After launching the $649 Cintiq 16 earlier this year, Wacom is releasing a larger version of its entry-level tablet with the Cintiq 22. The tablet has a 21.5-inch screen with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, 72 percent NTSC color, and an anti-glare glass surface that has a paper-like feel to draw on. You can connect it to your Mac or Windows computer via HDMI and USB 2.0 cables.
Though the Cintiq 22 is just a larger version of the Cintiq 16 with the same specs, it costs nearly twice as much at $1,199. Compared to Wacom’s previous pen displays, the Cintiq 16 was the company’s most affordable and approachable device to date, but users will have to pay more for the screen space to draw “long strokes and sweeping styles.” Unlike the 16, which just has foldable legs, the Cintiq 22 does come with an adjustable stand. It also comes with Wacom’s latest stylus, the Pro Pen 2, which has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt support, and never needs charging. However, it doesn’t come with other accessories like the $100 ExpressKey remote or a Bluetooth keyboard.
It’s easy to get confused between the Cintiq and the Cintiq Pro line, but the Cintiq line is specifically for students and “budding professionals” to use before graduating to the Pro stage. The Cintiq Pro line offers some higher-end features that the regular Cintiq line doesn’t have, like 4K resolution, more accurate colors, and better optical bonding, which reduces parallax, or the distance between the pen and the screen. The Cintiq Pro line is meant for animation studios and enterprise use, though, so the Cintiq 22 is still a solid choice for young artists and creative professionals.
The Cintiq 22 is available at Amazon, B&H, CDW, and Wacom’s site for $1,199.
