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Wacom Cintiq 16 display tablet review

REVIEW – Within just a few weeks, I’ve graduated from my old Intuos 3 drawing tablet to the new Intuos Pro tablet and now to this: the Wacom Cintiq 16 display tablet. Reviewing the Cintiq 16 has left me with two differing opinions. It’s a drawing tablet that will either excite you or leave you wanting more. It’s missing some pro level features that may or may not be important, depending on how you work. That’s not surprising since it’s less than half the price of Wacom’s same-sized Cintiq Pro 16 tablet. 

What is it?

The Wacom Cintiq 16 display tablet is Wacom’s least expensive display tablet in the Cintiq line. It is different from the Cintiq Pro 16—a much more expensive tablet with more features. The Cintiq 16 has a built-in 15.6 in. HD display that allows you to draw right on the screen with the Wacom Pro Pen 2, a pen with 1,892 levels of sensitivity (I’ll explain later), tilt-response and virtually lag-free tracking. The pen is extremely customizable and requires no batteries or recharging. Extra pen nibs (tips) are included. It has built-in 19° stand legs for ergonomic drawing (an optional adjustable stand is available). These legs can be collapsed for working flat or in your lap.

Specs

  • Model Number DTK-1660
  • Tablet Size 16.6 x 11.2 x 1.0 in.
  • Active Area 13.6 x 7.6 in.
  • Weight 4.2 lbs
  • Black color
  • Pen: Wacom Pro Pen 2 
  • Pressure-sensitive, cordless, battery-free
  • Pressure Levels 8192, both pen tip and eraser
  • Tilt Recognition ±60 levels
  • Detachable Pen holder with 3 replacement nibs with removal tool
  • Latex-free silicone rubber pen grip
  • Tablet resolution 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
  • Active Matrix TFT LCD
  • Displayable colors: 16.7 million
  • Contrast ratio: 1000:1
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • 3 in 1 cable with HDMI, USB 2.0 and AC adaptor
  • System requirements: HDMI port and standard USB-A port, internet connection for software downloads

What’s in the box

  • Wacom Cintiq 16 display tablet
  • Wacom Pro Pen 2 (battery free)
  • Removable tab (includes 3 standard nibs)
  • 3 in 1 cable
  • Quick start guide

Design and features

The Wacom Cintiq 16 display tablet looks very much like its pro cousin, the Cintiq Pro 16 with key differences. The Pro 16 has 4K resolution vs HD. There are no express keys on the Cintiq 16. However, there is an optional $100 Wacom ExpressKey Remote featuring customizable buttons and a Touch Ring for programming shortcuts. For the record, I never use Wacom’s express keys on any tablet. The reason is simple: my first Wacom tablet—from the stone age—had no express keys. So I learned to use the Mac keyboard for shortcuts and well, habits are hard to break.

The Cintiq 16 display is not laminated. What that means is that the surface you draw on is separated from the LCD screen underneath. On the Pro 16, the drawing surface and LCD are laminated into one piece, which reduces or eliminates parallax—a tiny visual gap where the pen nib doesn’t look like it’s actually touching what is being drawn. Parallax may or may not bother you. On the Cintiq 16, the gap is so small that I have no issue with it, but it’s worth pointing out.

 Let’s talk display color—more specifically, gamut. Gamut describes a range of color within the spectrum of colors that are identifiable by the human eye. Got that? The Cintiq Pro 16 has 94% of Adobe’s RGB color gamut (a standard measurement), which simply means that it can show 94 % of usable colors. That’s a good thing. The Cintiq 16 only supports 72%. Obviously, the Pro version shows a wider range of color and yes, it matters if you’re a pro artist. However, if you never see the pro version, you may not notice this at all.

The Wacom Cintiq 16 display tablet has a 3 in 1 cable: USB, HDMI and power. This cable is way more convenient than the ridiculously thick cable on an older Cintiq Pro 13 I once owned and really disliked.

This cable has one connector at one end that easily connects into a port underneath the top of the tablet. It’s protected by a snap-shut lid. The cable splits into 3 parts. Both the HDMI and USB (A) must be connected to a computer. My iMac has no HDMI (thanks Apple!), so I had to purchase a Thunderbolt 2 to HDMI adapter. It wasn’t expensive, but I wish proper connectors were included. Keep in mind that computers have all kinds of video ports, so make sure you have or can get the proper adaptor, if necessary.

A simple lighted On/off button is all that appears on the top of the tablet. There’s a nifty pen holder on the Cintiq 16 that snaps into either side of the tablet, which benefits both left and right handed people. This pen holder also houses extra nibs—a clever solution for not misplacing the tiny nibs. 

