Best: Wacom Cintiq HD Pen and Touch. The Wacom Cintiq is definitely a best drawing tablet. It’s the most popular in direct drawing tablets. They have to be attached to a computer–desktop, or laptop, Mac or PC. The Cintiq offers extensive controls, tilt sensitivity, and 8,192 pressure levels. It has a rotating stand. With Wacom tech, you can go into their control panel and find a disable Windows Ink option, illuminating the issue. Due to this issue, it didn't matter how good the Surface Pro and Canvas hardware was, that Intrig pen with Windows Ink, which displays modifier floats, ruined performance and responsivnes.
When it comes to digital drawing on the iPad, everyone who does it has fairly specific requirements and preferences for their work. Pretty much everyone wants low latency, smart pressure control, and a comfortable stylus. Beyond that, however, you wade into the world of specific shortcuts, drawing tethered, app choices, gestures, keyboard support, line prediction, and lots more. It's not surprising; art is a personal experience. It's only sensible that people have personal preferences for creating it digitally.
The iPad has become a fantastic tool for those digital artists in part because of its flexibility — different apps give you different drawing tools, ideas, and experiences, and you need only find one that fits your needs to be happy.
When it comes to hooking your iPad up to your Mac to create a Wacom Cintiq-like experience, however, your artistic options are far more limited. There are really only four solid options for people interested in using their iPad in this manner: Duet Display and Astropad, along with their two advanced subscription services, Duet Pro and Astropad Studio.
Which one is right for your needs? Let's break each app (and its services) down.
Wait, what is a second-screen or 'Wacom Cintiq-like' drawing tablet anyway?
Duet Pro mirroring the iMac's display, connected via USB.
You can draw directly on your iPad with many, many great programs; while the iPad Pro and Pencil now offer professional artists more opportunity to create print-quality work, most still finish their projects on the Mac.
To keep your iPad useful while working on your Mac, you can use a second-screen app to effectively 'take over' your iPad's screen and either make it a second monitor or mirror your Mac's display outright. These apps connect to your computer using a (usually paid) app on your iPad and a free 'helper' app on your Mac. From there, you can use touch commands on your iPad to directly control your Mac and even use your Apple Pencil for pressure-sensitive drawing inside certain apps. It's often referred to as a Cintiq-like experience in homage to the Wacom Cintiq, one of the first and best pressure-sensitive external displays for the Mac.
Duet Display
Duet Display, connected to my iMac via USB, resting on ElevationLab's Draft Table.
Though not the first second-screen app for iPad, Duet Display was one of the first to truly offer a usable second-screen experience. After connecting iPad to Mac via USB, it delivered users a Retina-quality second display at 60 frames per second, with minimal to no lag.
For those who wanted to view extra information — Twitter or work apps from their Mac on a second screen, for example — Duet was an excellent choice, and remains so today.
Unfortunately, where Duet initially lagged was with the art community — users who wanted that second screen for drawing on a digital Photoshop canvas (or mirroring the Mac's display to draw upon it): The otherwise speedy 60FPS screen had issues displaying Photoshop documents and vast-delayed strokes, making the drawing experience uninspired as a whole.
In the years since, Duet has improved its original app with options like a digital Touch Bar (for Macs without access to Apple's own hardware version), even faster rendering, and iPhone support — but no drawing capabilities, despite competition from newcomer Astropad.
In late May, Duet at last offered a solution: an in-app Duet Pro subscription, which enables pressure sensitivity and line prediction for artists, among other tools. (We'll talk about Duet Pro in just a little bit.) Duet Display's standard version still offers no drawing tools or pressure sensitivity, however.
Astropad Standard
Astropad was the first app that offered iPad users a truly great drawing tablet for their Mac: It was built specifically for working in certain Mac programs, like Photoshop, and offered ultra-low latency for drawing through smart hardware optimizations.
Unlike Duet Display, Astropad focuses solely on mirroring your Mac's screen — you can't use it as a true second monitor. But in mirroring the screen, it offers a host of different drawing features for artists.
For one, Astropad displays a dismissible Function bar that holds oft-used drawing shortcuts like Undo, along with Line Preview, which eliminates further latency issues by 'previewing' your drawing line (if your Mac hasn't yet caught up with your iPad's brush stroke).
