PROS
- Premium high-end device that is used in professional studios around the world
- Pin-sharp 4K UHD display with superior color accuracy and brightness
- Multi-touch functionality as standard
- ExpressKey Remote is included and can be attached to magnetic bezels on either side
- Largest screen size in the Cintiq Pro series providing ample room to open reference images, toolbars and menus next to your artwork
- Cintiq Pro Engine (sold separately) turns the display tablet into a standalone Windows PC
CONS
- Stand supplied separately
- Fan noise is noticeable
- High price point
which wacom Cintiq is best?
Wacom are known for delivering quality, and their Cintiq tablets offer the best drawing experience you can get onscreen. There’s the regular Cintiq line and the Cintiq Pro line – the latter one being indeed designed for professionals.
Related: → What Is The Difference Between Cintiq And Cintiq Pro?
The 32-inch Cintiq is currently Wacom’s largest creative pen display in their professional tablet range. What you can really expect from the giant and if it’s worth the investment, we’re going to find that out now in this Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 Review! So let’s get into it.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 Review
If you like to have lots of real estate on your tablet display to work with large painting, while having reference images and additional tool bars and menus open, then the Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 Creative Pen and Touch Display is exactly what you need.
Apart from ample screen size, the Cintiq Pro 32” comes with 4K Ultra HD (UHD) display technology, with no parallax effect and virtually lag-free tracking.
Wacom’s industry-leading Pro Pen 2 is just the cherry on the cake. With a staggering 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, 60 degrees of tilt recognition, and a set of replaceable pen nibs, it offers the most natural drawing experience you can expect when working with stylus and digital tablet.
With a larger screen and UHD technology, the Cintiq Pro 32 is the upgrade to Wacom’s previous flagship model, the Cintiq 27QHD. Still working with the Pro Pen 1, the Cintiq 27QHD has only half the pressure sensitivity and about 1.5 times the resolution of the Pro 32.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 vs 24
The Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 has similar specs to the Pro 32 but is slightly smaller. But despite the larger screen size, the Cintiq Pro 32 is only 7 inches wider and 4.4 inches higher than the Pro 24 thanks too its reduced bezel.
Nonetheless, the Pro 32 is still a heavy piece of gear (around 29 lbs or 13 kg) that will take up some serious space on your desk (33.6 x 19.9 x 2.1 in).
The Cintiq Pro 32 has altogether four USB ports (super-practical!) and a set of light-up buttons on the top left that can toggle various functions, such as onscreen keyboard, Wacom settings, and multi-touch functionality.
Related: → Best Graphics Tablet For Professionals – Top 10 Picks
Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 Key Specs
- Screen: 31.5 in, 3840 x 2160 px, 4K Ultra HD
- Color gamut & brightness: 98% Adobe RGB, 310 cd/m2
- Active area: 27.4 x 15.4 in (697 x 392 mm)
- Pen technology: 8,192 pressure levels, ±60 levels tilt recognition, 5080 lpi
- Buttons & Touch: No hotkeys, Multi-touch functionality
- Size: 33.6 x 19.9 x 2.1 in (854 x 506 x 53 mm)
- Weight: 28.66 lb (13 kg) without stand
Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 or 32?
As I mentioned above, the smaller Cintiq Pro 24 comes with basically the same specs as the larger Cintiq Pro 32.
So, in case you cannot make up your mind between the Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 and Cintiq Pro 32, then ask yourself the following questions: How much desk space do I have available? How much drawing area do I need for my work? Do I need multi-touch functionality or can I work without it on a slightly smaller display? How deep do I want to dig into my pocket?
Check out our Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Review before you’re making your final decision!
For all artists who want all the pro specs with more portability and a smaller screen size, take a good look at the Cintiq Pro 16 and the Cintiq Pro 13 – the least expensive model in Wacom’s professional Cintiq line.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 Review: What’s included in the box?
When unboxing your Wacom Cintiq multi-touch 4K display, this is what you’ll find in the box:
- Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 Touch
- Wacom Pro Pen 2 with 4 color rings
- Wireless ExpressKey Remote
- ExpressKey USB-A RF dongle
- Micro-USB to USB charger cable for ExpressKey Remote (30 cm)
- Pen stand with 10 replaceable nibs (6 standard and 4 felt nibs) & nib removal tool
- Pen holder
- 180W adapter and power cable (1.8 m)
- USB-C to USB-C cable (1.8 m)
- DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable (3 m)
- HDMI 2.0 to HDMI 2.0 cable (3 m)
- USB A to USB A cable (3m)
- DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort adapter
- Quick start guide
- Regulation sheet
- Cleaning cloth
Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 Review: Display Technology
The Pro 32 screen spans an impressive 31.5 inches across and covers about 80 percent of the tablet. It comes with a crystal clear 4K Ultra HD resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels.
