Cintiq 24HD In A Few Words(Mini Review)

The Cintiq 24HD is a great tool for artwork creation, and one of two models that features express keys on the Cintiq itself. It offers a large drawing area, as well as a very good stand that is good to work with. It is also the heaviest Cintiq model to date, making it the hardest to attach an Ergotron arm to as well.

Since this model is old, the only way I am recommending it to you is in case you wanted a smaller Cintiq model than Cintiq 27QHD, or in case you want the Express Keys on the Cintiq itself, or in case you are looking for a bargain for it, as there is a chance you will find it for cheaper on Amazon or eBay.

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Pros Of Cintiq 24HD

• Has a large drawing area, which allows you to dive into your art.
• The screen resolution is high enough, but it is not very high to make icons look too small in many art programs nowadays.
• The stand is very innovative and offers a good way to work directly on your art (Assuming your work environment is set correctly for it).

Cons Of Cintiq 24HD

• The screen has some grainy like texture, which may make it look bad for some artists.
• It is too heavy to be mounted on an Ergotron arm as easily as the other Cintiq models.
• The express keys on each side of it means that you won’t be able to use the buttons at the side of the Cintiq of the hand you draw with effectively.

Technical Specifications

• Screen size:- 24.1 inches.
• Screen resolution:- 1920 X 1080 Full HD.
• Aspect Ratio:- 16:10.
• Colors:- 16.7 Million colors.
• Viewing Angle:- 178º.
• Response rate:- 13ms.
• Pressure sensitivity:- 2048 levels.
• Tile sensitivity:- ±60.
• Suitable for left & right-handed people.
• Compatible with both Windows & Max OSX.
• Required operating systems:- PC: Windows®XP SP2, – Windows®Vista SP1, 7 (32/64 bits), 8. Mac: Mac OS X, v 10.5.8 and above
• Model number:- DTK-2400

Cintiq 24HD is the second largest Cintiq model Wacom has released as of the time of writing this article. While it is quite big & heavy, it is the last big Cintiq model that has Express Keys besides the screen. In this review, we will take a detailed look at all of its features, and with a simple comparisons with its siblings, the Cintiq 22HD & the Cintiq 27QHD, which I also reviewed in this blog.

The Screen

Cintiq 24HD features a large 24.1 inches screen with a full HD resolution of 1920 X 1080. While that is surely not the same as the resolution of the 27QHD Cintiq (reviewed here), it is still more than enough for many things. A good advantage of the not-so-high resolution is that icons can appear bigger, which can be a plus for some artists (this totally depends on your art software too).

The Cintiq 24HD screen is capable of producing 16.7 Million colors. And it has viewing angle of 178º, which is typical of Cintiq models nowadays.

Now, here is what the Cintiq 24HD is about when it comes to drawing, Cintiq 24HD features 2048 level of pressure sensitivity, which is more than enough for most artists. The Tile sensitivity of the Pro Pen is ±60, which is also typical in professional Wacom devices.

From the very first moment, you will notice the huge bezel of the screen. Which contains two mirrored sets of the express keys (more on that in its own section).

On the screen, there is a grain-like texture. Which cause a friction when you draw with the pen, something that some artists will appreciate. but if you are one of the artists that prefers to have a full glossy surface on your pen display, you may not like that. Either way, this grain make the screen look awful, which is one of the cons of the Cintiq 24HD. If this is your first Cintiq ever, then you may be able to get pass this issue.

When you are not using your Cintiq 24HD for drawing, you can use it as a stand-alone monitor if you like, giving how much desk space it needs. The big screen of Cintiq 24HD means that you will need to have some empty space in your desk to have it there.

The big drawing area in the screen makes it very ideal for drawing. Especially if you are the type to draw with your arm. As long you don’t mind working on a canvas-like situation, getting the Cintiq 24HD is fine. If you are the type to draw on smaller area, then the big area of Cintiq 24HD could be too much for you. Which in that case, I advise you to check out the Cintiq 13HD Touch instead, which could be more suitable to your needs, as well as much more affordable.

The Build Quality, Heat & Cables

Cintiq 24HD is, by far, the heaviest Cintiq model to date, it is even heavier than the newer Cintiq 27QHD, which features a larger screen and Express key Remote. The box itself is quite big, and to carry it to over your desk, you are likely going to need someone’s help.

