Best Drawing Tablet For Photo Editing

Best Drawing Tablet For Photo Editing

A review of the 5 best drawing tablets for photo editing

Drawing tablets aid artists in pursuing all sorts of art forms, photo editing being one of them. Editing photos on drawing tablets provides creative individuals with various benefits which include a smoother workflow and a more natural editing feel.

There’s a range of enticing drawing tablets for photo editing out there. What you specifically should look for in those drawing tablets is their level of performance and how they may handle your preferred photo editing software. In addition, things like the size of the drawing area and the pen pressure sensitivity (for a smoother workflow) should also be considered.

In this article, I will review the best photo editing tablets on the market that will make your work a breeze.

Disclaimer – This website contains affiliate links. If you find the information useful and click on a product link and make a purchase, a small commission will be earned by Big Red Illustration

01) Wacom DTK1660K0A Cintiq 16 Drawing Tablet with Screen

DTK1660K0A

Features:

  • Wacom’s Pro Pen2 technology stylus.
  • Tilt-support and 8192 levels
  • 15.6 inch display with 1920×1080 resolution
  • 16.7 million colours bit, 72% NTSC/Cie1931 typical
  •  3 in 1 (HDMI) connection cable, 3-months of ZBrush 2021

Description:

Wacom DTK1660K0A, Cintiq 16, Wacom Tablet with Screen, 15.6 inches 1920 x 1080 HD display, Wacom Pro Pen 2, 8192 levels.

Pros
  • Parallax is reduced greatly
  • Amazing tablet pen precision
  • Best tablet by Wacom with a High-Quality tablet build at a lower price
Cons
  • Does not support multi-touch
  • Requires connection to 2 computer ports
  • Inelegant adapter cable

Review:

The Wacom Cintiq 16 tops our list as the best tablet for photo editing. The Cintiq 16 among other Wacom Cintiq models is priced reasonably while reserving most of its siblings’ defining qualities. One key selling point is the brand recognition it bears. It needs to live up to certain standards due to that brand identity, and it surely does, making it an excellent tablet for image editing.

Although it is not one of Wacom’s cheaper tablets, it is a mid-range drawing tablet that offers a great drawing experience thanks to its 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 tablet screen.

This tablet is very well suited to be used as a photo editing tablet, with its support for the most-used photo editing software Adobe Photoshop as well as several other photo editing softwares that graphic designers use.


02) HUION HS610 10×6 Inch Digital Graphics Tablet

Large Active Area with 8192 Levels Tilt Battery-Free Stylus and 12 Hot Keys 16 Soft Keys, Compatible with Windows/Mac/Android OS

HUION HS610 10x6 main

Features:

  • Featuring a 10 x 6-inch large active drawing space with only 8mm in thickness and 600g in weight.
  • Compatible with Windows 7 or later, Mac OS 10.12 or later and Android devices.
  • 28 Express Keys & Touch Ring, customizable 12 hard keys and 16 soft keys
  • Battery-free stylus with 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and ±60°tilt, 266PPS no-lag report rate ensures
  • Compatibility with most drawing programs, such as Photoshop, Corel Painter, Krita, Illustrator, SAI, SketchBookPro, FireAlpaca, OpenCanvas, Manga Studio and so on.

Description:

Graphics Drawing Tablet, HUION HS610 10×6 Inch Digital Graphics Tablet Large Active Area with 8192 Levels Tilt Battery-Free Stylus and 12 Hot Keys 16 Soft Keys, Compatible with Windows/Mac/Android OS

Pros
  • Lightweight
  • 28 customizable keys
  • 8192 Levels
Cons
  • The light indicator is very tiny
  • Only one USB cable port
  • Wheel settings are not customizable

Review:

The HUION HS610 is a fairly sized drawing tablet that comes with an impressive level of performance. This tablet is an individual graphics tablet that you will have to connect to your Mac or Windows computer to use. In addition to that, this graphics tablet comes with useful android compatibility for people who would like to connect it to their android device.

This 10 x 6 inches graphics tablet comes with a reasonably sized drawing along with a battery-free pen which has 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and 60 degrees tilt support. The tablet enables a top-end photo editing experience incorporated in a thin and sturdy design.


03) Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro (Wi‑Fi, 128GB) – Space Gray 2021

Apple iPad Pro

Features:

  • With the Apple M1 CPU, and 512 GB storage
  • Amazing 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion, True Tone, and P3 wide colour
  • 12 MP Wide-camera, 10 MP Ultra-Wide camera, and LiDAR-scanner for AR
  • Apple Pencil (2nd generation) supported, Magic Keyboard, and Smart Keyboard Folio
  • Face ID for safe authentication and Apple Pay

Description:

Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch, Face ID, Standalone tablet, M1 CPU, Apple Pen (2nd Gen) Supported, 512 GB storage

Pros
  • Efficient M1 CPU
  • Battery life is amazing
  • UI provides seamless usage
Cons
  • iPadOS lags behind in certain applications
  • Not an affordable tablet
  • Apple Pencil is sold separately

Review:

Many drawing tablets require a computer screen for photo editing, but the Apple iPad Pro M1 12.9 is a standalone device that can do everything on the go, making editing photos much simpler.

This iPad’s revamped and one-of-a-kind liquid retina display has a brightness of up to 1600 nits and supports HDR. The contrast ratio on this iPad has also improved noticeably, and the display on this iPad enables photo editing in HDR.

Moreover, this iPad incorporates wireless connectivity to MacBooks using Airplay as well as Bluetooth connectivity for applications that require it. Despite its expensive price, this is one of the best photo editing tablets.


04) GAOMON PD1161 11.6 Inches Drawing Tablet

Tilt Support Drawing Pen Display with 8192 Levels Pressure Sensitive Battery Free Pen AP50 and 8 Shortcut Keys

GAOMON PD1161 Tablet

Features:

  • 11.6 inch 1080P HD IPS Monitor, a 72% NTSC (100%SRGB) Colour Gamut.
  • ±60 Degree Tilt Function.
  • 8192 Levels, Battery-free Pen AP50.
  • Drawing area of 10 x 5.7 inches.
  • 8 Programmable Command Keys, 2 programmable hotkeys on the pen, and 8 replacement nibs.

Description:

GAOMON PD1161 11.6 Inches Tilt Support Drawing Pen Display with 8192 Pressure Sensitivity, Battery-Less Pen AP50, and 8 Shortcut Keys

Pros
  • Express keys work perfectly as opposed to other tablets from lesser-known brands
  • Good pressure sensitivity
  • Increased portability
Cons
  • A smaller screen may be an issue for some applications
  • Parallax is sometimes noticeable
  • Does not support Chrome OS

Review:

The Gaomon PD1161 tablet has a beautiful 1080P HD screen with a 72% NTSC gamut, as well as a sufficient drawing area for you to carry out your photo editing tasks seamlessly. It is able to detect pen pressure of up to 8192 levels, a feature that helps in editing smaller as well as larger details in photos.

The pen on this gadget has also been improved; it is now shorter and thinner, making it easier to hold than prior generations of Gaomon pens. This light & small device offers enhanced mobility in exchange for larger screen size.

This tablet may very well be the best drawing tablet for photo editing, thanks to its unique capabilities.


05) XP-PEN Artist12 11.6 Inch FHD Drawing Monitor Pen Display

Graphic Monitor with PN06 Battery-Free Pen Multi-Function Pen Holder and Glove 8192 Pressure Sensitivity

XP-PEN Artist12 main

Features:

  • 11.6 HD IPS 1920×1080 HD display paired with 72% NTSC(100%SRGB) Color Gamut.
  • The slim touch bar can be programmed to zoom in and out, scroll up and down. Its 6 shortcut keys are customizable
  • Battery-free stylus with a digital eraser at the end: XP-PEN advanced P06 passive pen was made for a traditional pencil-like feel
  • Compatible with Windows 7 or later, Mac 10.10 or later. 
  • Compatible with Photoshop, Illustrator, SAI, Painter, MediBang, Clip Studio, and more.

Description:

XP-PEN Artist12, 11.6 Inch FHD, graphic tablet, with PN06 Battery-Free Multi-Function Stylus, Pen Holder and 8192 Pressure Sensitivity

Pros
  • Design is sleek and portable
  • The pen is highly sensitive with minimal jitter
  • Supports both left and right-handed usage
Cons
  • The screen has a glossy protector instead of a matte protector, making it a little more slippery
  • Does not include a stand for the tablet
  • Includes a 3 in one cable that is not designed ideally

Review:

XP-pen artist 12 is a pen display tablet that enables you to edit on its own screen. This graphics tablet incorporates a glossy textured display with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. In addition to that, the vibrant FHD display of this tablet supports a 72% NTSC colour range.

