For years, graphics tablets have provided digital artists a means of mimicking the natural interaction between hand, pen, and paper on a personal computer. Wacom, a company synonymous with graphics tablet solutions, recently introduced a new product called the Cintiq 18sx that offers accurate pen-sensing technology integrated into a high-performance flat-panel display. Watch "Fresh Gear" to see how this stylish pen and tablet make digital drawing more natural.
Dubbed an "interactive pen display," the Cintiq (rhymes with "unique") 18sx features an 18.1-inch LCD wrapped in an attractive charcoal-gray bezel. Besides offering a larger LCD and higher resolution than the original 15-inch model introduced last year, the Cintiq 18sx improves its pixel response time by 32 percent, making it better-suited for video-editing duties.
Elegant, ergonomic design
The Cintiq 18sx includes a redesigned cast-aluminum stand that allows the display to be adjusted to any angle between 13 degrees and 70 degrees. A cleverly designed display mount allows the LCD to be rotated 180 degrees in either direction or easily lifted out for laptop use.
Treated with an anti-glare coating, the LCD's glass resists fingerprints while providing a surface texture that feels like paper as the pen moves over it. A single cable combines power video and tablet connections for the Cintiq 18sx -- an elegant touch that both reduces clutter and makes in-lap use easier.
Digital brush and canvas
Considering the touchable nature of such a display, we appreciated the Cintiq 18sx's ability to resist "pooling distortions" commonly seen when direct pressure is applied to the surface of an LCD. Supported applications such as Photoshop 7 can take advantage of the Cintiq's 512 levels of pressure sensitivity for impressive effects such as making a line lighter or darker depending on how much pressure is applied. Wacom's pressure-sensitive pen receives power directly from the sensing grid beneath the LCD, eliminating the need for batteries. A digital eraser on the other end of the pen is also pressure-sensitive and useful for rubbing out mistakes or lightening brush strokes.
Several TechTV Labs staff members tried their hand at drawing in this digital environment and found the interaction between the pen and the display surface excellent. With the Cintiq reclined to its "drawing table" mode, working directly on this digital canvas eliminated the lack of hand/eye coordination experienced when trying to perform similar tasks with a standard graphics tablet and separate display. Using the Cintiq 18sx felt more natural and required very little time to get used to, even for us nonprofessional artists.
At $3,500, the Cintiq 18sx is priced out of range of the casual user. However, the combination of a high-quality display and Wacom's sensing technology may be the perfect match for the graphics professional seeking the ultimate digital drawing device.
Company: Wacom Co. Ltd.Price: $3,499
Available: Now
Category: Interactive pen display
Platform: Mac/PC/Unix (with additional kit)
Specs: 18.1-inch LCD; resolution: 1280x1024; LCD response time: 27 ms; video interface: VGA/DVI-I (converters included); pressure sensitivity: 512 levels
Requirements: USB 1.1 interface.
