The New Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 Interactive Pen Display just dropped… and it’s a beast.
Note: This is a paid promotion, I’m just a fan. I spend all day staring at a Cintiq, squeezing a stylus, and scribbling like mad. I draw when it’s stinking hot. I draw when it’s freezing cold and my boiler goes out. I use this product more than anything else I own.
I was under NDA until now and I’ve been really excited to tell artists about this new release. I finally got to see it in the flesh at San Diego Comic-Con this past July and it’s even more impressive up close. I’ll stop gushing. Or maybe…
I’ll just… start?
The New Cintiq Pro 27 just dropped
…and it’s a Beast.
I’ve been using Wacom products for 19 years this year, and I haven’t seen anything this crazy since the first Cintiq was released. I know I sound like a broken record, but there are just 2 very simple reasons I really get behind Wacom and their products:
- Most importantly: They do One Thing Well. They’re not trying to make smartphones, or computers, ergonomic desks, or cameras, or try to be everything to everyone: They make drawing tablets. That’s it. And they do it better than anyone else. They always have.
- Wacom always listens to their users’ gripes and feedback and then works those into their next release. This time is no exception.
The TL;DR Main Points
- High-end 4k display with 120HZ and 10ms refresh rate
- 99% Adobe RGB and 98% DCI-P3 and HDR support
- Modern design including 8 easy accessible ExpressKeys
- Multi-touch and pen control incl. pen gestures
- New customizable Pro Pen 3 experience
- Near-zero pen & screen latency*
- Low activation force and great drawing experience
- Best desk integration with a small footprint and expandable bezel for even more comfort
*This is as close as they’ve ever got to pencil on paper. There’s no longer any noticeable parallax. It’s wild.
My Current Setup
I use a Wacom Cintiq 24 PT in my studio, and a MobileStudio Pro on the road, and at shows.
I work on a Macbook Pro. My Cintiq is kind of a lap desk with my Apple keyboard hung over the top left corner. Because my arm sweats in summer (even with air conditioning.I know, gross) I had to add a strip of green felt to the left side of the tablet for my forearm to rest on. You’ll see why I’m so excited about not one, but two big new features that fix this.
The Screen
From Wacom:
The new Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 is a high-end graphic display offering superior image quality on a premium class 27" LCD panel. The 4k display with 10bit color shows clear and crisp content with a high color performance and calibration options. The new design with reduced bezel size and smaller dimensions makes the Wacom Cintiq Pro more space efficient on the creator’s desk. In combination with the new, improved, next-generation, customizable Wacom Pro Pen 3 every detail of the Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 has been engineered for effortless harmony between creator and tool.
From Me:
The special treatment coating to add friction makes a huge difference- I’ll get into that more when I talk about nibs below, but having a larger amount of screen real estate makes a huge difference. Also the anti-glare means no shiny reflections bouncing into your eyes like you get on other glass-surface tablets.
The Stylus
From Wacom:
From the inside out, Wacom Pro Pen 3 can be configured to your favorite feel. With customizable weight, grip thickness, pen buttons and center of balance, find the configuration that suits your style. This tailor-made approach to design delivers an unforgettable creative experience.
8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, 3 side switches
State of the Art Pen Technology: 3rd generation Wacom Pen technology
Perfect Custom Fit: Customizations for weight balance, different grips or no-side-switch included
Tilt recognition: Improved tilt+/-60 degrees
Super Responsive: The Pro Pen 3 senses every nuance and every change, so even the lightest of touches will appear on the screen
From Me:
I got to hold this stylus in my hand in July and the center of gravity is PERFECT. I’ve always had a thing for fountain pens, mainly because of the attention to detail that is paid to how the pen ‘feels’ in your hand. Much of the style of an artist is influenced by the balance of the tool they use.
Full transparency, I’m a monster: After years of working 12-hour days at the Cintiq and getting hand cramps ( I’ve since learned better habits), I removed the buttons and wrapped my Pro Pen 2 in sports tape. Now that there is an actual option to have a nice bulky stylus wrap in the Pro Pen 3, I wouldn’t have to do that.
Not to mention, with the additional sensitivity of the Pro Pen 3, I may just finally learn not to hold the pen so tightly… and to enjoy the subtler tip-feel calibration. 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity is seriously next-level. iPad Pro will never reach that level for very obvious reasons.
