One-minute evaluation

The XPPen Artist Professional 16 (Gen 2) is a superb drawing pill for hobbyists and early profession professionals alike. It options an expansive, responsive display, with a 2.5K decision and exact brightness management to finest match your setting, alongside the modern equipment and streamlined performance to allow you to soar into the inventive act with little issue – subtly bettering each the seems and the operate of the first-gen Artist Professional 16.

The revamped stylus is the principle occasion right here, boasting an unmatched 16,000 strain ranges for markings which can be exactly managed by your contact; it doesn’t really feel a lot completely different from the 8,092 ranges seen in different main tablets and could also be just like the 8K or 16Ok decision in a high-end TV, which sounds superior however is barely noticeable. Both manner, it’s good to know the finer motions of your hand are being catered to, and the Artist Professional 16 is presently main the market on this function.

The pill is effectively designed, with an built-in stand that props up the show at a (sadly fastened) 19-degree angle, and a slim wrist help on the base. Inputs are pleasingly minimal within the show itself, with a wi-fi keydial accent with customizable shortcuts that can assist you navigate your creations with ease.

Whereas this 16-inch show will set you again a little bit greater than the Artist Professional 14, the bigger display actual property could also be sufficient to sway you – packing in 2560×1600 pixels in comparison with the smaller mannequin’s 1920×1200 – simply remember that specs are in any other case nearly equivalent between them.

Artist Professional 16 (Gen 2) evaluation: Worth and availability

•  Listing worth: $599.99 / £529.99 / AU$365.99 

The Artist Professional 16 retails for simply $599.99 / £529.99 / AU$609.99, which is an astonishing quantity contemplating a number of the high-tech options packed into this mid-range drawing pill – significantly the 16,000 strain ranges within the stylus (included).

The smaller XPPen Artist Professional 14 is available in a little bit cheaper at $356.99 / £359.99 / AU$559.99, with the identical stylus and nearly the identical specification, if that further display actual property isn’t definitely worth the improve for you.

Artist Professional 16 (Gen 2) evaluation: specs

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Artist Professional 16 (Gen 2) evaluation: design

•  Built-in kickstand 
•  Wi-fi shortcut distant 
•  Trendy end 

The XP Pen Artist Professional 16 (Gen 2) actually seems plush. The second-generation mannequin has ditched the built-in buttons and grey end for a sleeker, button-free black; even the XP Pen emblem has shrunk, permitting the display itself to sit down middle stage.

Beneath the display, you’ll discover a wrist help, which doesn’t have the cushioning of an equal mousepad however nonetheless assists with ergonomics. That mentioned, it doesn’t precisely do a lot once you’re drawing on the higher half of the display, given its total dimension.

There are two kickstands on the again, built-in into the general physique of the show, which prop up the display at a 19-degree angle. The earlier Artist Professional 16 mannequin did include an adjustable stand, with much more freedom across the exact angle, so it’s value preserving in thoughts whether or not the shortage of flexibility is value it for you.

In-line built-in buttons have been moved to a separate gadget completely, packed right into a modern shortcut distant (The ‘X-Distant Management’) concerning the dimension of a compact smartphone. It options 10 customizable shortcut buttons and even a round dial for rapidly scrolling by means of choices (we have now it set to fluctuate brush dimension in Photoshop, and it’s a delight). The distant lets you hold your non-drawing hand constantly occupied in a single place, with out shifting to and from the facet of the display.

There are a few inputs snuck into the higher facet of the pill, for energy and brightness adjustment, alongside two ports for USB-C to USB-C connections (cable included) or a extra advanced HDMI 3-in-1 cable (offered individually).

However, after all, the display is the principle occasion, and what you’ll be largely involved with. The Artist Professional (Gen 2) comes with a 2560 x 1600 decision, which is a good enchancment over the first-gen pill’s 1920 x 1080 spec, with twice as many pixels and a taller 16:10 side ratio in comparison with the previous’s 16:9. 

The display is absolutely laminated and is claimed to be freed from parallax – that means the markings on the display ought to exactly match the actions of your pen.

Artist Professional 16 (Gen 2) evaluation: efficiency

•  Easy, responsive drawing 
•  Solely minor line jitter 
•  Exact brightness management and largely spectacular colour 

The Artist Professional 16 (Gen 2) is a transparent step up from the first-gen mannequin, with a brand new X3 expertise elevating what XP Pen’s vary can do – a extra delicate stylus engaged on a higher-resolution display for what must be a smoother, extra pleasurable expertise.