Better yet, it takes advantage of pressure-sensitivity hooks in Mac apps to offer pressure-sensitive drawing for any number of third-party styluses — not only the Apple Pencil.
But perhaps the coolest thing about Astropad is that it can go wireless: You can draw tethered via USB for the best experience; if you don't mind suffering a minor drop in latency, however, you can sit elsewhere in your immediate Wi-Fi surroundings and continue to draw. (For instance, you can perch on your couch and continue to work on a project on your iMac or Mac Pro.)
Astropad has remained one of the best apps around for basic iPad drawing on your Mac, especially if you don't yet own an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, since it works with many iPads and styluses. It is a little pricier than the standard Duet Display app, however — $29.99 to Duet's $19.99 one-time fee.
Duet Pro
Launched in May of 2017, Duet Pro is Duet Display's venture into the iPad-as-pressure-sensitive-drawing-tablet world. Launching five months after the debut of Astropad Studio, Duet Pro offers many of the same perks as Astropad's high-end software — with a few extra wrinkles.
Like Astropad Studio, Duet Pro is a subscription service: For $20/year, users get access to Duet Display's new drawing features, including Apple Pencil-optimized pressure sensitivity, tilt and hover support, palm rejection, and touch-based shortcuts.
When setting up Duet Pro, users can customize pressure sensitivity with a personalized curve, adjusting based on how they draw and use the Apple Pencil, along with Line Lead (similar to Astropad's feature, though lacking in any sort of color customization).
Duet's big advantage over Astropad is its true second-screen nature for iPad Pro users: You can have a drawing tablet that also acts as a second monitor, eliminating the need to take up your Mac's main screen with a giant Photoshop canvas. (It's still USB-tethered, however — there's currently no Wi-Fi option.) In lieu of customizable digital shortcuts, Duet Pro offers a digital version of Apple's Touch Bar — if the app supports it, you'll be able to view (and change, if applicable) Touch Bar shortcuts along the bottom of the screen.
Currently, Duet only offers support for about 20 drawing apps, though big players like Adobe, Microsoft, Autodesk, and Pixelmator are all included.
One thing to note about Duet Pro: It's built as an in-app purchase inside Duet Display; to access Duet Pro, you'll first have to purchase Duet Display, effectively making your first year's costs $39.99, with subsequent years at $19.99.
Astropad Studio
The most expensive drawing tablet option for professional artists, Astropad Studio is also arguably the most full-featured. It takes all the goodies present in Astropad Standard and makes them faster and more customizable.
As with Astropad, the Studio option offers you pressure-sensitive drawing with palm rejection and lightning-quick drawing; it also continues to offer a Wi-Fi option, with improved latency over Astropad Standard.
Where Studio zooms away is on customization for pro users. Unlike Standard, it's limited to iPad Pro and Pencil users, which allows the app to provide an even speedier drawing experience. Both drawing pressure and smoothing can be adjusted, and users have full control over shortcuts buttons on a per-app basis, allowing them to tweak the tools they want for each individual program. Studio's Line Preview can also be altered to shorten or lengthen the amount of virtual line, change its color, or turn it off entirely.
Studio also offers what may be the coolest touch implementation for iPad and Mac in the form of Magic Gestures: These touch- and Pencil-based gestures let you use your fingers and stylus together to activate a Right-Click, Eraser, Hover, or Modification Keys, depending on your choice.
Which is best for casual artists?
For those who want to tool around with an iPad on their Mac every so often, it's a tight spec competition between Astropad Standard and Duet Pro. Both offer great options for pressure sensitivity, though Duet provides more customization on the pressure curve and offers a digital Touch Bar. In contrast, Astropad Standard offers more limited options, but it can connect to any app on your Mac with full pressure support, and on non-iPad Pro models with third-party styluses. It's also cheaper in the long run ($29.99 one-time vs $19.99/year), and offers wireless drawing.
Astropad has the seniority edge in the iPad-as-drawing-tablet game, and for that reason alone, it gets my vote for best casual artist tool. In my tests with Duet Pro, I frequently ran into minor bugs — a black screen when switching between second screen and mirrored mode, a non-functional Touch Bar — along with occasionally-spotty latency on the iPad Pro's Line Lead. Astropad, in contrast, has had several years to settle into a rock solid program, and that stability shows in everyday use.
