Artistic artists take satisfaction in not solely their work, but in addition within the instruments they use to create their work. A tremendous tooth brush, a smartphone, and even software program are typical instruments of the commerce as we speak. I used to be despatched one more fascinating gadget to assessment a number of months in the past. (Sure, I stated a number of months in the past. Extra on that later.) Anyway, the oldsters at Wacom despatched me the Cintiq Pro pen show. I used to be excited to open up this bundle. And after utilizing the gadget, I started contemplate the specs in addition to the real-world use. Is that this gadget for all artistic artists? Permit me to share my expertise.
First, the nerdy stuff
I used to be despatched the Cintiq Pro 16, which is about 16.5 x 10 inches in measurement. The display screen is a crispy 15.6-inch show that gives a UHD decision. The colours are vibrant however not overly saturated. Brightness is a bit low for my style at 250 nits, however it’s sufficient.
Connecting the gadget requires an A/C energy provide in addition to a USB-C connection to your laptop computer or desktop laptop. For those who wouldn’t have a USB-C port in your computing gadget, you may set up the Wacom Hyperlink dongle, which lets you convert USB-C to both USB or mini show port.
The gadget works with each Home windows or OSX. Sorry, Linux customers—there isn’t any help in your OS. The Cintiq requires driver and configuration software program as anticipated upon set up. The Cintiq Professional 13 has a 1080p display screen and a 14-inch type issue. So it is barely smaller and possibly a a bit extra moveable.
The stylus is snug with a smooth rubber grip and consists of two buttons that may be programmed for numerous capabilities. I simply use the default settings of mouse-click performance. This enables me to make use of the stylus as a extra ergonomic mouse once I’m not creating content material. Even the information (nibs) are detachable and replaceable based mostly on measurement.
SEE: Getting started with drone photography (free TechRepublic PDF)
Use circumstances for the Cintiq Professional
The Cintiq pen show is designed to permit artistic artists to make use of it as a conventional pill—the place your stylus actions are acknowledged in your laptop display screen—however you may as well prolong your laptop display screen to the pen show. This lets you create and manipulate your digital artwork immediately on the Cintiq, much like utilizing an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil. Comparable, I say.
Designers operating Adobe Illustrator or InDesign could benefit from the Cintiq, because it permits you to be up shut and private along with your graphics. The ergonomic tilt of the show sits in tandem along with your laptop computer or laptop display screen and is nearer to you bodily. You will get a greater view of your pixels with out having to lean ahead and squint at your laptop monitor. Sure, I’ve carried out the squint a number of instances myself.
Photographers utilizing Photoshop could benefit from the Cintiq for a similar motive. Having the ability to manipulate photos with a tighter view of the mission and pixels permits for extra precision tuning with the stylus in hand.
My expertise with the Cintiq Professional
The appear and feel of the gadget is fairly superior. It isn’t excellent, however it’s nonetheless an incredible expertise. I previously mentioned how much I love using my Wacom tablet for photograph enhancing. The Cintiq supplied one other dynamic for my photograph enhancing as soon as I bought it connected. That was my largest problem to begin.
Between my travels and masking different tasks, I did not have sufficient time to battle with putting in the Cintiq on my main desktop Home windows 10 laptop. As beforehand famous, the Cintiq is designed to hook up with your laptop over USB-C. That is to permit you most efficiency at excessive resolutions. Nicely, my main laptop doesn’t have a USB-C port. So I had to make use of the Wacom Hyperlink and join through my laptop’s full measurement show port. Sadly, this meant having to purchase a mini show port to full measurement show port cable, because the Wacom hyperlink utilized mini show port. Not full measurement.
So I used my cable, and the show was acknowledged by Home windows, however the stylus would not work. Subsequent, I attempted utilizing the Wacom Hyperlink with a USB cable, accepting the truth that I would not get full efficiency on the gadget at UHD decision. The show fired up, however once more, the stylus would not work with it. Lastly, after talking with Wacom, I linked each cables to the Wacom Hyperlink. This labored. Too unhealthy it meant I had further cables round my desk, however it labored efficiently.
SEE: How to get started using Adobe Lightroom for your photo editing (TechRepublic)
Utilizing the gadget with Lightroom was the very first thing to come back to my thoughts as a result of I am completely horrible at utilizing Adobe Illustrator. I used to be curious to see how Lightroom would look on a 16-inch show at UHD decision. It seems fairly crispy, however the menus are REALLY small. I expanded the panels as greatest I may. This was useful however nonetheless wasn’t excellent. For those who’re accustomed to the Lightroom keyboard shortcuts, the interface would not be a lot of a problem for you.
