wired use.

Built-in lithium battery charges quickly and conveniently during wired use.

2.5 hours provides a full charge that lasts up to 14 hours.

Battery-free stylus with 2048 pressure levels does not require charging.

Six touch-sensitive shortcut keys allow quick access to most commonly used functions.

8” x 5” working area provides ample room to draw and paint comfortably.

Compatible with Windows 10/8/7/Vista and Mac 10.7 or above operating systems.

Works with most currently available drawing software, such as Photoshop, Paint tool Sai, Clip Studio Paint, etc.

20% off XP-Pen Star 03 affordable Drawing Tablet

The XP-Pen Star 03 Tablet is one of the most affordable larger sized ( 10 x 6 inches ) tablets and one that is ideal for people who are just starting to use these types of devices.

Whether you are looking for an alternative to a mouse pointing device or you are interested in digital painting, drawing, or editing, this may be the right tablet for you. it is well within the price range of most consumers.

8 programmable shortcut keys, on one side, suitable for both left-handed and right-handed use, by turning the tablet around.

when it comes to sensitivity, the 8192 levels of pen pressure mean that you will be able to achieve precision every time.

Posted by: tiangao at 03:29 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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July 15, 2019

Best Amazon Prime Day 2019 XP-Pen Graphics Drawing Tablets Deals Discounts for Designers and Artists

Amazon Prime Day 2019 officially kicks off on July 15th - July 16th, there will have some great deals.

Digital designers and artists on the look out for a discount pen display or drawing tablet are in luck: these XP-Pen Amazon Prime Day 2019 deals slash up to 15% off the popular XP-Pen graphic drawing tablets.your will get all the best deals on xp-pen brand graphics tablet, Screen Drawing Tablets , and more during the biggest retail event of 2019 so far.

If you're not familiar with XP-Pen, this professional graphics tablet company has been developing pro drawing products since 2005. The company offers a decent budget alternative to more expensive Wacom options. learn more you can visit xp-pen official site -https://www.xp-pen.com.

Amazon Prime Day 2019: Fast facts

When does Prime Day start? Really, the answer is right now, even though the official start date and time is tomorrow, Monday, July 15 at 3am EDT (midnight PDT). We have a bunch of price drops updating live in our deals list below.

When does Prime Day end? Tuesday, July 16 at 3am EDT (midnight PDT). It's two full days – 48 hours long.

Amazing XP-Pen pen display & drawing tablet discounts

XP-Pen will be cutting 15% off several of its popular graphics tablets, drawing monitors including the Wacom Cintiq 16-rivaling Artist 15.6 Pro .

The newest pen display tablet XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro will be $340 on Prime Day. Regular price: $399.99 (official store) .

Visit:https://www.storexppen.com/coupon/index(official store)

Visit:https://www.amazon.com/xp-pen(US)

Visit:https://www.amazon.co.uk/xp-pen(UK)

Retail events like Prime Day and Black Friday usually guarantee good deals if you can wait. You might want to upgrade your outdated tech and splash out on a drawing tablet . With these discounts, there's no better time to pick up an XP-Pen device.

Pen Tablet and drawing monitors can be sizeable investments, so we've created this roundup to help you make the right decision and get the best deal possible during Amazon Prime Day. you will get it after 2~3 days after you purchase .

XP-Pen official store product deals list during Prime Day:

Cheap XP-PEN StarG640S Android Graphic Drawing Tablet

Android Phones and Tablets Supported-Star G640S Android support connect to Andriod Mobile devices(Mobile phone or tablets) that run Android 6.0 or above operating system with using the included OTG connector. iPhone and iPad do not support.

High-pressure sensitivity-The drawing pen tablet features 6 x 3.75 inches working area that fully-utilizes our 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity. Experience even finer-tuned precision and razor-sharp accuracy right at your fingertips. The Phone working area is mapping to the full working space on the tablet.

Features 6 round customizable express keys! Housed right at your fingertips for quick access to customize and optimize your workflow. At only 9mm thick, the G640S Android drawing tablet is slim for portability and easy on-the-go use.

Battery-free Passive Pen! P05 Passive Pen is the perfect replacement for the traditional mouse! Our stylus pens require no charging, allowing for endless, uninterrupted drawing and gaming. This tablet is designed for both right and left-hand users. Allowing you to have more fun. Also comes with 20 replacement pen nibs, no worry for lack of pen nibs .

StarG640S Android can be used with Andriod 6.0 or above and Windows 10/8/7 and Mac 10.10 above operating systems and is compatible with most major creative software programs. Cross-compatibility is updated periodically through our driver updates. XP-Pen provides one-year warranty and lifetime technical support for all our pen tablets/displays .

Advanced XP-PEN Deco Pro Graphics Drawing Tablet with Tilt Function Double Wheel

XP-PEN Deco Pro, the XP-Pen’s latest tablet release, makes its debut as the 2019 Red Dot Design Award Winner and the 2018 Good Design Award Winner. The Deco Pro Medium features an 11 x 6 inch working area, giving you a bigger canvas for your creations. Made with an aluminum casing and featuring a curved form as thin as 7mm, making it smooth to use and sleek in appearance.

XP-PEN Deco Pro features the new groundbreaking double wheel interface combines a mechanical and virtual wheel that makes it possible to perform multiple actions with one hand, it’s easier and quicker than ever to capture, write, draw, and edit. The roller wheel comes equipped with an indicator light and adjustable brightness level, letting you stay immersed in your creation even in dim light. It also features 8 responsive shortcut keys, giving you instant access to specific functions.

The XP-Pen Deco Pro supports up to 60 degrees of tilt function! Quickly and easily responding to the way your hand naturally moves. Tilt function also delivers smoother and more natural transitions between lines and strokes while also giving you the ability to add shading to your creation. And the newly designed A41 battery-free stylus, no batteries or charging is ever required. There are no clumsy cords for charging and no extra cost for an extra pen.

Deco Pro Medium with up to 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, the Deco Pro provides you precise control and accuracy. Create fine lines in a fluid and incredibly natural experience. Deco Pro comes with a multi-function pen holder to keep your pen and pen nibs safe. You can use it as a pen stand or as a case to keep your pen secure anywhere you go.

Android Phones and Tablets Supported-The XP-Pen Deco Pro Medium is compatible with Windows 7/8/10, Mac OS X 10.10 or above and Android devices 6.0 or above, and works with most major creative software including Photoshop, SAI, Painter, Illustrator, Clip Studio, and more. XP-Pen provides a one-year warranty [warranty only valid under the situation that damage is not caused by man-made] and lifetime technical support for all our pen tablets/displays .

Affordable XP-PEN DECO 03 Wireless Graphic Tablet with 8192 Level Stylus

DECO 03 newly designed drawing tablet with 10*5.62 large drawing area and full screen scratch free protective layer offers grand creation space for natural and smooth digital art creation without leaving any scratch on the surface;

Creative multi-function Red Dial built in for faster operation, utilized the functional dial by rotating for creative design, 6 programmable short cut keys increase the productivity and performance when drawing with DECO 03 graphics tablet;

Wireless drawing tablet release you from limitation of connection cable, enjoy the freedom of movement for digital art creation, the built in rechargeable battery offers hours of working time and easily recharged the tablet by plug in the cable with computer;

8192 level pressure sensitivity pen stylus enables you to draw lines and sketch with brush tool with the pressure you apply to the pen in more precise and accurate way, newly design Pen holder with 8 extra pen nips and increased 266 RPS provides more durable and natural drawing experience;

Ultra thin 8mm body with light weight design, makes it easy to hold and carry in hand, compatible with Windows 10/8/7 Mac OS operating system, suits for creative software such as Photoshop, SAI, Painter, Illustrator, Clip Studio, Zbrush, Krita, Gimp, Sketchbook and more, ideal for professional and beginner designer.

Best budget XP-Pen Deco 01 Graphics Drawing Tablet, Graphic Tablets with 8 Shortcut Keys

LARGE DRAWING SPACE: The XP-PEN Deco 01 is provided with 10 x 6.25 inch working area, so you have more space to create and get work done. Super lightweight panel with compact design and delicate craftsmanship, offers a no delay or no chopping excellent drawing experience.

CUSTOMIZED EXPRESS KEYS: The Deco 01 features 8 customized express keys that saving your time and making your drawing smoother. Designed for both right and left hand user. Remove all limitations and set out to what you want to be.

BRILLIANT & STYLISH APPEARANCE: Drawing tablet with ultra-thin and ergonomically designed. 8mm thickness offers you ultra portability. Lightweight, carry it anywhere without any burden. 4 LED lights in the edge indicate the active drawing area.

8192 LEVEL PRESSURE SENSITIVITY PEN STYLUS: The P03 stylus of graphic tablet comes with 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, making it durable and fit comfortably in your hand and provides you with a more natural and realistic drawing experience. Stylus is no battery, no charging required.

COMPATIBLE WITH MOST OPERATING SYSTEMS & APPLICATIONS: Graphic Tablet DECO 01 is compatible with Windows 10/8/7, Mac OS version 10.8 and above. Also compatible with many major designer software such as Photoshop, SAI, Painter, Illustrator, Clip Studio, and more. Ideal for professional and beginner designer. We offer you One-year warranty service and clock customer service.

XP-PEN Artist12 11.6 Inch FHD Drawing Monitor Pen Display under $200

XP-PEN Artist12 11.6 Inch FHD Drawing Monitor Pen Display Graphic Monitor with PN06 Battry-Free Pen Multi-Function Pen Holder and Glove 8192 Pressure Sensitivity.

XP-PEN’s latest smallest 1920x1080 HD display paired with 72% NTSC Color Gamut, presenting vivid images, vibrant colors and extreme detail for a stunning display of your artwork. Features a slim touch bar that can be programmed to zoom in and out on your canvas, scroll up and down, and more.

Artist12 pen tablet come with 11.6 Inch display area, equipped with 8192-levels of pressure sensitivity and 6 handy shortcut keys, comes with the anti-reflective coating, included with the Multi-function Pen Holder .

XP-PEN advanced P06 passive pen was made for a traditional pencil-like feel! Featuring a unique hexagonal design, non-slip & tack-free flexible glue grip, partial transparent pen tip, and an eraser at the end! Delivering technical sense, high efficiency, with a fashionable and comfortable grip.

Artist12 Pen display is HD IPS display. It’s ideal for drawing, photography, animation, fashion, Sketching, Image editing, 3D sculpting, drawing beginners, Art painting Amateur, architecture design and more.

XP-PEN Artist 12 supports Windows 10/8/7(32/64bit), MAC OS 10.8 and higher. Compatible with popular digital art software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, SAI, CDR, Painter, SketchBook Pro, MediBang, Clip Studio and more.

XP-PEN Artist 15.6 Pro Drawing Display with 120% sRGB color gamut and Tilt Function

XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro LCD drawing monitor with breakthrough red dial provides 8 customizable buttons to zoom in and out, scroll up and down, easily design your own shortcuts, allows you to experience a comfortable touch while further optimizing your workflow and improving your productivity;

A more affordable passive stylus technology provides 8192 pressure levels and tilt recognition for the pen display. It's amazing precision and reduced parallax provide the most natural drawing experience. Artist 15.6 Pro large drawing monitor supports a 60 degree tilt function that can easily and quickly sense the gesture movement of the stylus and mimic the true tilt effect. The passive stylus does not need charging;

Artist15.6-inch drawing monitor IPS Full HD resolution display, 88% NTSC (120% sRGB) wide color gamut, high color reproduction, 178°wide viewing angle. Seamlessly fits the glass and the screen with a full-fit technology to create a zero-parallax, easy-to-use work environment that's also easy on the eyes. It is designed for both left and right handed users;

The XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro drawing display features a slim 11mm profile, and requires only a 3-in-1 cable to connect to your computer and powered by wall plug, making the desktop cleaner. Compatible with Windows 10/8/7, Mac OS version 10.10 or later, and major graphics software such as Photoshop, Painter, Illustrator, Clip Studio, and more.

XP-PEN Artist22E Pro 21.5 Inch HD Pen Display Monitor with 16 Shortcuts

We are committed to providing you with cost-effective products and customer service as the top priority. This is our commitment: one year warranty, lifetime technical support. If you have any questions after purchasing, please feel free to contact us and we will do our best to solve the problem with you.We have been in the painting industry for five years,we have solved the problems you may have with the rich industry experience.

XP-PEN Artist22E Pro pen display functions such as drawing, sketching, painting, design, and editing can now be performed directly on the surface of your monitor. Expand your creativity and work naturally and intuitively. It meets the needs of all types of digital artists at any skill level.

Artist22E Pro drawing display features 1080p resolution with 77%-82% Adobe Color Gamut Coverage(100%SRGB) and an extra-wide 178° viewing angle. Our 4 and 9-point calibration will provide your work unprecedented accuracy and precision. Features 16 customizable Express keys, the driver allows the express keys to be attuned to many different software. Fit for both left and right handed users.

XP-PEN Artist22E Pro graphic drawing tablet provides 8192 levels of instant pen pressure sensitivity, P02S rechargeable pen providing you with groundbreaking control and fluidity to expand your creative output. And the Max Report Rate has increased to 266 RPS, to make lines flow smoother and perform better, working faster and efficiently.

Artist 22E Pro driver can support 4k displays under extend mode. Now you can enjoy every sharp detail. The custom-designed anti-reflective coating reduces glare by 56 percent. Your screen will continue to look clear and beautiful, even if it’s bright out. The sturdy, adjustable, and ergonomically designed stand prevents shaking and sliding, providing a comfortable drawing experience. It can also be attached to a 75x75 mm vesa mount.

XP-PEN Artist22E Pro Supports Windows 7/8/10 and Mac Os x 10.10.x or later. Compatible with popular digital art software such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, Comic Studio, SAI, Zbrush, Medibang Paint, Toonboom Harmony etc. XP-PEN provides one-year warranty and lifetime technical support for all our pen tablets/displays.

Posted by: tiangao at 06:10 AM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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May 22, 2019

XP-Pen Deco Pro Stylus graphics tablet used with OTG Android tablets for Drawing and note-taking

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One of the most popular brands in drawing tablets, XP-Pen has officially launched its flagship product Deco Pro Small and Deco Pro Medium on 17nd May 2019. These smart tablets captured the market in no time as both the tablets are highly compatible with Android OS, which has never been seen before in the entire tablet industry.

XP-Pen Deco Pro Creative Pen Tablet is an amazing device special made for professional sketchers, drawers and illustrators. The XP-Pen Deco Pro Series graphic tablet is a brand new product that can be connected not only to a PC / laptop but also to an Android phone / tablet to use. Besides, OTG connection is another feature of Deco Pro that will further facilitate drawing outdoors.

The XP-Pen Deco Pro Drawing tablet works with most graphics software like Windows Paint 3D, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel Painter, Autodesk Sketchbook, Manga Studio, Clip Studio, Zbrush. It’s also compatible with the Sketckbook ,MediBang Paint ,Deco Draw Android Drawing AppSince it’s a tablet aimed at those who draw digitally, it has a pretty good variety of hotkeys – 8 of them: undo, change brush size, pan, zoom, erase and many more. Deco Pro offers one Virtual wheel ( touch ring ) and one Mechanic wheel that allows you to zoom in and out, use brushers, and scroll up and down. Double Wheel Design helps a lot to improve your working efficiency and save your time.

Deco Pro is equipped with the battery-free pen, which sets you free from the charging issues. Together with 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity and ±60° tilt support, you can enjoy more accurate and natural strokes, bringing you a more real paper-like drawing experience.

Because the work area of a PC/laptop is different from a phone/tablet, so the work area of the Deco Pro graphic tablet will be different according to the different connection way you choose.

266PPS helps to sense the pen movement agilely, with almost no delay lines. 5080 LPI high pen resolution makes the pen stroke more delicate and natural, which can easily achieve pixel-level painting display. Thanks to these configurations, your working flow is greatly improved.

It is compatible with Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.12 or later, and Android 6.0 or later (OTG supported devices).