Build quality on the Wacom Cintiq 16 is typical Wacom—as in first-rate. I’ve never had a Wacom tablet break. Any tablet I’ve replaced has been because it just got too old—but it still worked! In fact, when I the Cintiq 16 for review, I was able to give 3 older Wacom tablets to some local college students. 

The Cintiq 16 is made for illustrators, both beginners and pros on a tight budget. Drawing is effortless. The surface has just enough texture for a more natural feel. It’s almost like paper—much better than an iPad with its glossy glass surface. Since you’re looking directly at the tablet screen while drawing, the experience is more natural and intuitive than the Intuos tablet which requires looking at a monitor while your hand is drawing on a desktop. It can take some getting used to. The Cintiq eliminates that hand/eye disconnection.

One feature I miss using the Cintiq 16 is multi-touch gestures, which let you pan, zoom or rotate your work. My Intuos Pro has multi-touch, but I turned it off because it’s hard to use while holding the pen and looking at a separate monitor. But since I’m working directly on the screen of the Cintiq 16, pan and zoom suddenly becomes important. A keyboard will be needed much less when using a Cintiq, but the lack of multi-touch tethers you back to it. For many, that one missing feature may be a deal-breaker.

Despite its “not pro” status, the Cintiq 16 uses the same Pro Pen 2—the best pen Wacom makes. This little wonder has 1,892 levels of pressure, making it way more sensitive than the previous pen with its paltry 2048 levels. This increased sensitivity allows you to be more expressive in drawing because as you vary pressure while drawing, line work becomes thinner or wider—just like a brush. There’s also a 60° tilt range, so the pan acts like a pencil as it’s tilted—again, making the line thicker or thinner. Note that the app you are using must have pressure sensitivity built in for this to work. The better drawing/painting apps will sport this feature.

The Pro pen 2 is perfectly balanced for hours of comfort without hand cramping. Nibs are replaceable—they will wear out with age. The pen is also battery free. Wacom utilizes what they call electromagnetic resonance technology providing power through inductive coupling. So there is no battery weight or charging—ever.

Despite the benefits of the Wacom Cintiq 16, I still prefer the Intuos Pro. Why? Because I learned on the Intuos and it’s now second-nature to me. Plus, I do a LOT of Photoshop work in my day job and freelance. When I’m retouching a photo, my hand can be in the way. That’s not an issue with the Intuos. But that’s me—I am not an illustrator.

Needless to say, if you’re an illustrator or just like to doodle, the decision to go with this tablet or an Intuos Pro becomes much more difficult.

What I like

  • Build quality
  • Pro Pen 2 included
  • Screen quality is good despite that it’s not Wacom’s best
  • Sensible cable management

What needs to be improved

  • Monitor has some parallax
  • Color not as accurate as Pro model
  • Still expensive, even at less than half the price of the Pro model
  • Express keys are an extra-cost option
  • Adjustable stand is an extra-cost option

Final Thoughts

The Wacom Cintiq 16 display tablet has a lot going for it. Other tablet makers have been coming out with cheaper tablets and Wacom has wisely responded with this tablet—an affordable option with Wacom quality included. Yes, there are trade-offs when compared to the Pro version, but if you are on a tight budget or just beginning your career, this is a great tablet to get started. There are enough features included that you won’t feel like you’re missing out. Later, after you become more proficient with it, you can then upgrade to the Pro line.

Price: $649.95 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by Wacom.

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Wacom Cintiq 16 display tablet review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 20, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Huion HS610 graphics drawing tablet review

REVIEW – Creating art on your laptop using a mouse, or on your phone/tablet using a finger is doable, but a specially designed digitizer tablet and pen can take your drawings from doodles to Dali (he’s an artist, google him).

What is it?

The Huion HS610 is a graphics drawing tablet that you can use with your Windows computer, Mac, and even an Android device.

Hardware specs

Active Area: PC mode: 254 x 158.8mm (10 x 6.25in); Phone mode: 158.8 x 99.2mm
Resolution: 5080 LPI
Report Rate: 266PPS
Pen Pressure: 8192 Levels
OS Support: Windows 7 or later， macOS 10.12 or later Android 6.0 or later
Compatible with Photoshop and other art programs

What’s in the box?

  • Huion HS610 Graphics Tablet
  • Battery-free Pen
  • Micro USB Cable
  • Pen Holder
  • Pen Nibs x 8
  • OTG Adapter (Micro USB)
  • OTG Adapter (USB-C)
  • Quick Start Guide

Design and features

The HS610 is a 13.75 x 8.25 inch sized graphics tablet that is thin and light enough that it doesn’t take up too much space or bulk in your gear bag.