Stylus eraser (Picture: Ant Pruitt)
I wished to course of numerous sorts of photographs on this gadget. Some easy nonetheless life photographs, panorama photographs, and a few headshot portraits. All three of those photographs had been shot in another way and in my workflow, processed in another way. My main instruments embrace Lightroom’s adjustment brush. This works nice with a stylus. On the Cintiq, I did not see enhancing extensive panorama photographs as helpful for me. On my extensive photographs, I haven’t got to spend a lot time dissecting every pixel so long as I nailed the main target and publicity.
The Cintiq gained effectiveness when enhancing nonetheless life photographs and even this skyline panoramic because of the composition. I may reap the benefits of the comb instrument to have a look at the sky and gadgets within the foreground.
The place the Cintiq Professional shined in my workflow was with portrait images. Work on a consumer’s portrait with the flexibility to zoom in was actually environment friendly. I may see tiny imperfections to brush away a lot simpler. I may improve the mannequin’s distinctive options, akin to hair and cheekbones, quicker and extra fantastically—a lot simpler than a mouse or my very own Wacom Intuos pill. I really loved utilizing the Cintiq Professional for headshot images.
Picture: Ant Pruitt
The Cintiq Professional shortcomings
The first shortcoming of the Cintiq Professional is the truth that it is not a tool I can advocate for each photographer or artistic artist. As nice because the efficiency was for me enhancing the portraits, I am unable to see somebody who makes use of Adobe Illustrator being excessive on the Cintiq. When drawing on the display screen, you could have a slight little bit of latency with every stroke. This is not a giant deal for me as I edit photographs, however somebody meticulously designing a brand would most likely be pissed off. I imply, the pen instrument inside Adobe merchandise is difficult sufficient to cope with; including latency to the enter gadget simply will increase the problem.
The configuration software program is simple and simple to make use of, however I discovered one sort of setting particularly would by no means save after a reboot: the “contact” settings. The Cintiq Professional permits you to use it as a pen show or as a pill gadget, which permits for touch-enabled performance. For those who’re making an attempt to make use of this as a pen show the place you are drawing on the display screen, you disable contact. A number of instances the facet of my hand triggered a menu swipe or zoom whereas making an attempt to color an adjustment layer. I would disable contact within the configuration software program or on the gadget with its capacitive button and it could be a greater expertise for me. Sadly, if I rebooted my laptop or the gadget, the configuration can be misplaced.
The Cintiq 16 is not moveable. It is positively designed to be a static gadget in your workstation. Positive you may journey with it, however it’s the scale of a 16-inch laptop computer. And you will have to pack your laptop computer to make use of with it. So that you’re basically carrying two laptops on the street. The Cintiq Professional13 is smaller, however you are still confronted with the very fact of carrying two laptop-size gadgets.
Having a USB-C connection in your laptop is by far the best solution to work with the Cintiq product. My expertise with making an attempt to get the Wacom Hyperlink to work was slightly irritating. After I plugged the Cintiq right into a laptop computer I do not often use for enhancing—which occurs to have a USB-C port—the gadget labored with no hitch.
The ergonomics of the gadget is nice, however do not confuse the Cintiq Professional with a laptop computer. Attempting to apply it to your lap isn’t suggested, as you are trying down at a harsh angle. This could possibly be unhealthy in your neck. Additionally, be sure your desk area is at an excellent top. Attempting to make use of the Cintiq on a floor that is too tall or too low will have an effect on the benefit of use.
SEE: How Adobe proved me wrong about AI in photography (TechRepublic)
Conclusion
You will get the Cintiq Professional 13 for $999 and the Cintiq Professional 16 for $1,499. I believe that is a formidable piece of , however it’s slightly dear. I loved utilizing it with portraits, however I do not know if I loved it sufficient for $999 or $1,499. If all I did was portrait images, I might make investments on this gadget as a result of it could provide an important ROI attributable to how a lot quicker I may course of portrait pictures. As any artistic artist is aware of, the extra environment friendly your workflow is, the extra jobs you will get carried out. With none doubt I can nonetheless advocate the Wacom Intuos because it has a a lot cheaper price level (underneath $100). No, it does not provide a show display screen, however it nonetheless has nice efficiency with its stylus.
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Your take
Have you ever gotten a Wacom gadget in your artistic toolkit? Share your opinions on the Cintiq Professional or any of the opposite Wacom gadgets with fellow TechRepublic members. Go away a remark under or tag me on Twitter.