Wacom manufacture the best drawing tablets with screen in the market. The best Wacom pen displays belong to the Cintiq range that includes the regular Cintiqs (Cintiq 16 and Cintiq 22) and the Cintiq Pro lineup (incl. Cintiq Pro 32 and Cintiq Pro 24). Due to the variety of Wacom tablets available, it can be a little bit daunting to sort out the best Wacom Cintiq for you. To help you find the best Wacom tablet for your needs and budget, we’ve put together this guide with all the details you need to make your decision!
Wacom’s Cintiq pen displays allow you to draw directly on a screen with a digital stylus. This is the most natural way of creating that you can expect from a graphics tablet – it’s very much like drawing with a real pen on paper.
A Wacom Cintiq is generally considered the best choice for that purpose.
The Japanese company is known as the ‘gold standard’ among drawing tablet manufacturers. Wacom tablets are sturdy build quality that deliver top performance and last for a very long time.
That’s why so many artists, designers, illustrators, etc. around the world – from professionals to hobbyists – swear by Wacom’s devices.
What’s the best Wacom tablet with screen?
Wacom offer a wide range of tablets, including tablets with screen and without screen. Wacom tablets without screen are the Intuos Pro, the regular Intuos, and also Wacom’s latest drawing tablet for beginners, the One by Wacom.
→ Best Wacom Tablet For Beginners
All in all, Wacom’s products cater to artists with different creative needs, skill levels and budgets.
Is a Wacom Cintiq worth it?
Wacom Cintiq is synonymous with the best drawing tablets with screen available in the market. The Cintiq tablets allow you to draw directly on the display, which is the most natural way of digital editing.
Regular drawing tablets require you to look at a computer monitor, while moving the pen across the tablet’s surface. This may take some time getting used to because you need to train the proper hand-eye-coordination.
If you’re planning to work a lot with Photoshop or other digital art software, you may prefer to draw directly onscreen, which brings you the closest to traditional art as a digital tablet possibly can.
→ Best Wacom Tablet To Use With Photoshop
While a tablet with built-in screen is generally more expensive than a regular graphics tablet, there are some options among Wacom’s Cintiq range that are also affordable to beginners and artists on a budget.
Is a Wacom Cintiq good for beginners?
While a Wacom Cintiq is usually more pricey than a regular drawing tablet without screen, some tablets are pretty affordable – also for budding artists and relative newbies.
Even if you just got started with digital art, you can find great drawing tablets with screen in Wacom’s lower price segment.
The Wacom One, for example, is Wacom’s new entry-level pen display that was launched at the beginning of 2020. While the Wacom One is not an actual ‘Cintiq’, it still comes with amazing specs that satisfy the needs of many beginning artists. The Wacom One’s price is relatively beginner-friendly, too.
You can get the device for less than US$400, which is the absolutely lowest price Wacom have so far ever sold a screen tablet for.
Which Wacom Cintiq is best?
The most affordable screen tablet from Wacom’s Cintiq line, the Cintiq 16, is available for around 100 bucks more than the Wacom One. Decent drawing space and pro-level specs make the Wacom Cintiq 16 a good choice not only for beginners but also for skilled artists on a budget.
There are various Wacom Cintiq tablets available, from the regular Cintiq 16 and Cintiq 22 to the Wacom Cintiq Pro lineup, including the Cintiq Pro 13, Cintiq Pro 16, Cintiq Pro 24 and Cintiq Pro 32.
→ What Is The Difference Between Cintiq And Cintiq Pro?
Then, there are still some older Wacom Cintiqs, such as the Cintiq 22HD and the Cintiq 27QHD.
To decide which Wacom Cintiq is best for you, there are a number of things to look out for:
• Screen size
The first thing you want to pay attention to is the size of the screen. Because you want your digital drawing experience to feel as natural as possible, you want to make sure that the screen size caters to your creative needs.
Do you like to draw with long brush strokes or do you do more photo editing where you rather focus on details? These factors determine how big your screen needs to be.
For extensive drawings, you would go for a 22-inch screen diagonal and larger. For photo editing and more detail work, a 13-inch or 16-inch screen may be sufficient.
• Screen resolution and performance
Another thing to look out for is screen resolution and performance – the higher the better.
Most Wacom Cintiqs come with 2K resolution (1920 x 1080 px), while most of the high-end models of the Cintiq pro line have 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 px).
Then there’s screen brightness, color gamut, and color depth. The brightness of the lower-end devices starts at around 200 cd/m2, going up to 350 nits with the top-tier Cintiq Pros. All current Wacom pen displays usually come with a depth of 16.7 million colors as standard, but there are differences in the color spectrum.
The best drawing tablets with screen are able to reproduce up to 99% of the Adobe RGB color gamut. Mid-range tablets have color gamuts between 70 and 80% of Adobe RGB, while the most affordable Cintiqs have about 70% of NTSC.