XP-Pen Deco Pro Creative Pen Tablet Specs

Model:Deco Pro Small/Deco Pro Medium
Application：illustration / animation / graphic design / industry design / image retouching / anime gaming, etc.
Express Keys:8 Customized Press Keys and Double Wheel
Technology:Battery-Free Electromagnetic Resonance
Active Area:9 x 5 inch / 11x 6 inch
Resolution:5080 LPI
Report Rate:266PPS
Pen Pressure:8192 Levels
Pen Tilt :60 Degrees
Reading Height:10mm
Interface Support:USB-C
OS Support:Windows 7 or later， macOS 10.10 or later Android 6.0 or later
Compliance:CE / FCC / CCC
Dimensions/piece :350 x 211.8 x 8mm
Color:Black
Official site:https://www.xp-pen.com/product/432.html

I have been professionally retouching photos for 8 years, full time. I have been using a Wacom intuos tablet (non-display) for that long. The hardware is great. I just replaced an indestructible old tablet that didn't keep up with modern technology. But thanks to that I found myself in the situation of needing a new tablet and I learned about the XP-Pen Deco thanks to various reviews on YouTube.

XP-Pen has established itself as a good drawing tablet manufacturer over the years. It has a good list of options for beginners and professionals alike. I'd like to introduce you to the Deco Pro Medium. their most advanced graphics tablet . Let's see if it's worth getting.

Design

The design of the tablet is very eye-catching, The tablet is very lightweight and beautiful, which I really like. The XP-Pen Deco Pro tablet is thinner and lighter than its predecessor, The back and the top of the tablet made of aluminum as it is cold to the touch,This is one of the few screen-less tablets on the market which uses a metal back, so it was most certainly built to last.

XP-Pen Deco Pro is built using premium materials . The result is a pen tablet that feels reassuringly strong but is a mere 7mm thick.

The surface sheet is smooth texture . On one side of the tablet you will find eight customizable express keys and the roller Wheel , offer the perfect amount of custom functionality .

The tablet comes with the latest generation pressure pen, which feels and looks nice; and a housing for the pen which also hides about 10 replacement nibs which is very cool.

The Tablet Itself

The physical machineDeco Pro Android Drawing Tabletis nice and sturdy. It uses a USB-C to connect, and the USB-C cable detaches from the other end, which is useful if you need to transport it so you don't have to coil the cord around it like some older xp-pen star tablets.

It seemed to work on my Dell PC just fine, I use it on a wired connection, and it seems to pick that up just fine anyway. the active drawing area is adequate yet still compact and portable. the smooth surface will allow the nibs to last longer.

Interaction With The Computer

The port itself is a standard USB type-C port with no tunnel in front of it. The use of USB type-C is really good here as it allows for the user to plug in the L-shaped cable whichever direction they need to, depending on whether they are right or left-handed.

Once you've gotten it plugged into your computer you'll need to spend a bit of time with the drivers to get it to work on your computer. I'm installing it on a Windows 10 desktop. It was extremely easy to setup, download and install drivers from XP-PEN's website,

The driver is packed with features. You can set sensitivity for pressure. Any of the buttons with any keystroke you want. You can set for different programs so when you're in that program, the keys automatically start functioning differently depending what software you're using. It has absolute or relative options and you can set for use with two screens or just one of the two that you have, and on and on. TIP-eliminate all other drivers, restart computer and then install this tablet's driver otherwise you'll have glitches.

First up, driver I must say instantly even before any tweaking I could feel just how smooth, and responsive this tablet was, with an unprecedented depth in pressure sensitivity, there is a nice curve editor right in there driver so you can fine tune and find the sweet spot you desire. It took me about 30 seconds to get the feel of a 2b pencil. A left-hand right-hand configuration switch, my self, being left-handed is a must, as well as aspect ratio and drawing field changes. You can also set up the dial, express keys all with user-defined commands.

I then ran the gambit software test, Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, Zbrush, Maya, and Blender. It all registered and performed beautifully across the board. The Express keys and wheel are responsive and have a home key registration so you know where your hand is with out looking. I must same I am very happy with this purchase and believe XP Pen will have a long future with me and my graphical needs I hope to be able to try out one of there Artist Series Pen Displays in the future as soon as I can save up the money to invest in a new one, and review that as well.

The pen support pen tilt and pressure

Another great feature is the pressure-sensitive pen tip, that is designed to recognize 8192 levels of pressure and detect tilt up to 60 degrees. the pen tilt on the Deco Pro is quite smooth. The vast degree of pressure responsiveness in the Pen is something I really appreciated, The pen also has two buttons click on the side that gives users the ability to click, right-click, or double-click.

The pen has a great feel in the hand, and that it doesn't require batteries or need to be recharged has been a convenience for sure. Sensitivity levels are amazing, though I have found myself decreasing the range to accommodate my own pressure preferences. Its exceptional sensitivity and responsiveness gives me the control I need to take my work to the next level.

The drawing experience!

I prefer the Deco Pro Medium version because it has a better large drawing surface and I can rest my hand on other parts of the tablet when I am working. In addition, there are more express keys and the Double Wheel .

I'm using it mostly for Photoshop and Lighroom and other Drawing or Sketching apps and it's the perfect size for everything I need a tablet for. The sensitivity/pressure settings are amazing and it really does give a true feel for the pressure applied. I've experienced no lag while in the wired setting for work. In fact, for most applications I end up mapping a small area of the tablet to correspond to my full 27 inch monitor screen and it allows me to control my entire screen without moving my hand.

The Double wheel is responsive and a really distinct aspect of the table, it really gives it personality. The fully customizable buttons on the side are one of my favorite features of this tablet. I've set it to work in conjunction with my Photoshop key shortcuts, and it makes my life so much easier when editing photos, digitally painting and doing any touchups on any application.

I really like that it came with a drawing glove, I have never used one and now I see that it can really help to keep your tablet clean. The surface of the Deco Pro really likes to get dirty with fingerprints, so the glove helps it look pristine. Not to mention, this comes with a pen stand, and the pen stand optimizes storage space so well with a selection of different pen nibs inside the stand.

Conclusion

Highly recommended for anyone looking to get started in digital drawing tablets or those who've been it in for a while and just want a solid, affordable digital pen tablet to add to your workforce. It gets really close to the experience of using a $300 Wacom Intuos Pro for only a fraction of the price.

No CONS for now...and hopefully I wont have any in the future.

I will really recommend it to anyone looking to start drawing digitally. Especially if XP-PEN continues to improve and support this product in the near future.
I really appreciate what they have here and feel like its appropriate to support Wacom's competition so that we can all enjoy better products in the future.

There are a few main reasons why I chose this over other tablets in the same market.
1. Great price
2. Size of work area on tablet
3. 8000+ levels of for pressure sensitivity
4. battery-free stylus support pen tilt function
5. Slim and light weight
6. Pen is smaller than other models, closer to size of actual ink pens, not too bulky in hand
7. Back to price when factoring all of the above in compared to other models/competitors

Places to buy the tablet

XP-Pen Deco Pro official Store:https://www.storexppen.com/buy/deco-pro.html

Posted by: tiangao at 02:51 AM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
Post contains 1893 words, total size 13 kb.

January 26, 2019

XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro Review: Best cheap digital Art Drawing tablet with Screen for professional artists

I've written here a number of times extolling the virtues of all things XP-Pen. Chances are if you're reading this, you're familiar with the XP-Pen line of products. I've been using XP-Pen Artist 15.6 (interactive pen displays) since 2017 or so, and frankly don't know how I'd finish the majority of ad or magazine jobs I do on time without them. If you're not familiar, Read more about them here...

XP-Pen release new products often. What I like about them is they release something new when the technology is there and they've perfected it. Case in point, I've had the Artist15.6art tablet with screenfor something like 2 years. It's been that long since a comparable device has been unveiled. They did release a 21.5" device Artist 22E Pro a few months ago, and I bought one to upgrade. This is a sturdy desktop device .

Now, they've just released the latest iteration of the product Artist 15.6 , the Artist 15.6 Pro . Eventually I'll get around to doing a video review of that, but in the meantime, I thought I'd write about a new review that goes along with this new drawing monitor .

XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro is the newer model of the Artist 15.6 , but with pen tilt Support , The tilt function ensures that the accuracy of the pen remains the same when tilted, offering a real and natural drawing experience.

Artist 15.6 Pro has been used 120% sRGB ( 85% adobe rgb color accuracy) in the device to give you more vivid, clear and sharp color quality that also enhances the accuracy of any image. the Artist 15.6 display tablet is 75% adobe rgb color accuracy .

It has greatly improved on parallax, New optical bonding process that greatly reduces parallax , becuse of new Technology their has No Air Gap.

Compared to the Artist 15.6,the Artist 15.6 Pro features 8 fully customizable shortcut keys and 1 Red Roller Wheel which puts more customization options at your fingertips to suit you preferred work style, allowing you to capture and express your ideas easier and faster for optimized workflow.

In case you don’t want Pen tilt function, or want to save few bucks and get the Screen drawing tablet for cheaper, it may worth it to check out the previous Artist 15.6 model. Which have similar features, like the 8192 level of pressure sensitivity, the HD screen, the 3-to-1 cable. And the pro pen with 8 replacement nibs.

Where can I buy a XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro

XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro is an ideal choice among professional artists who love drawing and painting. This device is the best way to step into the digital canvas world as it mainly focused the professionals and allow them to give their best in whichever environment they are. Now you don’t have to worry about colors, brushes, sheets, and pencil anymore, just pick this piece, keep it in your bag and move ahead to the world of art.

Artist 15.6 Pro Screen Drawing Tablet is available in XP-Pen Globe official Storehttps://www.storexppen.com/buy/artist-15_6pro.htmlon January 25, 2019. The sale starts from January 25 , you can use coupons & promo codeSuperBowl(10% off) to get one till February 04, 2019 .

Notable specifications:

Display Size:15.6″
Aspect Ratio:16:9
Native Resolution:1920 x 1080
Product Dimension:443 x 280 x 12.6 mm
Active Area:344.16 x 193.59 mm
Shortcutkeys:8
Roller Wheel:1
Color Gamut:88% NTSC (covers 120% sRGB color gamut)
Display Colors:16.7 Million
Viewing Angle:178°
Pressure Levels :8192
Report Rate:266 RPS
Pen Tilt Sensitivity:- ±60
Supports Multitouch:no
Resolution:5080 lpi
Response Rate:25ms
More details:https://www.xp-pen.com/goods/show/id/394.html

What’s in the box?

The tablet comes in a nice looking white box with a unique design. There isn’t anything particularly important on the back of the box aside from a repeat of the specifications.

The things that come in the box:

XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro tablet
XP-Pen P06 battery-free pen
Pen case
Combined cable (USB type-C to USB type-A, HDMI, and USB type-A for power)
USB type-A extension cable (for power)
USB power adapter
Outlet adapters for international power outlets
HDMI to Mini-DisplayPort adapter
Pen nib replacements x8
Anti-fouling glove
Screen cleaning cloth
User manual
Warranty policy and warranty card
"Thank you” card
AC 41 Stand

Design

The tablet comes in a nice looking white box with a unique design. There isn’t anything particularly important on the back of the box aside from a repeat of the specifications.The XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro sports a fairly simple design overall.The tablet comes with a pre-applied screen protector which has a very minimal amount of texture.

This tablet has 3 buttons along the side which are for power, brightness up, and brightness down. The tablet itself does not have an OSD settings button, but you can change the screen colours through the XP-Pen driver software.

The power button will glow with a dark blue light to indicate that the tablet is powered on.

The IPS Screen

The new XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro has a 15.6-inch IPS display with full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080) . It can produce 88 per cent of the NTSC colour palette (85% Adobe RGB colour gamut or 120% sRGB colour gamu ) with 16.7 million colors which means more colour accuracy, you can do photo or image-editing at a pro level, you’ll need this more pro version.

Virtually No Parallax : The display has been outfitted with full laminated technology that seamlessly mingles protective glass and screen glass, giving better picture quality.

The space between the glass and the screen (which was noticeable but manageable on earlier Cintiqs) is virtually nonexistent now. It no longer feels like I’m drawing on top of a monitor on top of my artwork. For the first time ever, there’s no separation between my pen and my artwork, and it’s an amazing feeling. I would say that it matches the iPad Pro’s accuracy in terms of pen-to-screen distance.

The screen is awesome, clarity and colors look nice. Using the default plastic nib works great on this new surface, and feels more like a traditional pencil on paper to me. I hope that XP-Pen sticks with this surface for their future products, it is brilliant.

The Stylus

XP-Pen is offering an ultimate pen with this device that enlightens the inner creativity of any individual. A very big thanks to the new elastic pen nib! This nib actually enhances your creativity by eliminating parallax of broken lines on the stunning display of the tablet.

With the pressure of 8192 levels, 5080 LPI and 10mm sensing height- the pen is very sleek and makes your drawing natural on the screen as it intensely senses and analyzes every movement.

The tilt by the P05R as it tilts 60 degrees ensuring better drawing quality and user experience. With smoothing drawing experience on this tablet enhances your productivity, skills and ensures that you stay ahead of your competitors.

What’s more, it’s a battery-free device and the lag, even with large complex Photoshop brushes or sculpting with high res stamps in 3D, is minimal to the point of non-existence.

Improved Pen Design : The pen P05R keeps all the great features of the P05, namely the rubber grip ( makes it more comfortable to hold ) , and the two toggle buttons, which I use constantly, and really find myself missing when I use the Apple Pencil.

Just like the XP-Pen Artist 15.6 , there is no lag or slow-down when you are drawing lines. A lot of this may be more dependent on your hardware (I’m using a iMac), but I think it’s worth mentioning. The rendering of the pixels themselves is incredibly sharp and smooth. It rendered the lines as fast as I could throw them .

To touch or not to touch?

IMHO, I would say no touch is better because of the additional cost. But if you have a child and want him/her to try drawing on your expensive Cintiq, you can consider getting a touch.

The Adjustable Stand

Well, XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro is also eliminating the pain of holding the tablet because holding it and drawing on it can make things complex. Therefore, it has introduced an adjustable stand that is viable and powerful. You can set your tablet on that stand and enjoy your drawing without worrying about holding, falling of device from your hand and a lot more.

The 3-to-1 Cable

The XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro has a USB type-C port on it to connect to the combined USB/HDMI/power cable. The included cable is a combined cable which goes from USB type-C on the tablet to USB type-A and HDMI on the computer. The tablet can be powered solely by the computer if the USB port can provide enough power, but if it can’t, the extra red USB type-A connector will need to be connected to another USB port on your computer, or a power outlet using the included power outlet to USB adapter.

The Roller wheel and 8 express buttons

There are 8 programmable buttons and a Roller wheel. which are magical. These are available at your fingertips enabling you to roll on, zoom in, and a lot more- saving your time to accomplish your delicate design in no time.

The buttons are amazing, as with all Artist series . the round ring in the middle, The scroll wheel can be programmed to control three different parameters (such as zoom, brush size, etc). And the customize-able physical buttons have nice tactile feel. You get spoiled with this buttons, and it's sometimes hard to go without them.

the buttons are completely customize-able to whatever hot key you want, and with the conjunction with custom on screen buttons, you'll be able to work comfortably without a keyboard..... at least with programs that are designed to be simple for tablets, like Sketchbook or Painter. Even with these keys, I don't think you can get away using Photoshop, or zbrush etc. I think some programs are just too frustrating without a keyboard.

Tablet drivers

The XP-Pen tablet drivers are extremely easy to install. Just go download the latest version directly from XP-Pen’s site and remove all other tablet drivers you have on your computer before installing it.

Once you’ve installed the driver and plugged in your tablet, the XP-Pen driver icon should appear in the system tray in the bottom right. You can access the tablet settings by clicking on that.

If the installer doesn’t prompt you to restart your computer after it finishes, I wholeheartedly suggest restarting your computer anyways to allow Windows to properly update the files necessary for the driver to run smoothly.

The XP-Pen driver is a simple one page driver with all the important settings in just one window. Here you can set the pen buttons and pen pressure, and choose which monitor the tablet maps to.

I did not need to change any of the default settings as the tablet worked very well with the defaults. I also did not need to calibrate the pen because the cursor properly appeared directly under the pen by default (which surprisingly isn’t the case for some tablets).

To date, the updated drivers have worked fine with the programs I use most: Adobe Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint. This was actually a pleasant surprise for a product this new – I hope this continues.

Drawing Experience

Artist 15.6 Pro was fantastic. It occupies less desk space and the colours were slightly closer to my macbook display. Although smaller, the screen had good resolution and good enough for Manga Studio EX (program that I use to draw comics). It was also very portable so I could bring it with me to libraries and give demonstrations. I was also very happy with it until I gradually suffered from stiff shoulders and neck.