When it comes to heat, Cintiq 24HD doesn’t get hot as older versions of the Cintiq. As for noise fan, the fans get a bit noisy after you turn it on, but that quickly subside after a very short while.

There are 3 cables that comes out of the box at the back of it, one for powering the Cintiq, one for video. And one for USB cord. These cables are replicable in case some damage happened to one of them.

Possible Scratches On Screen

After you keep using Cintiq 24HD for months & years, some scratches may develop on the surface of your Cintiq 24HD. These scratches are not serious, but in case you are afraid that this may harm your Cintiq, I recommended you try something along the line of Posrus screen protector, which can pretty much protect your Cintiq screen from all sorts of scratches.

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Click here to check out POSRUS Antiglare Touch Screen Protector for Wacom Cintiq 24HD Pen Display DTK2400 (Amazon US)
Click here to check out POSRUS Antiglare Touch Screen Protector for Wacom Cintiq 24HD Pen Display DTK2400

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The Cintiq 24HD Stand

Cintiq 24HD has a very unique stand. The stand has two arms at each side of the Cintiq, with tabs on each side, pressing on these to tabs at the same time allows you to tilt the Cintiq forward or backward. The stand also allows you to bring your whole Cintiq forward to the edge of your desk, where you could lean on and work to your heart content.

The stand allows for many other position for your Cintiq 24HD. Like, you can set it to be upright like a canvas, or tilt it a little bit backward. Or set it close to flat on the top of your desk, depending on your needs.

Note:- In case you don’t want to change your desk, or in case what the Wacom stand for Cintiq 24HD, which I will talk about shortly, doesn’t suit your needs. I will talk about Ergotron arm stand later in this review.

The Cintiq 24HD stand doesn’t allow you to spin or rotate screen like the one that comes with the Cintiq 22HD does.

As I mentioned earlier, you may need a new desk or something to benefit from the stand, one that can withstand the big weight of this Cintiq. That particularly goes for in case you have a small desk.

Display Connectors, Display Adapters & USB

Cintiq 24HD supports both DVI or display port. Which works for a variety of computers on the market, in case you have a computer that has a mini DisplayPort, HDMI or another port, you pretty much need to order an adapter of some sort to connect it to your computer.

In case you are using an iMac, which contains a mini DisplayPort only, I pretty much recommend this adapter:-

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StarTech.com MDP2DVID Mini DisplayPort to DVI Dual-Link Active USB Powered Adapter
StarTech.com MDP2DVID Mini DisplayPort to DVI Dual-Link Active USB Powered Adapter
StarTech.com MDP2DVID Mini DisplayPort to DVI Dual-Link Active USB Powered Adapter

In case your computer offers HDMI only, I pretty much recommend the following HDMI to DVI-D adapter:-

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StarTech.com 8in HDMI to DVI-D Video Cable Adapter – HDMI Male to DVI Female – HDMI to DVI Dongle Adapter Cable
StarTech.com 8in HDMI to DVI-D Video Cable Adapter – HDMI Male to DVI Female – HDMI to DVI Dongle Adapter Cable
StarTech.com 8in HDMI to DVI-D Video Cable Adapter – HDMI Male to DVI Female – HDMI to DVI Dongle Adapter Cable

Cintiq 24HD has one USB port, which is handy to connect a USB device quickly while you are working, like a flash drive or something.

Ergotron Arm

While the Cintiq 24HD stand from Wacom has some very nice positions, is not suitable for all artists need, and it is definitely not as much comfortable as Ergotron Arms, which is one of the best things to get along with the Cintiq.

But as I said earlier, the Cintiq 24HD is the heaviest Cintiq model in the market. Which mean that Ergotron LX Arm, which had more movement, but supports less weight, is totally not an option here. The same goes for the MX arms, which supports more weight, but still not enough for this Cintiq.

While some artists may report they were able to hook up their Cintiq to an Ergotron arm that doesn’t support its weight. The weights Ergotron recommended it done so that the arm will work for up to 5 years. While the arm may work for you right way, it may not work for them for as long as Ergotron guarantee. And according to Ergotron, using the arm that way automatically void the warranty of your arm.

