The “liquid pen tablet (liquid tablet)” allows you to create illustrations with a digital but analog feel by drawing lines on the liquid crystal panel with a dedicated stylus pen.
Because liquid tabs are equipped with a liquid crystal panel, they tend to be more expensive than ordinary pen tablets without a screen (commonly known as "board tabs"), and products from popular manufacturers can cost more than 100,000 yen. and.
However, there are liquid tabs that can be purchased for about 40,000 to 50,000 yen, which is less than half the price. It's the Artist 15.6 Pro from XP-Pen.
This time, XP-Pen provided this product and I was able to actually use it. This time I tried using the product with MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, so if you are thinking of using a liquid tab on a Mac in the same way, I hope you can refer to it.
▶︎ Purchase “Artist 15.6 Pro” at XP-Pen Official Store
| Product Dimensions | 443 x 280 x 12.6 mm |
|---|---|
| Active area | 344.16 x 193.59 mm |
| Thickness | 11 mm (thinst) |
| Shortcut key | 8 |
| Roller wheel | 1 |
| Pen | Battery-free stylus pen |
| Pen pressure | 8192 levels |
| Slope | 60 degrees |
| Report rate | ≥200 RPS |
| Screen resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Display color gamut | 88%NTSC, 120%sRGB |
| Resolution | 5080 LPI |
| Viewing angle | 178° |
| Input device | USB |
| Supply voltage | DC 5V |
| Reading Height | 10mm |
| Accuracy | 0.25mm (Center)< /td> |
| Color | Black + red dial |
The "XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro" is a liquid crystal pen tablet with a large 15.6-inch screen.
The main body size is 443 x 280 x 12.6mm, which is the same size as a notebook PC with the same 15.6-inch screen, or slightly larger. It is large enough to draw illustrations, but it may feel cramped depending on the size of the desk, so please pay attention to the dimensions.
The display drive format is IPS, the screen resolution is 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, and the viewing angle is 178°. Thanks to the wide viewing angle, it is possible to draw with colors that do not change at any angle.
The response speed is 14ms, the color reproduction area is 120% in sRGB ratio, 88% NTSC, and the contrast ratio is 1,000:1. Combined with being IPS, the screen is very beautiful.
Full lamination technology is used for the screen, and the gap between the display and the cover glass is small, reducing the reflection of light and making it easy on the eyes. Another point is that the gap between the pen tip and the screen is small, so you can use it as if you were really writing on the screen.
However, the fact that it does not support touch operations is likely to be controversial. I don't want to touch the wrong place if the screen touch is enabled → I don't want to have to go through the process of correcting it, so I personally don't think the screen touch function is necessary, but if you need it, be careful of this point. I would like you to
The included pen is the XP-Pen PA2 pen. EMR (electromagnetic induction method) is adopted, so it can be used without charging. Pen pressure detection is accurate at 8,192 levels, and in addition to supporting tilt detection, there are also calibration settings that allow you to adjust the positional relationship between the pen tip and the screen, so if you use it well, you can draw comfortably. could draw.
The pen is stored in a special case. There are several replacement nibs in the case.
On the left side of the main unit, there are 8 shortcut keys and a ring wheel for zooming in and out. You can customize the shortcut keys yourself, so it's a good idea to assign the ones you use frequently.
The back is covered with non-slip silicone. It is useful when you put it on the desk and work.
This product comes with a stand. By using this, you can tilt the main unit about 20 degrees, so please make good use of it. In addition, the author does not use the stand because it is the type that is used directly on the desk.
Connect to a PC by inserting the included cable into the USB Type-C connector on the right side of the main unit. The cable has an HDMI terminal and two USB-Type A terminals, which can be connected to complete the connection with the PC. If your PC does not have two or more USB-Type A, you can stably supply power by connecting the red USB Type-A connector for power supply to the included power adapter.
I actually used it by connecting "Artist 15.6 Pro" to a 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1, 2020).
For the 3-in-1 cable for connecting this product to a PC, insert the USB Type-C connector side into the "Artist 15.6 Pro" main unit, and connect the remaining USB-Type A terminals x 2 and the HDMI terminal to the PC. Use by connecting to the side. Since the MacBook Pro does not have a USB-Type A port or an HDMI port, I connected through a USB hub this time.
Actual connection
The black USB-Type A terminal is for connecting to a PC, and the red one is for power supply. Bus power drive is possible, but it needs to go through a port that supports USB 3.0, so use a USB hub that supports USB 3.0. If you don't have one, just connect the black USB-Type A port to your MacBook via a USB hub and the red USB-Type A port to the included USB power supply.
Once connected, you first need to install the driver and configure the stylus pen. A quick start guide is distributed on the official website, so follow the instructions to complete the installation and settings.
By the way, Macs with macOS 10.14 Mojave or later will need to make changes to the security settings for the stylus to work properly. This procedure is also explained on the official website, so please check there for details.
The blue light is the power button
The power supply for the screen is mounted on the right side of the main unit. Next to the power button, there is a button to adjust the brightness of the screen, the upper button brightens the screen, and the lower button darkens the screen.