The pen's sensitivity is buttery smooth . I'm not sure how many people noticed, care, or can justify the difference between 2048 levels of pressure vs 8192 levels, but I do. I particularly notice the low end levels of pressure. Don't get me wrong, 2048 levels is more than enough to work with, I'm just spoiled by 8192 of the Artist 15.6 Pro . It is mostly because I have a very light hand when it comes to sketching, and notice the ultra low end levels. Even at the lowest level of a 2048 level stylus, it just doesn't feel light enough, once you get used to a Artist 15.6 Pro . If you have a heavy hand, I don't think this level difference will make any difference to you. The differences are minor, and it's more of a "feel", maybe I'm the only person who care..... but it does make a difference for me.

On Photoshop , the program recognizes stylus tilt. This allowing you to vary opacity with pressure, but line thickness with pressure tilt. It took me a good hour to get used to using it, it's a bit different than using a real pencil, but I now love it. The line weights, and the look of the pencil lines, makes it feel more like traditional pencil and paper. In fact, as I was trying to get used to drawing with the Photoshop pencil, I would instinctively worry about smearing the pencil lines under my hand, before remembering that I was working digitally.

Conclusion

Finally, I’d like to talk about one of the main reasons behind switching to a smaller display: portability. The XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro is overall physical dimensions are 443 x 280 x 12.6 mm , which makes it ideal for being carried back and forth between company and my studio at home. It fits in a carry-on bag just fine, even with the machine zipped in its soft case. Although, keeping in mind the above-mentioned connectivity issues, I wouldn’t go as far as recommending taking it to the field.

it is a fair statement to make that the Artist 15.6 Pro is the best compromise in XP-Pen’s current display line regarding size and portability. While the price of the 16-inch Artist 15.6 Pro takes some serious commitment, you can be sure that your purchase will be a largely satisfying one, with the added confidence that you are acquiring a high-quality professional level tool that will be there with you for a long time coming.

What can be the most important conclusion for epigraphers/artists working on the Artist 15.6 Pro is that it removes most of the psychological barrier between artist and machine, resulting in a more natural drawing experience, the closest I’ve encountered to pencil on paper so far.

I highly recommend the Artist 15.6 Pro 15.6″Screen Drawing Tablet to any professional illustrator, animator, or graphic designer. It’s the best digital drawing tool I’ve used by far.

Posted by: tiangao at 03:19 AM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
Post contains 2472 words, total size 17 kb.

November 29, 2018

Best XP-Pen Graphic Drawing Tablet Christmas Version Gift For Digital Painters & Artists 2018

Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s not too late to spice up your device with some Christmas cheer. Gift giving will never be tough as long as tablets are around. Whether the person on your list is a digital artist or just someone who likes to Draw , a tablet offers something for this people .

Unleash your creative side with these stunning tablets. Combining the flexibility of freehand drawing and precision of digital design, these amazing tools are only limited by your imagination. So if you are looking for a Christmas gift or something , you are sure to find something that fits your needs and budget.

This is the season to paint with pixels… here are some nifty gift ideas for the tablet-totin’ creative type in your life (and maybe that someone is you!) With a specially designed Christmas and New Year gift pack, the easy-to-carry Artist 12 / DECO 02 /Star G640S makes an ideal gift choice for your beloved ones. The XP-Pen drawing tablet / monitor will mimicking a comfortable sketching experience on paper.

what is the difference of Christmas version and the normal deal product ?

The only difference of the Christmas version and the normal artist 12 is that the Christmas version has more includes like the protective case and key ring.

One of the leading rivals to the famed and revered Wacom tablets is XP-Pen. Who the heck is XP-Pen? XP-Pen is a company born in the great tech-giant country, China. XP-Pen’s office is in ShenZhen, China (near Hong Kong). Their offical website ishttps://www.xp-pen.com.The XP-Pen Graphics Tablets is the perfect option for an affordable graphics tablet.

XP-Pen’s Star /DECO /Artist series tablets launched them as actual competitors to Wacom, yet at a quarter of the cost. You can’t argue with that.

I’ve owned and used Wacom’s Intuos 3 medium, the wired and wireless versions of the Intuos 4 medium, and Wacom’s Bamboo CTH models. Each of these confirmed Wacom’s excellence, both with hardware and drivers. Though Wacom sells the most tablets, they’re not the only company that sells excellent tablets.

If you’re in the category that’s looking to purchase a Wacom Bamboo tablet - don’t! There’s no reason for the Bamboo to even exist when there’s a far superior model for a comparable price. If you’re thinking about buying the Bamboo - buy the XP-Pen instead.

XP-Pen Artist 12 Tablet with screen Christmas Gift Pack

The XP-Pen Artist 12 is ergonomically designed with adjustable stand and anti-slip rubber cover, you can adjust the screen according to your needs and comfort no matter you’re standing or sitting, the XP-Pen Artist 12 lets you draw your art without any kind of discomfort. The 11.6-inch screen on the front produces good brightness and contrast with real colors so that you can draw your art even more accurately. Moreover, the 1920 x 1080 pixels of resolution with 16.7M color support is enough sharp to meet the requirements of artists. With pressure sensitivity of 8192 levels, you can draw a variety of lines. For instance, if you apply more pressure then it will render a thicker line. This is really a good feature especially in a tablet for artists.

The XP-Pen Artist 12 is compatible with all versions of Windows and Mac operating system and works with most of the software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator 3D Max, AutoDesk Sketchbook, Corel Painter, Autodesk MAYA, ZBrush and many more. Hence, there’s no need to worry about compatibility. In the package, along with the device, you will get a screen protector, 1 pen, 8 replacement nibs, 1 USB cable and other necessary cables. All in all, the XP-Pen Artist 12 is a complete package of features and is also one of the best tablets for artists, designers, architects, and students who are expecting a good value for their money.

Hardware Specifications of XP-Pen Artist 12

Display Area:11.6-inch IPS Display
Pressure Sensitivity:8192 levels
Connection:USB-C
Resolution:1920 x 1080 Full HD Resolution
Response Time:14ms
Support Color:16.7M(RGB 6-bit data + HiFRC data)
Colors:72% NTSC Color Gamut
Visual Angle:178°
Report Rate:266 PPS
Keys:6 Shortcut Keys and 1 touch bar

Where to get One:https://www.storexppen.com/goods/activity/id/68.html

Artist 12 Customer reviews :

I have a tendency to ramble, so bear with me.

I'm already fairly familiar with XP-Pen products (I have the Artist 16 Pro, and will be trying out the Decon 02 soon so I can better teach my nephew to use it). I dare say, I prefer this over my Artist 16!
•The smaller size makes it much easier for me to lug around, it takes up less storage space (I have no desk to leave the 16 on).
• It has a great look, feel and weight to it; for the price, I'm blown away. It looks more costly than my 16!
• Screen is clear and sharp. The 16 has the same amount if pixels spread out on a larger space so it looked a tiny but fuzzy.
•I love that the cords all plug together vs three separate cords like the 16; that drove me nuts.
• The track pad is amazing. I honestly didn't think it'd speed up my workflow nearly as much as it does.
• The pen nibs seem sturdier than the 16s pen; I see absolutely no sign of wear after using it all day, which I did on the 16. The nibs also don't wobble which is great.
• The matte surface shows no sign of scratching so far, but we shall see in a few months. My 16 has a lot in the center, though they aren't visible while the screen is on.

Cons
My only con's so far, are with the darn pen.
• there's only one button, and it's recessed into the pen; you can't feel where it is, you have to pause to find it.

And to note, there is no stand for this; that is sold separately.

XP-Pen DECO 02 Christmas Gift Pack

Well, if you’re just starting with digital painting and looking for a drawing tablet to hone your drawing skills, then the XP-Pen Deco 02 is probably the best in the segment in terms of features and pressure sensitivity. Yes, the XP-Pen Deco 01 can detect pressure sensitivity up to 8192 levels which is indeed a very good feature for users to draw varying width of lines and enhance their creativity. Moreover, the active area of 10 x 6.25 inch offer enough space to draw on which lights up at night so that you can draw conveniently even in dark conditions. The Deco 02’s thickness is only 8 mm which also doesn’t weigh much making it easy for you to throw it in your backpack.

The XP-Pen Deco 02 is designed with both right and left-hand users in mind, there are basically 6 express keys and 1 touch ring on the left which help you maximize your workflow and delivering the most ergonomic and convenient platform to draw on in its segment. The pen that comes with the package is battery-free so you don’t need to charge it as there is no way of running out of battery. However, the tablet needs to be connected to your PC or laptop via USB Type-C cable. Moreover, the quick toggle button onboard lets you switch between pen and eraser instantly. Overall, the XP-Pen Deco 02 is one of the best value for money drawing tablets offering a package of features at an extremely affordable price of $90 which even slightly expensive Wacom Intuos misses out.

Hardware Specifications of XP-Pen Deco 02 Tablet

Active Area:10 x 5.63 inch
Pressure Sensitivity:8192 levels
Resolution:5080 LPI
Report Rate:266 RPS
Connectivity:USB Type-C
Pen Battery-Free Pen with 8 Nibs
the stylus have digital eraser
Newer drivers for the Deco 02, compatible with Windows 7/8/10 and OSX 10.10

Where to get One:https://www.storexppen.com/goods/activity/id/67.html

DECO 02 Customer reviews :

Deco 02 by Xp-pen a great wacom alternative.

Where can I start? first off, I like this one, which is going to be my new tablet for my day job. The box looks nice and have that look that you wouldn't' expect to find on a graphic tablet made in China. The box is sturdy, firm and feels like it can withstand almost everything and very well designed by the way. what's on the box is what really matters.

A Deco 02 tablet that comes with a ring or roller wheel to set with the last shortcut key and has a lot of built-in functions. This roller wheel will save a lot of time for you because when we artist tend to calibrate sizes of the brush or doing the zoom in and out, this roller wheel comes very handy ( way better than shortcut keys). Also it comes with a sort of lid or cover for the ring made out of rubber, which is nice to the tact and easy to handle. The pen is a passive pen that won't need any charge and very ergonomic and light ; even this time xp pen put an eraser on the pen...that is cool. I remember that the old wacoms had it, not anymore though on the more advanced models. This eraser will save you time since you don't have to use the switch buttoms on the pen to change from brush to eraser. The pen comes with a practical pen holder, very hard and durable, it will old the pen on your desk, also carries the pen nibs and the pen. I wish my artist 15.6 should have had one of those.

When it comes to performance, this tablet is way better than my old wacom. It can register 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity that helps a lot when you are doing digital sketching, painting and inking on many programs, I have tested it with Photoshop, Krita 4.0 and Sketchbook Pro. It works like a charm with all the pressure needed in all of them.

The only cons is with Krita, that sometimes start behaving erratic but that is not only with xp-pen, also has been reported with the latest wacom's. I think this tablet is great for everyone who is on graphics with a budget and also for professionals digital artists like me that are looking for something smooth and precise that will perform great and would not put you on a serious debt. As an additional, the pressure sensitivity and the tablet drivers are so easy to calibrate that it works right out of the box on my 12gb old Imac 2011 with OSX High Sierra... Yep this tablet will do its duty very well.

XP-Pen Star G640S Christmas Gift Pack

XP-Pen Star G640S drawing tablet comes with 6 programmable Express Keys to create shortcuts, easy to setup; Compatible with Windows 7/8/8.1/10 and Mac OS X 10.8.0/later versions.

8192 Levels of Pressure Sensitivity: Resolution 5080 LPI, Report Rate 266RPS.
The graphic tablet can compatible with most currently available drawing software: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Fireworks, Lightroom and so on. One year warranty.

A mouse alternative, Precise pen control Can be used for osu! Digital art creation, annotating in PowerPoint slides . game, document signing, causal art work editing, inking, sculpturing, and more. It's good choice of Christmas Gift for children and adults.

Active Area: 6 x 3.75 inch, Easily fits into a laptop case pocket or in a briefcase, portable carrying on the go or on a trip.Signature Pad: widely applied in banking and finance, retail, telecommunications, healthcare,government, tourism .

Where to get One:https://www.storexppen.com/goods/activity/id/66.html

Star G640S Customer reviews :

This is a great graphics tablet for this price range! Here's why:

*It's bigger than it looks, but small enough to not take up a lot of desk space if your space is limited. I was able to draw using this tablet with no issue, the surface area is large enough to capture larger strokes of the brush.

*The pen pressure is sensitive enough to work well with watercolor and paintbrush tools on graphics programs so that you can still achieve a gradient or tapered brush look. The pressure is also adjustable so that you can adjust for heavy-handedness if need be.

*Express buttons -- I'm used to the express buttons from my personal Wacom tablet(this is a gift for someone) and it's nice to see them in this tablet, they're great to create shortcuts when working.

*It takes very little time to get used to the way the pen works.

*Great starter tablet or tablet for casual users who don't want ti spend 100+ on a tablet they aren't using everyday.

**CAUTION** the pen can lose pressure because it registers your hand if you are someone who touches the side of your hand to the tablet when writing or drawing(like I do), I recommend adjusting your hand position when using this tablet or getting a half glove

More notice

The line of XP-Pen tablets sold at offical store seems focused on clients from the West, specifically even the U.S. The box and instructions come labeled in English, they ship to the U.S. for a very reasonable shipping cost. And a minor detail, they shipping worldwide , in australia ,USA,Europe， they have office and warehouse, the product ship from local warehouse , then you can get it within one week .

Going above and beyond, XP-Pen also responds personally to questions, usually within one or two days at most, and they respond in near perfect English.

NOTES & SUGGESTIONS Pressure sensitivity problems?I found that if I started the graphics program (ie, Manga Studio) before I plugged in the tablet, the pressure sensitivity didn’t work. To fix this, I simply had to close down the program, plug in the graphics tablet, wait a short moment, then restart the program – always plug in the tablet before starting your drawing program.

Driver issues or tablet glitches?First, uninstall All other tablet drivers if you have any installed. Second, make sure you download the most recent and appropriate driver. Third, restart your computer. Fourth, plug in your tablet before you start your graphics program.

Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s not too late to spice up your device with some Christmas cheer. Gift giving will never be tough as long as tablets are around. Whether the person on your list is a digital artist or just someone who likes to Draw , a tablet offers something for this people .

Unleash your creative side with these stunning tablets. Combining the flexibility of freehand drawing and precision of digital design, these amazing tools are only limited by your imagination. So if you are looking for a Christmas gift or something , you are sure to find something that fits your needs and budget.

This is the season to paint with pixels… here are some nifty gift ideas for the tablet-totin’ creative type in your life (and maybe that someone is you!) With a specially designed Christmas and New Year gift pack, the easy-to-carry Artist 12 / DECO 02 /Star G640S makes an ideal gift choice for your beloved ones. The XP-Pen drawing tablet / monitor will mimicking a comfortable sketching experience on paper.

what is the difference of Christmas version and the normal deal product ?

The only difference of the Christmas version and the normal artist 12 is that the Christmas version has more includes like the protective case and key ring.

One of the leading rivals to the famed and revered Wacom tablets is XP-Pen. Who the heck is XP-Pen? XP-Pen is a company born in the great tech-giant country, China. XP-Pen’s office is in ShenZhen, China (near Hong Kong). Their offical website ishttps://www.xp-pen.com.The XP-Pen Graphics Tablets is the perfect option for an affordable graphics tablet.

XP-Pen’s Star /DECO /Artist series tablets launched them as actual competitors to Wacom, yet at a quarter of the cost. You can’t argue with that.

I’ve owned and used Wacom’s Intuos 3 medium, the wired and wireless versions of the Intuos 4 medium, and Wacom’s Bamboo CTH models. Each of these confirmed Wacom’s excellence, both with hardware and drivers. Though Wacom sells the most tablets, they’re not the only company that sells excellent tablets.

If you’re in the category that’s looking to purchase a Wacom Bamboo tablet - don’t! There’s no reason for the Bamboo to even exist when there’s a far superior model for a comparable price. If you’re thinking about buying the Bamboo - buy the XP-Pen instead.

XP-Pen Artist 12 Tablet with screen Christmas Gift Pack

The XP-Pen Artist 12 is ergonomically designed with adjustable stand and anti-slip rubber cover, you can adjust the screen according to your needs and comfort no matter you’re standing or sitting, the XP-Pen Artist 12 lets you draw your art without any kind of discomfort. The 11.6-inch screen on the front produces good brightness and contrast with real colors so that you can draw your art even more accurately. Moreover, the 1920 x 1080 pixels of resolution with 16.7M color support is enough sharp to meet the requirements of artists. With pressure sensitivity of 8192 levels, you can draw a variety of lines. For instance, if you apply more pressure then it will render a thicker line. This is really a good feature especially in a tablet for artists.

