PROS
- 24-inch 4K resolution screen (3840 x 2160) for sharp detail work
- World-class color accuracy (99% Adobe RGB) and excellent brightness (350 cd/m2)
- Large active area (20.55 x 11.57”) for enough drawing space
- Etched glass surface with right amount of resistance for a super-natural drawing feel
- Included ExpressKey Remote with plenty of customization options and magnetic back to cling to bezel
- Cintiq Pro Engine (separately available) turns the tablet into a standalone Windows PC
CONS
- Stand not included
- Some fan noise, not particularly loud but perceptible
- Etched glass can dull the colors
Is the Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 worth it?
The Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Creative Pen Display takes digital drawing to the next level. Its screen is large enough to work in fine details. Resolution and color gamut of 99% Adobe RGB top everything – not only the regular Cintiqs (Cintiq 16 and Cintiq 22) but also Wacom’s display pen tablet flagship, the MobileStudio Pro.
Besides offering the ability to draw directly on the screen, the Cintiq Pro 24 has a tactile, textured surface that gets you as close to drawing on paper as a digital device possibly can.
The Cintiq Pro 24 comes with gesture-based input capability as standard. Optionally available, the Cintiq Pro Engine can be connected to the tablet, turning the Cintiq Pro 24 into an all-in-one graphic tablet Windows PC.
Sounds pretty amazing, but is the Cintiq Pro worth it for you? Let’s dive into this Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Review and see what exactly you can expect!
Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Review: First impressions
The first thought that’ll cross your mind after unboxing the Cintiq Pro 24: Wow! This thing is huuuge!
The size of the display is 23.6 inches diagonally – therefore the name Cintiq Pro 24. The device itself is a bit larger (26.65 x 15.5 inches) because there’s a large bezel around the screen. You’ll definitely need to have enough space on your desk to get the tablet up and running!
These dimensions come with a corresponding weight: the tablet weighs around 15 lbs – and that is without stand.
In terms of dimensions and weight, the Cintiq Pro 24 lies exactly between the smaller Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 and the larger Wacom Cintiq Pro 32.
Unfortunately, the stand is not included. The Cintiq Pro 24 Creative Pen & Touch Display has an angle of 5 degrees when laying flat on the desk.
Folding out its two legs on the back tilts the device to an angle of 20 degrees. This is probably enough for some short-time editing, but if you want to have some real drawing comfort, you’ll need to get Wacom’s Ergo Stand or Flex Arm (later on more on that).
What is included in the box, though, is Wacom’s industry-leading Pro Pen 2, a pen holder with 6 replacement nibs, and an ExpressKey Remote! Yay!
Cable Connections, Tablet Ports & Buttons
You’ll also get a variety of cables to connect the tablet to your Mac or PC, including DisplayPort to DisplayPort, HDMI, USB-C to USB-C, and Micro USB to charge the ExpressKey Remote.
The tablet comes with a good number of ports as well. There are four USB 3.0 and one USB-C port, an HDMI and a DisplayPort, as well as two USB-A ports on the rear. You’ll even find a headphone jack and microphone.
The Cintiq Pro 24 is very easy to set up. Once you’ve connected the tablet to your computer, downloaded and installed the driver, you can start customizing your tablet.
There are five light-up buttons at the top right corner of the tablet. The buttons open up the display settings, an onscreen keyboard, and the Wacom Control Center where you can customize the ExpressKey Remote and Pro Pen 2. The fifth button lets you toggle touch functionality on and off.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Review: Display technology
The 24-inch screen is a 4K Ultra HD display, 16:9 wide format, with a native resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. Measuring 20.55 x 11.57 inches, its active area is really large.
Resolution, color and brightness are just fantastic. Details appear sharp, and colors look vibrant. Color performance is listed at 1.07 billion colors and 99% of Adobe RGB.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 vs 27QHD
Resolution, color gamut and brightness are so far unprecedented in pen displays, even topping the Wacom Cintiq 27QHD, which was the previous market leader with 97% Adobe RGB color gamut and 330cd/m2 brightness.