Astropad Standard has had more years of development behind it, and can withstand recropping or moving displays with no lag or problems; I ran into a few bugs with Duet Pro.
That said, the advantage to a subscription model is that Duet's development team is likely hard at work making Duet Pro even better for its users; I wouldn't be surprised to see the app evolve and grow as more 'prosumer' and professional artists weigh in on their hopes and desires for the software.
Duet Pro might also be worth considering if you'd prefer to use your drawing tablet as a second display, rather than a mirrored option — neither Astropad Standard nor Studio currently offer this option.
Which is best for professional artists?
Duet Pro, despite its name, can't currently compete with the juggernaut that is Astropad Studio. There's a reason Astropad's developers charge such an elevated yearly fee for its software in comparison to Duet Pro: its features are reliable, endlessly customizable, and they simply feel like the right way to do professional drawing on the Mac.
As nice as a digital Touch Bar is, years of Wacom work have conditioned me for big shortcuts on the left or right of my drawing surface; Astropad's customizable shortcuts are easy to see when I need them, and vanish into the background when I don't. It's also very easy to quickly adjust line pressure and various settings while connected to my Mac; Duet currently requires you to bring up its settings menu with a four-finger tap or disconnect to adjust accordingly.
Some of Astropad's Line Preview and Magic Gestures customization options.
The same goes for Astropad's Magic Gestures and touch shortcuts: I can easily refresh my memory on a given shortcut or trick via the shortcuts bar, whereas I have to return to Duet's 'Connecting' screen to get a refresher course.
But in all honesty, the difference I keep coming back to is the wireless advantage: Astropad Studio has perfected a latency-light drawing experience without being tethered to your Mac, and once you get used to working wirelessly, it's very hard to convince yourself to go back to a wired connection — especially when Astropad Studio's implementation is so good.
Open Duet Pro or Duet Display without a USB connection to your Mac, and you'll see this sad screen.
Of course, the nicest thing both of these apps using the subscription model is that anyone can take them for a spin: Both Duet Pro and Astropad Studio offer a free trial before your subscription kicks in, and whatever my personal feelings on each app, I highly recommend pro artists download both and take them for a spin. After all, when it comes to iPad art, you never know what your own personal preferences will end up being.
Drawing on iPad: The ultimate guide
Main
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Big Business
Report: Apple sold $6 billion worth of AirPods in 2019. Even more next year
AirPods have proven so popular in 2019 that one analyst believes they raked in $5 billion for Apple. And next year will be even bigger
The ability to create art is a beautiful thing and in most cases artistes, graphic designers and animators get inspired by different objects or moments at different times of the day. When this inspiration occurs, the need to quickly sketch a model framework for posterity sake means you must have access to faster tools than a computer aided design software and this is where a best drawing tablet comes in.
And what’s a Drawing Tablet?
A drawing tablet otherwise known as a graphic tablet or pen tablet, is a hardware input device used for transferring hand drawn objects to a digital monitor. The average drawing tablet consists of a touch sensitive board and a corresponding stylus pen which is used to draw objects on the board.
So in simpler terms, it allows users hand-draw images to a digital surface in the same way you use a pen and a note pad. The versatility of a drawing tablet also means that its users can also employ it as a printing device to replace your mouse. This in its own little way reduces the possibility of repetitive strain injuries to long term users of mice for design purposes.
Since we are done with explanations, the next stage is discussing some of its benefits, such as an artist or graphic designer will have an opinion about the best drawing tablets available on the market.
Do you need a Graphic Tablet?
Although a drawing tablet cannot thoroughly be considered as a key equipment to your creative process, its features go a long way in simplifying how you work. So if you are an illustrator, animator or graphics designer, purchasing one would definitely improve your workstation.
It is also of some importance to note that drawing boards are quite compatible with your favorite graphic or computer aided design app. You can argument, paint or edit drawings by integrating the use of apps such as Zbrush, Corel Painter and in some cases even AutoCAD. But before going all out to purchase a drawing tablet, here are a few criteria we would like you to consider.
