A drawing tablet is indispensable to anyone who spends a fair amount of time drawing on a computer. And as far as ease of use goes, tablets that double as display monitors make drawing a whole lot more convenient, as you can apply the pen tip directly to the screen that is showing your work. Problem is, drawing monitors are also considerably more expensive, making them unaffordable to most students and hobbyists. The Wacom Cintiq 16 is looking to change that.
Billed as a “more affordable pen display,” the device should make drawing monitors a lot more accessible to individual users who either couldn’t afford one or justify the expense it involves. And yes, it makes itself affordable without compromising on capabilities, with features that should be on par with all of its contemporaries.
The Wacom Cintiq 16 is a drawing monitor with a 15.6-inch display that can show images in 1080p, providing users with enough detail to clearly see what they are working on. It’s not a touchscreen, by the way, so you can’t tap and swipe onscreen like a traditional tablet, requiring you to use the bundled Wacom Pro Pen 2 in order to perform any interactions. Anti-glare coating in the scratch-resistant surface prevents any reflections that can affect the way your illustrations appear, while a roster of 16.7 million colors should ensure accurate reproduction of whatever you’re working on.
It has fold-out legs at the top edge of the panel, allowing you to set it down either flat on the table or at a convenient angle for drawing. In case you don’t have room on the desk for a drawing tablet, it comes with a 75mm VESA slot on the back, so you can mount it to a compatible monitor arm, if you prefer drawing that way.
The Wacom Cintiq 16’s screen, of course, is only half the story, as much of the work is actually performed by the Pro Pen 2. For one, it comes with 8192 pressure levels for high-precision ink control that mirrors that of real pens (seriously, it can recognize even the lightest strokes), complete with tilt recognition and reduced parallax to provide a highly-natural drawing experience that responds to the nib’s slightest movements. Unlike many stylus pens, there’s no battery onboard, as the pen gets its power every time it comes in contact with the screen (it uses electro-magnetic resonance technology), so you’ll never have to stop whatever you’re working on in order to charge.
Two side buttons on the pen can be programmed to trigger any action or setting you want, while a rubber grip ensures it sits comfortably in your hand the entire time. Along with the stylus, they included three replacement nibs, a nib removal tool, and a detachable pen holder. As with Wacom’s line of drawing tablets, the device is compatible with Adobe’s software suite, Corel’s software suite, and other popular drawing titles, such as Autodesk Sketchbook, Paint Tool SAI, and more.
The Wacom Cintiq 16 is available now.
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