The XP-Pen Artist 12 is compatible with all versions of Windows and Mac operating system and works with most of the software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator 3D Max, AutoDesk Sketchbook, Corel Painter, Autodesk MAYA, ZBrush and many more. Hence, there’s no need to worry about compatibility. In the package, along with the device, you will get a screen protector, 1 pen, 8 replacement nibs, 1 USB cable and other necessary cables. All in all, the XP-Pen Artist 12 is a complete package of features and is also one of the best tablets for artists, designers, architects, and students who are expecting a good value for their money.

Hardware Specifications of XP-Pen Artist 12

Display Area:11.6-inch IPS Display
Pressure Sensitivity:8192 levels
Connection:USB-C
Resolution:1920 x 1080 Full HD Resolution
Response Time:14ms
Support Color:16.7M(RGB 6-bit data + HiFRC data)
Colors:72% NTSC Color Gamut
Visual Angle:178°
Report Rate:266 PPS
Keys:6 Shortcut Keys and 1 touch bar

Where to get One:https://www.storexppen.com/goods/activity/id/68.html

Artist 12 Customer reviews :

I have a tendency to ramble, so bear with me.

I'm already fairly familiar with XP-Pen products (I have the Artist 16 Pro, and will be trying out the Decon 02 soon so I can better teach my nephew to use it). I dare say, I prefer this over my Artist 16!
•The smaller size makes it much easier for me to lug around, it takes up less storage space (I have no desk to leave the 16 on).
• It has a great look, feel and weight to it; for the price, I'm blown away. It looks more costly than my 16!
• Screen is clear and sharp. The 16 has the same amount if pixels spread out on a larger space so it looked a tiny but fuzzy.
•I love that the cords all plug together vs three separate cords like the 16; that drove me nuts.
• The track pad is amazing. I honestly didn't think it'd speed up my workflow nearly as much as it does.
• The pen nibs seem sturdier than the 16s pen; I see absolutely no sign of wear after using it all day, which I did on the 16. The nibs also don't wobble which is great.
• The matte surface shows no sign of scratching so far, but we shall see in a few months. My 16 has a lot in the center, though they aren't visible while the screen is on.

Cons
My only con's so far, are with the darn pen.
• there's only one button, and it's recessed into the pen; you can't feel where it is, you have to pause to find it.

And to note, there is no stand for this; that is sold separately.

XP-Pen DECO 02 Christmas Gift Pack

Well, if you’re just starting with digital painting and looking for a drawing tablet to hone your drawing skills, then the XP-Pen Deco 02 is probably the best in the segment in terms of features and pressure sensitivity. Yes, the XP-Pen Deco 01 can detect pressure sensitivity up to 8192 levels which is indeed a very good feature for users to draw varying width of lines and enhance their creativity. Moreover, the active area of 10 x 6.25 inch offer enough space to draw on which lights up at night so that you can draw conveniently even in dark conditions. The Deco 02’s thickness is only 8 mm which also doesn’t weigh much making it easy for you to throw it in your backpack.

The XP-Pen Deco 02 is designed with both right and left-hand users in mind, there are basically 6 express keys and 1 touch ring on the left which help you maximize your workflow and delivering the most ergonomic and convenient platform to draw on in its segment. The pen that comes with the package is battery-free so you don’t need to charge it as there is no way of running out of battery. However, the tablet needs to be connected to your PC or laptop via USB Type-C cable. Moreover, the quick toggle button onboard lets you switch between pen and eraser instantly. Overall, the XP-Pen Deco 02 is one of the best value for money drawing tablets offering a package of features at an extremely affordable price of $90 which even slightly expensive Wacom Intuos misses out.

Hardware Specifications of XP-Pen Deco 02 Tablet

Active Area:10 x 5.63 inch
Pressure Sensitivity:8192 levels
Resolution:5080 LPI
Report Rate:266 RPS
Connectivity:USB Type-C
Pen Battery-Free Pen with 8 Nibs
the stylus have digital eraser
Newer drivers for the Deco 02, compatible with Windows 7/8/10 and OSX 10.10

Where to get One:https://www.storexppen.com/goods/activity/id/67.html

DECO 02 Customer reviews :

Deco 02 by Xp-pen a great wacom alternative.

Where can I start? first off, I like this one, which is going to be my new tablet for my day job. The box looks nice and have that look that you wouldn't' expect to find on a graphic tablet made in China. The box is sturdy, firm and feels like it can withstand almost everything and very well designed by the way. what's on the box is what really matters.

A Deco 02 tablet that comes with a ring or roller wheel to set with the last shortcut key and has a lot of built-in functions. This roller wheel will save a lot of time for you because when we artist tend to calibrate sizes of the brush or doing the zoom in and out, this roller wheel comes very handy ( way better than shortcut keys). Also it comes with a sort of lid or cover for the ring made out of rubber, which is nice to the tact and easy to handle. The pen is a passive pen that won't need any charge and very ergonomic and light ; even this time xp pen put an eraser on the pen...that is cool. I remember that the old wacoms had it, not anymore though on the more advanced models. This eraser will save you time since you don't have to use the switch buttoms on the pen to change from brush to eraser. The pen comes with a practical pen holder, very hard and durable, it will old the pen on your desk, also carries the pen nibs and the pen. I wish my artist 15.6 should have had one of those.

When it comes to performance, this tablet is way better than my old wacom. It can register 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity that helps a lot when you are doing digital sketching, painting and inking on many programs, I have tested it with Photoshop, Krita 4.0 and Sketchbook Pro. It works like a charm with all the pressure needed in all of them.

The only cons is with Krita, that sometimes start behaving erratic but that is not only with xp-pen, also has been reported with the latest wacom's. I think this tablet is great for everyone who is on graphics with a budget and also for professionals digital artists like me that are looking for something smooth and precise that will perform great and would not put you on a serious debt. As an additional, the pressure sensitivity and the tablet drivers are so easy to calibrate that it works right out of the box on my 12gb old Imac 2011 with OSX High Sierra... Yep this tablet will do its duty very well.

XP-Pen Star G640S Christmas Gift Pack

XP-Pen Star G640S drawing tablet comes with 6 programmable Express Keys to create shortcuts, easy to setup; Compatible with Windows 7/8/8.1/10 and Mac OS X 10.8.0/later versions.

8192 Levels of Pressure Sensitivity: Resolution 5080 LPI, Report Rate 266RPS.
The graphic tablet can compatible with most currently available drawing software: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Fireworks, Lightroom and so on. One year warranty.

A mouse alternative, Precise pen control Can be used for osu! Digital art creation, annotating in PowerPoint slides . game, document signing, causal art work editing, inking, sculpturing, and more. It's good choice of Christmas Gift for children and adults.

Active Area: 6 x 3.75 inch, Easily fits into a laptop case pocket or in a briefcase, portable carrying on the go or on a trip.Signature Pad: widely applied in banking and finance, retail, telecommunications, healthcare,government, tourism .

Where to get One:https://www.storexppen.com/goods/activity/id/66.html

Star G640S Customer reviews :

This is a great graphics tablet for this price range! Here's why:

*It's bigger than it looks, but small enough to not take up a lot of desk space if your space is limited. I was able to draw using this tablet with no issue, the surface area is large enough to capture larger strokes of the brush.

*The pen pressure is sensitive enough to work well with watercolor and paintbrush tools on graphics programs so that you can still achieve a gradient or tapered brush look. The pressure is also adjustable so that you can adjust for heavy-handedness if need be.

*Express buttons -- I'm used to the express buttons from my personal Wacom tablet(this is a gift for someone) and it's nice to see them in this tablet, they're great to create shortcuts when working.

*It takes very little time to get used to the way the pen works.

*Great starter tablet or tablet for casual users who don't want ti spend 100+ on a tablet they aren't using everyday.

**CAUTION** the pen can lose pressure because it registers your hand if you are someone who touches the side of your hand to the tablet when writing or drawing(like I do), I recommend adjusting your hand position when using this tablet or getting a half glove

More notice

The line of XP-Pen tablets sold at offical store seems focused on clients from the West, specifically even the U.S. The box and instructions come labeled in English, they ship to the U.S. for a very reasonable shipping cost. And a minor detail, they shipping worldwide , in australia ,USA,Europe， they have office and warehouse, the product ship from local warehouse , then you can get it within one week .

Going above and beyond, XP-Pen also responds personally to questions, usually within one or two days at most, and they respond in near perfect English.

NOTES & SUGGESTIONS Pressure sensitivity problems?I found that if I started the graphics program (ie, Manga Studio) before I plugged in the tablet, the pressure sensitivity didn’t work. To fix this, I simply had to close down the program, plug in the graphics tablet, wait a short moment, then restart the program – always plug in the tablet before starting your drawing program.

Driver issues or tablet glitches?First, uninstall All other tablet drivers if you have any installed. Second, make sure you download the most recent and appropriate driver. Third, restart your computer. Fourth, plug in your tablet before you start your graphics program.

Posted by: tiangao at 10:15 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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November 14, 2018

Whats the Best Software for Artists to Digital Painting?

Many years ago the only options for digital painting I had were MS Paint, Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter. Fast forward to 2018 and there is a bewildering choice of software and tablets.

These days getting into digital painting is easier and more affordable.

When I started out, prices of digital painting software were much more expensive, the only decent pressure sensitive drawing tablets available were by Wacom ( but now I changed to some affordable alternatives ) and there was no where near the amount of training support available. I will give a general overview of the software available. So you should pick the right software for your needs and preferences.

Graphic tablets can be split into two categories: those that have a screen (like the XP-Pen Artist Line ) and those that don’t (like the XP-Pen DECO Type). Almost any professional graphics software will work for XP-Pen tablets, XP-Pen Was a professional pressure sensitive Graphics Tablet manufacturer on the digitizer tablet market. they provide affordableArt Tabletfot Digital Artists , the driver is powerful and update quickly .

Here is the portrait I made with XP-Pen Artist 22E Pro Tablet Monitor.

I’ll be mentioning software which tries to emulate natural artistic media but with digital painting you can pretty much get any effect you want.

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is well known as the industry standard of photo editing software. Photoshop is a popular and very versatile program specializes in photomanipulation that can be used for photo-manipulation, compositing, digital painting and illustration and even print and web design. all that was because it have a really good brush engine . to be honest it's brush engine is better than krita's in some places .

The term industry standard has no weight in why I choose which software to paint with though, I like to keep open minded and try software based on the features it offers. For this reason I will mention software that is not as well known. I’ll also list some mobile software options I’ve heard of as they are increasing in popularity. It’s up to you to do further research for what will work for you and there are always more options if you dig deep enough.

Open Source and free options

Krita
The Gimp
MyPaint
Speedy Painter
Fire Alpaca
Medibang Paint
Adobe Photoshop Sketch (mobile)
Tayasui Sketches (mobile)

Paid options

Here is a list of affordable software from cheapest to highest price:

Procreate (ipad)

Infinite Painter (mobile)
Paintstorm Studio
Mischief
Pixelmator
Autodesk Sketchbook
PD Artist
Jugi Paint
Leonardo
Artweaver 6
Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo
Black Ink
Expresii
ArtRage 5
Rebelle 2
Clipstudio Paint
Adobe CC
Corel Painter (current version Painter 201

My Thoughts

Over the years I’ve tried Paintstorm Studio, Mischief, Artweaver, Affinity Designer, Black Ink, Expresii, ArtRage, Rebelle, Clipstudio Paint, Krita, Affinity Photo, PaintTool SAI, Sketchbook Pro, Adobe CC and Corel Painter. Here are my thoughts on them so far.

Paintstorm Studio

Paintstorm Studio is created for professional digital painting. And a major role in this program play the brushes. We did our best so that you can easily and quickly .

Paintstorm Studio is a recent addition to my collection and I’m impressed by the brush engine. It is easy to use and nice to paint with.Of course, it may be be missing some tools and filters for image processing, and it has little drawbacks. Paintstorm, though, is all about brush drawing and they tried to make it the maximum quality. Besides, Paintstorm studio has several unique features you won’t find anywhere else.

Artweaver

The free version of Artweaver is something I tried years ago and I thought it was ok. Get creative with this impressive paint tool which boasts support for Photoshop files. It has brushes like Photoshop and blendy brushes like Corel Painter. The only reason I haven’t used it is because I’ve already got Photoshop and Corel Painter. The interface is a mix of Photoshop and Painter and it has similar brushes.

When choosing a graphics package it is important to select the right tool for the job. Opt for too basic a program and you may find that you do not have access to all of the tools you need, while opting for a program which is more advanced can mean a steep learning curve and great expense. Artweaver positions itself neatly between the two, being both powerful and instantly accessible for users of all levels of ability.

Full support for layers and a wide variety of brushes, along with a range of effects filters, means that Artweaver provides you with everything you need to get started on creative ventures. Brushes are highly configurable so they can be tailored to very specific tasks while support for transparency and the Photoshop PSD format means that it is not only possible to generate very impressive results, it is also possible to work with files that have been created in other programs.

A graphics tablet can be used with Artweaver to allow for greater control over the tools provided, and completed projects can be saved in a variety of popular formats. Upgrading to the paid for Plus version of the program adds support for Photoshop plugins, and the saving and playback of onscreen events - this can be used to demonstrate techniques to others. With the Artweaver Plus, large documents can be created and a great degree of control over brushes is available.

Affinity Designer

Affinity Designer is good for vector graphic creation and painting. It can mix both raster and vector artwork together which is interesting. There is free online support and tutorials which are great for beginners.It's a replacement for Illustrator.I was so happy when I found Designer. For me, Designer is way easier to draw with and manipulate drawings than Illustrator. The developers at Serif (the makers of Affinity Designer) are great. You can freely communicate with them on their forum asking questions, making requests, etc.

Black Ink

Black Ink is a digital painting software that uses your computer's rendering hardware to provide a perfectly responsive experience no matter your picture's size .

Black Ink impressed me with weird procedural brushes but I found it too technical for my general use. It’s great for someone who is already confident with digital art but I wouldn’t recommend it for beginners.

Make, download, or use the provided brushes to make amazing speed-sensitive designs. People with no talent can make interesting paintings in seconds, while those with skill can produce amazing picasso-esq poitraits in minutes. Black Ink has become my favorite drawing/painting application and I do recommend it, but you should be aware of some of its limitations before you decide if it's right for you.

The second limitation is that the selection of brushes is very limited and not entirely satisfactory. While the software is certainly able to handle them, it contains no traditional brush/knife/spatula effects, giving you instead a number of flashy, but not very useful "computery" ones.

The third limitation is that there are no geometric tools whatsoever: no lines, circles, arcs, rectangles, spline curves, etc. Their addition would make the program enormously more useful for certain types of illustrations, especially if they were given parametrizable "organic" effects (like random variations) in addition to being rendered with the current brush.

Also, keep in mind that you will need a drawing tablet and a pressure-sensitive stylus to get any decent results. Mice and track pads just won't cut it. This is true of all paint programs, but not everyone will think about it until they've tried and struggled with an inadequate input tool. I'm using it with a 10"x5.63" medium-sized XP-Pen DECO 02sketch tabletand it works great. You might consider upgrading to a stylus with tilt sensors because some brushes are tilt-sensitive and you'll get even better, richer results. Because Black Ink works best on large drawings, I recommend a large writing surface as well, though that's largely a matter of personal taste; I prefer to have room to move my arm rather than just my wrist.

But even with these limitations, what it does, it does very well. I am particularly in love with its layering feature. In addition to letting you stack backgrounds, foregrounds, and various intermediate slides, it's also great for experimenting on one layer without damaging parts that you want to keep. Which brings up the fact that Black Ink's undo feature works very well. This seems like a trivial observation, but I've used programs that make you want to throw the computer out the window either because they undo too much at once or they can't undo enough.

So I certainly recommend this program to anyone who wants a pleasant sketching/drawing/painting program, but I also recommend to Bleank to add more conventional brushes (and why not some more unconventional ones, too?) and a small panoply of geometric tools to make this a more complete and satisfying product.

