Category Archives: buyer’s guide

New Cintiq Companion & Companion Hybrid Tablets

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Two new Cintiq tablets will be available in October 2013

Wacom has been silent for a long time and now we all know why!

Cintiq Companion:

wacom cintiq companion tablet

  •  Uses full versions of  creative programs like Adobe Photoshop.
  •  Multi-touch screen capability.
  •  Adjustable and detachable stand.
  •  Features a front and back HD camera.
  •  The Pro Pen features a new ergonomic design.

Tech Specs:

  •  HD 1920 x 1080 display
  •  8 GB of RAM, 3rd generation Intel Core Processor i7  & Intel HD Graphics 4000
  •  Windows 8
  •  Wacom Pro Pen with 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity
  •  2MP for the front camera & a 8MP for the back camera.

The Companion seems to be a very powerful tablet. This is something I have been wanting for a while. A portable drawing/painting tablet that also allows me to use the full version of Photoshop, email and I can stream movies and music with Bluetooth and Wifi.

As with most of Wacom’s tablets, the price is hefty. The Cintiq Companion will cost you $1999 for 256GB and $2499 for 512GB. You can pre-oder it now, but I recommend waiting because they usually sell for less on Amazon.

If you are looking to buy a less expensive portable Wacom tablet, I suggest clicking here to read my review of the Cintiq 13HD.

Cintiq Companion Hybrid:

wacom cintiq companion hybrid tablet with android

The Companion Hybrid is intended to be more like a sketchpad than the Companion or a  regular Cintiq tablet. For example, you can only use Android creative apps for drawing and painting.  I view this tablet to be a big step up from the Wacom Inkling Digital Sketch Pad. The Hybrid also includes two HD cameras, Wifi and Bluetooth.

It’s possible that the Android drawing and painting apps could be limiting.

Specifics:

  • 13.3 inch HD display and lightweight making it very portable.
  • Uses the same great pressure sensitive pen.
  • Multi-touch screen.
  • Adjustable and removable stand.

The Hybrid has a lower price than the regular Companion. It is $1499 for 6GB and $1599 for 32GB. Again, I recommend waiting if you can. The prices always seem to drop once they are available at other online stores.

Wacom Cintiq 13HD Coming Soon

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Wacom Cintiq 13HD tablet display

First there was the Cintiq 24HD. Then the 22HD. And now Wacom is introducing the Cintiq 13HD. It may be small, but it seems perfect for professional artists who need a portable graphics tablet.

wacom cintiq 13hd size comparisonThe differences are minor. For example, the 13HD has less shortcut keys (4 as opposed to 16 and 10) which makes sense due to it’s size. But that’s not what should be the deciding factor to buy this particular Cintiq tablet/display. It’s all about the slimness and size in my opinion. It’s highly portable plus it comes with a 3 in 1 HDMI usb cable which makes it easy to hook up anywhere.

Wacom Cintiq 13HD 3 in 1 cable USB

The total size is 11.75″ W by 6.75″ H with a 13.3″ HD display. However, the active area is 11.75″ W by 6.75″ H. That’s something to keep in mind, but wouldn’t keep me from buying it if I was looking for a portable HD tablet. Like the other, larger Cintiq models, the 13HD has an adjustable stand which can adjust to 22°, 35°, 50° angles.

Wacom Cintiq 13HD adjustable angles

While I think I will always long to own a 24HD, I would not scoff at the new 13HD if it was given to me. It has all the same capabilities as it’s siblings except for Cintiq 24HD Touch which is the only model that offers the multi-touch feature. The Cintiq 13HD will retail for $999 on the Wacom web site soon. I will write another post when it’s available on Amazon because they typically sell for less there.

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Which Wacom Tablet To Buy?

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Here’s my top five Wacom tablets list. Click on the menus at the top for the full reviews!

My Top 5 Wacom Graphics Tablets:

Wacom Cintiq 24HD Tablet DisplayWacom Cintiq 24HD Multi-Touch Tablet / Display (Links to Amazon)- Best of the Wacom tablets. The Cintiq 24HD multi-touch is the largest graphics tablet display and is considered the holy grail of drawing tablets. For serious and/or professional artists, designers and animators.

Wacom Cintiq 22HD Tablet / Display (Links to Amazon)- Expect the same high quality as the Cintiq 24HD, but for about $500 less and about $1000 less than the 24HD multi-touch.

