The best graphics tablets with screen
If you’re looking for a graphics tablet with screen (AKA “pen display”) for illustration or design to help you streamline your workflow and shorten production times, there’s sure to be one among the best pen displays of 2024 that fits your needs.
The best graphics tablets with screen are usually fully laminated and feature high-definition screens with wide color coverage and anti-glare treatments. Their pencils are sensitive and accurate, providing a natural feel when drawing.
But don’t worry because we’re going to take a look at the requirements, features and functions of several of the best pen display tablets and give you some tips on what features to look for in them to bring out your full creative potential.
The 6 best graphics tablets with screen of 2024
1. Huion Kamvas Pro 16 Plus 4K
Last price update on 2023-05-18. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best graphics tablet with screen
With the Kamvas Pro 16 Plus 4K, the Huion brand proves it is capable of manufacturing the best pen displays on the market and competing with the Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 head-to-head. In fact, this tablet even surpasses it in some aspects.
For example, unlike the Wacom Cinitq Pro 16, the Huion tablet’s screen is fully laminated, reducing the parallax between pen and screen to the maximum, which offers greater naturalness and precision when drawing.
The frosted texture of the screen means that the pen does not slip when drawing, producing a sensation similar to drawing on paper, but with a slight difference. This is helped by the pen being light and having a comfortable grip.
The tablet captures the speed, gestures and pressure exerted with the stylus quickly and accurately, as you would expect from the best display graphics tablet on the market.
In terms of design, it is a lightweight tablet in relation to its size, with aluminum finishes that denote quality on all four sides. Huion has eliminated the shortcut buttons compared to the previous version (Kamvas Pro 16), something that some users may miss, as it streamlined the workflow.
Is the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 Plus 4K tablet worth the price?
The new improvements of the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 4K translate into a much higher price than the previous Huion Kamvas Pro 16 (see review in this guide), but even so, it is still cheaper than a Cintiq Pro 16, so it enjoys better value for money.
View on Amazon2. Huion Kamvas Pro 16
Last price update on 2022-11-18. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The tablet display with the best price-performance ratio
The Huion Kamvas Pro 16 is a graphics tablet with a quality far superior to its price. Its slim and elegant design, the quality of its materials and, above all, the excellent quality of its screen, make it the graphics tablet with the best value for money screen.
There is less difference between this tablet and a Wacom Cintiq than between their prices.
Its 16″ screen is fully laminated, which helps minimize the space between the stylus contact point and the stroke displayed on the screen. In addition, its glass carries an anti-glare treatment that also protects the screen from day-to-day wear and tear, so no additional protective film is needed. All this provides a natural and precise feel when drawing, without distractions.
As far as display quality is concerned, on the Kamvas Pro 16 the colors look vibrant and true to the final result, whether you are designing or drawing for offline or online media. This is because the display has an IPS panel, as well as covering 120% of the sRGB color space and 92% of the Adobe RGB space.
The display is especially responsive, capturing your strokes at a speed of 266 dots per second. This, in turn, makes it easier for pen movements to translate into smooth, jitter-free lines.
On the downside, if you want to work with the tablet tilted you won’t be able to do so, as it doesn’t include a stand. That’s why I recommend you to buy an adjustable desk stand from Huion (view on Amazon) together with the tablet, as one soon gets tired of always drawing with the tablet flat.
Is the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 tablet worth it?
While the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 is no Wacom Cintq Pro, its value for money makes it one of the best display graphics tablets you can find in 2024.
View on Amazon3. Wacom Cintiq Pro 24
Last price update on 2023-05-18. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best professional graphics tablet with screen
The Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 is the best professional pen display and certainly one of the best graphics tablets to date.
Its 4K screen, along with its 24-inch size, allows you to design at 1:1 scale on many occasions, which saves a lot of time in zooms and scrolling around the screen. By the way, you have the option of acquiring the Cintiq Pro 24 with touch screen, which is quite practical, because due to its dimensions, the keyboard is sometimes out of hand.
Wacom has incorporated into the tablet a display with a wide gamut (99% Adobe RGB), brightness (235 cd/m²) and contrast (1000:1). These guarantee a high fidelity between what you see on screen and the final result. No more having to validate your design on another monitor.
Also noteworthy is the texture of its screen, made of polished glass, which offers a feeling very similar to drawing on paper. Once you try drawing on this glass, you will never want to draw on a conventional screen again.
To the control and precision offered by the Wacom Pen 2, we must also add that offered by the ExpressKey control, exclusive to the Cintiq Pro 24 and 32. In addition, you can configure the keys to your liking with the shortcuts, functions or actions you prefer.
In addition to the tablet, you can purchase the Cinq Pro Engine, which allows you to turn your graphics tablet into a fully independent computer, thanks to its NVIDIA Quadro graphics card, upgradeable SSD disks and up to 32 GB of RAM.
