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Das Zeichenbrett der Designer: Das Wacom Cintiq 24HD

An jeden Designer, Grafiker, Architekt oder Modellierer, schmeißt euer Papier weg, falls ihr noch damit arbeiten solltet - dieses Wacom Tablett ist das perfekte Zeichenwerkzeug für euren Computer. Tom Lansford hat sich das Tablett mal angeschaut (engl.)

With nothing missing on the hardware side, the only limitations you will face are those of your software.

The tablet specialist, Wacom, is the reference when looking for a quality tablet. The Cintiq line integrates the display and tablet making the touch and response of tablet technology work like your old drawing board. With the Cintiq 24HD, Wacom provides a tool so that you can forget about every using paper again.

The first thing to notice about the 24HD is the size – in a world of miniaturization it is a pleasant surprise to take the 30 kg Cintiq tablet out of the box and to put it in place for working. As Pixologic's Thomas Roussel told CADplace “this is huge” - he went on to say that it wasn't a “monster”, but indeed it is a monster – and that is a very good attribute when it comes to this tablet.

The reason being that we want a real drawing board. The 24HD has a great stand which allows it to be positioned, easily, in any convenient way to facilitate drawing. The integrated 24 inch high-resolution display makes the working surface comfortably large for stylists, designers, and architects.

Tablet technology is first class with the Cintiq 24HD. The device supports 2048 levels of pressure, is sensitive to a very light touch, and has a nice 60° range of stylus rotation.

Technical specifications

  • Weight: 29.0 kg, incl. stand; 13.7 kg, excl. stand
  • Stand: flexible positioning
  • Type: a-SI Active Matrix TFT LCD (H-IPS)
  • Screen Size: 61 cm (24.1")
  • Display Area (W x D): 518 mm x 324 mm
  • Resolution: WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200 Pixel)
  • Brightness: 190 cd/m²
  • Contrast Ratio: 550:1
  • Response Rate: 13 ms
  • Dimensions (W x D x H): 769 mm x 463 mm x 64 mm
  • Active area Pen (W x D): 518 mm x 324 mm
  • Tilt sensitivity: ± 60°
  • Maximum reading height with pen: 5 mm
  • No. of ExpressKeys: 10, 5 on each side of tablet
  • Touch Strip controller: no
  • Touch Ring controller: 2, at the left and the right side of tablet

Yes, the stand is rock-solid and the display / tablet technology means that you never need your old drawing board again. Yet, one of the beautiful features with the 24HD is running your current system with multiple monitors. The 24 inch drafting-table display is perfect for Adobe illustrator or Sketchbook while at the same time your existing monitor handles all your other tasks. You will be much more productive while designing, and also for the rest of your working day. At CADplace I used the system in a dual monitor configuration and was delighted whether sketching or editing.

Numerous, programmable controls are mirrored on both sides of the display – a practical touch for right-handed and left-handed designers. The tablet uses an on-screen keyboard which allows you to stow away the keyboard when the bulk of your work is in drawing and design. Across the top are buttons to turn on & off the on-screen keyboard, open the tablet configuration, etc.

Setup :

Once the tablet is in place, the back of the base opens and you will see the various connection possibilities – a USB cable for control and, for example, a DVI, Display Port, or HDMI cable for the display. The software installation is predictably simple – CD loaded, software installation done in a couple of minutes. After which the tablet setup & configuration software allows you to calibrate the tablet and customize the commands.

Working with the tablet is a dream. It is sensitive to less than a gram of pressure. The natural feel of the stylus while drawing is well-balanced. With the modern design and drawing tools available today, almost any configuration you require for your work is possible which allows for the maximum ease of design and increased productivity.

The price of the table comes in just a bit over 2000€. Thomas Roussel at Pixologic personally estimates his productivity gains to be much better than 10%, but to take his modest estimate of 10% better productivity for the return on investment calculation, that will give you extra one day of work every 2 weeks. Calculate how much your work day is worth and you can quickly estimate your own ROI for this tablet.