Our Criteria for Selecting the Drawing Tablets
The criteria to consider when selecting a drawing tablet will cover the most important features one must know about a particular drawing tablet. These criteria includes the following:
Programmable Features: most drawing tablet come equipped with a couple of Programmable buttons which are important to the operability of the tablet.
Stylus Features: this consists of the stylus options, pressure level and shape of the stylus pen that comes with each tablet.
Tablet Size: everyone draws differently and for some a large surface is important for the drawing process while others may prefer small surfaces.
Other Features: here, we will discuss the drawing tablet’s compatibility with external monitors as well as with other software applications. These extra features are needed to help users draw and paint better digital pictures.
Best graphic tablet comparison table
Wacom Intuos Draw CTL490DW
Intuos Art
Huion H610 PRO
Wacom Intuos Pro
The Turcom TS
Programmble keys
Wireless
Number of programmable keys
4
4
8
6
2
Size
8.25' by 6.7'
8.25' by 6.7'
10' by 6.25'
12.5' by 8.1'
10' by 6.25'
OS compatibility
Mac OS Windows
Mac OS Windows
Mac OS Windows
Mac OS Windows
Mac OS Windows
Comments
Available in large size
Available in large size
Large Drawing Surface
2,048 levels of pen-pressure sensitivity
Multi-Touch technology can sense your fingers
The Best Drawing Tablet
Now that we have gotten the explanations and provided a brief outline on how we chose the best drawing tablets on this list, I believe it’s time to outline these boards, including the cost of purchasing one wither at your local store or online.
Wacom Intuos Draw CTL490DW Digital Drawing Tablet
Just as Apple is famous for its smart devices, Wacom is likewise recognized as the leading manufacturer of drawing tablets. The Wacom Intuos Draw CTL490DW which costs approximately $95, has the following features:
Programmable Features: this tablet is equipped with 4 customizable express keys which you can programme to carry out functions you frequently use.
Stylus Features: the Intuos stylus pen is wireless and highly sensitive to pressure which means users can vary their drawing technique as the need arises. It also spots up to 2048 levels if pressure is put on its surface while drawing.
Tablet Size: the size of the Intuos Draw, varies and you could choose to purchase either a small, medium or larger tablet surface depending on your need and the size of your workstation.
Other Features: Wacom Intuos Draw CTL490DW Digital Drawing Tablet is compatible with Mac and Windows OS making it possible to draw digitally on them. Included in its package is a user guide and an online tutorial.
Wacom intuos Art pen Drawing tablet
This is another exquisite drawing tablet from the staple of Wacom. The Intuos Art takes digital drawing a step further by including the ability to color the objects you draw as well as it’s compatibility with painting apps like Corel Painter. The approximately $90 drawing tablet, comes with the following features:
Programmable Features: like its predecessor, it also spots for express keys which can be customized to handle cropping, cutting and other activities.
Stylus Features: the Intuos Art stylus pen is quite sensitive and a user can vary the thickness of drawn lines by adding or reducing pressure. Also like most smart devices, you can make use of your fingers and multiple touch features to execute different tasks such as zooming in or moving digital objects. Lastly, it is a workers stylus pen that does not require batteries to function.
Tablet Size: the Intuos Art comes in a small compact size of 8.25 by 6.7 inches which makes it a good fit for most workstations or office desks.
Other Features: Note that the drawing tablet is compatible with Mac and Windows OS which means you can draw via the Intuos Art on your Apple or Windows PC. Included in the box are Core Painter Essentials software, an online tutorial and an 8 by 8 shutter photo album.
Huion H610PRO drawing tablet
Another classy and highly efficient graphics tablet is the Huion H610 PRO drawing tablet. This large tablet provides users with the versatility and precision needed to create accurate art via a drawing tablet. At $76, the Huion Pro is relatively cheap but it has the following premium features:
Programmable Features: the Huion Pro is very customizable and with 8 express keys and 16 hotkeys, you can virtually handle drawing functions without any issues.
Stylus Features: here is another tablet which is very sensitive to pressure. The Huion at 2048 levels of levels of surface sensitivity makes the drawing of thin or thick lines possible with a little pressure. The stylus pen is also battery less.