Is the Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 worth it?
The Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 is by far the best graphics tablet for design and illustration professionals. Of course, this translates into a much higher price than the tablets on this list, but it’s a totally worthwhile investment when you consider the time it can save you and the improvement it can make to the quality of your work.
View on Amazon4. Gaomon PD1561 15.6″
Last price update on 2022-12-07. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best cheap graphics tablet with screen
The 15.6″ display of the Gaomon PD1561 comes with a fully laminated glass coating and, on top of this, a matte anti-glare film that ensures perfect viewing from various angles.
Its colors look vivid and true to the final finish, thanks to its 16.7 million color gamut that covers 72% of the NTSC color space.
When it comes to drawing, its AP50 pen is comfortable, has a good grip and does not require batteries, which translates into lightness and practicality, as it does not need to be recharged. In addition, the tablet effectively captures pen strokes and inclinations of up to 60 degrees in all directions.
To all this, the manufacturer adds an adjustable tablet stand that will improve your ergonomics, if you prefer to work with the tablet tilted.
Is the Gaomon PD1561 worth it?
There are several versions of this pen-monitor that you can buy online: 11.6″, 15.6″ and 21.5″, although personally, I find that the 15.6″ Gaomon has the best balance between size, features and price.
View on Amazon5. Huion Kamvas 22 Plus
Last price update on 2022-11-18. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best graphics tablet with large screen
The Kamvas 22 Plus is an elegant tablet with a 21.5-inch screen, which we can already consider “large”, because to place it normally requires rearranging the space on the desk.
The main difference between this graphics tablet and the Huion Kamvas 22 (see on Amazon), is that the Kamvas 22 Plus equips a fully laminated display and a chemically etched anti-reflective glass. In addition, it has a wider color coverage (140% sRGB versus 120% sRGB).
Its color gamut, together with a contrast ratio of 1200:1, provides a chromatically accurate and true-to-life image, whether you are designing or illustrating for digital formats.
The battery-free stylus of the Kamvas 22 Plus is agile and has improved pressure feedback compared to previous versions. This results in smoother, more stable and ultimately more natural strokes.
In terms of ergonomics, the graphics tablet includes a gray metal stand that is designed with adjustment angles from 20 to 80 degrees. On the other hand, the display uses quantum dot technology that reduces harmful blue light while in use.
The Kamvas 22 Plus does not have customizable physical keys, which is a lacking feature in a tablet of this size, where the keyboard is a bit out of hand. It does, however, include two USB-3 ports and a 3-in-1 cable for connecting the tablet to a computer or Android phone.
Is the Huion Kamvas 22 Plus worth it?
When it comes to choosing a good display above 20 inches, the best option is the Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 because it has 4K resolution, which guarantees greater image definition at these sizes.
On the other hand, in my opinion, the lower price of the Kamvas 22 Plus, together with the quality of its screen, make this large-screen tablet the most recommendable option for most users.
View on Amazon6. XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro
Last price update on 2022-12-07. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best graphics tablet with small screen
The XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro is an 11.6-inch tablet that is especially portable thanks to its small size and light weight. In addition, the connection cable includes 3 different output ports, so you don’t have to worry about carrying adapters with you when you move to another location.
The design of the tablet is impeccable and the improvement in materials over previous versions is noticeable. The 8 shortcut keys and the dialing wheel are very practical and save you time when using keyboard shortcuts, managing the thickness of the brush or zooming.
While drawing, its fully laminated screen provides a fast response and captures the pen gestures without any cut-offs or delays. While it is not comparable in this last aspect to a Wacom Cintiq 13, the more affordable price of the XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro more than makes up for the slight difference.
It also includes a folding stand with a single natural tilt of 60 degrees, which is quite comfortable, although it is not the best stand I have tested.
XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro VS. XP-Pen Artist 13.3 Pro
You should know that there is no technical difference between the XP-PEN Artist 12 Pro and the XP-PEN Artist 13.3 Pro. Only the size and the price increase, which in my opinion does not make up for the 1.3 inch difference.
Is the XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro tablet worth it?
If you are looking for a small tablet, either because of the price, because you are just starting out or because you want to be able to take it anywhere, in my opinion, the XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro is the best graphics tablet in the 12 to 13-inch screen range.
View on AmazonTop 5 best-selling graphics tablets with screen of 2024
Last price update on 2022-10-14. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
How to choose the best graphics tablet with screen: 4 things to consider
There are several types of display graphics tablets, and each model meets some needs better than others. That’s why it is important that before you start looking at specifications you are clear about what you need from a graphics tablet, what you value most and in what order.
Now I’ll show you the aspects of a graphics tablet that you should look at most and what goes into choosing one option over another.
Screen size
The screen size you choose should fit your needs. Consider if you need to travel with it frequently, if you like to design on a 1:1 scale or if you have enough space on your desk, for example::
Graphics tablets with 11″ to 15″ screens.