Wacom Intuos5 Pen Tablet – Excellent for a professional designer/artist. Available in different sizes and a wireless option.

Wacom Bamboo Splash Tablet – Great for an artist who has never used a tablet before and seriously wants to make the leap from standard drawing to digital.

Wacom Bamboo Create Pen and Touch Tablet – Great for someone who is interested in the same things that the Bamboo Splash offers, but wants more drawing space. Also, this Bamboo tablet  is bundled with more software than the Bamboo Splash.

:: Click here to read more or buy a Wacom tablet from Amazon! ::

intuos5 wacom tablet computerBuying a Wacom Tablet:
I’m a self taught graphic designer who has used several different graphics tablets throughout the years and I’m offering my personal Wacom tablet reviews here. Having been disappointed by other brands, I was happy when I found Wacom. I had some confusion researching which Wacom tablet was right for me so I thought writing this Wacom tablet site might help other people make a decision.

For me, Wacom is the frontrunner in graphic design tablets. I believe they are a great company and more importantly, they design and produce high-quality products. I’ve used the other brands in the past and have been disappointed.

Related Articles:

How to Choose a Wacom Graphics Tablet
Graphics Tablets for Kids
Wacom Cintiq 24HD Graphics Tablet Display Review
Wacom VS a PC Tablet
Which Wacom Bamboo Tablet is Best for Image Editing?
Why Buy Wacom Intuos4?

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Top 3 Tips When Choosing a Wacom Graphics Tablet

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Wacom Cintiq 24HDThere are three important things to consider before buying a Wacom tablet.

  • Use/needs – This is the first thing you should figure out before browsing for a graphics tablet. If you don’t need a lot of bells and whistles, you might be overwhelmed or believe that you need them once you start looking.
  • Features – Once you know exactly why and how you will use your Wacom tablet, you will know which features you need.
  • Size – This is important. You should consider the dimensions of the entire Wacom tablet as well as the active drawing area. It’s great to have more active area space (I believe the bigger the better) but having owned several in the past, what I’ve learned is that it also comes down to your desk working area and sometimes having something too big may not be practical.
I’ve learned that knowing exactly what you need from a graphics tablet is the key to choosing the best one for you. Maybe write out a list of how you would use the tablet regularly and then read my full graphics tablet reviews for more details about each tablet. You can also click on the menu at the top of this page to be taken directly to the Wacom tablet you want to read more about.

Everyone Likes To Be Liked

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And I’m no different!

The Wacom Tablet Reviews Facebook page is where I post about new deals and low prices I find for Wacom tablet accessories. For example, I found a really good rebate offer from Dell for the Bamboo Create Pen graphics tablet.

Okay, so you don’t have to “Like” the page, but it’s worth checking out. It’s also where you’ll find my updates and other info that you may not find on the regular site! 🙂

Graphics Tablets for Kids

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Kid-friendly versions of digital drawing pads

Your young child may love drawing now, but the idea of dropping a lot of coin on an expensive Wacom tablet that might get broken easily is not something I would want to do. I’ve put together a list of fun digital tablets that are intended to not break your pocketbook or your heart if your kid decides to use it as a hammer. Click on each link to read more about each one on Amazon!

Genius Kids designer graphic tablet
Genius: the Kids Designer Graphic Tablet

 

 

boogie board paperless graphic tablet writing pad
Boogie Board Paperless LCD Writing Tablet

 

 
Graphic Tablet with Cordless Pen DigiPro
DigiPro Graphic Tablet with Cordless Pen

 

 

Genius G-Pen 4500 Tablet with Mouse and Pen
Genius G-Pen 4500 Tablet with Mouse and Pen

 

 

wacom bamboo touch graphic tablet
Wacom Bamboo Touch Tablet – This tablet is the lowest priced of the Wacom tablets, but it only uses your hands and not a pen.

 

crayola colorstudio digital drawing stylus
Crayola ColorStudio HD iMarker Digital Stylus – Not a drawing tablet, but great if you already own an Apple iPad.

 

 

Digital graphic tablet ivista
Flexible Digital Graphic Tablet by iVistaTablet – List price is a little high, but you can usually find it for $35-$40 on Amazon

 

IPen kidpix pen mouse tablet

I-Pen Kidpix Pen Mouse

 

 
LaPazz fun pad digital tablet
Lapazz FunPad Pressure Level Graphic Tablet

 

How to Choose a Wacom Tablet

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A Simple Guide to Choosing the Best Wacom Tablet

Choose based on level of artist/ designer:

Beginner/ Entry level – Never used a graphics tablet. Only knows pen and paper.

