This is a personal product review of the Wacom Cintiq 12WX. The product was purchased at my own expense, at discounted rate from a long time sponsor of natsunokoi.com. Views and opinions written here are of my own and not at all influenced by Wacom, Wacom Asia or the sponsor.

Today we are looking at the new Cintiq 12WX interactive pen display monitor from Wacom. I have been waiting for the day when Wacom releases a smaller version of the jaw dropping (and wallet crushing) 21-inch version of the Cintiq series - the Cintiq 21UX.

I have had some time working with the Cintiq 21UX some time ago. My complaints about it was that it was a little too large for my work table. When I draw on actual paper medium, I have the habit of rotating the paper around this way and that to accommodate certain drawing angles. The 21-inch Cintiq 21UX would not allow me to do that without making me buy a larger work table.

Now, with the Cintiq 12WX, I can finally place my hard earned cash into something that I will like. From the look and feel, it is small enough to remind me of my A4-sized sketch book. This is something I can place on my lap and doodle on! Imagine placing the Cintiq 21UX on your lap. *horror*

I would not go into comparing the technical specifications between the Cintiq 21UX and the 12WX. I have to point out certain things though.

The Cintiq 12WX has a higher contrast ratio as compared to the Cintiq 21UX (600:1 vs 550:1), it seems like a minor difference, but I have observed that the smaller Cintiq makes it easier to see colour gradients.

Another observation I have made is that the smaller Cintiq seems sharper compared to its larger cousin. I do not know the reason why, but it is there. Either that or I need a new pair of bi-focals.

After setting up the Cintiq 12WX and running the cables (DVI, USB and power; VGA available too) to the breakout box, I am a little annoyed at the rats’ nest of cables. I think I have to buy one of those cable organisers to neaten them up. The length of the cables is decent for a small work space, and I do not imagine it will be a problem in a larger work area.

After the installation of the Cintiq 12WX as a secondary monitor (and as an extended desktop), the USB drivers for the pen interface were installed. Installation was a breeze, but the installation start up program gave me a script error – maybe the installation launcher’s script was not written well? Minor problem though.

Calibrating the pen depends on your working angle. That is f you work with the Cintiq 12WX at an angle (with its leg frame out) or flat on the table, you have to calibrate the pen angle differently through the Wacom control panel applet. Your working surface and seating height apparently makes a difference as well.

That brings to mind the idea of portability. If I was to bring the Cintiq 12WX out, I need to recalibrate it. When I bring it home, I need to recalibrate it. Troublesome, but I think it is something to get used to. For me, it is going to stay home – hopefully not needing to recalibrate as much.

Since I have placed the Cintiq 12WX as an extended desktop, I set up Adobe Photoshop CS3’s main interface on my primary 21 inch Viewsonic LCD monitor. I can then create a new document and drag it over the Cintiq 12WX and maximise it there. I only need to get used to accessing the tools on the primary monitor and working on the Cintiq 12WX.

Drawing was very natural on the Cintiq 12WX, sans the slight resistance when drawing on traditional paper due to its texture.

I tried my hand at drawing an abstract of a scene depicting the entry way to the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. Painting the abstract using the Cintiq 12WX felt like I was painting with gauche using a semi dry brush for some reason. I could afford to paint as freely as I could when using traditional painting mediums – relying on simple brush selections and pressure control.

In comparison to using my old Wacom Intuos2 tablet (non-screen), the Cintiq 12WX felt way more natural to me. The instant visual feedback as I drew definitely made drawing much more efficient and easier to accomplish. The absence of pen resistance was a little alien to me, as I am used to drawing on traditional paper medium – even the old Wacom Intuos2 drawing tablet had a slight resistance on the pen due to the texture on the tablet’s plastic cover.

When using the Cintiq 12WX, I feel efficient and confident. With this, I think I can draw like a speed demon. That certainly begs the question whether I can illustrate my comics at a faster rate than before. I can hear the collective holding of breath. *laugh*

In conclusion, I will definitely use the Cintiq 12WX for my future illustrative works as much as I can. The size of the Cintiq 12WX made it so comfortable to work with, the instant visual feedback definitely helps as well. Price-wise, the Cintiq 12WX goes for about SGD 1,999 and the Cintiq 21UX goes for about SGD 4,890 – I definitely feel the Cintiq 12WX is the better buy. Yes, I am biased – I love the ability to place the Cintiq 12WX on my lap to draw and the fact that it is being retailed at a highly affordable price even for non professional graphic artists.

Perhaps by getting more usage time with my new purchase, I am able to share more personal opinions of the Cintiq 12WX in the future. I will definitely update this article as time goes by – as my love for my Cintiq 12WX grows!

I wish to express my thanks to my sponsor, The Software Boutique, for making the acquisition of the Cintiq 12WX a reality.

First written on 18 April 2008.