Tablet Size: with a surface of 10 by 6.25 inches, the Huion Pro is quite large, and provides users with more drawing space. As stated earlier, its ample size also provides room for its 24 keys or buttons. Also note that th stylus pen is wireless and does not require the use of a battery to function.
Other Features: in terms of compatibility, the Huion works perfectly with Mac and Windows OS as well as with a variety of accessories. It is compatible with the following software applications; Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel Painter, Autodesk Sketchbook, Manga Studio, Clip Studio, and Zbrush. Lastly, an online tutorial is included to help users master its features.
Wacom Intuos Pro Pen and Touch Small Tablet
Serious creative minds who understand the benefits of a drawing tablet and continuously make use of one, will enjoy the increased drawing capacity the Wacom Intuos Pro provides. At approximately $250, this is a quite expensive graphics tablet and it spots the following features:
Programmable Features: unlike the Intuos Art and Draw, the Intuos Pro is equipped with five customizable express buttons which can be assigned to popular drawing features such as move, crop etc. It also spots a multi-function touch ring with four customizable functions.
Stylus Features: the sleek stylus pen with surface pressure capacity of 2048 levels is the most sensitive pen out there. The pen can be used to draw as well as edit images. Note that it is wireless and not powered by batteries.
Tablet Size: As sizes go, the Intuos Pro Pen provides a large surface for digital work, 12.5 by 8.1 inches, which is enough space for drawing and editing. Its surface also supports multi-touch activities and allows your fingers serve as a capable tool for editing images.
Other Features: the Intuos Pro Pen is compatible with all versions of Mac and Windows OS as well as with other external software applications. Users can draw and paint by integrating Corel Painter with it.
Turcom TS-6610 Graphic Tablet Drawing Tablets
The Turcom TS is an affordable yet efficient drawing tablet which can be used to draw digitally images on Apple and Microsoft products. The tablet costs about $48, which makes it one of the cheapest graphic tablets on the market. Its features include:
Programmable Features: Turcom TS spots 8 express keys and a further 16 functional keys which allows for the use of commands and shortcuts while drawing.
Stylus Features: the stylus pen of this tablet is powered by 1 AAA battery, and it is quite sensitive. It combines with its sensitive tablet surface to produce 2048 pressure sensitivity levels. The pen also has 2 programmable buttons and 4 nibs.
Tablet Size: the Turcom TS is quite sizable and it has a working surface of 10 by 6.25 inches which provides ample room for drawing.
Other Features: in terms of compatibility, the tablet is compatible with a variety of operating systems and applications which include; Mac OS, Windows, Corel Painter, CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Fireworks, Macromedia Flash, ComicStudio, SAI, Infinite Stratos, 3D MAX, Autodesk MAYA, Pixologic ZBrush and sketchbook. Included in its package is a user guide to help you get started
Turcom Graphic Drawing Tablet 8 X 6 Inches
Turcom is known for its economical drawing tablets and the Turcom Graphic Tablet is one of its more economical versions. At a mere $40, it packs the features and power needed for you to be as creative as you choose. Its features include:
Programmable Features: This tablet includes 8 express keys that can be programmed to the present commands and shortcuts you learn to make regular use of. It simplifies the drawing process and increases accuracy.
Stylus Features: the stylus pen is powered by 1 AAA battery and it is quite sensitive which makes drawing thick or thin lines easy. The stylus pen combines with its small drawing surface to provide the user with 2048 levels of sensitivity.
Tablet Size: an active area of just 8 by 6 Inches makes the Turcom Graphic the smallest tablet on this list. Therefore, it should be considered by artistes with limited working space in their work stations.
Other Features: like its predecessor, the Turcom Graphic is also compatible with exactly the same operating systems and apps which include: Corel Painter, CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Fireworks, Macromedia Flash, ComicStudio, SAI, Infinite Stratos, 3D MAX, Autodesk MAYA, Pixologic ZBrush, and sketchbook. Lastly, included in its package is a user guide to help you get started
Here are our top six graphic tablets arranged in terms of the stated criteria and we also endeavored to cover cheap, slightly expensive and quite expensive drawing tablets to help each user make an informed choice when looking to purchase the perfect drawing tablet.