Intermediate – Has digital graphics software experience and could benefit from using more than just a mouse to create.

Advanced/ Professional Designer – Works in the design field as a designer and/or animator. Already uses a tablet, but wants/needs something a step up.

 

Choose based on type of artist/ designer:

The Casual Artist – Likes to draw or paint in their free time, but wants more than a sketchbook.

The Casual Photographer – Wants to manipulate photos.

The Hobbyist – Enjoys arts and crafts projects. For example, scrapbook making.

The Serious Photographer – Wants to enhance, manipulate or alter photographs with precision.

The Serious Graphic Artist/ Designer – This person is an artist and might be using a beginner-type tablet. Wants to translate their classic skills into digital skills.

Kid-friendly

 

Choose based on budget:

High > $500

Medium $200 – $499

Low < $200

Also, check out the Wacom Inkling and the Bamboo Stylus for the iPad if you are looking for something other than a graphics tablet.

What qualifies me to review graphics tablets?
I’m a freelance graphic designer and I’ve been using graphics tablets for years.  I have experience using Wacom and non-Wacom tablets. Back when there were barely a handful of affordable tablets available, it was easy to decide on which one to buy. Today there are numerous graphics/ digital tablets available for novice to professionals and in different budget ranges.

I created this web site as a way for people to find and easily choose which Wacom tablet to buy. >> Read more in my FAQ here! <<

Digital Art Software Part 4: 3D Art & Animation

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My Top Picks for 3D Art and Animation Software with Product Descriptions

Manga Studio Debut 4

  • Sketch original art with a mouse or tablet, scan in existing art, or import artwork or graphics to get started
  • Invigorate your artwork using color, express motion using speed lines, apply dimension with screen tones and add dialog through built-in word balloons
  • Export professional quality manga from Manga Studio Debut 4 to various Mac and Windows file formats such as JPG, BMP, PSD, TGA, PNG, TIFF and PICT
  • Dynamic help offers instant access to information about tool palettes and menu options

Poser 8
  • Affordable, powerful, yet easy to use 3D character animation solution
  • Includes 3D character tools and over 2.5GB of ready to use scene content and figures; no need to model 3D characters from scratch
  • Includes 8 brand new, ready-to-pose, fully textured human figures with over 400 morphs and body controls to fully customize each character
  • Renders photorealistic or stylized images and videos for print, web or animation projects
  • With included Wardrobe Wizard, fit your Poser clothing assets to the new Poser 8 figures


Adobe Photoshop Extended CS5

  • Tools that let you create and edit 3D and motion-based content.
  • Go beyond traditional image editing by bringing 3D elements to your 2D artwork directly within your favorite digital imaging application
  • Digital imaging applications, which now offers an easy on-ramp to 3D image creation.
  • Fast performance on 64-bit hardware systems,
  • Smoother interactions thanks to GPU acceleration, and dozens of time-savers throughout the application.
  • Solution for advanced digital imaging, delivering all the capabilities of Photoshop CS5 plus breakthrough tools that let you create and edit 3D and motion-based content.
  • Access your assets in the context of what you’re working on by using the customizable Adobe Mini Bridge panel in Photoshop.
  • Easily manage media with more flexible batch renaming, and access your assets in the context of what you’re working on by using Adobe Mini Bridge panel in Photoshop.
  • Select, adjust, paint, and recompose images with tremendous precision and freedom.


Autodesk Mudbox

  • Digital sculpting and texture painting solution ideal for 3D/2D artists, fine artists, web and multimedia professionals, traditional sculptors, students
  • Work interactively in an environment in which high-res 3D models retain their subtlety, realism, and detail
  • Provides an organic brush-based 3D modeling experience that includes 2D and 3D layers to easily manage sculpting and painting iterations on multiple meshes and maps
  • Designed by professional artists in the film, games, and design industries
  • Interoperates well with Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max, as well as with other 3D software applications, making it a natural choice for experienced artists


LightWave 3D

  • Feature-rich 3D animation, modeling, and rendering application
  • Soft-body dynamics, particles, unlimited render nodes, and more
  • New animation tools; new file formats; workflow enhancements
  • Optimized speed; improved visual feedback and rendering flexibility
  • More powerful modeling; includes Motion Mixer 2.0