Color gamut is something you will hardly notice in practice – only when you hold a device with a lower color gamut next to a high-end monitor. But if you’re planning to work in the professional printing industry, then you need to look out for a high color spectrum.
• Pressure sensitivity
The reason why digital drawing feels as natural as it does nowadays is due to the pressure sensitivity of the pen. Pressure sensitivity is measured in levels and suggests how closely the stylus emulates the characteristics of real-life media. The more levels, the better.
If you’re a beginner, then 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity on the lower end are probably perfectly fine. If you’re working on a professional level, however, you may want to have better pen responsiveness.
All recent Wacom Cintiq tablets feature the best pressure sensitivity levels currently available. Both the regular Cintiq and the Cintiq Pro line come with the Pro Pen 2 that supports 8,192 levels of pressure and 60 degrees of tilt recognition.
• Size and weight
Other factors to take into account include the size and weight of the tablet, especially if you intend to travel with it. Most screen tablets are not particularly portable. Some random carrying around is surely possible, but if you want a device for traveling, you should rather take a look at the non-screen tablets, like the Wacom Intuos Pro Small or the Intuos Small.
Best Wacom Cintiq Tablets
1. Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 Touch
The best Wacom Cintiq for professionals who want ample drawing space.
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
If you’re a professional artist, then it’s worth investing into the best Wacom Cintiq in the market. The Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 is an absolute premium device – and it’s huge. The screen diagonal of 31.5 inch gives you a lot of real estate to work on, plus you will get 4K resolution, 98% of the Adobe RGB color gamut, 310 cd/m2 of screen brightness, and the highest levels of pen sensitivity. In short: you will get the best of everything!
All these high-end features come at a price, but you’re getting superb value for your money to create better work and earn more money in the long run.
2. Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Touch
The best medium-size Wacom Cintiq for pro-level creators.
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)
If you’re a professional artist but want to save some space on your desk and some money in your wallet, then the slightly smaller 24-inch pen display is the best Wacom Cintiq for you.
The Pro 24 has the same specs as its larger sibling, including the same 4K resolution and multi-touch functionality, only its screen diagonal of 23.6 inch is a bit smaller. And with around 16 pounds (7.2 kg), it’s also a bit lighter than the 19 lbs (13 kg) of the Pro 32.
3. Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 Touch
The best small Wacom Cintiq for pros.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 Key Specs
- Screen: 15.6 in, 3840 x 2160 px, IPS UHD
- Color gamut & brightness: 94% Adobe RGB, 250 cd/m2
- Active area: 13.6 x 7.5 in (345 x 194 mm)
- Pen technology: 8,192 pressure levels, ±60 levels tilt recognition, 5080 lpi
- Buttons & Touch: No hotkeys, Multi-touch functionality
- Size: 16.2 x 10.4 x 0.7 in (410 x 265 x 17.5 mm)
- Weight: 3.3 lb (1.5 kg) without stand
The Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 is a medium-size screen tablet, but with the same pro-level features as the larger Cintiqs. The Pro 16 features 4K resolution, 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, and 94% of Adobe RGB – but in a more compact and affordable package. Weighing slightly more than 3 pounds, it’s also way easier to carry around.
Just like all Cintiq Pros, the display of the Cintiq Pro 16 is also bonded, meaning there’s virtually no parallax – the little gap between the pen and the cursor that you can see on less expensive tablets. If a working area of 15.6 inch across is enough for you, then the Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 is the best tablet that you can currently find in the market.
4. Wacom Cintiq Pro 13 Touch
The most affordable Wacom Cintiq of the Pro lineup.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 13 Key Specs
- Screen: 13.3 in, 1920 x 1080 px, IPS FHD
- Color gamut & brightness: 87% Adobe RGB, 250 cd/m2
- Active area: 11.6 x 6.5 in (294 x 166 mm)
- Pen technology: 8,192 pressure levels, ±60 levels tilt recognition, 5080 lpi
- Buttons & Touch: No hotkeys, Multi-touch functionality
- Size: 14.2 x 9.3 x 0.55 in (360 x 235 x 13.9 mm)
- Weight: 2.43 lb (1.1 kg) without stand
Do you want even more portability at an even more budget-friendly price? Then check out the Wacom Cintiq Pro 13. While the compact 13.3-inch display tablet is part of Wacom’s professional series, it has ‘only’ 2K resolution, 87% Adobe RGB, 250 cd/m2 of screen brightness.
But everything else is absolutely pro-grade, including the 8,192 pressure levels of the Pro Pen 2, 5080 lpi of line resolution, and multi-touch capability. The Cintiq Pro 13 is the least expensive pen display in Wacom’s Cintiq Pro series, and if you’re willing to sacrifice a lil’ bit of screen performance, you can get this lightweight Pro for less than US$1000.
