XP-PenArtist 12 Graphic Tablet with 11.6 Inch Screen with Passive Stylus 8192 Levels with 6 Shortcuts and 1 Touch Bar Compatible with Windows and Mac

I've had this new tablet for over two months and I've used it a lot in that time - for art, and 3D design work.I've not had any hardware problems, or software problems in that time, and the screen is still displaying an image perfectly.I'm really happy with the hardware, and I'm tired of "Wah!"-com ripping us all off with overpriced hardware so I want to write this email to tell people about my good experience with this tablet.1: DriversThey're easy to find online via clear menus on the website, and they installed quickly and without glitches on my Windows 10 PC.I've tested/worked with the following programs with the Artist-12, and they all work fine:Photoshop CS5 through to Creative Cloud 2019(Freeware) Krita oil/water/pencil/ink artist software.Substance Painter, and Maya (3D).Microsoft's Sketchable.All work well.Of note - one that DIDN'T work was "Clip Studio Paint" - and this is a problem shared with many tablets with this software - the pen pressure just doesn't work since an update sometime last year.2: Hardware setupTo get the tablet working I just plugged in the combined HDMI lead and USB plug. It's long enough to reach from the floor where my PC is, to the front of the desktop going around the back. Once I turned it on using the "soft" power button just below the USB-C socket, the tablet appears as a new desktop, and can be positioned using Windows standard monitor layout settings window.There's a supplied wall power plug/USB plug, which should be used, but a well powered PC can power the tablet WITHOUT needing the supplied power plug. I've done this and the tablet works fine. I don't think the manufacturers would recommend it, but it saved me an extra cable on the floor. Your PC or laptop may not supply enough power though - you'll need to test it out.3: Hardware - The TabletFirstly - there's a couple of tablet features you won't find on this tablet: There's no "finger multitouch", and there's no support for angling the pen. These are not needed - and unless you need them for a specific reason for buying the tablet, they won't be missed.The tablet is sturdy - it doesn't bend nor creak even when I've hand held it in one hand, and drawn with the other.4: Hardware - The screenI can confirm the specifications given by using the site pxcalc.com:DPI: 189.91Dot Pitch: 0.1338mmSize: 10.11" × 5.69" (25.68cm × 14.45cm)Aspect Ratio: 16 × 9 (1.78:1)Pixel Count: 2,073,600Megapixels: 2.07MPThe display is a full HD panel - at 1920 x 1080.It refreshes at a single refresh-rate of 63Hz. It's not exactly 60Hz as this occasionally would interfere with other nearby screens running at the same frequency. By running at 63Hz, the slight change of interference is removed completely. It's a nice touch to the hardware.The LCD panel is well insulated from pressure on the drawing surface - there was no "liquid" effects even when pressing the screen much harder than would be required to draw on it. There's an anti-glare coating on the glass - and this arrives with a protective plastic screen protector that should be removed before you first use it.As the 11.6 inches of screen space is showing a full High-Definition image, the display is clear and individual pixels are impossible to see even with my face close to the panel.I DID get out my microscope and at 300x the pixel arrangement is clear - triplets of reg/green/blue in a rectangular formation. You can see this in [Photograph M].The display uses LED technology - and using my Spectroscope I was able to see how well tuned they are - would they be able to display over 70% of the NTSC color pallet?As you can see in [Photograph N], yes it can. With clear peaks at 453nm (blue), 536nm (green) and 609nm for the red color.Next I performed a "Linearity test", as well as an edge test. [Photograph O] The linearity test uses a ruler to draw straight lines across the screen.Because the line is sensed by the tablet and converted into locations on the screen, it is hard for hardware designers to get a consistent spacing of sensed pixels across the display - and therefore using a ruler to draw straight lines will show this up as curves or kinks in the drawn line. The straighter the line - the better.As you can see in [Photograph O] - the black lines are perfectly straight. I have underlain green bars to show the lines are straight.That's an excellent result - from corner to corner, and across the middles - no curve is visible, and no kinks.The "edge test" is to check sensing surface corners haven't been cut - the tablet should be able to detect the pen at the furthest edges of the display without sticking or jumping. Cutting