The first limitation is that it requires a powerful graphics card to operate. Don't expect to run this on your laptop, much less your Surface tablet. The lag will make it unusable and some brushes won't even render. If you're looking for something to take with you so you can paint under a tree by the lake, thi

Expresii

Expresii is not an ordinary paint app but one packed with innovations.
A few points to highlight:

3D brush done right. You can really create so much variations by simply wielding the brush like in real life.
Physics-based fluid sim. When other commercial paint apps claim to have ‘real’ watercolor, just compare with this one and decide which one feels more natural.
Hybrid vector-raster representation solving the low-res problem. Low-res digital painting are unsuitable for printouts or even viewing on a larger screen, but not for this one!

Expresii is one of a kind for it’s realistic Eastern watercolour painting brush engine. Artwork can be exported as PSD files. This software is very specialised, but if you are familiar with digital painting it is worth a go.

ArtRage

A simple but lovely natural media painting and sketching program. Art oriented, but capable of loading/saving photoshop files. A very cheap alternative to Painter,

ArtRage is a painting and illustration tool for various platforms and is developed by AmbientDesign Ltd.It is suited for beginner as well as experienced artists and the main features include painting symmetry,natural painting tools,special effect tools like cloner,gloop pen etc,sticker sprays,tracing images,creating scraps and views etc.The latest version ArtRage4 supports the Wacom stylus pen and adjusts the image by using Pressure,Tilt, Airbrush Wheel and Barrel Rotation of the stylus pen.It runs both on Windows and Mac OS.

it was excellent, lower-priced digital art software which replicate real-world media and painting techniques. Artrage was one of the first art programs to offer naturalistic squidgy paint blending, which is what made me settle on Artrage as my main software. Artrage features some interesting lighting effects which allows for metallic textures and glitter. Apart from that, Artrage has a simple, intuitive interface which lets you get straight to art without a huge software learning curve a la Photoshop. Advanced settings are behind the scenes, which means you might not ever find them, to be honest. Artrage was ahead of its time for a while. At $79, Artrage has always punched above its weight. I won’t hear a bad word about it.

If your computer is more than a few years old it won’t cope with Rebelle 3, in which case go with Artrage (which will run slowly, but it does run).

ArtRage 5 is the best I’ve tried for realistic digital oil painting and the interface is easy to learn. The way the paint seems to react to the canvas texture is the best out of all the software I’ve tried so far.

Rebelle 2

Rebelle 2 is another watercolour painting software and is easy to use. Editing options are limited but formats can be exported for use in other programs. Rebelle 2 lets you create realistic watercolor, acrylic and dry media artwork, using real-world color blending, wet diffusion, and drying!.

For anyone more accustomed to working with real pencils, pens, paintbrushes and paint, Rebelle 2 was the most naturally intuitive user experience and the results went way beyond my expectations. Photoshop-like options are more limited than some of the other apps, but nothing can compare to how realistic Rebelle 2 feels to work with and looks when you're done.

Painting in Rebelle is fun, but I would suggest using it along side something like Photoshop or Krita to give more editing options.

Clip studio Paint

Clipstudio Paint is a good all round alternative to Photoshop or Corel Painter and the inking brushes are fantastic. It also has animation tools.Clip Studio Paint, previously Manga Studio or ComicStudio in Japan, is a family of software applications for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows used for the digital creation .

I've tried PS, Mediabang, Sai and Gimp and nothing has impressed me as much as CSP. In my opinion, CSP is better for drawing while PS is better for editing photos but I know others who prefer drawing in Photoshop.

CSP has all the tools you could need for drawing, it's a very extensive drawing software compared to other ones out there. CSP also has a stabilization setting for your brushes as well as a blending tool which my version of PS lacks (not sure if the newer subscription-based version has them though) however CSP lacks the liquify tool that PS has, it's really the only feature I miss from PS. The way you can organize your brushes in CSP blows photoshop and the other drawing programs I've tried out of the water. I also find CSP to be more user-friendly but keep in mind that's also because PS has a crazy amount of features, most of them you won't need for digital art.

If you like comic and manga there are really awesome features for it in CSP to speed up your workflow as the program was intended for manga/comic work, the original brushes the program comes with are therefore meant for a more "comic" style of drawing which not everyone's cup of tea. However the assets store (most things are free to download there) that CSP comes with lets you download so many different brushes that more realistic drawing and painting is no problem, I've drawn several real-life portraits in CSP using downloaded custom brushes that mimic real pencils. Another pro to CSP is that it's only a one-time payment (besides on the Ipad) and then the program is yours for life whereas PS now requires you to pay a monthly fee. I've also noticed that the touch functions work much better on my Cintiq in CSP than in PS where it's quite laggy, then again I'm using an older version of PS and the latest version of CSP.

This is just my individual opinion though, I'm by no means an expert at either program nor am I saying that CSP is necessarily a better program than PS, both are good softwares, it comes down to personal preference which one you like the most. Thankfully both PS and CSP have free trials so you can try out them both for yourself.

Krita

Krita is a complete creative sketching and painting application with advanced, commercial quality features. It's free, open-source . I used Krita last year and really liked it. I started using it more than Corel Painter because it has nice brushes and the layer support is much better. The latest version of Krita is a big improvement so far and now works with myXP-Pen Artist 22E Pro tablet Monitor(with the newest XP-Pen driver).

Krita has a LOT of realistic brushes, layers, vector shapes, the ability to rotate and mirror the canvas to spot errors...it has allowed me to work in layers, apply filters, use brushes and use colors.

I really like that it supports different formats such as RAW, PSD, PNG, JPEG and BMP, it is also possible to export the files in a large number of formats.

Krita has brushes for all tastes, and has a variety of filters and effects. allows easy color management ,It has an easy-to-use interface, so that our paintings are amazing

If you need a cheaper alternative for just digital painting, Krita is the program for you! Krita is a powerful tool for editing and designing images, it's free and with enough potential to create quality images.

The only important tools that Krita does not have is Clone with perspective.This is a software which feels like a lite Photoshop version for painters. Especially with the new update, promising new features can be found.

Adobe CC

Adobe CC has a solid offering of apps, my favorites being: XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, Audition, After Effects, and Acrobat.Adobe CC allows me to be affective at my work and provide a wide range of services.

I tried the Adobe CC last year but I still have Photoshop CS3 so I had no reason to upgrade and the subscription model puts me off.

Corel Painter

Corel Painter is one of the leading software for painting and illustration and is developed by Corel corporation . The most interesting feature in latest version Corel Painter 3 is the RealBristleâ„¢ technology which uses the angle and the pressure of the stylus pen for controlling the color and effects of the image. The other features are Brush Search engine,Stroke preview,Jitter brushes,Advanced Brush Controls,Brush tracking,Cloning workflow,transforming multiple layers at a time,Memory optimization,Flow Maps,Custom palettes,Customizable surface texturing etc.It runs on both Windows and Mac OS. It also has other softwares like CorelDraw,PaintShop,PhotoImpact etc.

Photoshop is not totally the industry standard for painting. Corel has a good reputation too. I know even Feng Zhu uses it.

Corel is more traditional and will have alot effect photoshop has, although a very poor selection tools set.

AD and AP share the same painting engine, but for "pure" artistry mood AP offers something more.

AP features the Colour Mixing Brush which offers different colour blending (RGB/RYB and CMYK models) and the Liquify Persona that is a terrific booster for digital painters.

Bristle and Watercolour models of Painter are almost "unbiased": this means that there is a physics model behind pigment/media/canvas interactions so results are "almost" real.

Anyway the cons are:

1) Speed

You need a super Mac to deal with pro-grade resolutions, and computations are heavy. This is one of the reasons why Painter cannot be defined a rock-solid software to rely on totally...

Do you want to paint on a 8000px canvas with the Real Bristle and Watercolours? Only 16GB od RAM and 2 cores? Pray... :

2) Complexity

Watercolour technique is probably the most complex to master, and this is the reason why Painter still offers the Digital Watercolour model aside the Real Watercolour one...

My experience tells me that painters are inclined to an analog approach, so unbiased models as ArtRage/Painter/FreshPaint fit best their user experience.

Illustrators and digital artists are more frequently in a rush, so do prefer "digital" approaches as the models offered by Affinity, Photoshop, MangaStudio, Sketchbook.

In this second scenario an "analog looking" tool is complex to achieve, but not impossible.

But in any rate, you can use anything you want to. No one cares as long as they have the files to work with or the final image is uploaded. You can use either, or both. If you just fear it, try it out. ALl of them have some sort of free trials.

I’ve used Corel Painter less and less in favor of Photoshop and other programs. There seems to be a paid update every year which is far too expensive for me to maintain and I don’t need more features than it already has. If anything I would like fewer features, more stability and no internal advert nags. Other than that it’s a great program and still has gorgeous and customisable brushes. I guess if you want to really simulate traditional medium in a computer, this might be it but for more quick stuff, i'd prefer other software. I find the layer system very frustrating but it is fine if you generally paint on the canvas layer. The version I use is the 2016 release. Layers may have been improved in future editions. What I do to overcome the layer problem is paint in Corel Painter on the Canvas layer only. I then go into Photoshop or Krita with the image if I need to do further work on other layers and editing.

Affinity Photo

I am trying Affinity Photo because the features rival Photoshop for editing. It supports the more recent file types and I want to try 360 Panoramic painting. I’ve tried out several brushes and they are great to paint with. There is also a mixer brush option for doing blendy painting techniques. So far it looks very promising.

There are some features that Affinity offers that are, in my opinion, better than what Photoshop offers. The video tutorials are great - short enough that they aren't overwhelming, but comprehensive enough that you get to understand how things work. Once you are familiar with the layout and what does what, it is easy enough to translate Photoshop and Elements tutorials to Affinity.

PaintTool SAI

PaintTool SAI is high quality and lightweight painting software, fully digitizer support, amazing anti-aliased paintings, provide easy and stable operation.

My favorite software, because the program file itself is super small, only 5MB, so it loads up very fast. It has all the basic tools you need to create art, so it is super simple to use. The stroke engine is just awesome, when you draw curves, it is just smooth, no jagged lines or anything. Also you can mix colors very nicely. The vector function is also very cool, because after you are done tracing and have the lines, you can go in and add line weight where you like it. The interface is easy and you get used to it very quickly. However, it doesn't have many blend modes and my version also doesn't allow to use text. For freeform drawings and paintings, this is it for me.

I can definitely recommend it. Said is lighter and less complicated than Photoshop, so although it may not be able to do everything Photoshop can do, its also easier to navigate and use.

Sai is really handy for line art, I always had trouble with it in Photoshop, but I'm much better with it in Sai, though it may just be because I'm used to it. One thing that Sai has that Photoshop doesn't is the ability to rotate the canvas to any angle at anytime. This has been a GODSEND for me, it makes it a lot easier to get precision lines down, ect.

Long story short, it's like Photoshop cut down and streamlined for drawing in painting. Easy to use and still capable of making great things!

Sketchbook Pro

Sketchbook pro is a product of the company Autodesk Inc and is a professional painting software for the artists.It has got more than 100 illustration tools which can be customized to our needs. It also has other features like Vibrant colors and Copic® Color System,Annotate and iterate quickly with layers etc.It runs on both Windows and Mac OS.Both personal and business version is available for this software.

I recently stumbled across this and i like it. also great for quick sketches. The pencil feels very similar to the pen in Paint Tool Sai, that's great. The marker tool is nice, it behaves like real markers and the airbrush is smooth. I'd use it for marker sketches.

Some features to look for in digital painting software :

A crucial rule for painting software is it should run well on your operating system and work with your choice of tablet.

Stability is important. Painting can take a long time to do and file sizes can get large, you don’t want to lose hours of work with crashes or bugs. How far it is in development is also a factor to consider.

The painting engine and what you can do with the brushes as well as photo editing capabilities are factors. Some of the software I’ve mentioned does not have photo editing features. Because of this file compatibility and PSD support is important. Being able to save and export your painting in the top supported formats is essential.

The interface is a consideration as well. The main questions I ask are is it easy to understand, does it look nice and can I customise it? If the interface is hard to use or looks old fashioned it puts me off no matter how good the program might be.

Community, documentation and training support available are also vital to consider as a beginner.

Here is another Art Work I made by Phhotoshop CC

Conclusion

These software’s have their pros and cons, it depends what you want to achieve and what your budget is. Krita is great for a free all round option and it also has 2D animation tools.

For 2.5D painting and audio brushes you can use Corel Painter, but PD Artist also has these features.

For nice oil painting look at ArtRage and Paintstorm Studio. For realistic watercolour Rebelle and Expresii are both worth a look.

Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo look promising for cheaper and non-subscription alternatives to Adobe CC.

The more expensive software options are the Adobe Creative Cloud and Corel Painter. This reflects their brand equity and amount of features. I started with Corel Painter around 2012 and used it for years. I still use it from time to time. It is an impressive program for digital painting. However, Corel Painter has a high price and steep learning curve. If you can afford it I would recommend Photoshop over Corel Painter to learn the basics with. Clipstudio Paint is a great cheaper alternative to both when it’s on sale. I cannot fault Krita over these options for continuous improvement, community support and price (free).

My recommendation for beginners to digital painting is Krita because it has digital painting tools, editing tools, great community support, lots of online tutorials and it is free Open Source. It works with lots of tablets and its cross platform for Windows, Linux and Mac.

I hope this article has been useful to you for discussing some options available for digital painting. I advise you look at the software's websites and weigh up the options for yourself depending on what you need.

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November 05, 2018

XP-Pen DECO 03 digital drawing pad Review : A good upgrade for old Wacom Bamboo

My Wacom Bamboo CTL470 capture’s port broke, and I wanted to invest in another drawing tablet. This is my review of the XP-Pen Deco 03!
Wacom is the industry standard, but I think the competition is getting better, which bodes well for us artists! I did a bit of research and decided that this tablet seemed like a great deal, considering its prices and features.

My old Wacom Bamboo Capture was well loved, but did get laggy at the very end. It was also a bit small. This tablet is bigger and better, and I am quite enjoying it so far.

The XP-Pen Deco 03 Is what I would call an indirect graphics drawing tablet ordigital drawing pad. That is a tablet that is attached to a computer monitor where you draw on the surface of the tablet and the the image appears on the monitor.

It was quickly delivered and I opened the packaging to find the tablet and accessories contained in a sturdy flip top box. On inspection I found that the box was quite substantial and really secure unlike like some other tablet packaging I have experienced in the past.

Common Features Of Drawing Tablet’s Explained

Are you completely new to the world of digital art?

To find the right tablet for your needs, it is important to understand the different features.

Below you will find a quick definition of the standard features on a digital drawing pad.

Pen / Stylus

A stylus pen is a pen shaped device that is used when drawing on your tablet. A digital pen for drawing often includes function keys, nibs, and erasers.

Active Area

The active drawing area is the area on the tablet that you can draw on.

Resolution

Tablet resolution, measured in LPI (Lines Per Inch), tells you how many digital lines fit into one inch of the tablet’s physical screen. The higher the LPI, the greater detail and sharpness of your image.

Pen Pressure

Pen pressure is how sensitive a pen is to the pressure applied to the active area. It allows you to draw subtle variations in lightness or darkness.

Nibs & Erasers

Nibs are the part of a digital pen that touch the surface of your art tablet. You have the main type of nib, which tells the tablet you are drawing a mark, and an eraser nib, which informs your tablet to erase whatever you are touching.

Pen Response Time

Pen response time, also known as latency, is the time it takes between moving your pen on the surface of Tablet , and when the stroke is updated to the tip position on the surface of Tablet .

Express Keys

Express keys, also called Hotkeys, are built in buttons that allow you to set up short cuts for common key commands. Often these are customizable, however, sometimes they are not. Be sure to check.

XP-Pen Deco 03 Digital Drawing Tablet – What do You Get in the Box?

The first thing that struck me was how stylish and sleek this tablet was. It certainly looked the business as I was unwrapping it.

It had a nice feel, fairly light and felt strong enough to take the usual knocks and bangs when being moved about…so far so good.

I was pleasantly surprised at the contents in the box:

XP-Pen Deco 03 Digital Drawing Tablet
Passive Pen Stylus
Pen Stand
8 spare Graphics Pen Stylus Nibs
USB-C to USB Cable Approximately 1.5 meters in length
Comprehensive Manual
Anti Fouling Graphics Tablet Glove

The Deco 03 has a classy matt black finish. the matt black really does look cool!It is ultra thin at a mere 8mm. How do they pack everything into such a small space ?

