Drawing tablets are great gadgets for graphic designers who are willing to level up and get a new kind of design experience. These gadgets are perfect for illustrations, photoshop artwork, and even video editing depending on the one you get. There are so many in the market today which is why we are helping you to find the best drawing tablet in 2021 for your design project.
But generally, though it isn’t necessary you have one of these but if you need my advice, it is something that you should have so to save you the stress of always using your mouse or trackpad to do what this device could easily do for you.
I am going to be giving out the specs and comparison of these tablets to enable you to choose which one fits in properly for your graphic design project and more importantly your budget.
So, let’s dive in and talk more about these tablets and their various variations and specs.
One by Wacom
One by Wacom can be said to be the friendliest tablet for any beginner, it is simple, easy to use, and doesn’t have many complicated features like the other higher Pro tablets on the list.
If you are a beginner looking for a drawing tablet that you can just plug in and start using without much hassle, then ‘one by Wacom’ is the choice for you.
Active area: 8.5 x 5.3 inches
Pen pressure level: 2048
Pen buttons: 2
Express key: N/A
Display: N/A
Connectivity: USB
Compatibility: Mac (OS X 10.10 and above), PC (Windows 7 and above), and Chromebook (devices running the latest Chrome OS); Easy plug-in via USB-A: some devices require USB-C adapter.
One by Wacom gives the same drawing experience as the other drawing tablets in the market despite it being one of Wacom’s cheapest drawing tablets. It doesn’t have a display of its own, you are required to connect the tablet to your pc or computer via a micro-usb connection and look up to your computer screen to see what you are drawing.
The tablet is portable enough to fit into your backpack. if you are the type that moves around with your graphic design equipment, then you have zero worries, because your one by Wacom moves along with you on a low profile.
Wacom Intuos 2019
The Wacom Intuos is another amazing tablet that comes with cool features that will cost you a few bucks. Compared to its predecessor, the Wacom Intuos comes with 3 variations (Small-No Bluetooth, Small-with Bluetooth, Medium-with Bluetooth).
No matter the type of design work you do, the tablet has a size for you to work with.
On the body of the tablet are 4 express keys that are fully customizable, and also have a natural 4k feel pen that supports over 4096 levels of pen pressure sensitivity which allows you to draw as many lines as you could.
With the natural feel of the Intuos pen on your hands, drawings on the tablet feel so much better. Lines on the tablet tend to differ depending on the amount of pressure applied.
The drawing pen comes with varieties of nibs that are stored inside the pen itself, but also have felt & flex nibs that are sold separately just in case you want to go for an Extra!
The Wacom Intuos has great sense in body color variations, it comes in black, pistachio, or berry. Which makes it a perfect blend for any environment you find yourself in.
Active area: 8.5 x 5.3 inches
Pen pressure level: 2048
Pen buttons: 2
Express key: 4
Display: N/A
Connectivity: usb & Bluetooth
Android support: Yes
Compatibility: Mac (OS X 10.10 and above), PC (Windows 7 and above), and Chromebook (devices running the latest Chrome OS); Easy plug-in via USB-A: some devices require USB-C adapter.
Wacom Intuos Pro
The Wacom Intuos Pro is another top-notch graphic design tablet on the list. Obviously, as a Pro version, it has higher-end features compared to Wacom Intuos 2019.
Digital artists that are looking out for more features compared to the previous Wacom Intuos should check this out.
Firstly, it comes in various sizes, the Small-6.3 x 3.9in, Medium-8.7 x 5.8in, Large-12.1 x 8.4in.
The Intuos Pro comes with a pro pen that supports over 8000 pen pressure sensitivity and makes a huge difference in appearance when sketching, it supports pen tilt effect which gives you more control over the shape of your brush.
There are extra nibs that can be replaced just in case you want to have a new feel and texture of the pen and also has a pen holder.
It supports hand gestures that allow you to pan, rotate your page, and to also zoom in and out.
Before I get carried away by this awesome tablet, Wacom introduced their new paper and pencil technology that allows artists to be able to have a feeling of the traditional pencil and paper drawing when using the Intuos Pro.
On the body of the Intuos pro are 8 express keys for shortcuts and they are fully customizable.