5. Wacom Cintiq 22
The largest and least expensive Wacom Cintiq for prosumers.
Wacom Cintiq 22 Key Specs
- Screen: 21.5 in, 1920 x 1080 px, Full HD IPS
- Color gamut & brightness: 72% NTSC, 96% sRGB, 210 cd/m2
- Active area: 18.7 x 10.5 in (476 x 268 mm)
- Pen technology: 8,192 pressure levels, ±60 levels tilt recognition, 5080 lpi resolution
- Buttons & Touch: No
- Size: 22.4 x 14.1 x 1.6 in (570 x 359 x 40 mm)
- Weight: 12.4 lb (5.6 kg)
The Cintiq 22 is the cheapest and largest pen display in Wacom’s regular Cintiq range. It comes with the same pen technology as the Pros, giving you the same staggering 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity.
The 21.5-inch screen is Full HD and gives you ample freedom to make long, sweeping pen strokes. While the display is not as powerful as that of the Cintiq Pros, it’s still well-designed with an anti-glare coating that cuts down on reflections and creates the nice pen-on-paper feel that every artist longs for.
5. Wacom Cintiq 16
The cheapest and best Wacom Cintiq for all artists who want to work directly on a screen.
Wacom Cintiq 16 Key Specs
- Screen: 15.6 in, 1920 x 1080 px, Full HD IPS
- Color gamut & brightness: 72% NTSC, 96% sRGB, 210 cd/m2
- Active area: 13.6 x 7.6 in (344 x 194 mm)
- Pen technology: 8,192 pressure levels, ±60 levels tilt recognition, 5080 lpi resolution
- Buttons & Touch: No
- Size: 16.6 x 11.2 x 1 in (422 x 285 x 24.5 mm)
- Weight: 4.2 lb (1.9 kg)
The Cintiq 16 is the best Wacom Cintiq for all artists on a budget who still want pro-level specs. With HD resolution and a top-grade 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, the Cintiq 16 provides an excellent drawing experience at a price tag below US$700.
The 15.6-inch pen display has the same specs as the larger Cintiq 22, it’s just more compact and portable. Despite not being a touchscreen, the Cintiq 16 beats many similarly priced tablets with its pro-grade pen technology and display performance.
6. Wacom Cintiq 22HD Touch
Sturdy Wacom quality with lots of on-tablet customization options.
Wacom Cintiq 22HD Key Specs
- Screen: 21.5 in, 1920 x 1080 px, H-IPS LCD
- Color gamut & brightness: 72% Adobe RGB, 230 cd/m2
- Active area: 19.5 x 11.5 in (479 x 271 mm)
- Pen technology: 2,048 pressure levels, 40 degrees tilt recognition, 5080 lpi resolution
- Touch features: 16 ExpressKeys, 2 Center Rings, 2 Touch Strips on rear
- Size: 26.5 x 15.7 x 2.2 in (650 x 400 x 55 mm)
- Weight: 18.8 lb (8.5 kg) with stand
If you’re keen to work with one of the best Wacom Cintiqs that still have plenty of customizable hotkeys built into the tablet, then the Cintiq 22HD is a great choice for you.
Even though the Cintiq 22HD was released a couple of years ago, it’s still up-to-the-minute with its optional touchscreen, Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution and 72% of Adobe RGB color performance. The 22HD comes with the Grip Pen, which is not as powerful as the Pro Pen 2, but still features 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity – completely sufficient for most creative requirements.
7. Wacom Cintiq 27QHD Touch
Best Wacom Cintiq with top-grade features at a discounted price.
Wacom Cintiq 27QHD Key Specs
- Screen: 27 in, 2560 x 1440 px, AHVA LCD
- Color gamut & brightness: 97% Adobe RGG, 330 cd/m2
- Active area: 23.5 x 13.2 in (597 x 336 mm)
- Pen technology: 2,048 pressure levels, ±40 levels tilt recognition, 5080 lpi resolution
- Buttons & Touch: No hotkeys, Multi-touch only with Cintiq 27QHD Touch
- Size: 32.3 x 20.1 x 15.4 in (820 x 510 x 390 mm)
- Weight: 19.8 lb (9 kg) without stand
Just like the Cintiq 22HD, the Cintiq 27QHD was already launched a while ago, but is still a fantastic piece of kit. With a 27-inch screen diagonal, this Wacom Cintiq offers you ample space to create your art, and the 2560 x 1440 px HDTV resolution lets you handle the finest detail.
With 97% Adobe RGB and 330 cd/m2 brightness, the colors look just amazing and crystal-clear. Since its release in 2016, prices have dropped significantly, and the Wacom Cintiq 27QHD is now a fantastic buy for all artists looking for a powerful yet affordable screen tablet.
Related Hardware Reviews
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!