Etched glass surface for natural drawing feel
The Cintiq Pro 24’s etched glass surface offers just the right amount of resistance to make you feel like you’re drawing on paper, rather than on glass.
Some users may find that the etched glass dulls the colors a bit. But it’s a fair tradeoff as it cuts down on unwanted glare and reflections and provides an intuitive and natural way to paint and draw.
And then, brightness makes up for that, too. With 350 cd/m2, the Cintiq Pro 24 offers the absolutely highest brightness gauge in its class.
No parallax and virtually lag-free tracking
Parallax – the gap between the pen and the pointer on the display – is unnoticeable on the Cintiq Pro 24. If you should still see a minimal gap, recalibrating display and pen should do away with any parallax issue.
There’s absolutely no jitter when using the Wacom Cintiq Pro 24-inch graphics tablet, and with a response rate of 12 ms tracking is lag-free, too.
Slight fan noise
What you will notice, though, is that the screen will get warm when working on it. Depending on your preference, you might want to wear a drawing glove.
The other thing that you will notice is that the sound of the fan when it kicks in. It’s not particularly loud and doesn’t run all the time, but it’s definitely perceptible.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Review: Pen technology
The Cintiq Pro 24 comes with the Pro Pen 2, a highly responsive stylus with 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and 60 degrees of tilt recognition.
The Pro Pen 2 is lightweight, battery- and cable-free with a rubber grip, which makes it feel comfortable in the hand, even during long editing sessions.
There are ten replacement nibs included for the Pro Pen 2, six standard nibs and four felt nibs, all safely stored in the pen holder that also holds the nib removal tool.
Both standard and felt nibs are pointed and precise, so working with the Pro Pen 2 feels like drawing with a real pencil.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Key Specs
- Screen: 23.6 in, 3840 x 2160 px, 4K: Ultra HD
- Color gamut & brightness: 99% Adobe RGB, 350 cd/m2
- Active area: 20.55 x 11.57 in (522 x 294 mm)
- Pen technology: 8,192 pressure levels, ±60 levels tilt recognition
- Buttons & Touch: ExpressKey Remote, Touch Ring, Radial Menu, onscreen keyboard
- Size: 26.65 x 15.5 x 1.9 in (677 x 394 x 47 mm)
- Weight: 15.43 lbs (7 kg)
Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Review: Accessories
ExpressKey Remote
If you’ve used a Wacom tablet before, you know about Wacom’s Express Keys that are a huge workflow booster because they allow for quick access to keyboard shortcuts and application-specific functions.
The Cintiq Pro 24 doesn’t have on-tablet Express Keys like the Intuos Pro or the MobileStudio Pro. Instead, it comes with the portable ExpressKey Remote, featuring 17 customizable buttons and a Touch Ring.
The good thing is that you can save your customization settings to the Wacom Cloud. So in case something goes wrong and you lose your settings, you can quickly back them up from the cloud without having to program all 17 buttons again.
The remote is comfortable to hold in the hand, but you can also place it anywhere around the bezel. Thanks to its magnetized backing, the remote will stay firmly in place, even when the tablet is tilted.
Depending on your dominant hand, you can stick it to the respectively opposite side. That means the Cintiq Pro 24 is as comfortable to use for left-handed users as it is for righties!
The ExpressKey Remote is battery powered and rechargeable via the included USB cable. Once it’s fully charged, it will last you a good couple days of work.
Optional Stands
Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Ergo Stand
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 Cintiq Pro 24 Flex Arm
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 it 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
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
The Cintiq Pro Engines turns the Cintiq Pro 24 and 32 into a standalone Windows PC.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Review: Multi-Touch Functionality
The Cintiq Pro is comes with multi-touch functionality as standard, offering gesture-based functions like an iPad Pro or similar device.
It lets you do actions like zooming, rotating, etc. onscreen, so you don’t need to reach for the ExpressKey Remote or grab the respective tool with the pen in the settings.
However, zooming in and out on the Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Creative Pen & Touch display can feel imprecise and a bit shaky at times. It works, but just don’t expect things to go as smooth as on an iPad.