So I was about to conclude that using Ergotron arm with Cintiq 24HD was not possible, but after doing some research, I found a solution in Ergotron’s forum, and it is to use the Side-By-Side Arm, which supports two monitors, each one is 20lb each, and to attach both arms to the back of your Cintiq 24HD.

According to the thread in the forum, the solution doesn’t work out of the box, but at least this is something for those who really want to use their Cintiq 24HD for it. You may need to get the Ergotron adapter set for all the tools you need to do that. You will need some M5 bolts & locking nuts or M6 tap.

The desk needed to be sturdy enough to withstand the pressure that will be applied to it from the arm.

While this is all nice & all, according to Ergotron, you still need to do this at your own risk, I only added the example here to save you the time from having to google everything yourself.

The arm may not allow you to rotate the Cintiq 24HD to your heart content, but this is still much better than not having a solution at all.

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Express Keys & Touch Rings

The Cintiq 24HD has 1 touch ring on each side, a bunch of similar & mirrored express keys are on each side, each set of buttons can be customized separately. Which mean you have 10 Express Keys & two touch ring in total.

As with the case with all the professional Wacom devices, the hot keys are application specific, which mean you could customize the buttons separately for each application you use.

One problem for having mirrored buttons could mean you won’t be using half of them easily, as you will be holding the pen & drawing with one hand. This is a problem they solved by making the remote of the 27QHD model, which you could hold with the hand you are not drawing with.

The Pro Pen

The Cintiq 24HD comes with standard Pro Pen. The pen comes with 10 nibs, 6 of them are standard nibs, 3 are felt nibs, and one is stroke.

The Pro Pen has two buttons on its side, which can be customized in a similar fashion to the express keys.

Cintiq 24HD VS Cintiq 27QHD?

Kindly find a little comparison between Cintiq 24HD and the Cintiq 27QHD. This comparison is not meant to be comprehensive, but I hope it will help you in case you are split between the two:-

• The Cintiq 27QHD weights much less than the Cintiq 24HD, which makes attaching it to an Ergotron arm much easier.
• The Cintiq 27QHD has Express Key remote, which mean you can use more Express Key using one hand, as opposed to using two hands in case of the Cintiq 24HD.
• Cintiq 27QHD has more drawing space.
• The 27QHD has higher resolution than Cintiq 24HD.

Click here for a full review of Cintiq 27QHD.

Cintiq 24HD VS Cintiq 22HD?

Now here is a quickly comparison between Cintiq 24HD & its counterpart, Cintiq 22HD:-

• The Cintiq 22HD weights less compared to Cintiq 24HD, making it easier to mount on an Ergotron arm.
• Cintiq 22HD is generally less expensive.
• Cintiq 22HD has a smaller screen which can be a plus depending on your need & desk space.
• Cintiq 22HD has a less flexible stand, in my opinion the Cintiq 24HD’s stand is superior, but that’s totally fine in case you plan to use an Ergotron arm with your Cintiq 22HD from the very beginning.
• 22HD also has an awful anti-glare texture on it, the 24HD also has that problem.
• The Cintiq 24HD resolution (1920 X 1200) is a bit higher, as opposed to the Cintiq 22HD’s, which is 1920 X 1080

As long you have the money, I pretty much recommend the Cintiq 24HD in case you want the better model among the two.

Click here to read my full Cintiq 22HD Review.

The Cintiq 24HD Touch

Just like the case with the other Cintiq models nowadays, Cintiq 24HD has a touch version that supports multi-touch capabilities, like pinch-to-zoom and canvas rotation. Touch can also be useful to speed up your work flow, as it can be an easy way to switch the tool you are using in your art program, or to even to paint or mix colors with your finger, just like you could do in traditional painting. The on-screen keyboard allows you to type in a similar fashion to the iPad. Which can be useful for lighter tasks, like renaming layers and so on.

Besides touch, the touch version of Cintiq 24HD is capable of producing more 1 billion of colors. Which puts the screen of Cintiq 24HD’s screen to shame.

Now that’s all nice & all, the main problem with that is the price difference you need to pay for it, but in case you really need these features, I see no reason not to get that version.

And Finally

While some artists won’t like the texture on the screen, Cintiq 24HD is still a great way to create artworks. Depending on where you live, you may not be able to find a new one for cheap, but there is a chance you can find a used one in a good condition for a good price.

I hope you liked my Cintiq 24HD review, and see you again in another review.

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See Also

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