It has a black plastic shell with a large drawing surface that has a slightly textured surface to give the feel of pen on paper.

Along the left side of the tablet is a touch ring that helps you easily zoom in or out of your canvas, and adjust your brush and scroll the page. The ring doesn’t rotate, it’s just touch sensitive.

There are also 12 user-defined physical express keys and along the top edge of the drawing area are 16 soft-express keys.

Note that the touch ring and express buttons CAN’T be used with Android which is a bummer.

Also on the left side of the tablet is a micro USB port which is used to both charge the tablet and connect the tablet to your computer or Android device.

The pen features 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity and ±60° tilt support along with a battery-free design so you won’t have to worry about it running out of juice or having to charge it on a regular basis.

The pen has replaceable nibs (extras come with the tablet) and a function button on the barrel that will let you change from brush to eraser.


The drawing tablet and pen come with a handy “ink well” to hold the pen when it’s not being used. The holder also holds the extra nibs.

Let’s draw something!

To get started using the Huion HS610, you have to first charge the drawing tablet using the included micro USB cable. Doing so will cause a tiny status LED to turn on. This LED is so small that it’s hard to see.

Once the tablet is charged, the next step is to install the driver on your Windows or Mac OS device. If you plan to use it with your Android device, you just need to make sure that it’s running Android OS 6.0 or newer and you use the OTG adapter for micro USB or USB-C.

I tested the drawing tablet with my 12inch MacBook and my Huawei P30 Pro Android smartphone.

With my MacBook, I had to install the driver software which gives you the ability to test and customize various features like the pressure sensitivity and function buttons.

I then used the drawing tablet with Photoshop on my Macbook. I really like that you don’t have to worry about your fingers or the palm of your hand getting in the way of your drawings because the HS610 only detects the pen and not your hand/fingers like an iPad might.

If you’ve never used a drawing tablet before, it does take some time to get used to looking at your computer screen while you’re drawing on the tablet instead of the “paper” under the pen tip. That said, it doesn’t take that long to get used to it.

Testing with Android is a little different. First of all, you don’t have to install a special driver. You just plug the HS610 into your phone or tablet with the included cable and OTG adapter. It works like connecting a mouse to your Android device, it shows a cursor on the screen that you can move around.

Of course, you’ll need a drawing app. I tested with Autodesk Sketchbook. Just be aware that you’ll only be able to draw on the left third of the drawing tablet which felt cramped to me. I also noticed that the pressure sensitivity does not work on Android. At least it didn’t in the Autodesk Sketchbook app.

What I like

  • Pen doesn’t need batteries
  • Can be used with Windows, Mac, and Android
  • Android does not require a special driver
  • Lots of function keys

What needs to be improved

  • Not compatible with iOS devices
  • Tablet has to be physically connected to the computer or phone
  • Touch ring and buttons don’t work with Android
  • Can only use the left third of the drawing tablet in Android mode

Final thoughts

The Huion HS610 is an affordable graphics drawing tablet that you can use with your computer, laptop, and even your Android device. It’s a shame that iOS users are left out of the fun, but that’s about the only thing to complain about with this drawing tablet. The HS610 is a fun way for artists to go digital in an inexpensive and easy way.

Price: $79.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Huion.

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Huion HS610 graphics drawing tablet review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 17, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Chameleon Fineliners will take your drawings to the next level

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Doodlers and artists will be interested in this new Kickstarter project for Chameleon Fineliners color blending pens that just launched earlier today.

What is it?

Chameleon Fineliners are pens that blend 2 or more colors instantly just by placing the cap from one color on another pen’s tip for a few seconds.

Why do I like it?

First of all, the color blending is quick and easy. The way it works is that there is water-safe ink in the pen AND in the cap. So you take the cap off one color and place that cap over another pen’s tip for 1 – 10 seconds. When you remove the cap, you can start drawing. First, the color will be the color from the cap that was placed over the pen’s tip. But after several strokes (depending on how long you left the cap on) the color will start blending into the original color for a very cool and seamless effect.

If you leave the cap off even for several hours, the pen won’t dry up. And besides being a very cool way to easily add unique color to your journals, artwork, etc, the pens are available in 48 different colors, can write more than 32,000 inches each, and have a Japanese 0.3mm metal clad tip so your doodles and artwork will look sharp and crisp.

Where can I find more info?