These tablets are generally less expensive than tablets with larger screen sizes, so they are a good choice if your budget is tight.
They are also lighter and fit in any backpack, so they are very practical to carry from one place to another, especially if you usually work away from home.
On the downside, you will almost always be working at a very small scale, so you will spend a lot of time scrolling around the canvas and zooming in and out.
Graphics tablets with 16″ to 19″ screen sizes.
From my point of view, 16″ screens are the most practical size for a tablet. They’re wide enough that you don’t spend too much time scrolling across the canvas, and they’re not so large that you have to rearrange your desk.
Moreover, in the 16 to 19-inch range, tablets still offer good image definition with HD resolutions of 1920×1080 px, which is what most tablets on the market have. Although being honest, when you compare them with a tablet of the same size with 4K resolution, the difference in definition is noticeable.
For all these reasons, tablets with a 16″ screen are the best choice for the vast majority of users, both beginners and professionals.
Graphics tablets with a screen larger than 20″.
At 20″ and above, HD resolution starts to become less sharp, due to lower pixel density per inch, and the need for a 4K display becomes more palpable.
Opting for a 4K tablet will allow you to work at 1:1 scale in many occasions, which is a great time saver and allows you to better perceive the final result of your drawings or designs without having to print them.
On the other hand, tablets larger than 20 inches are more expensive, much heavier and often force you to rethink your desktop layout.
Laminated screen
Typical displays consist of 3 basic layers: the display panel, the touch cap and the protective glass. In a laminated display, these three layers are glued together into a single, much thinner piece.
The most modern tablets use laminated screens because by reducing the distance between the glass that comes into contact with the pen and the display panel, parallax is reduced when drawing. In other words, there is less distance between the tip of the stylus and the point marked on the screen.
This reduction in parallax produces a more natural feel when drawing and promotes more precise pen control, which translates into greater productivity.
Another advantage derived from the reduced distance between layers is that colors are more visible, because the display panel is closer to the surface. This results in brighter screens with wider color gamuts and more vivid colors.
The only disadvantage is that they are more expensive to repair, so be careful with them.
Anti-glare glass
Trying to fix your attention on your design while seeing reflections on the screen requires a great effort of concentration, and ends up being very tiring. That’s why the best pen displays have anti-glare glass that alters the way light hits the screen, dissipating reflections.
This reduces eyestrain and also improves the view of the screen from various angles, which is an advantage if you often work in different places or if you often show your work to others directly on the tablet.
Anti-glare displays with a matte or frosted finish also provide a tactile feel similar to paper, resulting in a more natural user experience when drawing with the pen.
On the other hand, fingerprints on the glass are also less noticeable, so you won’t have to constantly clean the screen of your graphics tablet.
Stylus sensitivity
Pressure sensitivity
The pen’s sensitivity to pressure is crucial, especially when illustrating and retouching photographs, as it determines how accurately the tablet picks up variations in strokes due to the pressure exerted with the pen.
For example, you can start with a thin stroke and end up with a wide stroke simply by applying more pressure with the pen on the screen. The sensitivity of the pen will determine how smoothly the tablet renders a transition between thicknesses of the same stroke.
The higher the pen sensitivity, the more realistic the drawing feel and therefore the more agile you will be when using your tablet. The best screen graphics tablets typically offer 8192 levels of sensitivity, even some of the cheaper ones, so you shouldn’t settle for less.
Tilt recognition
When you draw or design, you may tilt the stylus even unconsciously. In that case, only the best graphics tablets with a screen will be able to faithfully capture the gestures you make with the stylus.
The tilt recognition determines to what angle, starting from the vertical axis, the graphics tablet is able to pick up variations in pen tilt.
The best graphics tablets with a display recognize variations of ±60°. While this feature is not essential, it is highly recommended, since in combination with the sensitivity of the stylus, it improves the accuracy with which certain gestures are captured.
Conclusions on the best display graphics tablets
A display graphics tablet can easily last 5 to 10 years, making it an important investment. A practical way to evaluate which display graphics tablet to buy is to divide its price by the number of days you are going to work with it.
For example:
Let’s imagine that we are going to use the tablet every day of the year (365) and we give it an average life of 7.5 years and a price of 400 €. Then it would be 400/(365 x 7.5) which means that it would be costing you 14 euro cents per day to use that tablet.
By calculating the cost per day, we get a more realistic view of the value of the tablet based on its intended use.
On the other hand, before buying a tablet, be sure to measure your work area and estimate the screen size you need. Some models come in different sizes that maintain the technical features, but in other brands, a change in size means a change in features.
Don’t get carried away with the accessories included with the tablet. While it is appreciated that drawing gloves, stands, cases etc. are included these items should not be a key decision factor as they are relatively inexpensive to purchase separately.
