As a long-time Wacom graphics tablet user, I was thrilled when the first touchscreen Cintiq was launched several years ago, imagining how easy it would be to work pen-on-display rather than relying on hand-eye coordination with an Intuos tablet. Then I saw the price.
Enter the more affordable Cintiq 12WX, one of three touchscreen tablets from Wacom. The 12WX is small, lightweight and wide enough to fully mirror the screen of my 15-inch MacBook Pro. The smallest of the current Cintiq family (and, at $999, the lowest priced), features a 12.1-inch TFT display, programmable keys, two touchstrips, in addition to compatibility with several different Wacom pens.
At 4.4 pounds, including the video unit that connects the tablet to the computer, it’s certainly lightweight enough to pack with your laptop for an out-of-town shoot, although you’ll need extra room for power adapter, cables and cords. Designed to be placed on a desktop flat or angled with its built-in stand, the display tablet—which comes with a 6.5 foot cord—can even be used in your lap. Photographers who like to spread out their work area can also use the 12WX as a secondary monitor, although I much prefer using it as a graphics tablet.
Extras, Extras
PC and Mac compatible (including Vista and Leopard), the tablet comes with everything you need to get started including a pen with several tips and two display connectors (one each for DVI and VGA). You’ll need an adapter if you have an Apple ADC or mini-VGA connection.
In addition to a printed manual and installation CD with an electronic software manual, the tablet is bundled with an application DVD containing full versions of Adobe Photoshop Elements (5.0 for Windows; 4.0 for Mac), Corel Painter Essentials 3.0, Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 IE, and Wacom Brushes 3.0 (with 81 custom brushes). While the former two programs are a little lightweight for pros, the latter two—especially Nik Color Efex—may well become an integral part of your application toolset.
The tablet works with so many different applications that it’s impossible to list them here (you can find a list on www.wacom.com). Naturally, Adobe Photoshop CS3 is on the list but you’d be surprised at how many other software programs can be used with the Cintiq 12WX including Avid, Fireworks, Canvas and many others.
Take Time to Get It Right
Set-up is pretty straightforward as long as you don’t get frightened by the notion that you can fry your video card if you don’t follow the directions. Instructions are clearly illustrated so even newcomers to the graphics tablet world will breeze through connecting the power supply and cables.
After setting up my display preferences on the MacBook Pro so that the monitor on the Wacom display would mirror that of the laptop, I connected the table via USB and installed the Wacom Pen Driver. Everything worked like a charm although it took a little while to calibrate the display, program the pen, and customize the keys and touch strips. None of this was difficult since Wacom provides help along the way in the control panel and tool list. But it was time-consuming.
I placed the tablet in several different positions (once I cleared off my desk) and found that, for me, the best placement was flat, with a slight tilt provided by the massive September issue of Vogue magazine. The built-in stand, although it’s adjustable, was angled too acutely for me to work comfortably but that’s just a personal preference. I also spent a lot of time working with the tablet in my lap once I figured out how to arrange the assorted cables and power adapter so no one would trip over them.
When I first started using the tablet, I notice minor rippling, which was easily corrected but that’s really the only “problem” I encountered. The 12WX was responsive to every command and the only improvement I can think of is to have a third customizable touchstrip.
The Bottom Line
There’s a lot to love about the 12WX, above and beyond the convenience and ease of working directly on the screen with a pressure sensitive pen. The screen itself is bright, clear and reproduces color with the accuracy photographers need. Being able to customize the keys, touchstrips and pens allowed me to work more quickly, easily and accurately than with any other tablet or mouse—and that’s easily worth the 12WX’s price.
Pros: Direct pen-on-screen control for comfort, speed and ease of use; wide variety of customizable controls; bright and clear display; compatible with a wide range of software applications
Cons: 12.1-inch screen may be too small for some photographers who might want to opt for the larger 20WSX or 21UX; can be time-consuming to customize; too many cords and cables to be truly portable
Correction: Review initially said screen had 1600 x 1800 resolution. The 12WX's resolution is 1280 x 800.
Price: $999
Further information: Wacom
