Which Tablet Is Best For Drawing

When you're cartoon, painting or retouching photos on a reckoner, a mouse is only going to become you so far. Using a touchscreen might be better but simply if equipped with a high-end stylus. That's why near digital artists and creatives reach first for a graphics tablet. Not only does a graphics tablet mimic traditional means of working but information technology also allows yous to work with a speed and precision that you'll struggle to friction match in any other way.

However, tablets can be expensive, with prices rising upwardly to £400 or more for pro-level models. What's more, we're now seeing hybrid "pen display" devices that are both a tablet and a screen, and while these tin can exist astonishing, the prices rising to some intimidating levels. So, earlier you buy a graphics tablet, you need to have a clear idea of exactly what y'all need.

All-time graphics tablet: At a glance

All-time budget graphics tablet:Huion H420
All-time value graphics tablet:XP-Pen Deco 01 v2
Best wireless graphics tablet:Wacom Intuos 1000 Bluetooth
Best graphics tablet for pros:Wacom Intuos Pro S
Best-value pen brandish:XP-Pen Artist 12

How to choose the best graphics tablet for you

While there are some technical differences, almost graphics tablets work in the same way. The drawing area of the tablet creates a magnetic field, and the pen draws on this to produce its own magnetic field, which is tracked by the sensors in the tablet. Through this, the tablet knows where the pen is, the velocity of its movement and how hard the tip is existence pressed against the board. It tin fifty-fifty detect the angle at which the pen is existence held.

The key things here are the size of the tablet, its resolution and how sensitive it is to force per unit area. Tablets ordinarily come in sizes where the active drawing area ranges from slightly smaller than an A5 page to slightly larger than A4. The resolution affects how sensitive it is to the pen'south position and motility within that surface area, and is normally talked about in terms of lines-per-inch (the higher the better).

As for pressure sensitivity, yous'll see this described in terms of levels. Don't get too hung up on the numbers, though; while yous'll run into tablets with 2048 levels and tablets with 8192 levels of sensitivity, y'all may or may not need the college level – it all depends on your drawing mode.

Higher-end tablets also offer tilt sensitivity, where they can rails the angle of the pen and use this to vary the thickness and intensity of the line – ideal for sweeping brushwork or interesting calligraphy effects. The manufacturers will usually specify the level of tilt sensitivity; 60 levels means it tin can rail lx dissimilar degrees of tilt.

Are in that location whatsoever other features worth looking out for?

A lot of people focus on the tablet but forget the pen, which is a big mistake when you're spending a lot of time working on your art. Lightweight pens often experience less natural and are harder to piece of work with than a heavier, chunkier pen, and what'due south fine to use for an 60 minutes or so could crusade y'all some major discomfort over a long working day.

Most tablets also incorporate a range of hotkeys, which y'all tin can program for specific functions in your favourite software. As long as you lot tin can remember what each ane does, these can brand information technology faster and more than natural to switch between dissimilar presets or different tools. Some even include a dial you tin can use to arrange intensity settings or line weights.

While most tablets work through a simple USB cablevision, at that place are some variants that use a Bluetooth wireless connexion. That's fine if you're keen to avoid cable clutter or work with a laptop where ports are in curt supply only y'all'll either accept to keep the tablet stocked with batteries or plug it in for an occasional recharge.

What about pen displays?

Pen displays are coming in at the high-end of the marketplace and these effectively combine a graphics tablet with a secondary screen. The big plus is that you can see what you lot're working on as yous're drawing on the drawing surface – a bit like when yous're drawing with pencil or ink and newspaper. Also, yous can have reference images or toolbars open up on your primary screen, and then keep the tablet screen articulate for working. This can exist brilliant, merely you may find yourself limited by the size or resolution of the built-in screen then it's not necessarily the best idea for everyone.

Read next: The all-time mice to purchase

The best graphics tablets to buy in 2022

1. Huion H420: The best budget graphics tablet

Price: £27 | Buy now from Amazon

There'south not a whole lot to this tablet only it's a swell entry-level device. With an active surface measuring but 102 ten 57mm it's not smashing for actually detailed work only combine the high resolution with a pen that supports 2048 levels of pressure level sensitivity and you tin can all the same create quite sophisticated piece of work.

