Review

Picture this: you’re working on an image in Photoshop, and you need to do a little precise brush work to clean things up. So you pick up your display, sketchbook style, grab a pen and go to work just like you would with pencils or pastels – “drawing” directly on the displayed image with your pen to lay down the edits.

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For photographers and graphic artists, this scenario captures the allure of the Wacom Cintiq 12WX, a combined tablet interface and LCD from the company that’s name has become synonymous with “graphics tablet.” Sure, tablet PCs can offer a lot of the 12WX’s flexibility; hence their popularity with artists and other creatives. But for hard-core graphics work, portable machines rarely match the processing power (or obviously, the file storage capabilities) of a well-speced desktop. To this end, as a tablet that offers the same functionality afforded by the Wacom’s professional-grade Intuos models merged with a thin and light 1280x800 LCD display, the Cintiq brings the feel of direct-on-the-image editing to any computer with a VGA output.

The Wacom Cintiq 12WX is the smallest of the company’s three Cintiq pen displays. At 3.6 pounds and significantly less than an inch thick, the 12.1 inch display and integrated pen tablet is also the only one of the three that’s small and light enough to pick up off the desk and work with right on your lap. With a thickness of just .67 inches thick, it’s thinner than all but the most svelte notebook computers.

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Unlike the larger 20 and 21 inch versions, which come by default with conventional LCD monitor stands, the 12WX uses an integrated swing-out stand to support the display at any angle from 25 to 60 degrees.

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For those looking to more permanently affix the 12WX, a standard-sized VESA four-bolt mount is also standard fare.

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Connections are made via the Cintiq’s external video control unit.

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The display side of things is driven via either VGA or DVI output, with a single USB connection controlling the input side. Power is routed through the 12WX’s video controller as well. The 6.5 foot cord tethering the display panel to the video controller gives you the ability to work with the Cintiq at a pretty decent distance from your desk – great for sketching with the display on your lap.

For a detailed listing of specs and features, take a look at the specifications table found at the bottom of the review.

With the system-based caveats outlined in the paragraphs that follow, setting up the Cintiq really is as easy as connecting the display (and the system’s intermediary video control unit), installing the drivers, and powering everything up. Wacom also includes complimentary versions of Photoshop Elements 5.0 and the very fun Corel Painter Essentials 3.0, in addition to a set of CS-compatible custom brushes for Photoshop.

How seamlessly the Cintiq integrates with your computer and with other displays in your setup seems to vary pretty widely, however. We had no luck connecting the Wacom to a tablet PC – not surprisingly, two similar input systems on the same machine threw up device driver conflicts right and left and brought out some generally squirrelly behavior. Probably not a big deal for most users: if you have a tablet PC, what do you need with a separate pen display anyway?

Using the Cintiq with a laptop’s built in multi-monitor graphics card can also be fraught with issues. Some primitive notebook graphics cards only allow the second display to clone the notebook’s screen (which means your laptop display’s resolution is reset to conform to the Cintiq’s 1280x800 spec – hilarious looking but not particularly fun to actually use on 17 inch desktop replacement notebooks…).

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Even if your notebook does support true multiple displays, establishing independent color profiles can still be something of a chore, and may not even be possible with some setups. Additionally, those using recent MacBooks (including the aforementioned Air) may encounter issues in not being able to come up with compatible screen resolutions for both the laptop and the Cintiq that each device is happy with – especially ironic with the MacBook Air given that its native screen resolution is 1280x800, but it refuses to drive the Cintiq at the same settings. The moral of the story for laptop users is that your mileage may vary, so do some research (and if at all possible, some testing) to see whether the system will integrate like you want it to with your particular machine before dropping a grand on the 12WX.

Again, not surprisingly, a desktop with multiple graphics cards proved to be the most Cintiq’s most stable and flexible setup – probably appropriate, given that this is where these devices will likely see the most regular use. Though you can clone the desktop using this setup as well, my preferred method involved an extended desktop arrangement, where the Cintiq functioned like a conventional second display when using the mouse but switched over to a single-screen tablet setup when using the pen. A “Display Switch” function can also be programmed onto one of the function keys, allowing the pen to control the cursor on both displays. Overall, setup was flawlessly simple on my home graphics machine, and I was able to independently profile and calibrate the Wacom without issues or compromises.

With resolution and data rates (5,080 lpi, 200 pps) on par with Wacom’s other higher-end tablets, performance was predictably smooth and precise. The 12WX tracks quickly, with imperceptible lag, even when moving the pen back and forth rapidly. As with the Intuos3 conventional tablets, the Cintiq also has 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity. Pressure sensitive functions in both Photoshop and Corel Painter performed exactly as expected, with lots of intuitive control.

The included grip pen is Wacom’s standard two-button unit.

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While the all-plastic pen would actually be slightly more comfortable, in my opinion, it was a bit on the heavy side. The contoured grip area is thick enough to promote good pen holding habits (and reduce long-term fatigue). The rubberized finish on the grip area has about the right amount of give and a nice, easy to hold texture.

As with function keys on the display itself, the two-button rocker can be configured to control a near-limitless number of functions or key commands. Pen tips are removable/replaceable, and Wacom supplies several of the default, medium-hardness tips.

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For a softer, more “brush-like” feel, swap out the stock tip for the included spring-loaded version.

At the opposite end of the pen, a spring loaded eraser tip automatically calls up the eraser tool in many common graphic design programs, and even works to highlight and delete text in Microsoft Word. The stock grip pen can also be subbed out for several different accessory versions, including Wacom’s classic and airbrush models.

Display Performance

As noted, the LCD portion of the Cintiq is a 1280x800 unit – a step or two back from the resolutions we’ve become increasingly accustomed to, especially for graphics work.

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The display is acceptably fluid, but colors and contrast can be just a touch dull. Still, it’s at least as good as an average notebook display. I did notice a bit of backlight bleed at the corners of the image. Otherwise, the display panel’s good rigidity (it is a tablet, after all) exhibits minimal flex, and thus minimal rippling, when holding the display or applying pen pressure.

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Viewing angles are quite good, with both horizontal and vertical viewability approaching 90 degrees – again, ideal for a display that’s meant to be held while used.

Controls for the display (brightness, contrast, backlighting, as well as individual RGB sliders) are all accessed using the control buttons on the system’s video control box.

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Having to navigate on the box isn’t a perfect solution, but given that integrating the chunky video controller into the tablet itself would’ve added bulk, I can learn to live with it as is.

In terms of color calibration, while I was able to get a near-match to my primary design monitor, even display-matching calibration software couldn’t quite get the Cintiq perfect, though at this level of color calibration you’re really splitting hairs.

In Use