With 98% Adobe RGB and 310 cd/m2 brightness, color reproduction is up to the minute, as you would expect from a professional drawing tablet in this range.
With 8 ms, the Pro 32 has one of the fastest response rates among high-end drawing tablets, making tracking virtually lag-free.
The Cintiq Pro 32 offers ample workspace for large digital paintings and additional reference image. You can keep your favorite toolbars and custom menus open, without sacrificing any of your precious canvas size.
While the Cintiq 27QHD still had some issues with glare due to its more reflective screen, Wacom addressed that problem by equipping the Pro 32 with an etched glass surface that reduces reflections to a minimum.
The etched glass also provides a nice drawing feel with some natural resistance for the Pro Pen 2. Wacom suggest replacing worn down pen tips regularly to avoid scratches on the display. In reality, however, it turns out that the screen is pretty wear resistant.
On the other hand, smudge marks can become a problem if you’re not wearing an artist glove, as the screen tends to get warm with heavy use.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 Review: Pen Technology
All Cintiq Pro models (Cintiq Pro 13, Cintiq Pro 16, Cintiq Pro 24) come with Wacom’s Pro Pen 2 with top-level features. The Pro Pen 2 is cordless and battery-free. That means you’ll never need to charge it and it feels light and natural in your hand – just like a real pen.
8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity for both tip and eraser, plus up to 60 levels of tilt-response give you an authentic and virtually lag-free drawing experience.
The included pen stand allows you to rest the stylus vertically, or horizontally, when laying it quickly down during editing sessions. When being pulled off, the convertible bottom of the stand reveals 10 replacement nibs (6 standard and 4 felt nibs) as well as the nib removal tool.
On the side of the pen, you’ll see two buttons that you can customize to perform your most used keyboard shortcuts. Having these functions right at your fingertips can make your workflow significantly faster and more efficient.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 Review: Creative experience
ExpressKey Remote for Cintiq Pro 32
Unlike previous Wacom pen displays, such as the Cintiq 22HD or the MobileStudio Pro, the Cintiq Pro 32 does not have on-tablet hotkey buttons. Instead it comes with Wacom’s ExpressKey Remote, a portable controller that contains 17 customizable ExpressKeys and a Touch Ring.
Separating the ExpressKeys from the display tablet was a smart move, because it allows for seamless switching between right- and left-handed use.
Thanks to its magnetized backing, the remote can be placed anywhere along the tablet’s sides, which contain metallic strips to hold the remote in place.
Configuring all 17 buttons of the ExpressKey Remote is time-consuming. Fortunately, you can back up your settings to Wacom’s cloud service, so in case your individual settings should ever get lost, you don’t need to do the programming all over again!
Customizing the ExpressKey Remote is super-useful. It helps a lot when you want to quickly switch between brushes and layers, undo actions, save your work, or rotate and zoom with the Touch Wheel. Getting used to working with the remote takes a bit of a learning curve, but once you got the hang of it, your workflow becomes significantly faster!
The Cintiq Pro 32 has two foldout legs on the rear that allow you to tilt the device to a 20-degree angle. If you want more wiggle room, you’ll need to purchase one of the optional stands.
Optional stands for the Wacom Cintiq Pro 32
There’s the Wacom Ergo Stand, Cintiq Pro Flex Arm, and the Cintiq Pro VESA Mount. All stands offer you lots of versatility, allowing you to tilt the tablet vertically like an actual monitor, or to keep it horizontal, parallel to your desk, at sitting or standing height.
Just for you to know: even when you place the Cintiq Pro 32 on your desk with its two legs folded in, it’s not sitting flat, but at a 5-degree angle.
wacom ergo stand for cintiq pro 32
The Wacom Ergo Stand is an accessory that you can easily mount on your desk. It lets you raise, tilt and rotate the tablet, so you can sit naturally and find your most comfortable angle for drawing.