Active area: Small 6.3 x 3.9in, Medium-8.7 x 5.8in, Large-12.1 x 8.4in
Pen pressure level: 8192 pen pressure sensitivity (both pen tip and eraser)
Pen buttons: 2
Express key: 8
Display: N/A
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Compatibility: Mac (OS X 10.10 and above), PC (Windows 7 and above), and Chromebook (devices running the latest Chrome OS); Easy plug-in via USB-A: some devices require USB-C adapter.
Wacom one
The Wacom one is the first on our list of best drawing tablets that has a built-in display. I know you must be thinking that ‘’hey, I thought you’ve made mention of this before’’ No I haven’t, I earlier mentioned “One by Wacom” this right here is ‘’Wacom One”. Sounds similar, right?
The Wacom one is the first tablet on our list with an in-built display that allows artists to be able to see what they are creating right before their eyes, with no need for an external display connection.
It has an active working area of 11.6 x 6.5 in and has a display resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Unfortunately for us this time, there are no express buttons, the Wacom one comes with no express key on the body of the tablet. It’s just like a mini flatscreen TV.
It has a battery-free pen that goes by its name, the “Wacom one pen”. the Wacom one pen supports 4096 pen pressure sensitivity with 1 pen button when compared to the Intuos Pro, the Wacom one has been beaten hands down because the Intuos pro pen supports up to 8192 pen pressure and has 2 pen buttons.
The Wacom one pen also comes with extra nibs just in case you want to have a different feeling while sketching. The nibs can be found behind the fold-out legs of the drawing tablet that can be popped out from behind.
just in case you desire not to use the Wacom one while standing with its leg, it can still be used on a flat surface, with the help of the rubber grip behind which stops it from moving around while working on your design project.
Active area: 11.6 x 6.5in
Pen pressure level: 4096
Pen buttons: 1
Pen tilt support: Yes
Express key: N/A
Connectivity: USB-C, USB-A, HDMI
Display: built-in display
Compatibility: Mac (OS X 10.10 and above), PC (Windows 7 and above), and Chromebook (devices running the latest Chrome OS), Supports Android (some).
Wacom Cintiq 16/22
The Wacom Cintiq is another game-changer for anyone that wants to go the extra mile and see what feature Wacom best drawing tablets have to offer.
The tablet comes in two sizes the ’16’ and ’22’. But hey! don’t freak out yet because they are basically the same tablet with just a size difference.
The Cintiq comes with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) and has an active working area of 13.6 x 7.6in for the size ’16’ and 18.7 x 10.5in for the size ‘22’. The Cintiq 16 and 22 have been designed with an anti-glare material on the screen that prevents light reflection on the screen while designing.
So, you never have to worry about daylight hitting your screen and giving you that uncomfortable reflection.
The Cintiq comes with a ‘’Pro pen 2’’ that has only 2 pen buttons, it supports pen tilt and it supports a pen pressure sensitivity of 8192 levels (both pen and eraser). Its pen comes with extra nibs that can be found inside the pen holder on the right-hand side of the tablet. Stealthy, isn’t it?
It supports other Wacom pro pens too.
The Wacom Cintiq 16 model comes with inbuilt foldable legs that can be used when you want to stand the tablet upright at a 90-degree angle from the floor. Though the optional stand can be purchased separately.
While the Cintiq 22 comes with a factory-built stand. Which is an obvious difference. And also, the Cintiq has no express keys on its body.
Active area: 13.6 x 7.6 in for ‘’16’’ / 18.7 x 10.5 in for ‘’22’’
Pen pressure level: 8192
Pen buttons: 2
Pen tilt support: Yes
Express key: N/A
Connectivity: HDMI port & standard USB-A port
Display: built-in display
Compatibility: Mac (OS X 10.10 and above), PC (Windows 7 and above), and Chromebook (devices running the latest Chrome OS), Requires internet for driver updates.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 13/16
The Wacom Pro 13/16 is just amazing! They are like a new masterpiece done by Wacom to give artists a new feeling of awesomeness and great performance all together in one gadget.
The Cintiq pro 13 and 16 are the same tablet with the same performance but with a significant difference in size.
The 13 has a display size area of 1920 x 1080 with an active area of 11.6 x 6.5in While the 16 has a display size of 3840 x 2160 and has an active area of 13.6 x 7.6in.