I know that everyone is trying to make some electrical items such as laptops and smartphones as thin as possible but for me that often means ‘flimsy’. Not so with this tablet as it is obviously well bonded and not a hint of flexing. I think if I dropped this on a solid floor it wouldn’t hurt it – but I wasn’t going to try that out!

Drawing Surface Texture

The feel of how the pen moves over the surface of a tablet is important to many artists. Some tablets feel silky smooth when drawing, others feel more like the texture of paper. It all comes down to personal choice.

Specs & Overview
Pen: passive and wireless (doesn’t require batteries)
Active Area: 10” x 5.62”
Resolution: 5080 LPI
Express Keys: 6 customizable one and this nice circular dial
Report Rate: 266 rps
Pressure Sensitivity: 8192
Interface Support: Type C (nice! Plugs into Type C on tablet, but full-sized USB on the computer side)
Compatibility: Windows 7/8/10 & Mac OS 10.8 and above Both wired + wireless interface.

Full specifications + compatibility information

Overview

+ Clean, thin, and sleek design.
+ Passive pen is accurate, responsive, and a good size and weight.
+ The dial is a great feature

The surface seems like it’s a bit easy to scratch, but not really much more than the old Wacom bamboo.
Using Mac OS drivers, does not have pressure sensitivity in Autodesk Sketchbook. It does for Krita, PS, and a lot of others.
Overall, great bang for your buck! $99 USD on average. This link to offical XP-Pen Store :https://www.storexppen.com/buy/56.html, if you are interested in purchasing it.

Form & Function

The tablet is thin and light, which I really like. The corners are rounded, but the edges where your arm rests probably could be smoother. The whole thing is large enough that it’s not that much of an issue for me, but I could see that as a place to improve.

Configuration

This is from a Mac perspective, so if you have windows, it may be different. From what I’ve read, the installation process seems pretty smooth.

On Mac, installing drivers is really easy. On their site, they list compatible programs, so I recommend looking at the specs + compatibility link that’s listed in the beginning of this review to see if this tablet will work for you. A lot of popular programs are fully and officially supported, like SAI, Photoshop, and Clip Studio Paint.

I use Krita, and the lines are a tiny bit shaky, but not that noticeably so, and Krita comes with stabilizers, so I don’t have a real problem. The software also just reached a major new version, which may also play a factor.

Configuration is easy, through "Pen Tablet Settings.” It’s pretty straight forwards. I did configure my pressure curve to be a bit shifted to the left so that I don’t have to press as hard as default. This way, I can presserve the pen tips.

The pen

The pen comes with a handy holder that contains spare nibs, as well as a place for the pen to stand on your desk. There’s felt on the bottom of it, and the whole assembly is a nice touch.

For the drawing instrument itself, it’s quite well made. It isn’t too light, but lighter than my old wacom pen, has a nice grip that is comfy to hold, and has 2 configurable buttons that are easy to press. The nibs are long, so I think they will last a while. If there are any issues, I will let you guys know in a future update.

It’s a responsive pen, and I like drawing with it just as much as I did my Wacom Bamboo.

The tablet

I am a huge fan of the dial (and the express keys). That’s a unique feature to this tablet, and is a great tool. I have it currently set to brush size, but you have options! It’s easy and smooth to turn, and you have clickiness that allows you to feel and control it without looking. You can also press down on the button on the middle of the dial, as yet another express key.

The surface of the tablet itself is nice because the drawing texture is nice. It’s not too glidy or glassy, but also not so rough that it’s annoying to use. It scratches a little when you draw on it, but that’s what happened to the old bamboo as well. The DECO 03 may be a tad softer, but I will need more time to fully evaluate the long time durability of this tablet.

I am guessing this tablet will last a long time, though. The choice of USB Type C rocks, because you’re less likely to jam it in the wrong way and break it, compared to the fragile micro USB. I also like that you can use it wireless, though it’s less smooth when using it that way.

Intuos Pro Vs Bamboo - A Review

When I decided I wanted to upgrade my tablet, my biggest concern was: Is it worth it to go from Bamboo to DECO 03 ? Is it a significant improvement, or should I save money for a Cintiq or xp-pen artist instead?

I did a lot of research and couldn't find anything of much help, so I went ahead and tried the DECO 03 to see for myself, and now I’m going to share what I found in this review while comparing it to the cheaper alternative Bamboo line for those who are wondering, like I was, which one should they buy, or whether or not they should get rid of their Bamboo. I hope you'll find this helpful!

Here they are: Bamboo Connect CTL470 (2.5+ years old) on top, Intuos Pro (4+ months old) on the bottom. They are both "small” sized but they look radically different, right?

TheDECO 03 Digital Art Padhas the bigger drawing area than the Bamboo, which giving you more room for arm movement, which is a big plus; it makes drawing easier and a lot more comfortable.

DECO 03 has 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity versus the 1024 levels of the Bamboo line. Now, it’s not like it makes a world of difference, especially in the looks of the final product (a painting) BUT I can tell/feel the difference.

Drawing surface texture: The Bamboo’s texture is good but DECO 03 is smoother, I prefer it!

The DECO 03 has buttons in it which you can configure as you wish with pretty much any of your software’s shortcuts, it’s pretty awesome! It’s not a huge advantage for me because I’m used with using the keyboard for shortcuts, but some people love them. It also has that wheel which you can use to zoom in and out, change layers, change brush size and rotate (you can switch between these commands by pressing the button in the middle).

The DECO 03 has a wireless adapter. I thought I wouldn't care for it so much but oh man was I wrong! I love not having even more cables on my desk! The charge lasts for a wonderful amount of time, I have no complains! However, the bigger the tablet size, the less the charge will last.

The DECO 03 feels more bulky and durable than the Wacom Bamboo , and people on the intwerwebs seem to find it durable too (mine is new so I don’t know. I had my Bamboo for 2.5+ years, beaten it up a lot, carried it with me all over, dropped it and it’s pen, and it still works perfectly and the drawing surface is worn out but fine and has no scratches)
The XP-Pen DECO 03 driver lets you customize pen pressure in a more effective way – which you should do! It also allows you to configure it differently for general use and for drawing-software use! For instance you can keep the touch on only for general use, etc.

The DECO 03 doesn't has a touch feature (most Intuos and some Bamboo have that Features ) and it works beautifully, it doesn't get confused by your hand on the tablet while drawing or anything .

Both the Bamboo and DECO 03 doesn't have a Pen tilt sensitivity , the Intuos’ Grip pen has a tilt angle of up to 60 degrees (which can be very useful when using certain brushes, if you’re into them).
The Bamboo has that thing to keep your pen in which I actually like a lot, but the XP-Pen' pen stand is just beautiful, especially because it also serves as pen nibs storage.

Some people said that the DECO 03 surface scratches easily (in like a week or two of use). They said the same thing about the Bamboo – didn't happen to any of my tablets. All you have to do to avoid this is change the pen pressure levels, make it more sensitive, so that you don’t need to put much pressure on the pen. Another thing you can do to further protect the surface is to put a paper on top of it, it actually feels pretty cool!

Twice so far has the DECO 03 tablet gone crazy. One time it went back to the default settings and I had to re-configure it. The second time it was simply out of control entirely, acting up really bad. I re-installed the driver then, uninstalled the old tablet’s driver, and thus far it’s been behaving itself wonderfully (issues-free for about 2 months). The good news is that every XP-Pen tablet allows you to make a backup of your tablet’s settings so all you have to do is and load it if you have any problems!

Drawing Experience and Samples

This is A design contest entry I created

Overall, this thing is great to work with!

I love the texture, since it balances perfectly between roughness and smoothness. The pressure sensitivity is awesome for this price point, as it’s on par with Wacom’s Intuos Pro line of tablets.

These types of tablets are also really helpful in graphic design work. I also hope to start dabbling in vector illustration.

Drawing art work I created by xp-pen deco 03 digital art pad.

Final Words

In the end, I decided theXP-Pen DECO 03 Graphics Drawing Tabletwas a worthy upgrade and kept it.

However, I am convinced that one can achieve the same level and complexity of artwork in both tablets. Considering the XP-Pen tablets are usually less than half the price of an Intuos, if you have a budget or if you'd rather save some money, go with the DECO 03 , it’s going to serve you well.the DECO 03 is a really, really good tablet and I don’t regret getting it for one second!

Now if you can spare the extra moneys (or if you’re getting it for Christmas lol) then I do recommend the XP-Pen Artists line, XP-Pen Artist line tablet is a monitor tablet by which you can draw directly on the screen .

I hope this review helps! I recommend purchasing this product. It’s been a great replacement, and I really think it’s a quality product. XP-PEN seems to show passion for their products, and their customer service is pretty responsive as well!

Thanks for reading! If this post helped, please consider sharing it with your friends!

Posted by: tiangao at 06:17 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
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October 24, 2018

Wacom Cintiq Alternative: XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro 22″ Monitor Drawing Tablet review

Whether you are painting digitally, sculpting in ZBrush or using 3ds Max, chances are you use a graphics tablet of some description. In this review we will be looking at the XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro to see if this can help you take your work to the next level.

We all probably started with an entry leveldigital art tablet, with limited functions and space to work. I know I did, I had a tiny Wacom Bamboo and a few years later upgraded to a Wacom Intuos 5. Maybe Im the only one, but Ill never forget the first time I saw someone painting directly onto the screen of a Wacom Cintiq. The first thing I did was open the Wacom website and take a look at the cost of this magical device. $2000 GULP! I have since spent time using a Wacom Cintiq and I know that they are worth every penny, but it is a lot of pennies.

We have been asked many times before to take a look at some of the more affordable display tablets and the kind people at XP-Pen were happy to oblige and provide me with their Artist 22 Pro tablet which I will be considering in this review.

The XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro is a Graphics Monitor Display developed by XP-Pen Technology which was founded in 2005 according to their website.you can find the XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro on their website, If you purchase the package deal you will receive a screen protector, drawing glove, a VGA connector cable, so I advise you to have a DVI cable on hand if you need it. You also receive an HDMI cable, USB connector, two stylus pens, a pen stand with extra nibs in it and two pen charger cables. Overall, I consider this a good tablet and definitely a great affordable alternative to Cintiq.

So let's get the big bit out of the way to start with, price. This is a huge plus point for this tablet. This is currently retailing at less than $550 onhttps://www.storexppen.com/buy/60.html. A comparable sized Wacom is going to cost three to four times as much. This is still no small amount, but it does bring the price into the realms of realistic even for a hobbyist.

Features

Weight:about 15.4 lbs (7 kg)
Pressure Levels:8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity
Viewing angle:IPS LED screen with good viewing angles (178 degrees, or +/-89 degrees)
mode:Dual-monitor, Mirror/Extended mode
Display Diagonal:21.5″
Dimension:57 x 321 x 30 mm
active area:18.76″ x 10.5″ (476.64 x 268.11 mm)
aspect ratio :16:10
Display Resolution:1920×1080 dpi up to 16M colors
Stand:VESA-mount compatible
Report rate :266 rps
Accuracy:Accuracy (parallax, gap between pen’s drawn line and screen) plus or minus .01 in
Resolution:5080 lpi
digitizert:UC-Logic digitizer
Compatibility:Windows 7/8/10 and Mac OS 10.10 or later , no linux .
The tablet is not multitouch, meaning you can’t use your fingers to paint or do anything on it.

First Impressions

When your XP-Pen arrives it will come in a very standard brown box with no obvious branding or flashy graphics showing off what it can do. I guess it keeps the price down and I'm in favour of that. You will find everything you need in the box to get you hooked up and ready to go. The instructions are pretty basic; however I had mine up and running in minutes with no complications.

You will need a plug socket to power your device, a USB and either a VGA or HDMI socket free to get everything connected up. These are all provided along with the driver which was super easy and quick to install and Im hardly a tech wizard. I had it up and running in no more than 5 minutes which I found surprisingly good.

I must admit I was positively surprised by the weight and feel of it. Ok there are a few plastic parts, but it doesnt feel like a cheap device. It is not a flimsy graphics tablet that feels like it is about to fall apart. The screen is fantastic and it sits very firmly on my desk without any concerns.

The buttons are on the bottom. They are not too hard to reach because the stand lifts the tablet above the table; still, it would be nice if they were in a more convenient place.

The monitor build quality as a whole isn’t as premium as Wacom’s, but it’s solid and stable. Though there are volume controls, there are no speakers; they are for speaker support.

The monitor sits on the stand above the table, making the buttons, which are on the right and along the bottom, easy to access. The ports for the cables are on the back, and a little hard to get to because of the stand. The cables can also get mixed up in the stand.

The device is made of rugged textured plastic with rubber on the base and bracket.The stand can be adjusted up and down to any angle but does not rotate .The stand is removeable and VESA-compatible; you can replace it with a mounting arm.

The IPS Screen / Tablet

The active area on the Artist 22 Pro is the same as on the Cintiq 22HD, as they both have a 22″ LCD screen for a drawing surface. the XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro has a UC Logic digitizer. For those of you who don’t know, the digitizer is what enables the tablet to read pen pressure and location input to allow you to draw lines on the screen surface.

It has 1920 x 1080 resolution, at around 100 PPI (pixels per inch), equal to the Cintiq 22HD. The tablet will come uncalibrated in the box, and you will need to complete your physical tablet setup and put it in it’s permanent position before you start calibrating. I tested it and It looks similar from the various angles, so I’d say it’s around 170 degrees as well. I recommended that you finish your physical workspace setup first because vertically, the viewing angles are not as good as horizontally.

Once theXP-Pen Artist 22 Pro drawing tablet for pcwas installed it has been a wonderful experience. The screen protector doesn’t hinder my artwork and since I haven’t spent time on a graphics monitor for a while, it seems anything is better than the usual graphics tablets. Still, I felt the surface wasn’t a hindrance overall.

My background is in illustration and I have been a very satisfied user of Corel Painter for many years. I opened up the software to check out the pressure sensitivity. Immediately I was impressed. Im pretty heavy handed with my tablet, but straight away this felt very comfortable to me. I have always found it easier with my Wacom to go from a thin line to a thick line; however with this device it felt just as easy to go from thick to thin.

It‘s really hard to capture the quality of the screen in a photograph, but I opened up a painting I had been working on recently and viewed it on the XP-Pen and my Samsung LED monitor at the same time. The colors looked more vibrant and the image was clearer. In fact it made me want to get stuck into working on the painting more as it now felt clearer and crisper.

Colors are bright and clear, and matched my computer’s with a little adjustment to the brightness. The Cintiq have a textured screen. The others have a smooth glossy screen, including the Artist 22 Pro. I don’t have a preference, but some people like the Cintiq’s matte screen because it cuts out the distracting glare from the gloss finish. Other people hate the matte finish because it makes the screen a little darker and foggier than they are used to. It’s all a matter of preference, so just go with whichever you like. With the glossy screen, you have to wear the drawing glove all the time, since the bottom of your palm with leave oil marks all over your screen.

If you don’t like the Cintiq and are adamant on getting a XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro or similar tablet, The screen protector will cut down glare and make the screen a little textured so that it feels more like drawing on paper. It went on very easily, did not bubble, and was a nice matte surface good for drawing.

There are no hotkeys on this tablet, you can buy a remote for it. Wacom has a remote for their Wacom 27QHD that includes a handy touch ring for zoom and rotate. I only own the Cintiq 13HD, which has a rocker ring and not the touch ring, but I also have an Intuos Pro and Intuos 4 that has the ring. Personally, I love the touch ring and got so used to it that I’m always disappointed when I review a tablet that doesn’t come with a touch ring. To optimize your workflow, get a wireless remote to use with your XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro so that you don’t have to reach across the table to do your shortcuts.

So far, I haven’t come across a tablet other than the Cintiq Cintiq that has tilt-sensitivity. There are some other reviewers who will say that a XP-Pen, Yiynova or Huion has tilt-sensitivity but THEY DON’T. Certain programs like Photoshop are able to detect the tilt of the pen and change the pen jitter to give you thicker or skinnier lines. This is how it works with real drawing instruments, so it’s good if you have it, but it’s also not that big of a deal since only certain programs support it and not even all the brushes in these programs are tilt-able.

In terms of pen sensitivity, it has 8192 levels, which is on par with the other LCD drawing tablets, and you’re able to change much of the same settings: pressure sensitivity, program the two pen buttons, and calibrate.

