xp-pen 24 pro review

For creators lately, a pen-based interface is fairly necessary. It has a way more direct interplay methodology versus conventional mouse or trackpad interactions. The outdated mouse and trackpad are disconnected from the data that you simply're really interacting with on the display screen. Contact shows clear up that to a point, however fingers are massive and clunky. A more-precise stylus gives rather more accuracy. We've lined some Wacom shows right here on Pocketnow earlier than, and I've personally been a giant fan of since beginning as a graphic designer within the late 1900's. At the moment, we get to assessment a competitor to Wacom's high-end pen shows within the type of the XP-Pen Artist 24 Professional. I've all the time sworn by Wacom pen tablets/shows, so it will likely be very fascinating to see how the XP-Pen Artist 24 Professional compares, particularly since its worth is significantly lower than a comparable Wacom pen show.

Specs

Specs
What's within the field
{Hardware} and Design
Software program
Pricing & Availability
Execs & Cons
Conclusion
- - - Adam Z. Lein

The Artist 24 Professional's display screen measurement is about 23.8 inches diagonally which is 20.74 x 11.67″. The show decision is a pleasant 2560 x 1440 pixels. By way of the entire monitor's measurement, it's 24.88 x 14.57 x 1.76 inches. For colour gamut choices, we've obtained an superior 90% of Adobe RGB colour gamut! It's also possible to use 88% NTSC or 120% sRGB with a colour depth of 16.7 million. The distinction ratio is 1000:1 and the response time is 14ms. The viewing angle is about 178 levels and you will get a brightness stage of 250 cd/m2. There's a 100x100mm VESA mount, too. The stylus doesn't require a battery and helps 8192 ranges of stress sensitivity in addition to 60 levels of tilt sensitivity.

What's within the field

The XP-Pen Artist 24 Professional features a slew of wires and equipment for connecting the show to your laptop.

When you've got a show port succesful USB-C port, you should use the USB-C to USB-C cable in the course of the above picture to attach the pen show on to your laptop. This works very well and helps the complete decision of the show. In case you don't have a USB-C show port, you'll have to make use of the USB-A to USB-C cable on the left to connect with your PC for information switch AND you'll have to make use of the HDMI cable on the best to connect with your GPU. If you must use the HDMI cable, then you definitely'll most likely solely get a 1920 x 1080 pixel show decision, so it's higher to have a USB-C show port.

You really get two pens for the Artist 24 Professional! There's a giant cylindrical case to make use of to maintain one secure as properly.

The opposite finish of the pen case additionally unscrews to disclose 8 spare pen ideas for whenever you put on out the one which's already within the pen.

All the ports you'll want are on the again within the above inset space. You'll want the DC energy whether or not you employ the USB-C show port or not. There are two further USB-A ports right here (labeled "Host") which you should use to attach different peripherals equivalent to a keyboard or no matter.

{Hardware} and Design

To begin with, the 90% Adobe RGB colour gamut is gorgeous. Getting as near 100% Adobe RGB as doable is essential for photographers and graphic designers. It's a wider colour gamut than you'd get with different displays or laptops. The Adobe RGB colour gamut is an enchancment over Apple's DCI P3 colour gamut as properly.

The Artist 24 Professional ships with a display screen protector over the monitor show space, and that display screen protector sheet was very reflective. I used to be a lot happier after peeling off the protecting plastic which revealed a fantastically anti-glare display screen. That is so a lot better than utilizing iMac's or Macbook Professional's which have extraordinarily reflective screens. The Artist 24 Professional diffuses ceiling mild reflections actually properly. It's a pleasure to work with. Nonetheless, I wish to hold the ceiling lights off and use a well-placed lamp for room lighting in an effort to keep away from glare fully.

The show seems nice, however what in regards to the pen interplay interface? Properly, that works nice as properly. Home windows 10 has fairly good inking and pen interplay usability, apart from a couple of bugs that had been added within the Home windows 10 Fall Creators Replace. The Artist 24 Professional software program driver has some good workarounds for Home windows 10's issues, and we'll speak extra about these within the Software program part beneath.

Let's discuss these categorical keys and curler dials within the bezels although! There are 10 categorical keys on both sides! That's 20 programmable {hardware} buttons. Twenty!! There's additionally a dial on each left and proper bezels and this too might be programmed to manage no matter you need.

The bezel buttons really feel nice. Not solely have they got good tactile suggestions, however additionally they have some texture differentiators. As seen above, one button has a dot protrusion whereas one other has a touch protrusion. This helps you establish the situation of your categorical key buttons just by contact. You'll be able to hold your eyes on the show and what you're doing with the pen, whereas feeling for the programmed controls you're on the lookout for through the use of contact alone. This can be a big effectivity booster. Most individuals use common keyboard shortcuts for this type of factor, however with the ability to program your personal {hardware} buttons to do the belongings you need is a large benefit. In case you're left-handed, you may program the buttons on the best facet to be your most-used capabilities, whereas if you happen to're right-handed, you may program the buttons on the left facet to be your most-used capabilities.

Wacom's Cintiq Professional 24 doesn't have this many programmable bezel buttons in any respect. It doesn't have any. As a substitute, they promote a separate programmable distant which you could maintain in your non-dominant hand. Personally, I type of just like the bezel buttons since they're built-in, don't require charging, and received't be as simple to lose as a wi-fi distant.

20 programmable categorical keys to memorize is an terrible lot although. Some individuals make stickers to position on the buttons so it's simpler to recollect what they do. I'd begin with programming solely 5 of them since that may be simpler to memorize and personally, I used to be actually proud of the 6 programmable bezel categorical keys on my Wacom Cellular Studio Professional 13.