The Cintiq ’13’screen is okay for any designer who doesn’t really care about the screen size if the tablet would be used basically for just basic arts. but personally, I would go for the size ’16’ because of its extra working screen space. But don’t get me wrong here, because the ’13’ is still great I must say. And both of them have been designed to resist light reflection (anti-glare technology).
The Cintiq comes with the battery-free Pro pen 2 (for both models), with up to 8192 pen pressure activity for both its pen and eraser and it also supports a pen tilt functionality that enables you to control your brush stroke style like when you are shading with a traditional pencil.
It has 2 pen buttons for shortcuts functionality in your favorite design application.
The Cintiq ’13’ supports up to 87% of Adobe RGB color and the Cintiq ’16’ supports up to 94% Adobe RGB color. Both devices are great with their color rating but obviously, the Cintiq ’16’ is much better.
The Cintiq pro 13 has fold-out legs from behind but an optional stand can be bought if you want more angles and rotation for easy working while on your graphic design project.
They both support multi-touch gestures for pan, rotate, and zoom effect for most applications like adobe photoshop and adobe illustrator.
Active area: 11.6 x 6.5in
Pen pressure level: 8192
Pen buttons: 2
Pen tilt support: Yes
Express key: Express Remote available
Connectivity: 3 USB-C ports, one SDXC slot, headset jack, Mini DisplayPort or HDMI
Display: built-in display
Compatibility: Mac OS® (X 10.11 or later), PC (Windows 7 and above) USB-C port supporting DisplayPort Alternate Mode; or Mini DisplayPort and USB-A port; or HDMI port, USB-A port, and high-speed HDMI cable (sold separately), internet access.
Wacom mobile studio Pro 13/16
The Wacom mobile studio Pro isn’t just a fancy name. This drawing tablet right here is the pinnacle of its predecessors. The mobile studio pro carries what all artists and graphic designers alike have been seeking.
It is a battery-powered tablet that runs its applications independently without the assistance of any external connection to a computer. It was designed to run computer programs like adobe photoshop, adobe illustrator, and other graphic design software by itself with no help.
And this is a big advantage for graphic designers because normally you would want to move around with your pc but with the mobile studio pro, you literally have your whole studio on the Go with you because it is battery powered.
And it is advantageous to carry around in terms of size and weight.
The Wacom comes in two sizes. The mobile studio ’13’ and ’16’ and obviously they both have differences in size and slight difference in performance too. but generally, both tablets are great. because of its uniqueness, it has earned a spot on the list and can be vouched to be one of the best drawing tablets in 2021
The Wacom mobile studio pro 13 comes with a display size of 13.3in and has a screen resolution of 2560 x 1440 with an active working area of 11.6 x 6.5in.
While the mobile studio 16 has a display size of 15.6in and has a 4K screen resolution of 3840 x 2160 with an active working area of 13.6×7.6in.
Both drawing tablets have an impressive amount of color grading. The mobile studio ’13’ has up to 80% of Adobe RGB color and the mobile studio ’16’ has a more impressive amount of 94% Adobe RGB color.
As always Wacom never disappoints with their drawing pen, the mobile studio comes with the pro pen 2, with up to 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity.
This time the pro pen 2 has more to offer, it is now – 4x more accurate, 4x more sensitive, no parallax, natural tilt support, no batteries or recharging, and virtually no lagging.
Multitouch support is available which allows you to pan, zoom and rotate your project in any of your desired graphic design software.
The Wacom 3D Technology also support 3D screen rotation sensitivity, what I mean is this- whenever you rotate the mobile studio tablet, the screen tends to rotate towards the same direction, let’s say you’re working with a software that supports ‘’3D text paint effect’’, the paint will drip down towards the rotated position.
Express keys aren’t left out on the Wacom mobile studio pro, the tablet has 8 express keys for your desired shortcuts and a touch wheel.
Active area: ‘13’ (11.6 x 6.5in). ‘16’ (13.6 x 7.6in)
Pen pressure level: 8192
Pen buttons: 2
Pen tilt support: N-pen tilt support.
Express key: yes
Connectivity: 2x USB-C ports,1x thunderbolt connector.