<< Prev: Digital Software Part 3

Digital Art Software Part 3: Drawing & Painting

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Software Specifically for Drawing and Painting with Product Descriptions


Corel Painter 12

  • Painter’s RealBristle brushes represent a major milestone for digital painting, reproducing the movement and feeling of traditional art on canvas when paired with a graphics tablet.
  • Exciting new Kaleidoscope and Mirror painting features let you create electrifying patterns and colors on canvas, leveraging the symmetry, speed and precision of mirrored planes. This Kaleidoscope painting capability is exclusive to Painter!
  • A new interface streamlines your brush selection, libraries, color controls and image set up. High-quality rendering gives you a clear view when zooming into the finer details.


Auto Desk SketchBook Pro

  • Autodesk SketchBook Pro software offers best-in-class sketching capabilities for professional designers and artists from all industries
  • Fast and intuitive user interface; designed specifically for use with digitized pen tablets and Tablet PCs
  • Free up the sketching process with ultra-responsive digital pencils, pens, markers, and airbrushes that look and feel just like the real thing
  • Communicate more efficiently by emailing sketches and annotations instantly to colleagues and clients
  • Open and save common file formats, including TIF, BMP, JPG, PNG, and PSD files

Corel Painter Essentials 4
  • The simple-to-use home art studio that makes it easy for you to draw, paint or turn your photos into paintings
  • Great way to get started with digital art
  • Tutorial-based guidebook and accompanying video tutorials/sample files teach you the application while you complete fun, instructional projects

ArtRage Deluxe
  • All the artists’ tools you need to draw and paint on your computer
  • Paint with oil brushes, palette knives, airbrushes, paint rollers or paint tubes; Draw with pencils, erasers, chalk, felt pens or crayons
  • Import and export PSD files with layers and blend modes; crop, scale, move and resize any layer
  • Tracing paper function gets you drawing immediately with reference images
  • Supports multi-monitor systems and tablets

Click here to browse all digital art software on Amazon

Digital Art Software Part 2: Advanced Software

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My top picks for advanced photo editing software

Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo

  • PaintShop Photo Pro X3 lets you manage, adjust, edit and share your digital photos all in one place
  • Organize, rate, tag and sort with photo management tools
  • Manually adjust groups of RAW photos with RAW Lab
  • Quickly fix common photo flaws with Express Lab
  • Email photos, print online or at home, and send directly to Facebook, YouTube and Flickr


Adobe Photoshop CS5

  • Breakthrough capabilities for superior image selections, image retouching, and realistic painting; and a wide range of enhancements.
  • Create and refine images using state-of-the-art photography tools that deliver superior results
  • New creative possibilities that enable you to select, adjust, paint.
  • Accelerate work flow with fast performance on 64-bit hardware systems, smoother interactions thanks to GPU acceleration.
  • Access assets in the context of what you’re working on by using the customizable Adobe Mini Bridge panel in Photoshop.
  • Easily manage media with flexible batch renaming.


Adobe Illustrator CS5

  • Used by design professionals worldwide,
  • Adobe Illustrator CS5 software provides precision and power with sophisticated drawing tools, expressive natural brushes,
  • A host of time-savers, and integration with Adobe CS Live.
  • Take advantage of exceptional precision and power to create distinctive vector artwork.
  • Combine highly controllable drawing tools with expressive natural brushes and dramatic effects to make unique, striking designs.
  • .. And character styles, paragraph composition, underlining and strikethroughs, transparent effects, and more.
  • Incorporate vector artwork into essentially any project and deliver resolution-independent graphics across media.


Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo

  • Lets you manage, adjust, edit and share your digital photos all in one place
  • Organize, rate, tag and sort with new photo management tools
  • Manually adjust groups of RAW photos during the loading process with the new RAW Lab
  • Quickly fix common photo flaws in the Express Lab
  • Email photos, print online or at home, and send directly to Facebook, YouTube and Flickr


CorelDRAW Graphics Suite

  • Offers everything you need for professional graphics illustration, layout, tracing, photo editing, Web graphics
  • Animation in one complete suite of integrated applications that is easy to learn and use.
  • Built-in learning tools and valuable video tutorials
  • Design insights from experts and a visually rich guidebook
  • Over 1,000 professional fonts
  • Supported file formats, including PDF, JPG, PNG, EPS, AI, TIFF, PSD, DOCX and many more, let you import and export files quickly and easily.

Click here to browse all digital software on Amazon


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