Ergo Stand
wacom flex arm for cintiq pro 32
The Wacom Flex Arm for the Cintiq Pro 24 and 32 is super-adjustable. It’s easy to set up (you also mount it on your desk just like the Ergo Stand) and allows you to use the Cintiq Pro 24 in all kinds of positions. You can even work standing, or flip the tablet to a completely vertical position like you’re drawing on a real canvas.
The Flex Arm frees up more space on your desk than the Ergo Stand. Plus, its cable ties help storing all cables neatly.
Flex Arm
If there’s a downside to the Cintiq Pro 32, it’s fan noise. The ventilation is not exactly noisy, but it’s something you’ll definitely notice when the fans kick in intermittently during longer editing sessions.
This is an issue pertinent to most models Cintiq Pro series (except the smallest Cintiq Pro 13). Wacom already tried to tackle the problem on the Cintiq Pro 24 by releasing a firmware update to lower fan speeds. Unfortunately, such thing is not available yet for the larger Pro 32.
Compatibility & connectivity
The Cintiq 32 Pro is compatible with Windows 7 or later, and MacOS X 10.11 or later.
Located at the left and right sides of the tablet are four USB 3.0 ports, to which you can, for example, connect the ExpressKey Remote when charging. There’s also built-in microphone and a headphone jack on the left side.
On the rear of the tablet, you find a panel that covers various ports and sockets to connect to your PC or MAC.
All in all, the Cintiq Pro 32 includes the following ports:
- 1 HDMI 2.0 port
- 1 DisplayPort
- 1 USB-C port
- 4 USB 3 ports
- 1 USB-A port for ExpressKey Remote dongle
- 1 Power socket
- 1 Headphone jack & built-in microphone
Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 Accessories
Replacement pens
As for pen compatibility, the Cintiq Pro 32 is compatible with a range of other Wacom styluses, including:
- Pro Pen 3D,
- Pro Pen slim,
- Classic Pen,
- Airbrush Pen,
- Art Pen, and
- Previous Pro Pen 1.
Wacom Cintiq Pro Engine
The Cintiq Pro Engine is a high-tech accessory that turns the Cintiq Pro into a full-fledged Windows PC. Once you’ve installed the Engine in the slot on the rear, your Cintiq is an all-in-one standalone computer that doesn’t need to be connected to your Mac or PC anymore.
The Cintiq Pro Engine is available in two versions: the i5 model and the more performing Xeon model. Besides a slightly faster processor, the Xeon model offers twice the storage space (512GB as compared to 256GB of the i5 model) and comes with Windows 10 Pro for Workstations.
Wacom Cintiq Pro Engine
Wacom color manager
As an optional accessory, the Wacom Color Manager will help you calibrate the Cintiq Pro 32 to achieve perfect color accuracy.
The Wacom Color Manager is a standalone unit, powered by X-Rite and consisting of a colorimeter and calibration software. It will auto-adjust parameters like screen color, gray scale gamma, white point and others.
It’s a great add-on for all professional users whose workflow depends on precise color and display calibration.
Color Manager
Wacom Color Manager for the Cintiq Pro 32 to auto-adjust color accuracy.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 Review:
Overall rating
The Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 is top gear made for professionals. And for good reason is this Creative Pen & Touch Display used in studios all around the world. Everything about the Cintiq Pro 32 is premium: from the matte edge-to-edge glass surface, to color reproduction and accuracy, to brightness, response rate, and tracking.
The 4K Ultra HD resolution is crystal clear and so sharp that it’s hard to make out any individual pixel at all. Parallax has been reduced to an absolute minimum, if noticeable at all, and the active area is as responsive and precise near the edges as it is in the middle of the screen.
All in all, the Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 is the largest and highest performing screen tablet that you can currently find on the market!
PROS
- Premium high-end device that is used in professional studios around the world
- Pin-sharp 4K UHD display with superior color accuracy and brightness
- Multi-touch functionality as standard
- ExpressKey Remote is included and can be attached to magnetic bezels on either side
- Largest screen size in the Cintiq Pro series providing ample room to open reference images, toolbars and menus next to your artwork
- Cintiq Pro Engine (sold separately) turns the display tablet into a standalone Windows PC
CONS
- Stand supplied separately
- Fan noise is noticeable
- High price point
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My name is Angie and I’m a self-taught digital artist. On this blog, I am sharing my knowledge and discussing the best software and hardware for different artistic needs. My desire is to offer options for all creative stages and budgets so that everyone can follow their dream and create art!