Setup is simple sufficient, when you’ve downloaded the proper driver from the XP Pen web site, configured your pen and X-Distant Management to your required specification, and bought some form of drawing software program up and working on the pill. (It’s value noting that our evaluation of the XPPen Artist Professional 14 (Gen 2) noticed the reviewer going through some lag and driver points, although they appeared resolved by the point this bigger mannequin bought despatched to me.)

Drawing is clean and responsive throughout the display, whereas the shortcut distant and stylus can help you cycle rapidly between quick, environment friendly capabilities. There’s no parallax right here, and solely a small quantity of line jitter, making it simple to remain in command of your cursor mid-creation.

The display doesn’t fairly have the pen-to-paper really feel of some extra superior gadgets, even with the felt nibs included within the pen case. Typically, the Artist Professional 16 (Gen 2) excels in presenting itself as a high-range mannequin, with a couple of nice specs to again that up, however there’s little doubt that the interplay between the pen and the display might be extra spectacular.

The display is capably vibrant, whereas the two.5K decision ensures photos keep crisp as you delve into them. The brightness management is pleasingly exact, too, on a 100-point scale, which let me fastidiously calibrate the output as daylight vanished all through the night. The colour gamut can be spectacular for the value, however rather less vivid than I might need hoped, with hues a little bit diminished in comparison with my laptop computer display – one thing to bear in mind for skilled illustrators.

Nonetheless, the power to show off the show, and use it as a screen-less drawing pill is a welcome boon, and means this explicit pill ought to go well with all kinds of sketchers and illustrators working in very other ways. It’s only a disgrace that the built-in stand doesn’t supply any adjustment, and also you’re just about caught drawing on the angle that it offers you, except you discover one thing else to lean it on – although for faster classes, as extra novice or early profession artists might typically do, this won’t grow to be a lot of a problem.

Artist Professional 16 (Gen 2) evaluation: efficiency

•  16,000 strain ranges 
•  Eight included nibs and modern case 
•  Helpful eraser 

The stylus is the principle promoting level for the XPPen Artist Professional 16 – however how does it maintain up?

This up to date stylus boasts 16,000 strain ranges, which is roughly double the 8,192 seen within the first-gen Artist Professional 16 stylus, and due to this fact double what nearly any comparable drawing pill is providing lately. It’s a little bit onerous to inform the distinction at this quantity, provided that 8,192 ranges are nonetheless fairly intensive, however I discovered the stylus brilliantly responsive, and also you’ll be protected within the information that your drawing pen is futureproofed for the subsequent few years as different tablets try and catch up.

The stylus’s rubber grip is tactile, with quantity of friction to cease it slipping out of your fingers, whereas two built-in buttons may be personalized for a large number of capabilities. On the different finish is a rounded edge that acts as a digital eraser, which I discovered vastly helpful in touching up my creations on the go.

The stylus is introduced in a modern black case: simply push within the drawer from one facet and it’ll launch, revealing the stylus and eight further nibs so that you can sometimes substitute – 4 normal nibs, and 4 felt options for (hypothetically) a extra on-paper really feel.

The case additionally features a USB-A Bluetooth connector, for linking your laptop computer/desktop to the shortcut distant, although I discovered I might join it on to my laptop’s Bluetooth with little situation.

Ought to I purchase the XP Pen Artist Professional 16?

Purchase it if…

You desire a severely superior stylus
The 16,000 strain ranges are considerably absurd, and are (on the time of writing) unmatched within the sector – although this precise stylus is presently thrown in for a handful of XP Pen tablets, a few of them cheaper than the Artist Professional 16 (Gen 2).

You want a big, high-quality display
With a 15.4-inch show, 2.5K decision, and a 16:10 side ratio, the Artist Professional 16 (Gen 2) is a strong improve over its predecessor and provides a extra expansive canvas on which to attract, edit, and prepare your creations.

You favor a separate keydial
Whether or not you like separate equipment or buttons on the principle gadget generally is a matter of non-public style – however we discovered the shortcut distant tactile, moveable, light-weight, and pleasingly easy.

Do not buy it if…

You need versatile association choices
The built-in kickstand is well-designed, however does imply you’re caught in a specific place even for lengthy drawing classes, not like the extra adjustable stand that got here with the first-gen mannequin. The bigger dimension additionally makes this pill rather less moveable than a few of XP Pen’s different gadgets.

You need contact controls
The Artist Professional 16 (Gen 2)’s display is responsive with regards to the stylus, however to not your fingers – that means any zooming or scrolling wants to come back from the accompanying X-Distant Management.

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