From Wacom:
Work as precise as never before with 120 HZ refresh rate and 10 ms response time — unique features in the pen display market. This high-end performance allows near-zero latency and parallax for maximum control even of fast-moving content in film, game design, and VFX.
From Me: The shortcut button options on the pen are great- you can choose which option you want based on the kind of work you do. 3D rendering software work will be way easier with the extra button assignments. (And that’s without the additional shortcut keys on the back. We’ll get there, don’t worry.)
Wacom has tilt-tracking, so it knows when you’re tilting the pen for different brush effects — it also has this thing called “ Natural Touch” which is an intuitive technology that knows what the natural weight of your hand feels like for drawing fast and slow, or shading and textural effects. This is one (of many) very big differences between the Apple Pencil and the Wacom stylus. Oh, and you don’t have to charge the stylus… ever. You also have the option of using custom nibs. I use the felt tip nibs- they run out about every 30–40 days, but they’re cheap to replace, and the feeling of felt tip on tablet is as close to Pencil on Paper resistance/drag that I’ve ever found. And there’s no hard “tap” on glass feel, like you get on something like an iPad Pro. (Throwing a lot of shade on Apple, I know, but it should be said- I tried both products and the Wacom stylus tech leaves the Pencil® in the dirt.)
The New Stuff
Finally, the shortcuts on the tablet are back! From Wacom:
From Wacom:
Never get lost of your creative momentum. The 8 repositioned ExpressKeys(TM) in the new rear grip of the display allow you to stay focused. Each one can be configured with your favorite shortcut and your creative work will become smoother and more efficient. Intuitive multi-touch gestures, like panning, zooming, and rotating, allow you to completely immerse yourself in your creative process. Seamlessly switching between touch gestures and pen strokes in a single move.
From Me:
I made it known to Wacom how much I really disliked the Remote. I know some people liked it because it meant they could position it wherever they liked, but I just couldn’t build it into my workflow when it turned itself off every 15 minutes. (And it had to be recharged.) Having the Express keys on the tablet like in the early 21" models is SO much better, and having them on the back, where your fingers naturally rest when holding the edges makes SO much more sense. I’m really excited about this feature, especially since I use the same shortcuts on nearly every job. It may even mean I remove the keyboard altogether. (See below on that feature.)
The ergonomics of the stand are also pretty fantastic — so much more flexibility for how you move the tablet around to get the best angle. No more propping it in my lap.
Heads up — this ergo stand is not included. It’s an add-on.
The Other New Stuff
Wacom, like Apple, is often keeping things as simple as possible and no simpler. They are reticent to ‘succumb to feature creep and overload their products.
As you may have noticed above, I have my keyboard hooked over my Cintiq for keyboard shortcuts with my left hand. It isn’t ideal. But, you can now get an add-on (above) to hold your keyboard. It’s a small thing, but it makes all the difference. You can screw in a mount for a camera, light ring, keyboard, whatever you use. It’s a very welcome addition.
Oh, and the new Pen-holder is perfect. I prefer to clip it on the side, instead of on the top.
The New Driver
A long-needed upgrade will be released with this device, which is the new Wacom Driver, known as the “Wacom Center” with way more control over every aspect of your hardware. I love getting into the weeds of the settings to see what I can push the tech to do.
The Price
Every time I’ve ever posted a review of a Wacom product, the number one and two gripes that come back in the comments are “But it’s expensive!” and “What if it breaks down? I want Applecare for my Wacom!”
First off — I’m not a salesman. I don’t work for Wacom. I’ve never responded to those two gripes before because everyone’s situation is different, and it’s easy to sound like an elitist asshole no matter what you say. It’s about $3.5K. That’s a lot of money.
Here are my thoughts:
On the first point: If a.) your full-time job as an artist requires you to use this tech almost all of the time, and b.) You couldn’t do your work without it… it’s not that big of a leap to justify the outlay.
You can now also pay in installments through Klarna. I know a lot of artists working by contract or freelance don’t have the money in the bank to dump the full amount at once, so sometimes monthly payments are the only way an expense like this can be made.
If you want a pen tablet and are working towards being a full-time illustrator/cartoonist/3D Sculptor/digital painter/photographer but can’t afford this one, there are refurbed ones, and other less-expensive models you can get to start you out. The Wacom One is just fifty bucks.
On the second point: Well, there’s a manufacturer’s warranty which covers a lot. And you can get an extended policy with no-nonsense repairs and support through Extend.
Originally published at https://www.jasonchatfield.com on September 29, 2022.