The Chameleon Fineliners campaign ends on 6/11/19 they have already surpassed their funding goal of $20,000. You can pre-order a set of 12 Chameleon Fineliners starting at $14. After the Chameleon campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in July 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

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Chameleon Fineliners will take your drawings to the next level originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 7, 2019 at 5:50 pm.

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Wacom Intuos Pro graphics drawing tablet (PTH660) review

REVIEW – Let me state up front that I have used a Wacom graphics tablet of some form for more than 25 years. Since I do a lot of Photoshop work, the Wacom Intuos Pro tablet is not an option, it’s a necessity. Over the years, Wacom tablets have only gotten better and better with features being added year after year. Yes, the Intuos Pro is expensive, but the prices haven’t increased that much over the years, so essentially, a current Wacom tablet is a better buy than previous models. Note: My home/freelance setup was the older Intuos 3 tablet and my office version is the previous Intuos Pro model (without the Bluetooth option).

What is it?

The Wacom Intuos Pro creative pen tablet is the latest in a long line of Wacom Intuos tablets. It comes in two sizes—medium and large—a  smaller size is only available as the previous version. The medium-sized tablet’s 8.7 x 5.8 in. drawing area is housed in a thinner and smaller body than previous Intuos Pro tablets. It comes with the new Wacom Pro Pen 2—a more sensitive update to the venerable and dependable Pro Pen. It’s battery free, has 8,192 levels (up from 2048) of pressure sensitivity, tilt-response and lag-free tracking. There are two switches for access to customizable shortcuts. 

Also included is a redesigned Desktop Pen Stand that holds 10 extra pen nibs (6 standard and 4 felt nibs). The extra cost Bluetooth option from previous Intuos Pro tablets now comes standard along with a wired USB connection. 

Specs

  • Model Number PTH660
  • Tablet Size 13.2 x 8.5 x 0.3 in
  • Active Area 8.7 x 5.8 in
  • Weight 1.54lbs
  • Black color
  • Multi-Touch
  • Pen: Wacom Pro Pen 2
    Pressure-sensitive, cordless, battery-free
    Pressure Levels 8192, both pen tip and eraser
    Tilt Recognition ±60 levels
    2 side switches on pen, Touch on/off switch on tablet
    Replacement Nibs 10 Pro Pen 2 nibs (6 standard and 4 felt nibs in pen stand)
    Latex-free silicone rubber pen grip
  • Desktop pen stand
  • Tablet resolution 5080 lpi
  • 8 customizable, application-specific express keys
  • Touch ring with 4 customizable functions
  • 6.6 ft cable
  • PC And Mac USB or wireless Bluetooth
  • System requirements: USB port, Windows 7 or later, Mac OS X 10.10 or later, Bluetooth for wireless connection, internet connection for software downloads

What’s in the box

  • Wacom Intuos Pro Pen Tablet
  • Wacom Pro Pen 2 (battery free)
  • Pen stand (includes 6 standard nibs, 4 Felt nibs)
  • 4 extra pen color rings
  • Texture sheet sample card
  • 6.6 ft. USB cable
  • Quick start guide

Design and features

Let’s look at the construction of the tablet. The Intuos Pro looks a lot like the previous model except that it takes up less desk space and is a bit thinner. It feels just as sturdy as before, if not sturdier. Wacom’s build quality has always been stellar and the current Intuos Pro is no exception. One caveat I have is the new USB-C connector wire. It’s a right angle wire that helps keep it flush with the tablet, but it’s always felt a bit out of place in my desk setup. However, the addition of standard Bluetooth helps that quite a bit and it allows me to move the tablet pretty much wherever I want. Plus USB-C allows for faster charging for wireless operation. If there’s any lag between wired and wireless Bluetooth, I didn’t notice it.

As much as I like my iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, I’ve never liked writing/drawing on the iPad’s super-slick glass surface. The Intuos’ replaceable Texture Sheet drawing surface has a slightly rough surface that mimics the feel of paper. This is a far better solution. Optional Texture Sheets come in three degrees of roughness. Note that with a Wacom Intuos line of tablets, you look at a monitor while your hand is drawing on a flat surface out of your sight. While this can be weird at first, it quickly becomes second nature as you acclimate to this new way of working. The much more expensive Cintiq tablets have built-in monitors, so you can draw right on the screen while looking at it—think iPad.

For more money, Wacom does offer what they call the Wacom Intuos Pro Paper Edition. This tablet actually uses real paper with real ink pens.

This is going to be a bit strange writing about the features of the Intuos tablet. As I said, I’ve been using a form of Wacom tablet for years. When I began, there were no rotary dials or shortcut/function buttons. There was only the tablet and a pen—and that’s how I learned using them. When Wacom introduced the buttons and other extras, I ignored them because I wasn’t comfortable adapting to them, so I disabled all buttons and continued using the Intuos same as before—sans extras. 