The pen is thick and comfortable to agree and while it uses a AAA battery this should terminal you lot for hundreds of hours of use. The feel of pen on the surface is surprisingly good for such a cheap device, with just the right amount of drag, and the accuracy is spot on. If you're serious well-nigh your art or blueprint work you lot'll desire something bigger but this meaty, lightweight option is just fine for people starting out.

Key specs – Working surface area: 102 x 57mm; Resolution: 4000 LPI; Pressure sensitivity: 2,048 levels; Tilt Sensitivity: N/A; Hotkeys: 3 buttons; Connection: USB; Size: 176 ten 112 x 7.5mm; Weight: 132g

2. XP-Pen Deco 01 v2: The best value graphics tablet

Toll: £threescore | Buy now from Amazon

This cutting-price rival to the Wacom Intuos line packs in a lot of technology for an incredible toll. Non only do you get a tablet with a 5080 LPI resolution merely the pen supports 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and 60 levels of tilt, which, with Wacom, you'd have to move up to the Intuos Pro line to get. At that place'due south too a generous 259 x 159mm working surface area, and the experience of the pen on the surface is second only to the Intuos Pro.

Tracking is nigh-on perfect, and our artist was able to work with sophisticated brush and pen furnishings, giving illustrations a distinctive, paw-drawn style. What's more, the Deco O1 v2 besides fits in 8 programmable buttons for switching between tools or preset styles. Think yous can't expect miracles from a £60 tablet? Think again.

Central specs – Working area: 254 ten 159mm; Resolution: 5080 LPI; Pressure level sensitivity: 8,192 levels; Tilt Sensitivity: 60 levels; Hotkeys: viii buttons; Connection: USB; Size: 351 10 217 x 8mm; Weight: 590g

3. Wacom Intuos K Bluetooth: The best wireless graphics tablet

Toll: £176 | Buy now from Amazon

If y'all'd like to minimise the cables trailing across your desktop, the Intuos M is a great option. It connects via Bluetooth rather than a USB cable, which means you only need to hook it up when the tablet needs charging; the born battery lasts around 15 hours. The build quality is upward to Wacom's usual high standards and the precision and accuracy of the tracking is a step alee of most of the budget competition. Where some tablets end up with too much glide or drag across the surface, the Intuos gets the residue correct.

In fact, our only complaints are that there's no tilt sensitivity (reserved for the Intuos Pro) and that the supplied pen is thin and lightweight, which might not accommodate some users if they're working all-day-long. If that doesn't bother you or you tin budget for a replacement, then buy abroad.

Central specs – Working surface area: 216 x 135mm; Resolution: 2540 LPI; Pressure sensitivity: 4,096 levels; Tilt Sensitivity: N/A; Hotkeys: 4 buttons; Connection: USB/Bluetooth 4.two; Size: 200 x 264 x 9mm; Weight: 410g

4. Wacom Intuos Pro Southward: The best graphics tablet for pros

Price: £200 | Purchase now from Amazon

The Intuos Pro range is the pick of many working illustrators and pattern professionals, and once you've used one it's not hard to see why. The tracking of pen move, tilt and pressure is near-perfect, removing any barriers between what you mean to draw or pigment and what turns upward on the screen. Wacom also seems to have perfected the feel of the pen on the surface, then information technology glides across with just a hint of friction.

It says a lot that our test illustrator is used to the old medium version of this tablet, but came to prefer the new small version over a couple of hours of use. If y'all demand more space than the 6.two x three.9in active area, then you can upgrade to the medium (£315) or large (£409) models. Throw in six buttons and a programmable "touchring" dial, and you take the ideal tool for professional artists or anyone wanting pixel-perfect precision from a tablet and pen.

Key specs – Working surface area: 160 10 100mm; Resolution: 5080 LPI; Pressure sensitivity: 8,192 levels; Tilt Sensitivity: lx levels; Hotkeys: vi buttons and touchring; Connectedness: USB; Size: 269 10 170 10 8mm; Weight: 660g

5. XP-Pen Artist 12: The all-time value pen display

Price: £200 | Buy now from Amazon

When y'all're getting an 11.6in pen display for under £200 you accept to wait past a few shortcomings. Hither the principal one is a slightly unruly setup involving two USB ports and one HDMI output on your laptop or PC, resulting in a mess of thick cables linking the two and a device that doesn't really work on any desktop arrangement without 2 video outputs. We'd as well like it if the congenital-in brandish had a little more punch and more accurate colours – tests show it falling short of 100% SRGB – and that the pen supported tilt.

