An animation tablet is a dynamic mini computer for artists, designers, and illustrators.
A high quality tablet simplifies creating digital artwork on screens, enhancing sharpness and variance unachievable with paper and pen and even with desktops.
Some powerful and feature-packed animation tablets like XPPen are already used by Disney and Pixar and are the creation sites for movies like Frozen and Ice Age.
With the animation industry experiencing a boom, the demand for animation tablets will escalate further.
According to Statista, the global animation market is projected to grow throughout the decade. It will cross 587 billion dollars by 2030, increasing at a pace of more than 4 percent from 411.04 billion dollars where it stands in 2023.
And this growth will be dominated by tablets because of the many advantages they offer over other animation and drawing devices.
A tablet is always better for animation over other devices.
This is because a tablet can handle pen pressure sensitivity very well. Generally, computer screens do not support pen sensitivity well, and you will end up with the pen, or the screen scratched after some use.
Secondly, a tablet is movable and agile in comparison to a fixed desktop. As an artist and animator this is an important feature as it enables the required free hand movement for designing minute details.
Some of the best animation tablets, like the Wacom Cintiq Series and Apple IPad come with 8,192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity,
It gives you a similar stimulus to the way a person draws with a pencil and paper. Some pens can also capture data and handwritten signatures.
Modern animation tablets also allow image tracing from papers and objects.
Other than these specs the tablets come in a variety of sizes, connection type and screen qualities.
The Wacom Cintiq Pro is a premium Display Tablet (Pen Display) for illustrators and animators.
It features a large 23.6″ 4K touchscreen display, providing you all the required work space and offering a crystal clear resolution for minute parts of your artwork.
The Cintiq Pro allows you to choose from more than 1 billion color templates with 99% Adobe RGB & 97% sRGB color profiles.
The tablet has two very useful tools – the Express Key Remote and the Wacom Pro Pen 2.
The Express Key Remote is an additional device which puts all the required controls and programs a click away, allowing you easy maneuverability from canvases, color pallets, shapes and much more.
The pen supports 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition giving you a design with a pen on a paper stimulus.
Apple makes the best and the most innovative animation tablet displays.
The Ipad Pro comes with “the Liquid Retina XDR (12.9-inch) display (which) delivers true-to-life detail with a 10,00,000:1 contrast ratio, (making it) great for viewing and editing HDR photos and videos”
Apple’s M1 chip is another game changer allowing very fast graphics performance and accelerating machine learning tasks.
The Wi-Fi + Cellular with 512GB model allows better connectivity and storage options.
(For the 2022, M2 Chip version, visit the official Apple’s Website)
You can work all day long on the Ipad Pro with its long lasting battery.
The Gaomon PD1561 is another super economic animation tablet supporting both Windows and Mac operating systems.
The best features of the pen display tablet include a 1920 x 1080 high resolution screen offering 178° viewing angle. This allows you to evaluate your designs from -89° to +89° varied angles.
Its 8192 pressure level and tilt support pen is another surprising add-on, provided the whole bundle costs much less than $500.
Select the 16 inch variant as it allows a wider workspace and also check that the delivered package includes 8 extra replacement nibs for the pen.
The XP Pen is one of the best drawing tablets preferred by professionals at some of the big names of the animation industry.
The artist 24 Pro model comes with a 2560 x 1440 resolution large 23.9 inches screen and supports a wide range of Adobe RGB color gamuts.
Its pen stylus supports 60 degrees of wide tilt angle and enables the finest and sharpest strokes.
The tablet is very easy to use and connect. It comes with 20 shortcut keys on the sides of the panel plus you can directly connect the tablet to Windows and Apple devices using USB-C to USB-C connecting cable (included).
The Kamvas 22 is a simple yet very powerful economic drawing tablet by Huion.
The tablet comes with a 1960x1080p 21.5inch Screen.
Its screen has a pre-applied anti-glare matte film (scratch resistant) which gives you a feeling as if designing on real paper.
The tablet is supported by the latest PenTech3.0 developed PW517 digital pen, which gives you 8192 pressure sensitivity levels, the same as in Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Pen
It further supports a 60°tilt recognition and a shorter nib to improve firm and sharp sketches and strokes.