That was then and … well, it’s still then. To this day, I don’t use any of the extra’s that Wacom includes on the tablet. To back up my point, I talked with many artists I know that use and depend on the Intuos or Wacom Cintiq tablets. I found that the older that the artist is, the less likely they use these extra features. The younger artists tend to utilize the buttons and dial because their first tablet already had these features. Reviewing the latest Intuos Pro tablet has required me to try these features. 

Wacom has included a row of what they call ExpressKeys. There are eight buttons set vertically that can be made to do almost anything you want to program them to do. A Touch Ring with a center Toggle button divides the ExpressKeys into two sets of four each. In paint programs like Photoshop, the ring can be used to rotate, increase/decrease brush sizes and other functions with variable settings. Pressing the center Toggle button switches between the outer ring functions. If you’re right or left handed, the ExpressKeys can be set to be on the right or left side of the tablet. Once you get the settings done, they’re locked in until you decide to change them. All this sounds more complicated than it really is.

After using the ExpressKeys and Ring for this review, did I overcome my stubborn ways and plan to keep using them? Nope. Sorry, Wacom. (Warning, Photoshop nerd talk ahead) Here’s an example: If I want to resize the brush in Photoshop, I can easily use the Intuos’ outer ring. However, as my left finger is using the Ring while still holding the pen, I can’t see the brush size on the screen. It is much easier for me to have my right hand on the keyboard while I am drawing or retouching with my left on the Intuos tablet. Through the years, I have learned and customized keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop. It’s just easier for me to stick to what I know. (Nerd talk done)

Another feature of the Intuos Pro tablet I usually ignore is Multi-Touch. This basically turns the Intuos tablet into a trackpad. I cannot stand trackpads. It’s probably the main reason I don’t use a laptop. My fingers get all contorted. Ugh. But that’s me. The good news is that it can be turned off. I am aware that for some, Multi-Touch is wonderful and I applaud Wacom for including it. 

Moving on from the ExpressKeys, how does the tablet work in day-to-day work? In a word; great! It’s a Wacom, so that’s not surprising—they are the gold standard among tablets. The increased sensitivity of the pen is a welcome improvement. Drawing or retouching with the pen is almost effortless. Plus, as the pen is turned and tilted, the on-screen brush mimics the moves perfectly by alternating between thin and wide strokes. The Wacom pen has been able to do this for years, but the new Pro Pen 2 is better and even more responsive than before. The Pro Pen 2 is uber-comfortable in the hand. It’s balanced perfectly and the tips are replaceable—yes, they do wear out with age. Also, the pen is light and battery-free. Wacom tablets use electromagnetic resonance technology, which provides power to the pen through inductive coupling. Whatever, it’s magic to me.

What I like

  • Build quality
  • The wonderful Pro Pen 2
  • Smaller size without reducing drawing area
  • Wireless Bluetooth included!

What needs to be improved

  • I wish there was a Pro version available with no ExpressKeys for purists like me
  • Still expensive, although less expensive Wacom tablets are available

Final Thoughts

Although this review is about the new Intuos Pro tablet, it’s also about the many Wacom tablets I’ve used through the years. As the tablets aged, I have replaced them for newer models that were more compatible with the model Mac and Apple system software I had upgraded to. Not once, have I ever replaced a Wacom tablet because it stopped working. Not once. That says a lot about a company and its products.

Price: $329.95 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by Wacom.

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Wacom Intuos Pro graphics drawing tablet (PTH660) review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 20, 2019 at 8:46 am.

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Slow, low-res images with Etch-A-Snap concept

NEWS – Ever wanted to take a detailed, beautiful photograph and scale it down to a 1-bit black and white 244 x 144 pixel low-resolution image?  Me neither. But someone did and created Etch-A-Snap.

Etch-A-Snap is controlled by a Raspberry Pi processor.  It takes a regular image and then downscales it to one-bit black and white.  The processor then converts the image into plotter control commands that are fed to gears used to drive the knobs on a small Etch-A-Sketch.  Images are definitely low-resolution, but the tech behind it all is pretty cool. All this takes time – 15 minutes up to an hour – to get results.  Still, as the inventor says, it’s faster than film!

Here is a video showing how it works.

It isn’t for sale and is just a concept project for the moment. For more information and additional sample image videos, visit the Etch-A-Snap project page here.

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Slow, low-res images with Etch-A-Snap concept originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 16, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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