# Cintiq 13 HD Review



## QT Melon (Jul 14, 2013)

Hello fellow artists,

I am not sure if anyone is interested in this review because it is a higher end product, but I am in possession of the Cintiq 13HD. While I was ready to buy it, my parents had surprised me by asking if I wanted a Microsoft Surface Pro. While I initially looked for a portable sketching tablet, I've found myself often frustrated with tablets as on the go sketching devices. I also have enough tablets as is - an iPad, Kindle and 2 Motion computing slate PCs (I am going to probably sell those). I even tried getting some of those pens to work with my iPad and it just didn't feel right. The pressure sensitivity was off, or I felt a lack of shortcuts disrupted my work flow. The Tablet PCs used Wacom technology but I can feel the difference in pressure. The screen often made me feel more tired when working on it. I also have several intuos tablets and when sketching/inking I always felt a disconnect whereas painting wasn't as bad. In later years I developed RSI so sketching became worse for me on a computer.







I actually saved up to get a cintiq (I will save up for a bigger one), but since my parents asked if I wanted the Surface Pro, I opted for a Cintiq 13HD instead. I use a laptop as well as a desktop and the small form factor of the 13HD made it appealing. The cintiq 13HD is just about the size of a medium intuos 4 or 5 tablet. It weighs a little over 2 1/2 lbs. The resolution is a whopping 1920x1080, which most average end laptops will go 1366x768. 






Preparation.

For those who don't know the Cintiq has a 3 way cable. One cable is part of the connector to a power cord. The second connector is to a USB port which you plug into the computer. For best performance, plug it directly into your computer and not a hub. The last cable is something of a problem for laptop users. HDMI. If your computer doesn't have an HDMI port you need to buy an adaptor. I had the lowest of the low - VGA. I had purchased the Sewell Hammerhead which also takes up USB power to use with the laptop. My desktop was not an issue.

In addition to an adapter, the other part you want to prepare for is a smudge glove or screen protector - possibly both. I purchased a screen protector for the Cintiq, and in order to not have so many bubbles I had to do a wet application. I used my LCD cleaner and sprayed the end, while carefully getting rid of the excess liquid with a credit card. It took some patience but paid off.

Setting up.

Even if you have the latest driver for the intuos, you need to reinstall the driver so that the cintiq can be properly calibrated. My intuos preferences were wiped out in the process with my laptop installation (fortunately I kept a backup). My mistake was not realizing this and plugging in the tablet. Frustration ahoy! This is mainly due to the fact I am left handed. I was trying to get the tablet to properly display the orientation in conjunction of how I use the express keys. After reinstalling the driver and going to the preferences of telling it I use my left hand. I also had to tell windows to display the monitor "Landscape Flipped" though how you may want to display the screen may vary. I may end up using it portrait style for some pictures. 

The other part of setting up is making sure your monitors are calibrated. My cintiq displayed yellowness out of the box. Once I went into Windows and had gone to Advanced tab of the selected display, I told it which color profile to use. 






First impressions after setup.

This is an impressive piece of hardware even before the setup, the tablet feels sturdy. Some people have complained the connecting cable to the Cintiq is flimsy but I have not experienced that issue on the latest driver. The plug stays in and I don't have and flickering displays. I still feel Wacom treats left handed people as the red headed step child, but once I was able to go over that hurdle, I am happily using the cintiq as a secondary/extended display instead of the primary. 

The Sewell is doing its job remarkably. The Hammerhead is warmer than my laptop or cintiq. There is very little heat from the display, I've played with it for hours to see if it would get warmer. The predecessor - 12wx was often rather warm.  

The display - beautiful. The Cintiq will display in its native 1920x1080 resolution and works well with the Intel Graphics HD drivers that are part of my laptop. The panel is IPS so no color shifting/blacking out at certain angles. There have been others complaining about the brightness, but I don't work in a very bright environment when doing digital so I haven't had any issues personally. It's easy on my eyes. The pixel density is also very nice. Very crisp image quality. 

The response time is very good. Now there is lag when doing quick strokes, but it's nothing I felt worried about. I am currently working with Easy Paint Tool Sai, but I may give more reviews on CS6 and Corel Painter. Because the unit is so light, you don't need rotation shortcuts since you are simply able to turn the Cintiq in your lap. It comes with a stand but I've been using it in my lap much more when I'm on the laptop and the desktop I still haven't figured out my sweet spot just yet. The stand is very lightweight but more rugged than I initially thought.

The Pen. Wacom needs to produce newer units with this pen. I thought the pen was one of the best parts of this tablet. It's lighter than the intuos 4 and 5 pens, but all 3 versions can be used on this Cintiq. This is actually a bonus if you have the later models of intuos because it means you can program each pen with tool ID. It also comes with a nice case






The Express Keys. I actually love the express keys. I think when you're right handed it may make more sense to use the keyboard because the shortcut keys are set up for more right handed use. So this disrupts my workflow as a left handed person. I use the express keys because instead. Now I understand that because they need to pack a lot of stuff onto a smaller lightweight unit some things will be left out. One thing I miss sorely is the touch ring. I'm sure many people who have seen the product photos think it is still there. It is not. It's a 4 way rocker ring with one key in the middle. In addition instead of 8 express keys like the medium intuos you only have 4. So you have to think wisely on the shortcuts. One shortcut you need is the Display Toggle. So I am a bit disappointed with the express keys. Some parts I do not need, like rotate since I can turn the tablet - but zooming especially on a smaller size screen is a must, and not all programs are programmed to use the scroll as zoom. 

I do notice lag or some hiccups with Display Toggle, sometimes the tablet will not focus on the right screen, and because I have custom shortcuts on my express keys on a per program basis I've noticed at times the wrong key is hit even when it appears I'm in the right program.


Overall Thoughts.

I really really love this tablet despite some of the flaws and problems I encountered. I feel much better using this tablet than any tablet PC or other device on screen. The smaller form factor helps with portability especially for laptop users but I know it is a high price since it's $999 USD. However, if you're looking into a more tactile response and plan on drawing a lot this can be a worthwhile investment for those with limited space. You can justify it as being part monitor and part tablet all in one for dorms that use a laptop. 

The high resolution is good, and even though it has only 75% of the Adobe 1998 gamut, it's still rather reliable. I have been told the pixel density is better than the larger HD Cintiqs that are currently out. 

This tablet will not make you a better artist if you aren't going to put in the time. I know people who have jobs that pay well and would buy devices like this thinking the new toy will make them draw more and only to collect dust in the corner. 

If anyone has any questions about the performance of the Cintiq or other stuff - (no sorry not for sale nor my other tablets) I hope I will be able to answer.

Sorry for wasting anyone's time if they didn't feel this was a balanced review.


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