This Pen Display comes with a battery-free pen that has 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and a customizable button and the pen that comes with this tablet is one of the best pens available on the market.

This graphics tablet, with its useful features coupled with an extremely affordable price, makes for an excellent tablet for photo editing.


General Information About Photo Editing And How Graphic Tablets Play A Huge Part

Using drawing tablets for Photo Editing is an attractive option for all sorts of creative people. These tablets offer a more natural and immersive experience of photo editing than using the traditional mouse method.

You get more control over your editing process by using the pen, which enables you to modify pictures by utilizing features like pen pressure, brush size adjustments, and angle adjustments.

However, your overall editing experience is dependent on the functionality & handling capability of the drawing tablet.

It is important to make sure that the graphics tablet you chose to buy is able to operate your preferred drawing application and meet your performance requisites.


Best tablet for photo editing: what to look for:

Display vs graphics

The distinction between display drawing tablets and graphics drawing tablets is pretty much self-explanatory. You may use the display drawing tablets to draw on their own screen.

It provides consumers with the benefit of portability. Because everything is right under your fingertips, photo editing on these display drawing tablets is much easier. For graphics drawing tablets, they must be connected to an external device such as your computer to edit and view the photos.

Regardless of the absence of mobility, the best graphics tablet will still offer an outstanding experience.

Size

Large drawing tablets provide a larger drawing surface to work with, however as their size grows larger, the device’s portability suffers.

You have more portability with compact tablets. If you’re searching for a tablet that’s small and portable, these may well be the ones for you. There are also medium-sized drawing tablets to choose from.

These drawing tablets combine mobility with a good quantity of working space. Although, regardless of size, the degree of capability is determined by each particular tablet.

Controls and shortcut keys

Shortcut keys are helpful for digital artists of all skill levels. With these buttons, you have a more efficient workflow as they allow you to quickly browse any software or feature you use regularly. Shortcut buttons also allow you to change the size of the brush.

These buttons are often adjustable and may be modified. Some drawing tablets offer the option of four, eight, or even sixteen buttons.

The more shortcut buttons, the more navigation options you get and that in turn results in a smoother workflow.

Pen sensitivity

The pressure sensitivity of the tablet’s accompanying pen will be primarily determined by the tablet’s pricing range.

You may have a more natural and hands-on photo editing experience with higher degrees of pressure sensitivity, but for some people, it might not be as noticeable.

The sensitivity of the pen ranges from 2042 to 8192 levels.

Budget/price

At any price range nowadays, you are very likely to find a drawing tablet that may work excellently for you in photo editing.

The pricing of these drawing tablets is mostly determined by the functions they provide. Some drawing tablets provide high-end functionality with minimal sacrifice, while some make sensible feature sacrifices in order to provide a low price.

Needless to say, the higher the performance levels, the better your overall editing experience.


Conclusion / Roundup

The drawing tablets that are listed and reviewed in this article are some of the best drawing tablets available on the market. I have carefully selected them to make sure that you don’t regret your decision no matter which graphics tablet you end up buying.

All of these drawing tablets come with excellent performance and proven reliability, but regardless you should weigh up their aspects against your required level of functionality in order to reach a fair conclusion.

Hopefully, the information and insight provided in this article will be of good use to you.


FAQs

Q: What is the best size Wacom tablet?

A: It depends on your preference which Wacom drawing tablet best suits your size requirements, but the Cintiq 16 has often been called the best Wacom tablet in terms of size.

Q: Which one of Wacom’s high-end graphic drawing tablets is a cheap drawing tablet?

A: The Wacom Cintiq 16 is the cheapest among high-end Wacom tablets.

Q: Is the Huion Kamvas Pro 24 a larger tablet among Huion tablets?

A: Yes, the Huion Kamvas Pro 24 has a large 28-inch 4 smooth matte screen, which is significantly larger than other Huion graphics tablets.

Q: What is the best graphic tablet for photo editing from Huion?

A: The Huion HS610 is a worthy contender for the spot of best pen tablet for photo editing from Huion, with all of its features and its attractive price.


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Written By Adam Rushton

Adam has made a name for himself in the illustration industry and is a passionate blogger and writer on the subject of art, illustration and graphic design.

His artwork has been featured in countless publications and used for very well-known media projects. As a professional illustrator for over 20 years, Adams media outlets, a wealth of knowledge, and experience enable him to consult and advise artists and illustrators in this country (from York and Manchester to Southampton and London) and all over the world.


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