Pen accuracy is sort of good as properly. It's very exact and really easy. The pen has two {hardware} buttons which you could program as properly, nevertheless it doesn't have an eraser on the again finish. Additionally notice, that XP-Pen features a good drawing glove for resting your hand on the show with out getting sweaty hand grease throughout. Wonderful contact together with this!

The included stand connected to the again may be very sturdy. There's a lever on the high that unlocks the stand's angle.

It's simple to tug the lever ahead with one hand and carry or decrease the show to no matter angle you need. Launch the lever to lock the stand in place on the desired angle.

The highest proper nook is the place some regular monitor controls are situated. The button on the best is the facility button. To the left of that may be a show settings menu button that appears like a hamburger. Then there are + and – buttons for navigating the settings menu and altering issues like brightness or distinction.

A small clip fashion pen holder is included, nevertheless it's not so apparent methods to use it.

It turns on the market are two little rubber round insets on the left and proper sides of the monitor. In case you pry the little piece of rubber out, a screw gap seems behind it. You'll want a flat head screwdriver to screw the pen holder clip into the facet.

Although I tightened the screw, the clip nonetheless spins and wobbles, so possibly I didn't set up it correctly. I didn't see any directions about this facet of the pill. Anyway, you may wish to purchase a unique type of stylus holder. I believe I would favor a desk-top stand that holds the pen upright for me.

Software program

There are two driver variations obtainable for obtain from the XP-Pen web site. At first, I attempted the "Official" driver and later tried the "New UI" beta driver. The conventional official driver software program is proven above. It's not terribly customizable, however definitely adequate.

The dialogue for programming the bezel categorical keys and dials shouldn't be tremendous intuitive. The keys are labeled with numbers and drop-down menus allow you to add custom-made capabilities. On the high, there's a row the place you may add particular packages and when that program is in focus the buttons will use the custom-made capabilities for that program. One challenge with this driver is that I can't program the pen to behave in a different way in numerous packages. So for instance, the "Home windows Ink" possibility is fairly horrible in sure apps like net browsers, the Home windows 10 Images app, the Home windows 10 OneNote app, and so on. I might wish to flip that off in these packages, and it's not doable with this software program. Nonetheless…

In a while I made a decision to uninstall the official driver and check out the "new UI" beta driver, and it was a lot better. The consumer interface design is clearly totally different, however my earlier grievance about not with the ability to management the pen conduct on a program-by-program foundation is mounted.

The interface for customizing the programmable dials and categorical keys is far improved within the new software program as properly.

The Categorical key customization interface now has labels for the place the buttons exist on the bezel, however now there's side-scrolling for matching the important thing numbers to new capabilities.

The brand new software program even has the power to disable sure points of the software program fully. Fortunately an import/export for saving your configuration settings is right here as properly.

The interface for programming the Categorical keys may be very intensive too. By default, one of many pen buttons was assigned to the eraser perform, however I used to be in a position to change it to a "double left click on" perform fairly simply right here.

Pricing & Availability

The XP-Pen Artist 24 Professional is just about $899.99 USD which is lower than half the worth of a Wacom Cintiq Professional 24. That's some vital financial savings. You'll be able to order the Artist 24 Professional from the XP-Pen on-line shops within the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and Australia.

Execs & Cons

Execs

$900 is half the worth of one thing comparable from Wacom
20 programmable Categorical keys within the bezel
Included stand has an excellent vary of angles
Beautiful 90% Adobe RGB colour gamut and anti-glare display screen
USB-C displayport suitable
Contains all of the equipment you may presumably need
Included stand might be changed with a Vesa mount stand

Cons

There's no simple strategy to present an overlay of what every of the bezel Categorical keys is programmed to do whilst you're working (in case you neglect)
Included pen doesn't have an eraser on the again (maintain a button all the way down to erase as an alternative)
90% Adobe RGB isn't pretty much as good as 100% Adobe RGB colour gamut
Some could favor a desk high pen holder quite than the included bezel mounted holder

Conclusion

That checklist of "Cons" above are very minor nitpicks in comparison with the checklist of "Execs" that are fairly glorious. As a pen show, the XP-Pen Artist 24 Professional feels similar to the high-end pen shows from Wacom. The Wacom Cintiq Professional 24 might be an excellent competitor. Wacom's Cintiq Professional 24 has a 99% Adobe RGB colour gamut although, plus the next decision show, extra ports, and there's a model that additionally helps contact… nevertheless it's greater than double the worth of the XP-Pen Artist 24 Professional! So sure, the Wacom Cintiq Professional 24 is best, however is it twice the worth higher? Perhaps not.

If we take a look at how the XP-Pen Artist 24 Professional compares to one thing that's nearer to its worth vary, for instance, the Wacom Cintiq 22 for $1200, the Artist 24 Professional nonetheless seems like a a lot better deal at $900 with its higher decision, higher colour gamut, higher bezel buttons, and higher stand.

In case you've been craving a brand new Wacom pen show for graphics and drawing, however are nonetheless saving up for an excellent one, you simply may wish to take into account an XP-Pen Artist 24 Professional as an alternative.

Adam has had pursuits in combining expertise with artwork since his first use of a Koala pad on an Apple laptop. He at present has a day job as a graphic designer, photographer, methods administrator and net developer at a small design agency in Westchester, NY. His love of expertise extends to software program improvement firms who've typically applied his concepts for usability and have enhancements. Cellular computing has develop into a necessity for Adam since his first Uniden UniPro PC100 in 1998. He has been reviewing and writing about smartphones for Pocketnow.com since they first appeared in the marketplace in 2002. Learn extra about Adam Lein!