Best Drawing Tablets

A graphics tablet is an input device that is designed to convert handwritten drawings (stylus movements) into digital images. Used by artists, designers and similar creative professionals.

How to choose a graphics tablet: what to look for

The main criteria for choosing a graphics tablet are:

1. Size of active surface. Most often it is indicated in the format used to describe the standards of paper sheets - A3, A4, A5, etc. Should choose based on their preferences. A3 is a good solution for home creativity, small illustrations, sketches, web comics, etc. A4 is a more professional version, suitable for designers, artists and other professionals. Larger tablets are worth buying only if they are really needed;

2. Stylus Sensitivity. The higher the number of steps of this parameter - the better the tablet recognizes the intensity of pressing. Styluses with 1024 levels of sensitivity allow for thick and thin lines, and from 2048 - gradient (thickening) with a high degree of detail. Nevertheless, it is recommended to choose devices of the second type only to professional artists and illustrators, since beginners are unlikely to appreciate this functionality;

3. Touch Sensitivity. It is advisable to choose graphics tablets that do not respond to hand presses. Then you can put a brush on their active surface and work comfortably;

4. Number of function buttons. These keys can “hang” the most frequently used features and tools of the graphic editor (for example, choosing a brush or creating a layer), and then using the tablet will become more convenient. But at the same time, it is not recommended to choose devices with a large number of buttons - more than 8;

5. Pen tablet type. If the majority of graphics tablets are just input devices, then some professional models like top-end devices from Wacom are full-fledged computers with a touch screen, productive “stuffing” and, of course, stylus support. It is worth choosing from your budget and needs. But It is worth noting that tablet computers with stylus support usually have a very high cost and are, in fact, a solution for professionals.

6. Speaking of manufacturers, it is necessary first of all to single out the company Wacom - the market leader in graphics tablets and the developer of truly high-end devices. In the budget segment, such firms as Genius, Huion, XP-Pen and Triumph are also of interest.

Top graphics tablet rankings

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
The best graphics tablet for a child	1	Genius G-Pen Kids Design II	-
Top Professional Graphic Tablets	1	Wacom Intuos Pro 2 Medium	25 880 RUB.
	2	Genius G-Pen M712	14 690 RUB.
	3	Huion WH1409 (Wi-Fi)	23 990 RUB.
Top Budget Graphic Tablets	1	XP-Pen Star 03	5 490 RUB.
	2	Triumph Tablet RF40	10 900 RUB.
The best tablet for artists and designers	1	Wacom Cintiq 22HD DTK-2200	145 190 rub.

The best graphics tablet for a child

Genius G-Pen Kids Design II

Rating: 4.7

Why him: a functionality that is not limited to the capabilities of a graphics tablet.

Description: Genius G-Pen Kids Design II is an entry level graphic tablet designed for children under the age of 10 years. Therefore, you can not expect from him advanced features like a touch-sensitive stylus or a variety of additional buttons. But it has an attractive design and a large working area of ​​8 × 5 inches. In addition, the case is built into the stand for the stylus, thanks to which it will not be lost.

The main advantage of a graphics tablet is the additional software that comes with it. These are various educational games designed for children of all ages - from the smallest (3-5 years old) to almost teenagers (8-10 years old).

The tablet has three additional large function buttons, but their capabilities are not configured. Keys are used to adjust the sound in complete games and perform some actions.

Top Professional Graphic Tablets

Wacom Intuos Pro 2 Medium

Rating: 4.9

Why the first place: high sensitivity, professional stylus, rich equipment.

Description: Professional graphics tablet. It is characterized by a maximum sensitivity of the working panel, which is 5080 dpi; complete stylus, recognizing 8192 degrees of depression; and the ability to wirelessly connect via Bluetooth (however, a standard USB interface is also available). The active surface itself has a size of 224 × 148 mm, which is similar to the standard A5.

In addition, the tablet is equipped with two sets of function buttons. He has 8 standard keys with customizable functionality, and they are complemented by a special ActiveRing touch ring, which supports gesture control and is intended for selecting tools, adjusting the color palette, etc.

The tablet also exists in the Paper Edition configuration - in this case, it comes with a stylus pen that allows you to draw on paper while digitizing the image.

Genius G-Pen M712

Rating: 4.8

Why the second place: less sensitivity of the active zone and stylus, but cheap and a lot of buttons.

