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Wacom Cintiq 22HD Review (DTK2200) 21-Inch Pen Display Tablet Black

Wacom Cintiq 22HD Review Featureed Image

Wacom Cintiq 22HD Review in Few Words (Mini Review)

Cintiq 22HD comes in a sweet spot when it comes to Wacom’s pen displays, it comes in a much bigger screen size than Cintiq 13HD, and is more affordable the the bigger Cintiq 24HD & Cintiq 27HD. Which makes it an a good choice for those looking for a good pen display with a large drawing area.

Cintiq 22HD is a huge upgrade in case you correctly use a traditional graphics tablet, but it is a worthy for you if you want to boost your productivity, especially if you do digital art for living.

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Pros

  • A great upgrade from regular graphics tablet.
  • Has a bigger screen than the Cintiq 13HD, which is particularly useful if you like to draw with your arm, rather with your wrist.
  • If you want, Cintiq 22HD can function as a second monitor when you are not drawing with it.
  • Has a lot of express keys, to the degree you may not need to use the keyboard at all.

    Cons

  • You may not like the sandy/grainy antiglare coat on the screen.
  • Can only work on computers with a DVI post, so if you don’t have that port on your computer, you will need to buy an adapter in additional to the Cintiq money. :(

    Technical Specifications

    • 21.5 inches HD Display.
    • Has a full HD resolution 1920×1080.
    • Work naturally and intuitively directly on screen. Sketch, paint, design and edit directly on the surface of the screen.
    • Wacom’s most advanced pressure and tilt-sensitive pen technology replicates the natural effects and experience of working with conventional tools such as pens, markers, and brushes.
    • Has 18 time saving express keys, in addition to scroll Ring and radial menus give you customizable, one-touch shortcuts and modifiers.
    • Compatible with Windows & Mac OSX. (including Mac OSX Yosemite & Wincows 8)
    • Active Area:- 19.5 Inch W x 11.5 Inch H (475.2 x 267.3 mm).
    • Display Connector:- DVI-I (You will need some kind of adapter in case you don’t have a DVI port in your computer).
    • Pressure Levels:- 2048 on both the pen tip and eraser.
    • Contrast Ratio:- 1000:1.

      For an obvious reason, everyone finds the Cintiq is attractive, because it is more natural to draw directly on the screen compared to regular graphics tablet, which doesn’t require you a superior Eye-Hand coordination to do that. I personally liked to call it “The dream of all us artists”.

      In this Cintiq 22HD Review, I will talk you through the specifications and the other things about this bigger model of the Cintiq, which will hopefully help you decide whether it is for you or not.

      The screen

      Cintiq 22HD has a 21.5 screen with HD resolution of 1920×1080. There is a black border around the screen that nothing is displayed in it, similar to how some CRT screens in the past, it would have been nice if you could display things in that area honestly.

      The contrast of screen is 1000:1, which is higher than many other models of the Cintiq, the colours & viewing angles are also good. There is a sandy or grainy look on the top of Cintiq 22HD’s screen, which will feel as if the screen is dirty. This is likely to annoy you. So if you decided to get this model, you have two options:- getting used to it, or consider getting another model of the Cintiq, one that does’t have this feature.

      Just like the case with many Cintiq models, Cintiq 22HD have a plastic screen, which does the job, but it would be nice if it came with a glass screen or something. Which could help protecting the screen from scratches, as well as making the nibs of the pen live more.

      While you use this Cintiq 22HD, you may feel some heat at the bottom of the screen, which is a pretty much normal, and is not something to worry about.

      Connecting Cintiq 22HD to your computer

      To connect to your computer, Cintiq 22HD screen uses DVI, which will work on any computer that have that port. If you have a computer that doesn’t have a DVI port, then you will need to get an adapter to use it on that computer.

      Connecting Cintiq 22HD to a computer with HDMi port

      If your computer has a HDMI ports, then the following cable was reported to have a good compatibility with the Cintiq 22HD:-

    • StarTech.com HDMIDVIMF HDMI to DVI-D Video Cable Adapter – M/F.

      Connecting Cintiq 22HD to a Mac with a Mini displayport

      It is particularly common for Mac users to require adapters when they get a Cintiq model these days. If your mac has a mini Displayport port or anything compatible to it, you may want to check the following adapter, which was reported to work well with the Cintiq 22HD:-

      • Accell B087B-006B UltraAV Mini DisplayPort to DVI-D Single-Link Active Adapter ATI Certified.

        Bigger Cintiq is better

        Cintiq 22HD has a big screen compared to getting the smaller Cintiq 13HD, or the Cintiq 13HD Pen and Touch. The good advantage of getting a bigger Cintiq is that it allows you more precision when you are drawing, this is pretty much similar to how bigger regular graphics tablets makes it easier to draw precisely. That is especially the case if you draw using your arm rather than your wrist, which is a good technique for precise strokes. Besides that, having a bigger screen means you can see bigger icons in your art programs too.

        Express keys Wacom Cintiq 22HD Express Keys

        Cintiq 22HD has 16 express keys, 8 on each side of the screen, which is another benefit of getting a bigger Cintiq. Express keys are particularly important on the Cintiq, so that you won’t need to reach for the keyboard if you used them efficiently.

        Besides the express keys, there is also a touch stripe at the back of the Cintiq, which allows you to do do things like zooming, cycling layers or change brush size.

        I barely have anything against the express keys, but it would be very nice if the express keys had backlighting or something, as it would make it easier to work in the dark. :D

        The Pen Wacom Cintiq 22HD Pen

        Cintiq 22HD comes with Wacom’s standard grip pen, which has a rubber grip & two buttons, which can be customized using the driver software to suit your needs. And just like the case with Wacom devices, there are additional nibs are inside the pen holder. 10 in total, which are likely to last you for a good time before you will need to buy new ones.

        The nibs inside the pen stand come in 3 types as follows:-

SweetMonia
I am an anime artist, and huge fan of digital art. I love drawing with pencils too. But I rarely do that anymore nowadays. Since some aspects of digital art can be tricky, I try my best to explain the concepts as easily as possible.

2 Comments

  1. Thanks for the great reviews. I am currently using a Cintiq companion 2 with PSCC on a brand new iMac 27 for my digital art needs. If I use the Cintiq running windows 10 PS now it lags, If I use it as my secondary on my iMac 27 the display is so small. Both options offer enough frustration that I use my iPad Pro with an Apple pencil most days but it has software limitations of its own.
    I’m thinking of upgrading to the 22hd. I think the 27 may be too big. I’m looking to anyone with time running both. What would your professional choice be? Should I wait for a newer model? Again thanks for the review and response.

    1. Hello John, I am veyr glad you like my review :)

      If you want my opinion. Get the Cintiq 27QHD, I know you don’t need the drawing space, but its display quality is better. The main problem with the Cintiq 22HD is the grains on the display, which I mentioned in my review above, I am not sure you are going to like it honestly. The only way I would recommend the Cintiq 22HD is in case you totally can’t afford the Cintiq 27QHD.

      As for newer models, if you can wait few months. Then do it, as that’s when I guess new models to come out, especially if Waocm ungraded the Cintiq 22HD with something else. But the current choices in the market are fine for now.

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