Kamvas 22 features a long of 16.7 million display color palette with 120% sRGB color gamut.
You get all these features at one-fifth the price of a premium display tablet. Further, you also get an $80 discount coupon on Amazon.com. Check it out now.
The Xencelabs tablet is a professional pen tablet (not a pen display, does not feature a screen) which supports Windows, Apple and Linux.
The tab has a minimal surface design measuring 10.33”x5.8” with 8mm thickness making it super portable and lightweight.
You can select the PH25 or the PH6-A, two slim pen models. One comes with 2 buttons and an eraser and the other comes with 3 buttons and an eraser.
Both the pens support 8192 pressure levels and 60 degree tilt range.
Xencelabs has also designed a 40 Customizable Shortcut Keys remote, which they have named as “Quick Keys”. It makes your designing and animation experience very easy. Although it is sold separately at around $85 it is worth it.
Check out all the tools and the final price of the tablet here.
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
09/23/2023 01:38 pm GMT
Final Words
All 7 animation tablets reviewed above are the best tools for designers and illustrators and are heavily rated across all major selling platforms.
There are other models too, like the Parblo Coast 10 Pro, Artisul D13, and Wacom’s budget models which give these 7 tough competition. You can consider them if you are looking for a less than $500 animation tablet.
Before finalizing your selection, do check the Q&A section at the bottom of Amazon’s page to clarify further which platforms are supported by the tablets and which accessories are included in the package.
David Adler is an entrepreneur and freelance blog post writer who enjoys writing about business, entrepreneurship, travel and the influencer marketing space.
An animation tablet is a dynamic mini computer for artists, designers, and illustrators.
A high quality tablet simplifies creating digital artwork on screens, enhancing sharpness and variance unachievable with paper and pen and even with desktops.
Some powerful and feature-packed animation tablets like XPPen are already used by Disney and Pixar and are the creation sites for movies like Frozen and Ice Age.
With the animation industry experiencing a boom, the demand for animation tablets will escalate further.
According to Statista, the global animation market is projected to grow throughout the decade. It will cross 587 billion dollars by 2030, increasing at a pace of more than 4 percent from 411.04 billion dollars where it stands in 2023.
And this growth will be dominated by tablets because of the many advantages they offer over other animation and drawing devices.
[Unsplash]
Is a tablet good for animation?
A tablet is always better for animation over other devices.
This is because a tablet can handle pen pressure sensitivity very well. Generally, computer screens do not support pen sensitivity well, and you will end up with the pen, or the screen scratched after some use.
Secondly, a tablet is movable and agile in comparison to a fixed desktop. As an artist and animator this is an important feature as it enables the required free hand movement for designing minute details.
Some of the best animation tablets, like the Wacom Cintiq Series and Apple IPad come with 8,192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity,
It gives you a similar stimulus to the way a person draws with a pencil and paper. Some pens can also capture data and handwritten signatures.
Modern animation tablets also allow image tracing from papers and objects.
Other than these specs the tablets come in a variety of sizes, connection type and screen qualities.
[Unsplash]
Check out the 7 best animation tablets dominating the digital art world, featuring some of the most needed specifications.
7 Best Animation Tablets
#1. Wacom Cintiq Pro 24
The Wacom Cintiq Pro is a premium Display Tablet (Pen Display) for illustrators and animators.
It features a large 23.6″ 4K touchscreen display, providing you all the required work space and offering a crystal clear resolution for minute parts of your artwork.
The Cintiq Pro allows you to choose from more than 1 billion color templates with 99% Adobe RGB & 97% sRGB color profiles.
The tablet has two very useful tools – the Express Key Remote and the Wacom Pro Pen 2.
The Express Key Remote is an additional device which puts all the required controls and programs a click away, allowing you easy maneuverability from canvases, color pallets, shapes and much more.
The pen supports 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition giving you a design with a pen on a paper stimulus.
For other details and final price click here.
#2. Apple iPad Pro
Apple makes the best and the most innovative animation tablet displays.
The Ipad Pro comes with “the Liquid Retina XDR (12.9-inch) display (which) delivers true-to-life detail with a 10,00,000:1 contrast ratio, (making it) great for viewing and editing HDR photos and videos”
Apple’s M1 chip is another game changer allowing very fast graphics performance and accelerating machine learning tasks.
