5 Best Tablets for Graphic Designers: Graphic designing has made it so far from where it began. We’ve witnessed it evolve and now we’ve reached the 3D era. And when it comes to graphic designers, you’ll need the latest gadgets in the market.
Like any other profession, a good graphic designer is always accompanied by the best gadgets. However, there are a lot of things in a gadget that you need to consider when you want it to perform as a graphic design tool.
And to be clear, it’s not a necessity to have a tablet for graphic designing. You can always use your PC for this task. But having a tablet for graphic designers makes their life much more easier and accessible.
It’s also more natural to draw on a tablet than using a mouse — just like drawing on paper. This also makes their design more personalized and creative. This simple gadget upgrade can increase your productivity and quality of work as a graphic designer.
Features of a Good Graphic Design Tablet
Screen size
The average screen size that you should look for in a graphic design tablet is 12 x 12 inches. This should be your standard to have ample space for you to express your thoughts. The 12 x 12 inches active space also imitates the size of a sheet of paper.
Resolution
For work tablets, you’d want a resolution higher than 2540 LPI. If you want clearer details, you should go for a 5080 LPI graphic design tablet. But take note that as the resolution increases, the price of the device also increases. Make sure that the tablet you’re choosing is within your budget but doesn’t compromise the quality of the details.
Stylus
Your stylus (or optical pen) is the second most important feature that you’d want for your tablet. This accessory is your pen and your tablet is your paper. The modern stylus in the market has two options: with battery and without battery.
Pressure Sensitivity
As a graphic designer, it’s important to gauge how much pressure you put into the device. If you have a highly-sensitive device, it gives you better control to the thickness of your every stroke. It also senses the lightest of strokes for further details.
Compatibility
Your device must be compatible with different devices. Make sure you can use different peripherals for your gadget. Although not required, it’s a plus to have your tablet support HDMI connectivity to directly connect it to a monitor.
If you’re doing a lot of presentations for your designs, you should be looking for a tablet with multiple ports. It should be compatible with microphone accessories for podcasting or presenting your designs online. Your device should also have a couple of USB ports for external storage and connections.
Quick tip: Graphic designers can do podcasting or creating YouTube videos in their free time as another source of income.
Portability
If you’re a designer on-the-go, you should consider your device’s portability. It must also be compatible with a lot of devices so you won’t have to worry about external connections when travelling.
You should also consider the battery life of your device. It should have enough capacity to stay running for multiple hours. You can always increase your battery life by decreasing the brightness level of the device, but this can affect the vibrance of colors when viewing your work.
Durability
Your device of choice must be durable enough to last you a couple of years. The pen/stylus will wear out through time and the nib will eventually thin out, but your device should do just fine. With proper care and management, your device should be able to withstand the test of time.
These are some of the features you should look out for when buying your tablet for graphic design. There are brands with additional features like ease of access , which makes shifting between tabs (among others) easier.
The Top 5 Tablets for Graphic Designing
Let’s look at the top 5 tablets for graphic designers in the market. Note that these are not listed chronologically as each tablet has different features.
1. iPad Pro 12.9 (2020)
Apple has released its best drawing tablet so far, and it’s the iPad Pro 12.9. With a large 10.32 x 7.74 inches active drawing area, you’ll clearly see the little details that matter for designers.
The 12.9-inch screen supports a 2732 x 2048 resolution, which makes it great for viewing vivid colors. Pair it with Apple’s Retina Display technology and you’ll get clean and crisp colors for your designs.
When it comes to functionality, the iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) is a masterclass. The new A12Z Bionic Chipset with 64-bit architecture is something to brag about. Running core-heavy applications for graphic designing won’t be a problem for its 8-core processor.
And with the established quality of Apple’s products, the iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) is as good as the others. With the built-in iPadOS 14 partnered with the new chip, you can expect applications to run very smoothly.
2. Wacom Cintiq 22
The Wacom Cintiq 22 gives you a quality experience in designing, both in functionality and affordability. If you lack the money to buy expensive tablets, it’s a smart choice to go for the Wacom Cintiq 22.
Although it may feature a huge drawing area, the resolution for Cintiq 22 is just the same as the Cintiq 16 (1920 x 1080 px). This means that the color display would look a bit bland than usual but mostly unnoticeable.
What it lacks in the display, makes up for its functionality. You’ll feel the difference in the drawing experience when you’re working on a small surface. The Wacom Cintiq 22 offers a 19.5 x 11.5in active drawing surface which allows for more arm movement and self-expression. The smooth drawing surface and a quality drawing pen adds up to the experience. The included Pro Pen 2 feels comfortable and adaptable to any creative gestures you can think of.
3. Flex Design Graphic Tablet
The Trust Flex Design Graphic Tablet is one of a kind when it comes to the typical tablet. This device has no storage and is connected to your laptop or PC directly. However, this tablet has one key feature that makes it competitive with other tablets in the market — portability.
As simple as it may seem, you can’t take away the truth that this device is very portable. You can bring it and use it in any office setup. Its ergonomic design allows usage for both right-handed and left-handed artists.
The non-slip bottom adds to the comfort that this device brings. You don’t need to hold it down just to keep it from moving. This makes this device ideal for those who need a drawing space in any given location. Compared to other tablets in the market, the active drawing size of Trust’s graphic design tablet is smaller. But the 5.5 x 4in drawing area is enough for a device that has a singular purpose.
4. Microsoft Surface Book 3 (13.5in)
If you’re working on a higher budget, you can opt for the Microsoft Surface Book 3. This tablet is the best tablet released by Microsoft so far. You can use this device as a tablet and as a laptop as well.
Powered by 1.3 GHz Intel Core i7 (10th Gen), you can run core-intensive apps at the same time on this tablet. This makes it an ideal tablet for productivity, especially for post-processing and editing.
It also comes with a GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU all within a thin, magnesium-finish chassis. It’s a powerful device for graphic designing that’s compact and portable as well. If you can spare some extra money for this investment, then you should probably go for the Microsoft Surface Book 3.
5. XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pen Display
Though this brand is not as famous as the previous ones in this list, this device packs a punch for its price range. It will certainly beat your expectations when it comes to performance and durability.
The 13.54 x 7.62 in. active display screen is big enough to maneuver freely. It also includes hotkeys on one side to access different applications with ease. It also has an ample amount of space so you can rest your palms during long sessions of designing.
The XP-Pen Artist 15.6 brings you an extraordinary experience in designing without emptying your pocket. This is one of the cheapest brands that deliver high-quality graphic designing tablets in the market.
Make the Right Choice!
At the end of the day, you’re the one who will be deciding what graphic designing tablet you will buy. All of the devices in the list vary from each other. You have to choose which tablet will fit your needs right now to make the most out of it.
If you’re on a tight budget but in need of a high-performing graphic design tablet, then you should go for the XP-Pen Artist 15.6. If you need a drawing tablet that’s portable for daily use, then you should try Trust’s Flex Design Graphic Tablet.
These are just some of the best graphic design tablets on the market. I hope this article helped you decide which one to pick for your next project.
Note: You can read our article on Migrating from Windows PC to Mac .