If you want to work with the main unit tilted, use the included stand. The stand itself is simple enough to just place the main unit on top, but it has a non-slip feature to prevent the main unit from slipping down.
My personal dissatisfaction is that there is no function to adjust the tilt angle of the stand. Also, maybe because of the material or the way the stand is made, every time I put out the legs of the stand, it makes a popping sound, which is a bit bad for my heart. Durability is also a bit of a concern.
The good point is that the stylus pen has a battery-free structure, so you can use it instantly without having to bother charging the battery. The weight is also light at 13.2g, and the burden on the hand when using it is relatively small.
I felt that the drawing comfort was not much different from that of a general liquid tab stylus pen. If you can't draw a line well, or if you feel that there is a gap between the part you are drawing and the screen, you can improve it considerably just by reviewing the calibration settings, so please change the settings to your liking.
In rare cases, even if you change the settings, you may encounter the phenomenon that the lines are jerky or the color intensity is not stable. It may not be a problem if you use this product at the hobby level, but please be aware that it may not be suitable for those who are doing full-scale illustration production for work.
There is a brush/eraser switch button on the side of the pen. It's very convenient because you can easily switch the pen tip with a click at your fingertips. The button next to it is the right-click button.
Personally, I like the presence of the ring wheel on the left side of the device. Thanks to this part, it is very convenient to be able to intuitively scale up and down, and it was good to be able to operate smoothly when making fine corrections or viewing the whole picture. In addition, it seems that the heat generated by the main unit is suppressed as it is, and I would like to highly evaluate the fact that it can withstand long-term use.
"Artist 15.6 Pro" can be started simply by connecting the PC and the main unit with a 3-in-1 cable, and the stylus pen has a battery-free structure, so you can feel free to use it anytime without worrying about charging. It is a liquid crystal pen tablet that is characterized by the convenience of being able to use it.
There are some aspects that are inferior to expensive liquid tabs, such as stylus pen recognition, so it may not be a good companion for professionals to work hard, but the price is about 4-5. With a low price of 10,000 yen, it can be said that it is a model suitable for those who use liquid tabs for the first time and those who do not want to spend a lot of money on equipment.
However, please note that you need to use a USB hub to use it with a device that only has a USB-C port, such as a MacBook. For power supply, you can use the included power supply battery, but you need to use the USB-A port to connect to the PC, so at least one port should be used in combination with a PC equipped with a USB-A port. recommend.
"Artist 15.6 Pro" can be purchased on the XP-Pen official website, and is also on sale at Amazon and Rakuten Ichiba.
▶︎ Purchase “Artist 15.6 Pro” at XP-Pen Official Store
The "XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro" is a liquid crystal pen tablet with a large 15.6-inch screen.
The main body size is 443 x 280 x 12.6mm, which is the same size as a notebook PC with the same 15.6-inch screen, or slightly larger. It is large enough to draw illustrations, but it may feel cramped depending on the size of the desk, so please pay attention to the dimensions.
The display drive format is IPS, the screen resolution is 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, and the viewing angle is 178°. Thanks to the wide viewing angle, it is possible to draw with colors that do not change at any angle.
The response speed is 14ms, the color reproduction area is 120% in sRGB ratio, 88% NTSC, and the contrast ratio is 1,000:1. Combined with being IPS, the screen is very beautiful.
Full lamination technology is used for the screen, and the gap between the display and the cover glass is small, reducing the reflection of light and making it easy on the eyes. Another point is that the gap between the pen tip and the screen is small, so you can use it as if you were really writing on the screen.
However, the fact that it does not support touch operations is likely to be controversial. I don't want to touch the wrong place if the screen touch is enabled → I don't want to have to go through the process of correcting it, so I personally don't think the screen touch function is necessary, but if you need it, be careful of this point. I would like you to
The included pen is the XP-Pen PA2 pen. EMR (electromagnetic induction method) is adopted, so it can be used without charging. Pen pressure detection is accurate at 8,192 levels, and in addition to supporting tilt detection, there are also calibration settings that allow you to adjust the positional relationship between the pen tip and the screen, so if you use it well, you can draw comfortably. could draw.
The pen is stored in a special case. There are several replacement nibs in the case.
On the left side of the main unit, there are 8 shortcut keys and a ring wheel for zooming in and out. You can customize the shortcut keys yourself, so it's a good idea to assign the ones you use frequently.
The back is covered with non-slip silicone. It is useful when you put it on the desk and work.
This product comes with a stand. By using this, you can tilt the main unit about 20 degrees, so please make good use of it. In addition, the author does not use the stand because it is the type that is used directly on the desk.
Connect to a PC by inserting the included cable into the USB Type-C connector on the right side of the main unit. The cable has an HDMI terminal and two USB-Type A terminals, which can be connected to complete the connection with the PC. If your PC does not have two or more USB-Type A, you can stably supply power by connecting the red USB Type-A connector for power supply to the included power adapter.