corners here means a frustrating time trying to click drawing program buttons, and lines at the edges of the display. The results are shown on [Photograph O] again - the tablet can draw right to the edge of the display. No irritation was had drawing those lines.The controls on the tablet are simple - a "soft" power button (which turns the display off via circuitry, not a physical switch) and two buttons for the brightness.There's a good reason for a "soft" power button - once you've connected the tablet to your PC and it's turned on - you can drag icons and your programs to the new screen. If you turn the monitor off completely the PC doesn't "see" the monitor anymore, and all your icons and programs jump from the screen and land randomly on one of your other monitors!NOT SO with the Artist-12. When you turn the power off, the display is powered down, but the PC still "sees" the monitor as attached - this has the fantastic advantage of keeping your icons and programs in position on the tablet screen. There's no horrific jumping around of icons and programs.The tablet can be used either way around - for left and right hand, and even in portrait orientation. It does this via a setting in the Tablet control software you install when you get the tablet. (In Windows it's icon appears in your system tray next to your clock).To enable this double handed orientation a USB C plug is used, that can be plugged in either way around. I was sad to see it wasn't counter-sunk into the case as some other XP-Pen tablets have - but after 2 months of use I've had no problems with it, it's a solid connector.The tablets brightness range is good, I can see the image clearly in a bright office - and dimly at night without being blinded.There's a simple On-Screen-Display for brightness showing a value between 0-dark, and 100-bright.The tablet as shown by the FLIR images show the tablet doesn't even got warm - barely warm by the power circuitry at most. This makes it very comfortable for use on the lap.The buttons and scroll bar are solidly built, and are reconfigurable - they also work left and right handed.4: Hardware - PenThe pen is another solidly designed part of the tablet system. I've dropped it many times, ad it's still ticking along without problems.It comes in a protective cylinder, and 8 replacement pen tips, along with a pen stand. The pen tips last a long time - I've found them to be hard wearing.It's passive - it doesn't use batteries, instead it's detected by the tablet directly.I can confirm that it's still pressure responsive at 45 degrees to the tablet - just as claimed.The eraser on the back of the pen is also pressure sensitive, and Photoshop understands its use. For other programs you may have to do some config-file configuring to use the eraser "natively".The tip has a very accurate pressure sensor - and this sensitivity can be customised using a curve in the configuration software.The curve enables the pressure to be altered throughout the range of pressures the pen senses. For instance, for a delicate hand most of the pressure range can be set so the tip can be given a light touch, only coming down hard for the hardest of pressures.Or vice versa - a very firm hand can have the pressures set up to produce delicate drawing strokes.The tip location is sensed to pixel accuracy - I often found myself drawing details without using the zoom bar.5: Software: System tray software/driversThe software and drivers have been regularly updated - my software is currently November 7th 2018's release.Right-clicking the system tray icon has an "Update driver" option - making updating to the latest version simple.It's worth noting that the "Pen Tablet" system tray icon only appears when the tablet is plugged in.The configuration settings displayed when the system tray icon is clicked are:Change what the pen button does. Clicks, or keyboard, or special function like opening a program.Pen pressure response curve.Windows ink/Standard driver selection.Current screen selection (any of your connected monitors) and screen coverage (little box to full screen).Relative and absolute positioning of the pen.Calibration of the pen point position."Display settings" - this enables changes to the monitors display temperature."Express keys" configure them to mouse buttons, multiple keyboard keys at once, also scrolling."Express keys" Setup options for all programs, and particular programs.Export/Import configuration files.Overall:This tablet has very accurate location sensing, with linear detection across its whole surface, it has very accurate pen pressure, and a strong tablet frame that can be used on the lap or on a desk.The USB-C plug isn't counter sunk like other XP-Pro tablets, but it's not caused me any connection problems, it's