As far as support, there’s never really any guarantee that these non-Wacom companies will fix issues that you have. I’ve gotten pretty lucky so far with these Wacom alternatives, every company whose product I’ve tried has been good with customer service.

The P02S Stylus

The pen weighs 17 grams and is comfortable to hold. It doesn’t have indentations or a grip, but it has a good balance in the hand. It slides quickly over the glass, since the screen is slick, though not super-slippery.

Using the screen protector slows it down somewhat. Some people like to draw on a glossy surface; others prefer a textured screen such as that on the Cintiq, or a more matte screen protector.

The pen has good tracking, with a bit of parallax due to the thickness of the screen, as does a Cintiq tablet. I did not notice any jitter.

The pen features an auto-sleep function to save battery life. It takes 1 to 2 hours to charge, which will last a couple of weeks, up to 130 hours depending on use. Because two pens are included, you can keep one charged and switch to it when needed. The pen weighs 17 grams.

There’s a blue light indicator to signal when the battery is low. The pen is rechargeable, but the battery that comes in it is not replaceable.

While charging, the pen light will be red until fully charged.

The two buttons on the pen are programmable in the driver. You can toggle it with just one click and one hand, since the button is within reach of your drawing hand’s fingers, so you could program one button to switch to the eraser, which could save you time.

Unlike the Wacom Pro pen, this pen does not have an eraser on the back end. The buttons can only be customized for mouse functions, such as right-click, as well as eraser.

At first, I thought the battery powered pen that needed to be recharged would annoy me (it has to be charged out of the box for a quick second). But I got used to it and the battery lasts for a long time! I also use the iPad where the Apple Pencil needs to be charged, so this is a similar concept but the pen can be used and charged at the same time. There are two button configurations for the pen which are useful.

Drivers

Some users report no problems at all and others had some glitches. The XP-Pen site has a page of troubleshooting tips. Drivers from other tablet systems, such as Wacom, should be uninstalled. So if you want to switch off with a Wacom Intuos or Cintiq, you would have to reinstall those (it’s probably a good idea to uninstall the XP drivers before reloading the Cintiq ones). There don’t seem to be major driver issues overall.

Very easy setup. Download the right driver from the XP-Pen website. I had to fiddle with the Color to get it right on and off and at the end it was not noticeably different from my laptop screen. Meaning I can paint on the tablet screen without final adjustments to match it to my laptop.

I was able to adjust the color the XP-Pen settings and my laptop color profile settings. It took one or two passes but it came out 95% accurate. I'm a stickler for color so I was surprised. The screen was a little brighter than I expected, but that was adjustable as well.

Art Software

Programs for Mac and Windows,including open-source software, work fine, including Photoshop, Paint Tool SAI, Illustrator, Open Canvas, Comic Studio, and Zbrush.

On Mac El Capitan, I tried Photoshop CC, Illustrator, Krita, Gimp 2.8, Manga Studio/Clip Studio Paint, Rebelle, Sketchbook Pro, and Sculptris, which uses ZBrush. Pressure and everything else worked great in all of them.

On Windows 10, I tried out Photoshop CC, Gimp, Paint Tool Sai, and Sketchbook Pro. The pressure sensitivity and overall drawing experience were great in Photoshop and Paint Tool Sai. Paint Tool Sai delivered really smooth lines.

As expected, Illustrator and Inkscape did not get pressure, as expected (because only Wacom’s do), but you can still use these programs. Pressure works with vector layers in Manga Studio, so vector painting is not a lost cause.

Drawing on the XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro

Anyone who has used a tablet will tell you that there is a slight delay when you move the pen. This is always going to be the case and this was probably the thing I was most concerned about before reviewing this device, as a long delay could be a deal breaker. However the delay is not in any way a problem. In fact I considered it to be very responsive.

Pressure sensitivity flows pretty well. If it is too sensitive to you then you can pull up the monitor’s control panel called Penates and set your sensitivity. Once set everything works fine. I spent several hours illustrating characters on the XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro without any problems. No crashes on my system, nothing. Everything flowed perfectly fine.

So then it was time to really put it through it’s paces. I always struggled to sketch directly in Painter using my Wacom, it never really felt natural to me. I would always do a traditional sketch and scan it before working on the painting. I wanted to see if painting directly on the screen would make a difference and the truth is that it really did. It was no issue at all to quickly throw down some lines and get a sketch started. In fact it felt very much so like drawing on paper in front of me.

XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro vs. Cintiq 22HD

No XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro review can claim that the XP-Pen is "as good” as a Cintiq. But the XP-Pen Artist 22 Pro is enough for artists who don’t need all the bells and whistles. It has the same levels of pressure sensitivity and display resolution, and it’s brighter (250 nits vs. the Cintiq 22HD’s 230). The screen is glossier, because it doesn’t have the coating that Wacom uses to give the surface some bite. The included screen protector from 3M works well in giving the drawing surface a little friction.

The Cintiq 22HD lets you customize express keys and the pen buttons to keyboard shortcuts. The pens also have a variety of types of nibs. Cintiqs support tilt and rotation sensitivity and their stand rotates. They offer a touch version with which you can use your hands to do gestures or draw.

Wacom Cintiqs offer more features, but you don’t really need these to draw; they are to streamline workflow. The XP-Pen gives you most of the features of the Cintiq. The choice depends on your own needs and preferences.

Vs. tablet PC: The drawing features of the XP-Pen and other Cintiq alternatives are like those on tablet PCs such as Surface Pro and Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga–there’s no tilt recognition or express keys.

Pros

Affordability
Size , Screen and display of high quality
Cables simple to set up (no splitters and such)
Adjustable stand
VESA-compatible (meaning you can attach it to VESA stand, so it can go on a wall or mounting arm)
Excellent pressure curve and pen sensitivity
Good build quality
no jitter , Good accuracy
programmable pen buttons
uses EMR, a sensitive digitizer system allowing excellent drawing control
Comes with generous amount of extras (extra pen; several types of cable; cleaning brush and cloth, screen protector, adapter for Mac)

Cons

No programmable express keys
No tilt or rotation sensitivity; pen tilt is manually adjustable, though.
No multitouch option
Pen needs to be charged, though the extra pen helps
Only one type of pen and one type of nib, as opposed to the variety available for Cintiq

Summary

So what is the verdict? I have always found using my Wacom and painting digitally from the start tightened me up and made my illustrations much less loose and exciting. I have always presumed this is because of the unnatural processes of looking up at a monitor, while my hand was on a Wacom at my side. I feel this device will really help to shake that off.

If you are currently using a regular tablet and are looking for something to help you take that next artistic step forward this really could be what you are looking for. Its so easy to use and feels natural on the very first go. Whether you are a 3D or 2D artist Im sure you can imagine the possible improvements a pen display tablet could make to your work, but I imagine much like me you are either put off by the price of a Cintiq or nervous of buying a cheaper device.

ThisXP-Pen Artist 22 Pro professional graphics tabletcan be bought with confidence. Okay it lacks buttons to use as hot keys and the stand on the back feels a little plastic. Also you will find a very limited amount of support online compared to a Wacom device. These are the only reasons I havent given it 5 stars. This is however a genuine option for hobbyist and professional artists alike and I am certain that within five minutes of using it you will see how it can help your workflow. Save up and get yourself one of these, I know it will put a smile on your face and it will be a great investment to help you improve your own art.

Posted by: tiangao at 07:51 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
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October 17, 2018

XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Review : Brilliant inexpensive drawing display monitor for artists

Received my XP-Pen Artist 15.6 two months ago. This is a full HD 1920×1080 tablet monitor — no touchscreen, stylus pen only, with 8192 degrees of pressure sensitivity. I wanted to write a review right away, but it took me sometime to tweak my device to a satisfactory drawing condition.

XP-Pen, the shenzhen china-based retailer and manufacturer has recently introduced a number of products into the pen display and tablet market. With many pen tablets already available in the past year, they have made great headway in the competitive market of pen displays. With Wacom being the leader in pen display technology, a competitive challenger that can meet the quality of the standard at a more agreeable price has been desperately needed for years.

The Artist 15.6 is XP-Pen's highest end tablet monitor, featuring a 15.6-inch diagonal 16:9 display with 1920 x 1080 resolution. The pen offers 8192 levels of pressure and ships with eight replacement nibs. Most importantly, the tablet monitor retails for less than $500 (not include shipping fee in the whole world ), making it a great device for the price.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

In the package, along with the device, you will get a screen protector, 8 replacement nibs, 1 HDMI to MAC adapter cable , one 3-1 cable.

The Artist 15.6 also came with XP-Pen Artist Gloves, a pen stand, a battery-free P05 Stylus,which come with the new hard plastic case with stands . There are extra nibs and nib removal tools included with each.

Where I Can gei it ?

you can buy it from the internet , they shipping it to the whole world by DHL / UPS / fedex /EMS from Hong kong , I live in sydney australia .I get it 5 days after I ordered . this is quickly . Here is a link to their online offical store :https://www.storexppen.com/buy/51.html

Technical Specifications

Size:- 443 x 280 x 12.6 mm

Active Area:- 344.16 x 193.59 mm

Screen resolution:- 1920 x 1080p.

Pressure sensitivity:- 8192 levels.

Visual Angle:- 178°

Response Time:- 25 ms

Aspect ratio:- 16:9

Weight:- 3.2 lbs

Drawing resolution:- 5080 lines per inch .

Fast Access Keys:- 6 Express Keys

Multi-Touch:- No

Pen Reading Speed:-266 rps

Warranty:- 18 months

Input Signal:- USB Type-C / Included Link & Cables

Compatible with Windows & Mac OS X:- Windows 7 /8 / 10 , Mac OS X 10.10 and later.

The Screen/display

From the name you can pick up that this tablet comes with a Artist 15.6 display. This means 15.6 inches diagonally from end-to-end.

XP-Pen Artist 15.6 has a Screen which has a full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, IPS panel with 16.7 million colours, 250cdm2 brightness, 16:9 contrast ratio. Colors are reproduced fairly accurately with a gamut of 75% Adobe RGB; not overly saturated. There is a matte anti-glare protector over the screen, with a slight paper-like texture and resistance, offering a more natural and glare-free experience. Which is the common resolution to see on pen displays with this size, the picture quality the screen provides is good too. which will allow you to get all those nice little details when using the tablet display.

Everything about this tablet physically is just plain gorgeous. The screen is clearer than you’d imagine and the pen feels incredible in your hand. Setup may take a little bit of work, but once you get going it’s easy to fall into the zone.

Everything about the tablet’s monitor is beautiful. It offers very high contrast for drawing. It’s actually perfect from all angles which I found by propping up the tablet on a 30-degree angle on my desk. No glare that I could see and the pen drags across the screen with smooth accuracy.

the LCD panel quality and drawing feel were about on par with Wacom’s Cintiq 13HD at less cost. I pulled out an Artist's Glove and found that this greatly improved my drawing experience with the tablet monitor .

The advantages to this small display .

For one, you can hold the XP-Pen Artist 15.6 right up to your face and not see any jaggies on its 1080p display. 1920×1080 FHD resolution is very acceptable for close work.

The second advantage of a small display is that your hand and pen don’t need to cover a lot of ground to hit any point on the screen. The limited real estate will definitely force you to do more panning and zooming with your free hand, but at least your pen arm won’t have to travel as much as two feet to hit the file menu.

I suggest you can considering it by think about your workspace, the distance at which you work from your canvas and the dimensions in which you like to work.

The P05 Stylus

The stylus that came with the XP-Pen Artist 15.6 came with 8192 levels of pressure for a good variety of line weights.

The P05 pen was very comfortable to hold due to the rubberized grip and decent length of the stylus. It doesn't feel like an actual pen or pencil but it's pretty darn close.

I was also happy to see that the stylus required no external battery and did not need to be charged with a USB cable which means you can just pick it up and draw!

There are some problems with these battery-free stylus' feeling too light without the inclusion of a battery but as mentioned before this pen felt great.

Like most pens included with graphics tablets and tablet displays, this stylus included two programmable buttons that can be programmed using the included drivers.

The menu included by XP-Pen was fairly simple but allowed you to program certain commands to the buttons and was fairly straightforward. There was also an area to calibrate your stylus correctly, which definitely helped me get more accurate strokes than I would have without the calibration. All in all, this menu is used only when initially setting up the tablet display and never really touched again, but it served its purpose well.

Simplified connections

The new 3-in-1 cable is a marked improvement over its predecessor, connecting to the tablet with just one cable via USB-C, allowing for a clutter-free workspace. This side of the cable would benefit from being somewhat longer, to cater for greater distances between working area and computer. The other ends of the cable connect to the HDMI output of your computer (or Thunderbolt/Mini Display Port via included adapter), and to a standard USB port. The tablet was powered sufficiently from my computer alone via USB 3.0. The supplied mains adapter connects onto the 3-in-1 cable, for those who need to power their tablet via mains supply, in the event of insufficient power allocated to USB ports within your computer.

There are two rubberized non-slip strips to the rear which keep the display firmly on the desk. I would have liked a stand to be included, though any built-in stand would add significant bulk to an otherwise sleek product. The AC18 stand is compatible and available from the XP-Pen offical shop (https://www.storexppen.com).

Installation

You may download the drivers as well as user Manuals from this page on the XP-Pen site : (https://www.xp-pen.com).

The drivers are for Windows 7/8/10 , and Mac 10.4 and later.

The tablet is Linux-capable but doesn’t offer Linux drivers.

The digitizer’s chipset has been upgraded to the latest tech UC-Logic has to offer. Some users of UC-Logic tablets and tablet monitors experienced line jitter when drawing at slow speeds. This update addresses that problem. Slow strokes felt much more natural. Diagonal strokes, also affected with jitter on some tablet models, are also improved. Drawing feels fast and accurate. The XP-Pen Artist 15.6 feels very natural to draw on as a result.

The drivers create a new control panel item called Tablet Setting where you can configure your monitors, program your pen buttons, adjust and test pressure sensitivity, program your express keys and calibrate your screen. The tool offers 4- or 9-point calibration.

Once I went through the tablet settings, I was able to see pressure sensitivity in Manga Studio and Photoshop.

The drivers can be used to adjust pen sensitivity and to make drawing a little easier. The pressure curve is very light by default, so even barely touching the screen will leave a mark. You can adjust pressure values in the settings app if you need more rigid control.

There are few things you need to keep in mind when it comes to XP-Pen Artist 15.6. For one, you will need to uninstall all the Wacom drivers on your computer before you install XP-Pen Artist 15.6’s driver, and possibly the drivers of other tablets, as they can conflict with XP-Pen Artist 15.6’s drivers. So keep this in mind in case you already use another graphics tablets right now. Also, be aware that XP-Pen Artist 15.6 has no multi-touch capabilities, but let’s hope we will get to see that feature in the future.

Pen tip accuracy and response is on par with Wacom with a generous hover space of ½” and no offsetting in any of the corners. In both Windows and Mac, no lag could be detected in basic OS functions.

Application Testing

The aim of this review being based on the point of view of a digital artist, I ran tests for compatibility and workflow with a selection of popular 2D and 3D art applications. These test included the pen's accuracy in menu selection, pressure sensitivity and, where applicable, tilt functions.

Current Tested software as of 10/15/2018

2D software

Adobe Photoshop CS6 and CC – Pressure functions
Adobe Illustrator – Pressure
The Foundry Mischief – Pressure, Recommended
Autodesk Sketchbook pro – No pressure (Pressure Functions on MacOSx)
Gimp – Pressure Functions
ClipStudio/Manga Studio – Pressure
Corel Painter - Pressure

3D software

Autodesk Mudbox – Pressure (requires Windows Environment Variable to work)
Autodesk Maya – Pressure
Autodesk 3ds Max – Pressure
Algorithmic Substance Painter- Pressure
Blender - Pressure
Pixologic Zbrush – Pressure, Recommended
Pixologic Sculptris – Pressure, Recommended
Pilgway 3D – Coat – Pressure, Recommended

Drawing Experience

XP-Pen Artist 15.6 graphics Pen Display Monitorsupports 8192 level of pressure sensitivity , and no tilt support. In case this is your first drawing device, this feature allows you to draw thicker lines by pressing harder with the pen, just like pencils & other traditional drawing media works. Pressure sensitivity can be used in other ways too, like creating more or less transparent strokes. The best advice I tell you is not to stress over pressure sensitivity so much, that anything above 1024, and sometimes 512, is more than enough for most of your needs. Some people are happy with pressure sensitivity as low as 256.