The tablet also features palm rejection, just like the Wacom MobileStudio Pro. But contrary to the MobileStudio, palm rejection on the Cintiq Pro 24 isn’t as good and consistent.
Eventually, using multi-touch input or not is down to personal preference. Some artists love it, some artists hate it… For those who don’t like to work on a touch-sensitive screen, there’s a little button at the top to toggle it off without interrupting your workflow!
PROS
- 24-inch 4K resolution screen (3840 x 2160) for sharp detail work
- World-class color accuracy (99% Adobe RGB) and excellent brightness (350 cd/m2)
- Large active area (20.55 x 11.57”) for enough drawing space
- Etched glass surface with right amount of resistance for a super-natural drawing feel
- Included ExpressKey Remote with plenty of customization options and magnetic back to cling to bezel
- Cintiq Pro Engine (separately available) turns the tablet into a standalone Windows PC
CONS
- Stand not included
- Some fan noise, not particularly loud but perceptible
- Etched glass can dull the colors
Frequently Asked Questions
Wacom’s Cintiq tablet line consists of the regular Cintiq models, the Cintiq Pro and the Cintiq HD series.
The Wacom Cintiq 16 is one of Wacom’s least expensive display tablets. It’s aimed at artists upgrading from an Intuos or Intuos Pro, as well as semi-professionals and professional designers on a budget. On its release, the Cintiq 16 was the cheapest in the pen display range, though now there is also the Wacom One, a basic display tablet for beginners.
→ Ultimate Guide To The Best Wacom Drawing Tablet For Beginners
In terms of pricing, the Cintiq 16 sits exactly between the Wacom One and Cintiq 22, costing around US$650.
The Pro line offers more features at a significantly higher price. For comparison, the Cintiq Pro 16 costs around three times as much as the regular Cintiq 16.
→ What Is The Difference Between Cintiq And Cintiq Pro?
The tablets of Wacom Cintiq HD line are still a bit more expensive, come with built-in customizable ExpressKeys but less pressure responsiveness. For more information, check out our Cintiq 22HD Review.
→ Which Wacom Cintiq Is Best?
The main difference between the Wacom Cintiq and Intuos and Intuos Pro lines is that the Cintiq tablets come with a built-in screen to draw on.
The Intuos tablets do not have a screen; they act as a peripheral to your laptop or desktop computer. When drawing on an Intuos, you don’t look down at your hand but to the computer screen, which is a couple of inches away from you. While this can feel odd at the beginning, most artists get used to this way of working rather quickly.
Other artists, especially those coming from traditional media, might find it difficult to adapt to this new style of digital editing. For those, a drawing tablet with a screen might be the better option.
→ Best Wacom Screen Tablet Picks Below $1000
Another thing to consider when choosing between a Cintiq and an Intuos is portability. Cintiqs are large. They weigh a few pounds and occupy a respective area on your work desk. So if you don’t have that much space to free up on your desk or if you like to work in multiple places (at home, in your office, while traveling), take a closer look at the compact and lightweight Intuos.
→ Wacom Intuos Small Review
→ Wacom Intuos Pro Small Review
The Intuos Pro is a worthy upgrade of the Intuos line, offering the best price/performance ratio in the professional pen tablet section.
A big advantage over the regular Intuos tablets is that the Intuos Pro features built-in Bluetooth connectivity. This helps avoid cable clutter in smaller workspaces and brings mobility for artists on the move.
The Intuos Pro devices have a larger active area than the regular Intuos products. The drawing surface is smooth and matte, resisting scratches and fingerprints.
The included Pro Pen 2 boasts 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and 60 degrees of tilt recognition for both tip and eraser and is significantly lighter, as compared to the Intuos pen with only 2,046 pressure levels.
The resolution was doubled, from 2,540 lines per inch of the Intuos to 5,080 lpi of the Intuos Pro.
Apart from that, the Intuos Pro is also available as a Paper Edition, for all artists who prefer to start their artworks by sketching them out on paper before editing them later on digitally.
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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!