Display: built-in display
Compatibility: Mac OS® (X 10.11 or later), PC (Windows 7 and above).
you can also check out the various model variation for the mobile studio pro
the Wacom mobile studio pro 13/16 comes with different model types that would definitely fit in for your graphic design project. there is a total of 6 models with different core processors and storage capacities that will meet your need and also your budget.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 24/32
The Wacom 24 and 32 are gigantic compared to all previous Wacom tablets that we have talked about. Wacom 24 and 32 tablets are said to be the peak of Wacom’s tablet production, they have made it easy for the productivity and need of artists and graphic designers to be found in one place. No need for opening and closing of windows every now and then.
They have made sure that you have everything at the tip of your finger.
The Cintiq 24 pro comes with a display size of 26.65 x 15.5 which is very sufficient for anyone, it has an active working area of 20.55 x 11.57in and a 4k-resolution of 5080lpi which allows you to see every single detail of what you are creating.
The Cintiq Pro 32 on the other hand has a whopping screen size of 33.62 x 19.92, it has an active working area of 27.44 x 15.43in. It also has a 4k-screen resolution of 5080lpi as the same as the 24, this time it’s much bigger for you to see a much bigger picture of every single detail on screen.
The Wacom pro 24 and 32 come with a Wacom Pro pen 2 that has more enhancement on the accuracy, no lagging, natural tilt support as you draw, super fast communication with the screen.
The Wacom pro pen 2 has 8192 pen pressure activity which allows you to do so much more.
The color gamut accuracy on the Cintiq pro 24 is 99% of Adobe RGB color and on the Cintiq pro 32 is 98% Adobe RGB color. The ‘32’ have just a 1% color difference compared to the ‘24’. Both colors are very impressive and I believe that shouldn’t be much of a problem for you.
The Wacom pro can be connected to an external display with a usb-c or an HDMI cable alternatively to Pc or Mac. Anytime you feel like having it displayed on your computer. The tablet supports multi-touch gestures that also allow you to pan, zoom and rotate your project anytime you are working with your favorite design software.
Express key remote presents you with 17 fully customizable buttons that are always within your reach. Because, as designers, we tend to undo and redo actions as we design.
The Wacom pro 24 and 32 comes with a default stand with allows you to set your tablet to be set in different angles to give you that perfect positioning. But Wacom also wants to give you extra comfort and decided to create the ergo stand and the flex arm stand and they can be purchased separately.
And last but not least, the Wacom 24 and 32 has a module that can be installed at the back of your tablet which converts your Wacom tablet into a fully functional computer, and it’s called the Cintiq pro engine. And also can be purchased separately from their official store.
Active area: ‘24’ (20.55 x 11.57in). ‘32’ (27.44 x 15.43in)
Pen pressure level: 8192
Pen buttons: 2
Pen tilt support: N-pen tilt support.
Express key: Express key *Remote*
Connectivity: 2x USB-C ports,1x thunderbolt connector.
Display: built-in display
Compatibility: Mac OS® (X 10.11 or later), PC (Windows 7 and above).
Which drawing tablet should I buy in 2021?
Now you are thinking, ”with all these numbers of tablets which one should I buy?” the answer is anyone that fits your need and the kind of project you handle. for any beginner, the one by Wacom won’t be a bad pick for a start-up. if you pick a tablet on a higher-end, then that would be an overkill unless you are making a living with graphic design. you need to start small and then in the future when there is a need for a bigger one, you go for it.
should I go for the display or non-display tablet?
it really depends on your choice, the non-display tablet is great but the display tablets are better, frankly, the tablets with no display tablet do well as the ones with a display when creating illustrations. the one by Wacom has a pen pressure sensitivity of 2048 which is okay for basically any art illustration while a tablet like the Wacom one has a pen pressure sensitivity level of 4096. there are differences but that shouldn’t be much of a problem for someone that is just creating basic art illustrations.
unless you want to go further, maybe you want to create motion graphics and other amazing graphic artwork that require much performance from your tablet.
Is the Wacom drawing tablet a good one?
I will simply say a resounding YES! they are the leading graphic design tablet manufacturers in the market and they have been keeping up with it for decades. Though there are other nice products out there. but Wacom holds a strong reputation
Feel free to drop a comment below if you are thinking of getting one of these tablets real soon.
See you in the next article and be creative as always!