Description: Genius G-Pen M712 is the best tablet for artists who are accustomed to “plunge” into work and do not want to be distracted by third-party tasks like choosing a tool. The device is equipped with 34 active buttons, each of which can hang a keyboard shortcut, a macro or any command.

The active area of ​​the tablet is also large - 305 × 184 mm. You can also select a standard mode in which the width of the active area is reduced to 241 mm. Resolution - 4000 active dots per inch.

But with the stylus tablet no luck. It recognizes only 1024 levels of depression, and at the same time it does not analyze either the inclination of the pen or the rate at which it conducts by the active zone. Therefore, some artists will need post-processing of the received images.

In the pros, you can add a rich complete set of the tablet, including licenses for a variety of graphic editors like Photoshop Elements 5.0 or PhotoImpact 12SE.

Huion WH1409 (Wi-Fi)

Rating: 4.7

Why third place: A convenient and very inexpensive tablet for drawing, but with a minimum of additional features.

Description: A simple and inexpensive tablet for "novice professionals" who do not yet have the budget to buy a top machine from Wacom. The device copes with the main duties "perfectly well" and is therefore suitable for everyday drawing and image editing.

The main advantage of the tablet - a huge work surface. The dimensions of the core are 225 × 350 mm. This, of course, is a little different from standards like A4 or A5, but still very convenient. Core resolution - 5080 lines per inch.

Another important advantage of the tablet is ergonomics. The active region occupies a large part of the frontal surface of the device and has practically no bounding boxes. This is really convenient, and with both long-term work and quick edits.

Programmable buttons - 12. They are divided into 3 blocks of 4 keys, which allows you to conveniently group the tools.

Top Budget Graphic Tablets

XP-Pen Star 03

Rating: 4.8

Why first place: Excellent quality, optimal functionality, suitable for professional artists.

Description: Ultrabudgetary, but at the same time high-quality and functional tablet. Equipped with a 10-inch active area (actual dimensions 260 × 170 mm) with minimal side frames and a sensitivity of 5080 lines per inch. The complete stylus detects up to 2048 degrees of depression and is equipped with a button for switching the operation mode - from pen to eraser.

An interesting feature of the tablet is the automatic line correction mode, which allows you to draw straight lines and arcs with excellent geometry, even if your hand trembled while conducting. The antislite function built into the pen reduces the risk of defects in the figure due to unsuccessful movements.

Programmable keys are also available. There are 8 of them, and they are divided into 2 groups of 4 buttons.

Triumph Tablet RF40

Rating: 4.7

Why second place: Great functionality - but at the same time more expensive than its predecessor.

Description: A wireless graphics tablet with a fairly large active area (6 × 8 inches). A good solution for novice artists and designers. The sensitivity of the working surface - 2000 lines per inch; The complete stylus recognizes up to 1024 degrees of depression. It is supplemented by 16 programmable buttons, which can "hang" any desired tools and shortcut keys.

Wireless connection via radio (2.4 GHz) allows you to free up space on the table. The built-in battery is recharged using a complete LCD cable.

An interesting feature of the tablet (more precisely, the complete software for it) is the preservation and publication of handwritten notes. Therefore, the device can be used not only for drawing.

The design of the tablet includes a small LCD display showing the selected tools, mode of operation, battery charge and other parameters.

The best tablet for artists and designers

Wacom Cintiq 22HD DTK-2200

Rating: 5.0

Why him: A huge interactive tablet display with a diagonal of 22 inches, H-IPS-screen FHD, Wacom brand stylus and licensed software for processing graphics included.

Description: Wacom Cintiq 22HD DTK-2200 - perhaps the perfect tool for artists, designers and other professionals working with graphics professionals. Structurally, this is more a tablet computer than just a graphics tablet.

The tablet is equipped with a 22-inch FHD-display, which is performed by IPS technology and provides a rich, realistic color reproduction. But the main advantage of the device is the Wacom brand pen, which recognizes both the intensity of pressing (up to 2048 degrees) and the angle of inclination (up to 60 degrees). Included as many as 10 tips for the stylus - 6 standard, 3 "felt-tip pens" and 1 "brush".

Thanks to the installed Windows operating system with additional graphics processing software, the tablet can be used separately from the computer, turning into a full-fledged workplace.

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Attention! This rating is subjective, is not advertising and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you should consult with a specialist.