a very sturdy connector.I'm tired of "Rhymes-with-Woah-com" cornering the market. They've been able to dictate the price of quality tablets for years.XP-Pen is a serious contender to the industry standard drawing tablets, and offers comparable products at a lower price. The Artist-12 is one such competitor punching above its weight.I'll be buying a bigger size for Christmas.Please check other reviews for the standard "macro shots" of the tablet - I've focused on the details and technical abilities (which are excellent) of the device in this review, besides the last image, which features my art.Photograph A: The unit out of the case, with lots of protection for the screen.Photograph B: The power plugs, pen case, instructions and guarantee wallet.Photograph C: The drawing glove, screen cleaner cloth, quick start instructions, instructions, guarantee and a kitty!Photograph D: The power transformer, and 3 changeable plugs, together with the pen case.Photograph E: The pen case, plugs, the long HDMI and power cable, and long USB extender cable if the pwoer sockets far away.Photograph F: The power transformer.Photograph G: The pen, open pen case showing the extra nibs, and pen holder.Photograph H: The 8 extra pen tips - and the metal hole in the middle to remove old tips from the pen.Photograph I: The pen sitting in its rubber holder.Photograph J: Close up corner of the screen - note the high resolution of pixels.Photograph K: FLIR heatmap of FRONT of tablet after an hour of use. 34C - ever so slightly warm by power circuit. (The LED's show up as a slight warmth along the bottom of the display.)Photograph L: FLIR heatmap of BACK of tablet after an hour of use. 39.8C - slightly warm by power circuit.Photograph M: x300 microscope view of pixels - they are rectangular RGB. Compatible with ClearType fonts in Windows.Photograph N: Spectroscope of the display, showing ability to give accurate color reproduction.Photograph O: Linearity test, showing straight and un-kinked lines.Photograph P: Action shot of some of my art.

This tablet is amazing, I feel like I'm drawing with pencil and paper rather than a tablet and that's what I was after when I brought this. Once I got it sycned up to my computer the tablet and pen act almost like a laptop just without a keyboard, I don't have to look at my main screen which makes drawing so much easier.The drawing tablet comes with the drawing pen plus 8 extra interchangable pen tips, you get the clothed glove so you don't have to worry about smudge marks on the screen, a basic instruction manual, a cloth to clean the screen and all the necessary connectors.It doesn't come with drawing software but you can just purchase that seperately or downlad some free drawing software which takes no time at all. I'm currently using the art program MediBang Paint Pro which goes nicely with the manga style that I like to draw in and it works perfectly with this tablet.I haven't figured everything out completely and I did have a few hiccups setting it up but that just came down to changing a few system settings and then everything worked fine. I would say this is definately a good product for beginners and would suit anyone who has more experience using drawing tablets as well.As far as I'm concerned it was worth the money I paid for it.

I have been using a non screened graphics tablet for years and have been dying to buy a screened one but I have never been able to afford one. Then I came across the XPEN artist 12. General reviews have been good so I took the financial plunge and brought one last week.From the off set I have been impressed, its easy to set up and get up and running including adding whatever shortcuts you want to the side buttons. The screen is crisp and clean, I have been using it for a week solid and no scratches or marks. I must add that it has tripled the speed at which I now can produce a digital piece over my old non screened tablet. It works perfectly with photoshop and I have had few issues. The pen and cursor track well with no delay so it feels natural when drawing.The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is I have two minor issues. The first is that its easy for the power cable to get yanked out the side of the tablet turning it off. Not a big issue but its happened to me more than once. The second is that once in a while on initial load up. the pen won't track right and will create lines across the page when you only tap one small location. Clicking on the photoshop image with the mouse first (just once) and drawing a small bit seems to fix this and align the tablet correctly.Overall I'm impressed with it and if I had to choose my tablet again I would make the same choice, at £199 its a steal and a good quality build. Not cheap feeling.