Aretist 15.6 had 6 hotkeys you could customize to speed up your workflow, XP-Pen Aretist 15.6 have always had great pen tracking. There have been a few generations of pen and some firmware adjustments to pressure sensitivity, but it has always been great. I have no issues whatsoever with line straightness doing a ruler test.

There is no "waviness” from imprecise tracking behind the screen. There is no jitter outside from that of your own hand. The tablet was perfectly calibrated all the way to the edge of the display, out of the box . I am able to draw literally to the exact corner pixels, at all four corners. If you haven’t drawn on a Artist 15.6 yet, it’s basically excellent, and quite comparable to Wacom, barring tilt.

To Summarize

Everything about theXP-Pen Artist 15.6 tablet displayscreams professional.

It is undeniably one of the most affordable tablets on the market at this size and it’s definitely comparable to a Cintiq.

The display is brilliant with accurate colors and customizable brightness settings. The default pen is also very comfy and when you get in the groove you might forget you’re even holding it.

Just be wary of potential driver issues when installing the tablet. There can be jitters and freezing/flash pauses if you don’t uninstall other previous drivers first. Calibration should go smoothly and once you start using the tablet you’ll know within a couple days if it’s gonna be a fit.

If you need a cheaper Cintiq replacement look no further than XP-Pen Artist 15.6 display. For physical quality there is no comparison and this will save you a lot of dough in the process.

Posted by: tiangao at 07:00 AM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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August 27, 2018

XP-Pen G640S Graphic Tablet Review : Design for OSU Signature signing

Anyone working on an image in Adobe Photoshop or on a drawing in Corel Painter realizes how nice it would be to just pick up a pen and "draw" rather than trying to use a mouse. This is why graphic artists have long turned to XP-Pen pen tablets for editing digital photography and digital art.

For photographers and graphic artists who haven’t already embraced the idea of a pen tablet or tablet PC, the appeal of the XP-Pen G640S is that it is a full-featured "graphics tablet." Tablet PCs offer a great deal of flexibility and a range of practical applications; leading to their popularity with artists and other creative professionals.

So recently I’ve purchased the XP-Pen G640S USB Pen Tablet. I’ve bought this nice piece of gear with the intention of being able to expand the way I use the cursor to select things on my computer. For some people, that may mean being able to draw more naturally, write digitally instead of using the keyboard, for playing OSU professionally; and/or acting as a mouse replacement for the ergonomic benefit, preventing/letting carpal tunnel to heal.

I also imagined that a graphics tablet would help me in video or photo editing. Video or photo editing can require an immense amount of time and concentration, and using a mouse in such a rigid fashion can lead to complications like strain, RSI, carpal tunnel, among other things. Whereas using a tool like a pen tablet feels more natural to use in the hand without putting strain on your wrist. And for this reason, there are many people who use a graphics tablet like the XP-Pen G640S as a total replacement to the common mouse.

The point at which I realized the true value of the tablet is simply when I started seeing how much faster I can edit faces with the pen tool. Because the tablet has a relative positioning attitude (so your tablet is mapped to your screen, and a specific point on the tablet will always be the same point on the screen) you tend to be able to move to exact locations on XP-Pen tablet surface image and edit out blemishes much faster than with a mouse. Also, changes made with a Photoshop tool that requires a natural flow along the lines of your object (like a face) is just so much easier to do well with a pen or stylus than with a mouse. I would not be over-exaggerating to say that it has cut editing time in half.

I absolutely love my XP-Pen G640S , and I'm ashamed that I didn't place a review for this superior product before now. I was helping a coworker select a XP-Pen tablet for her desk this morning when I decided to write this review for the Wacom tablet. Bottom line for the Star G640S: convenient size, excellent pressure sensitivity, durable construction, excellent value for the price. I would consider this a must-have for any serious digital illustrator or designer.it's price is $49.99 .you can get more information fromhttps://www.xp-pen.com/goods/show/id/371.html.

What are the Specs for the XP-Pen G640S Pen Tablet?

The size is of the G640S tablet is 259mm wide by 160mm inch height . But the active area on the tablet is 6 x 3.75 inch .the Star G640S is small and light enough to pick up off the desk and work with right on your lap. With a thickness of just 9mm, it’s thinner than just about any device on your desk.

I mean the tablet works very smoothly, but the small area is a tad bit hard to use. If you plan to heavily use a drawing tablet, I would suggest looking at the XP-Pen DEC0 01 tablet if it fits your budget, as the increased drawing space is more ergonomic and comfortable to use.

The G640S tablet has a reporting rate of 266RPS, and in my experience moving the cursor from one end to other on the monitor was as smooth like with any other standard mouse. The G640S pen come with 8192 levels of pressure, which is more than enough for showing the density of a drawing stroke. Just make sure that you check the "Support TabletPC” checkbox on the XP-Pen Driver if the pressure sensitivity isn’t working with your Adobe Photoshop CC software.

The included grip pen is XP-Pen’s standard two-button unit.the new Intuos pens are much more comfortable to hold that the old plastic pens because of the rubber coated grip. I personally found the pen to be perfectly weighted and balanced. The contoured grip area is thick enough to promote good pen holding habits and reduce fatigue.

The tip on the pen seem much more "springy" and responsive. Pen tips are removable/replaceable, and XP-Pen supplies several different tips (also called nibs).

The resolution of the pen tablet is 8192 LPI, or Line per Inch.

The new Intuos features a USB connection that permits hot-swappable, on-the-go design. the G640S also have 6 Express keys that you can assign any keyboard shortcut that you’d like.

The XP-Pen G640S is compatible with many major graphics applications including Corel Painter, CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Fireworks, Macromedia Flash, Comic Studio, GIMP, SAI, Infinite Stratos, 3D MAX, Autodesk MAYA, Pixologic ZBrush, USB interface. Note that you can perfectly use the G640S as a mouse.

The G640S pen tablet also supports Window’s Vista/7/8/10 and Mac OS 10.8.0+

What are the Pros of the XP-Pen G640S Pen Tablet?

Highly Portability

I find that the G640S tablet can be pretty useful. It’s extremely portable due to its extremely small notepad-like dimensions and extremely light weight; you’ll hardly notice a difference if you add the XP-Pen drawing tablet to your hand bag or backpack.

Customization & Programmable Keys

I mentioned before that there are 6 programmable keys to the side of the G640S tablet. These are great, because when you are in the middle of drawing something out, you can quickly perform a command inside the graphics program that you choose to use. There are also an additional 2 programmable buttons on the pen itself; you can either designate them as left & right mouse buttons or anything else if you wish. it is easy use by both right-handed and left-handed artists.

Along with programmable keys, there are many features that you can customize for the G640S drawing tablet. That includes the levels of pressure for the pen’s tip, the active area of the tablet, which monitor to select if you have multiple displays, and more. You also have the option of matching the active area size to match your display ratio.

The significance of G640S’s new ExpressKeys is that they greatly speed up workflow in graphics and other applications. The innovative ExpressKeys provide quick access to commonly used modifiers, mouse clicks, keystrokes, and other time-saving operations used by photo editors, graphic designers, and digital artists.

Pressure levels

The pressure sensitivity of the XP-Pen G640S is pretty amazing for such a cheap price. With the correct settings enabled, I found that I could smoothly ramp up the gradient of darkness & lightness depending on how hard or soft I pressed my pen against the tablet- given that the XP-Pen drawing tablet’s software is properly configured. The tablet’s surface was smooth enough to feel like I was using pen and paper, albeit with a tad bit more scratchy feedback than an actual graphite pencil on paper.

The pressure sensitivity is amazing and allows me the complete control over the virtual medium that I am handling (airbrush, pencil, ink, paint, etc). Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash are all designed to work with the pressure sensitive pens, and the level of control is amazing. Photoshop's new custom brush palette, combined with the Wacom tablet, permit me to create custom brushes to simulate the appearance of color pencil, pastels, and chalk in such a realistic manner that it's difficult to discern what is real and what is digital.

Highly Responsive

With resolution and data rates (5,080 lpi, 200 pps) on par with XP-Pen’s other higher-end tablets, performance was predictably smooth and precise. The G640S tracks quickly, without any noticeable lag even when rapidly moving the pen back and forth. The G640S has 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity and pressure-sensitive functions in both Photoshop and Corel Painter performed exactly as expected. I particularly enjoyed the ability to use pressure sensitivity when applying Nik Color Efex filters to images in Photoshop.

Again, I would like to add that new tools requires a bit of time to become accustom to.

What are the Cons of the XP-Pen G640S Pen Tablet?

There are a few downsides or features that could have been improved upon the XP-Pen G640S drawing tablet.

Drawing Room

First of all, I feel that the drawing area is a tad bit too small. Sure, the tablet is exceptionally usable and smooth to the pen movements. But I feel that due to the small drawing area, it takes me longer to to accurately draw what I want with precision. Maybe with enough time I would get used to the small drawing space, but if I had the budget I would go for the spacious XP-Pen DECO 02 tablet, just for ease of use.

Wired

Maybe this is just nitpicking, but I really don’t want to add anymore wires to my desk. My keyboard has a wire. My mouse has a wire. My webcam has a wire. My desk lap has a wire. My microphone has a wire… I could go on. It’s no surprise people like going wireless. So ignore this nitpick if you don’t mind adding an extra wire to your desk. Or alternatively, you could look into a wireless solution, like the XP-Pen Wireless DECO 03 Drawing-Pad.

Requires Software Installation

The XP-Pen G640S tablet requires software installation. You can install the software by download it from their website. it opens a window with a list of drivers; you simply have to choose which tablet you have out of that list. Then the software installation begins. Again, this is nitpicking. But for people who have virtually zero computer skill, they’ll need someone a little more computer adept to help them given that this tablet isn’t plug & play (actually, many drawing tablets aren’t, because the custom software allows for better customization- like assigning which button on the tablet & pen does what).

Operating the XP-Pen G640S Graphics Tablet as a Mouse Replacement

So there are some people out there who choose to use a drawing tablet like the XP-Pen G640S as an alternative to a mouse. The primary reason would be for better ergonomics. The way that many people hold the standard mouse is not safe for long term usage. Even I find that if I keep using a regular computer mouse for an extended period of time, I start to feel cramps and strains in my wrist- all warning signs of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury).

Whereas with graphic drawing tablets like the G640S, they require you to hold the "mouse” in the pen hand position. This greatly reduces the amount of strain that the wrist experiences, because the rotational angle of the hand is in a more natural position.

You’ll need to use the XP-Pen tablet drivers in order to configure the buttons on the pen and the express buttons on the tablet. A good configuration is to make the pen’s first button a right mouse button, and the pen’s second button as the middle mouse wheel button- which allows you to use the pen’s second button for auto-scrolling. Note that you’ll need to tap the pen twice on the tablet in order to perform a double-click.

The tablet also gives you 6 express buttons that you can are easily configurable to perform any hotkey combination like Ctrl, Alt, Shift, plus any letter, number, PF key, etc.

A good configuration option for those 6 express buttons are to save with Ctrl+S, to close an application with Alt+F4, and Home (no hotkey needed, predefined) or other functions.

Experience In Use

Most artists who use a pen tablet for awhile will tell you it’s impossible to go back to a mouse after using pen-based control. I am something of an oddity among the photographers and graphic designers I know in that I "like" pen tablets but I’ve never really "needed" pen tablets. That is, I never needed a pen tablet until I started using the G640S

I’m not sure what it is about using the G640S with my studio desktop that makes it like a match made in heaven, but I honestly have a hard time even entertaining the idea of not using this tablet on a daily basis. The setup on my Windows 10-based desktop was a breeze. Photoshop CS6 instantly responds to the pen, mouse, and ExpressKey inputs as if they’ve always been there. The 259 x 160mm footprint is perfect for my desk and the battery-free wireless pen mean that I don’t have to worry about cords and I don’t have to worry about charging/replacing batteries.this tablet have the 6x3.75 drawing surface, which I find to be an adequate size for me to accomplish all of my design-work and illustrations. It also is a convenient size to fit into my bag .

I spend about 10 hours a day working in Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, and other design related programs including 3D Studio Max. I've been using a XP-Pen G640S tablet for about four months now, and I love it. It would be impossible for me to create the designs and illustrations that I do without my XP-Pen G640S . As an artist and designer, I used traditional mediums for years, and then spent another couple of years trying to figure out how to use a mouse in a way that would permit me to create quality images and designs on the computer quickly and in a way that resembled traditional methods.

Design for OSU

The biggest selling point of tablets for osu! is this absolute tracking. Every other parameter such as pressure levels, tilt sensitivity, barrel rotation, etc. will have no effect on your osu! gameplay. These features are for digital art, where the tablet can sense things such as the pressure you're applying to make a darker pencil mark, for example. The only specification which may affect your osu! gameplay is LPI (lines per inch).

This is essentially the "resolution" of the tablet surface, or how little you have to move for the tablet to detect it. If a tablet has 100 LPI, then you have to move at least 1/100th of an inch for it to register movement. However, even the lowest LPI should be far higher than any monitor that you're likely to play on, so higher numbers have a mostly unnoticeable effect on gameplay.

In short, tablets are an optional device to let you play the game in a different way. They were originally intended for digital art, but happen to work very well when playing osu!. Most specifications will make no difference in osu!.

For osu!, you'll probably be looking at getting one of the "small" sized tablets because it's a common strategy to reduce play area so that you don't have to move your arm when you play. However, it's personal preference as to whether or not you want a larger tablet area, and it's especially worth considering the "large" size if you are also into digital art; drawing is much more comfortable on a larger tablet.

I’m no master of the game Osu! since I only sit at around rank 100 000, only between the 5 digit and 6 digit ranks. However, I do think that I understand what is most important when it comes to shopping for an Osu! tablet after having tried Osu! on a bunch of these tablets

For context, I play Osu! with either mouse + keyboard or tablet + keyboard, depending on my mood. I map my active area to around 2.7×1.5 inches and use the hover "style” rather than dragging.

From what I’ve experienced, I feel that accuracy, cursor delay, active area configurability, and hover distance are the most important aspects of an Osu! tablet.

XP-PenStar G640S OSU Tablet:
Accuracy: Really good.
Pen Type: Plastic stick pen. Battery-free pen (no-battery/no-recharge).
Hover Distance: ~10-11mm

Without tablet drivers installed
Cursor Delay: Good. No delay.
Active Area Configurability: Unavailable without drivers.

With tablet drivers installed
Cursor Delay: Good. No noticeable cursor delay unlike XP-Pen and XP-Pen.
Active Area Configurability: Available in drivers.

So far, this is the only Osu! tablet that I’ve run into which doesn’t have noticeable built-in cursor delay in the drivers. This is my recommendation for anyone who wants to get an Osu! tablet which they can draw on as well. It’s the exact same size as the XP-Pen Star G640S, except it’s good for both drawing and Osu! gameplay because it doesn’t have any noticeable built-in cursor delay whether you install the drivers or not.

The biggest con is the relatively small hover distance, so it might not be the best choice for you if you tend to hover too high a lot. I had no problems with the hover distance though, but that’s just me.

The reason why I recommend the XP-Pen Star G430S at the top of this post is because it uses the exact same drivers as the G640, therefore there should be no noticeable built-in cursor delay on the G430S either. However, the G430S is only recommended if you just intend to play Osu! on it because it’s slightly too small for comfortable drawing.

So should I buy the XP-Pen G640S Pen Tablet?

Yea, I could definitely recommend theXP-Pen G640S Signature Padas a high quality entry level tablet. You may find it perfect as a mouse replacement, but the tiny active area leaves a lot to be desired. The strokes made by the XP-Pen G640S are very smooth, and the pressure levels allow for smooth gradient transitions from light to dark. But if you are well in the budget for it, I would also recommend the XP-Pen DECO 02 tablet over the G640S just for it’s bigger active drawing area.

The new Star G640S 2018 are a good entry-level graphics tablets for those willing to get into digital art. The small model with no Bluetooth is particularly good if you want to have an affordable XP-Pen tablet, its price is a bit close in price to the alternatives (although it’s smaller in size).

While the Star G640S are entry-level tablets, I dare say professionals could use them, as long as they don’t need some of the features exclusive to the higher-end Wacom Intuos pro, like the large size, tilt sensitivity.

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