Wacom Cintiq

A tablet for creative professionals that delivers top pen-on-screen performance

Imagine a tablet that has a large screen—in a range from 13 to 24 inches—with 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity that can display over a billion colours, equipped with a pen whose nibs can simulate an air brush, an art pen and even a classic pen, all this while it mirrors what is on your desktop’s screen. Wacom Cintiq is all that and more; this high-performance tool also lets you zoom, pan and rotate things, giving you a completely immersive experience, whether you are an artist who creates works from scratch on a canvas or someone who takes a photograph and modifies it to look like a masterpiece. You finally have a tool that can do it all.

So how does it work?

The Cintiq has an LCD screen that can work with the famous Wacom pen, or with pen and touch both, depending on the model. Connect it through the HDMI output jack of your computer, and power it with its adapter, synchonise the pen, install the drivers, and you get your desktop screen on the tablet as well. Pick your favourite creation tool, and, abracadabra, you are ready to rock and roll.

For me, there were a few downsides. My Apple iMac did not support an HDMI jack so I had to use a convertor cable, and the cables compromised the option of placing the Cintiq on my lap while drawing. Though I understand the Cintiq is better used as a desk warrior tool than a portable device, I wish that Wacom does something about all those exasperating cables.

Overall, I was super impressed with the Cintiq. I love its 4-position stand that took the tablet from a flat to 50° inclination, apart from its light weight, which makes it easy to carry around in a backpack. I also like the fact that Wacom now includes a pen case that carries the pen, nibs, eraser tool and all the colour rings in a compact package. If you have had your creativity cramped by technological limitations, the Cintiq may help you break out.

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