The Wi-Fi + Cellular with 512GB model allows better connectivity and storage options.
(For the 2022, M2 Chip version, visit the official Apple’s Website)
You can work all day long on the Ipad Pro with its long lasting battery.
Check out other features and specifications here.
3. GAOMON PD1561
The Gaomon PD1561 is another super economic animation tablet supporting both Windows and Mac operating systems.
The best features of the pen display tablet include a 1920 x 1080 high resolution screen offering 178° viewing angle. This allows you to evaluate your designs from -89° to +89° varied angles.
Its 8192 pressure level and tilt support pen is another surprising add-on, provided the whole bundle costs much less than $500.
Select the 16 inch variant as it allows a wider workspace and also check that the delivered package includes 8 extra replacement nibs for the pen.
Click here to check the final price.
4. XPPen Artist24 Pro
The XP Pen is one of the best drawing tablets preferred by professionals at some of the big names of the animation industry.
The artist 24 Pro model comes with a 2560 x 1440 resolution large 23.9 inches screen and supports a wide range of Adobe RGB color gamuts.
Its pen stylus supports 60 degrees of wide tilt angle and enables the finest and sharpest strokes.
The tablet is very easy to use and connect. It comes with 20 shortcut keys on the sides of the panel plus you can directly connect the tablet to Windows and Apple devices using USB-C to USB-C connecting cable (included).
Check out the product here.
5. HUION KAMVAS 22
The Kamvas 22 is a simple yet very powerful economic drawing tablet by Huion.
The tablet comes with a 1960x1080p 21.5inch Screen.
Its screen has a pre-applied anti-glare matte film (scratch resistant) which gives you a feeling as if designing on real paper.
The tablet is supported by the latest PenTech3.0 developed PW517 digital pen, which gives you 8192 pressure sensitivity levels, the same as in Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Pen
It further supports a 60°tilt recognition and a shorter nib to improve firm and sharp sketches and strokes.
Kamvas 22 features a long of 16.7 million display color palette with 120% sRGB color gamut.
You get all these features at one-fifth the price of a premium display tablet. Further, you also get an $80 discount coupon on Amazon.com. Check it out now.
6. Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022)
Microsoft Surface Pro is the latest tablet featuring a premium laptop specifications.
It has a 2880 X 1920 high resolution screen, supporting sRGB and Vivid color profiles with a fast 120 hz dynamic refresh rate.
The Surface Pro is one of the lightest animation tablets, beating the ones reviewed above. The starting model weighs just 879 grams.
We loved the slim pen 2 and the integrated signature keyboard. The pen self-charges when resting on the keyboard.
You get up to 19 hours of battery life which is insane. We highly doubt any other animation tablet lasts this long.
And lastly, with Microsoft products you get the best technical support and easier warranty claims.
Check out the price and other specifications here.
7. XENCELABS Graphic Tablet
The Xencelabs tablet is a professional pen tablet (not a pen display, does not feature a screen) which supports Windows, Apple and Linux.
The tab has a minimal surface design measuring 10.33”x5.8” with 8mm thickness making it super portable and lightweight.
You can select the PH25 or the PH6-A, two slim pen models. One comes with 2 buttons and an eraser and the other comes with 3 buttons and an eraser.
Both the pens support 8192 pressure levels and 60 degree tilt range.
Xencelabs has also designed a 40 Customizable Shortcut Keys remote, which they have named as “Quick Keys”. It makes your designing and animation experience very easy. Although it is sold separately at around $85 it is worth it.
Check out all the tools and the final price of the tablet here.
Final Words
All 7 animation tablets reviewed above are the best tools for designers and illustrators and are heavily rated across all major selling platforms.
There are other models too, like the Parblo Coast 10 Pro, Artisul D13, and Wacom’s budget models which give these 7 tough competition. You can consider them if you are looking for a less than $500 animation tablet.
Before finalizing your selection, do check the Q&A section at the bottom of Amazon’s page to clarify further which platforms are supported by the tablets and which accessories are included in the package.
For video editing software and other essential tools for animation and designing, check us out here.