While it may not turn you into the next Picaso, the Wacom Cintiq 24HD Touch interactive pen display will certainly have you creating beautiful digital work, in style.
The Wacom Cintiq 24HD Touch offers a full HD experience with a screen resolution of 1900x1200 pixels, and an aspect ratio of 16:10. Currently, it is Wacom’s highest color performance display delivering a staggering 97% of Adobe’s RGB color gamut with more than 1 billion colors. All of this is packed into a 24” multi-touch display weighing in at 28.6 kg (63.8 lbs), including the stand. It also costs $2,999! So, it is worth it?
The Wacom Cintiq 24HD Touch is impressive both in size and style. It comes with a tilt-sensitive pen capable of 2048 levels of sensitivity. It also comes with 10 replaceable nibs that are neatly tucked away inside a plastic holder. As an added bonus, this holder doubles as a pen stand for when you’re taking that well deserved break. Another feature I find absolutely essential is the digital eraser located at the top of the pen. It sure does come in handy for those quick touch-ups!
Of course, you’re not limited to the standard pen. Wacom offers a huge selection of pens, nibs, and grips to help expand the creative capabilities of your Cintiq.
One of my favorite options is its multi-touch functionality. Honestly, it’s just like using a giant iPad… except way cooler. The typical pinch/zoom gestures work as you’d expect, as does rotating the canvas with two-fingers. But, if for some reason the touch features get in your way, you can easily switch them off with the touch of a button. Alternatively, if having a touch display isn’t something you need (or your wallet can handle), Wacom offers a non-touch model for about $400 less.
Although setup only took a few minutes, I wasn’t actually able to use the Cintiq until the following day. Quite possibly the only complaint I have with the Cintiq is that when ordering, nowhere did it alert me to the fact that a DVI cable would be required in order to connect it to my iMac’s DisplayPort. It would have been nice to have had some kind of indication during the ordering process. So, please… if you’re looking to secure one of these bad boys, make sure you have the proper cable for connecting to your computer, if needed. By the way, the Cintiq is compatible with both Windows and Mac.
Beautifully crafted, the Wacom Cintiq 24HD Touch has an innovative, ergonomic, adjustable stand. It also incorporates a series of ExpressKeys and Touch Rings for zooming, scrolling, changing brush sizes, and more. These controls are located on the right and left side of the unit keeping them within easy reach for both right-handed and left-handed individuals (go lefties!). Although the keys come preset with standard default actions, they are easily customizable from within the Wacom Tablet Control Panel.
The Wacom Cintiq 24HD Touch is definitely something I’m happy to be using on a daily basis. If you’re looking for a topnotch artist’s tool, I highly recommend the Cintiq. I know I started this review with a bit of a disclaimer about how this device won’t turn you into a better artist… well, that isn’t entirely true. In my own experience, after using this device, I can honestly say that my work has improved. Wacom has given me a renewed sense of joy when creating my digital work.
Because there is such a connection between my brain, my hand, the pen, and the display, it’s really encouraging to see how closely the screen matches what’s in my head…. which is no small task. If you want the same experience — and can manage to overcome the $2,999 sticker shock — the Wacom Cintiq 24HD Touch is invaluable.
Have any questions about the Wacom Cintiq 24HD Touch? Let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them!
