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Artist 16 Review: Graphic Drawing Display

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So here I am, once again lucky enough to have gotten another product to review.  This review is for the Artist 16 Graphic Drawing Display. For those who don’t know what that is, well it is basically a TV screen you can draw on. Beyond pen and paper it is the best thing you can find. If you are looking into digital art and have some extra cash, than this is the product for you.

 

What comes in the Package

  • 1x 15.6 inch Monitor
  • 1x USB Cable
  • 1x HDMI Cable
  • 1x Pen Charging Cable
  • 2x Digital Stylus Pen
  • 1x Power Adapter
  • 1x Power Cord
  • 1x Pen Holder
  • 1x CD Driver
  • 1x User Manual
  • 1x Clean Cloth
  • 1 x HDMI to Mini Display Port adapter cable
  • 1x Drawing Glove
  • 1x Screen Protector

Design

As with the Star05, XP-Pen continues its excellently designed choices. The Artist 16 is a wonderful looking Graphic Display. The Artist 16 has a matte black finish surrounding the actual screen. The screen itself is actually extremely reflective. This is one of the only faults I can find with the device. Once you turn on the screen though, this problem is much smaller.

The Artist 16 has 8 Express keys, which are customizable. They are round and on the left side of the screen, it would be nice if they were a bit more subtle but that would likely lower functionality. As is they are easy to use and work as they are supposed to with nearly all programs. They did not all work for 3D applications as they have no way to with the difference in the programs.
The adjustable stand is very simple to use, just pull the switch and move it where youd like and you are good to go. It also does not shake at all , no matter where you adjust it too. This is great considering I put a pretty good amount of weight on it when I leaned on it. You can see it in the image below-

Something that is good for the left handed among us is the artist 16 is Useable with both right and left hands. Though shortcuts are on the left which would be a bit awkward. It simply takes a small run through the Menu to change it. None the less it is a nice addition.

Overall The Artist 16 is a very well designed, it’s only real flaws are the three wires which get in your way and the reflective finish on the screen. Beyond that, it is excellently made.

Stylus

The stylus for this time device is battery powered. It comes with two USB charger cables. The charge last a long time, I have not ran the battery down yet. It features two buttons and a pressure sensitivity of 2048 levels. The stylus has a soft rubber exterior, which I love. Sadly the stylus does not have an eraser on the end. Which is something I truly do love to have on my tablets. Overall the Stylus is very good though, has a nice weight to it and just feels good.

You can view some specs below-

Screen Quality

The Artist 16 features a 15.6 inch 1080p IPS display. The actual image quality is fantastic, the screen has excellent contrast and sharpness, as well as extremely vibrant colors. The only issue is you may want to turn down the brightness. Luckily it is extremely simple to do so, but with that the reflectivity becomes a bit of an issue.

The screen feels sturdy, it is a very firm and has no give when you press on it. I have used it for hours now and there is no sign of where at all. Even the smudging from my hands is very little. It  does attract a little bit of dust though.

Function

Instillation- Installing the Artist 16 is simple if you are Windows, all you need to do is delete previous drivers for Tablets and Wintab. Then install the drivers for the Artist 16.If need the drivers, click here to find the Artist 16’s. And don’t forget the previous mentioned steps. If you do all that it should run perfectly.

Actual Drawing-Now, this is the important part. How well does it work? Well I have good news, the Artist 16 works amazingly. The pressure sensitivity works wonderfully, and of course you can alter it with XP-Pens settings menu. This of course is very easy to do.  In regards to calibration, you probably won’t have to do it, it works super well out of the box. But if you do need to adjust it for some reason, it is super easy.

When I was drawing I did notice that the actual feel is very smooth. Unlike with some Drawing displays I felt like I was closer to actually drawing on something. Opposed to drawing on something that projects my movements. This is really important to me, as I can’t stand any sense of disconnection. I actually drew a ton of sketches on this and have colored a few pictures as well.Below is a picture I drew with the Artist 16 for Our Persona 5 Youdraw. With the artist 16 I was able to make this picture much faster than I had with previous devices.  Honestly I don’t think I could do as well with other devices.

KingKelloggTheWaffleHaggler

The Artist 16, is about 16 inches. Which with the ability to zoom is just about perfect for use. While it has plenty of screen space it is also small enough that you can put it in your lap and draw that way. This is my preferred method, though you may need to invest in some longer HDMI and USB cords if you want to do this from a Desktop.

I tested the artist 16 in –

  • Kirita
  • Gimp
  • Photoshop
  • Zbrush
  • Substance Painter

 

Here are some more of the specs for those who want them-

  • Display Area: 344.16×193.59mm
  • Display Resolution: 1920×1080 pixels
  • Response Time: 14ms
  • Pixel Pitch: 179.25 (H)X179.25 (V)
  • Display Type: iPS
  • Support Color: 16.7M
  • Backlight Unit: Lower side 1-LED light bar type
  • Brightness: 220cd/㎡
  • Viewing Angle: 178°
  • Environmental: Operation temperature: 5-35℃
  • Storage temperature: –20-60℃
  • Power Consumption: 11W
  • Power Source: AC100~240V universal
  • I/O Connector: DC power in,HDMI input, USB-connector
  • Technology: Electromagnetic
  • Resolution: 5080LPI
  • Accuracy: ±0.5mm（middle area)
  • Reading Height: 10mm Max
  • Supply Voltage: +12V
  • USB Interface: USB port A
  • Report Rate: 200 reports/per second

Overall

After having used the XP-Pen Artist 16 for 30+ hours now, I can honestly say I adore it. I have used a pretty good amount of touch screen devices and different drawing devices, but most I found have many different issues. The Artist 16 is the closest thing I have found to what I think is perfect. It has issues for sure. Though most are issues shared with other devices.

Despite the XP-Pens few flaws, it manages to stand out as a fantastic device that has yet to have any issues for me. So far it has worked wonderfully with every program I tested it with. From now on for my art needs the Artists 16 will be my go to device. If you are looking for a Drawing Monitor you really should keep this one in mind. Or XP-Pen in general.

Video Review-

 

You can buy the XP-Pen Artist 16 on Amazon, just by clicking that link on the left.