Otherwise, however, this is an effective device. Tracking is excellent, the pressure sensitivity works well and, while the pen is on the thin and light side, information technology'south still pretty comfy. It too comes in a case with a selection of replacement nibs. Meanwhile, on the display you go half dozen customisable buttons and a glowing dial. The Creative person 12 isn't as stiff a pen display as the Wacom One, but then information technology is over £150 cheaper. It'due south a credible culling for cash-strapped artists and designers.

Key specs – Working surface area: 256 x 144mm; Resolution: 5080 LPI; Display Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080; Pressure sensitivity: 8,192 levels; Tilt Sensitivity: North/A; Hotkeys: 6 buttons and ane dial; Connection: i x USB, 1 x HDMI, ane x USB power supply; Size: 364 x 218 x 9mm; Weight: 900g

6. Wacom One: The best all-round pen display

Cost: £289 | Purchase at present from Currys

Where Wacom's Cintiq range is aimed at creative professionals, the Wacom One is designed for hobbyists and artists. There are signs of this in the lower resolution of the drawing surface and a drop in the pressure sensitivity of the pen only, frankly, this pen display is skilful plenty for anyone to employ. The xiii.3in screen size hits the perfect residuum between giving you enough screen to see what you're doing and not occupying half your desk-bound and information technology's likewise a skilful match for the full Hard disk display resolution.

What's more, the screen is a major step up in quality from the XP-Pen Creative person 12; it'southward brighter and sharper with improve colour accuracy. The overall feel and tracking is besides better and with tilt sensitivity yous tin get some impressive manus-drawn linework and calligraphy furnishings, not to mention more than realistic brush strokes if you lot're simulating pastels, charcoal or pigment. You still need to exist running on a laptop or have a secondary HDMI output to get it up and running, only the Wacom One's cable management minimises the ataxia. And while the pen is thinner than the pen on the Cintiq, it nonetheless feels good in the hand. Unless you're a enervating graphics pro, this is the pen display to buy.

Key specs – Working expanse: 294 x 166mm; Resolution: 2540 LPI; Display Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080; Pressure sensitivity: iv,096 levels; Tilt Sensitivity: threescore levels; Hotkeys: None; Connectedness: 1x USB, 1 x HDMI, USB power supply; Size: 225 x 357 ten 15mm; Weight: 1kg

Purchase at present from Currys

vii. Wacom Cintiq 16: The best professional pen brandish

Price: £519 | Buy now from Amazon

If y'all want to work over a larger canvas, the Cintiq 16 is about equally large equally graphics tablets and pen displays get. The 15.6in panel matches the size of many performance laptops and mobile workstations and, while the full HD resolution means it isn't as precipitous as the displays on premium laptops and tablets, it's yet perfectly acceptable for graphics work. Our testers found the bigger size also made information technology easier to select tools and work on more detailed images, and then what you lose in desktop space yous proceeds in usability.

This is very much a professional person device, equally reflected in higher pressure sensitivity, with upwards to 8192 levels and a higher 5080 LPI tablet resolution, and the tracking and precision is difficult to fault. The greater size and power draw of the display as well necessitates a seperate power supply, not to mention some pretty chunky cabling. Luckily, the design of the cabling, with just one connector going into the tablet itself, minimises the hassle. Throw in an fantabulous, ergonomic pen and sturdy legs for a comfortable tilt, and yous've got a superb pen display for creative professionals.

Key specs – Working area: 345 x 194mm; Resolution: 5080 LPI; Brandish Resolution: one,920 x 1,080; Pressure sensitivity: 8,192 levels; Tilt Sensitivity: 60 levels; Hotkeys: None; Connection: 1x USB, 1 ten HDMI; Size: 410 ten 265 10 17.5mm; Weight: 1.5kg