For many years now, I have been using Adobe Illustrator to create illustrations and digital art. Choosing the Best Tablet for Illustrator can speed up and revolutionize how you experience your overall vector illustration and graphic design using Adobe Illustrator.
Unlike using a mouse or a touchpad, a tablet stylus gives a great natural pen-to-paper-like kind of feel that will make your work comfortable and obviously come out great.
However, choosing the best tablet in a field where many brands have come up is not easy, especially for beginners.
7 Best Tablet for illustrators
- Wacom Cintiq 22 best Wacom tablet for adobe illustrator
- Apple iPad Pro Best iPad for Illustrator
- Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra Best Android Tablet for Illustrator
- XP-PEN Artist Pro Pen Display: Best Drawing Tablet for Illustrator with Screen
- XenceLabs Pen Tablet Medium Best drawing tablet for Illustrator
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is the Best value for the money
- Wacom Intuos is Small Cheapest tablet for illustrators
Wacom Cintiq 22 Best tablet for adobe illustrator
- Display Size: 21.5 inches
- Resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080
- Pen: Wacom Pro Pen 2
- Pen Pressure Levels: 8192
- Connectivity: USB, HDMI
- Tablet Type: Graphic Tablet (Computer Required)
Wacom is one of the most respected brands in the art tablet industry. They have a wide range of tablets that you can use with Illustrator. From their line of tablets, Wacom Cintiq 22 is my favorite for illustrators.
It features a large display size and a nice full HD resolution that is perfect for digital art. The Wacom Cintiq 22 works with Wacom Pro Pen 2 which is a professional-level pen.
One downside with this tablet however is that it needs to be connected to a computer to use. This is because although it comes with a nice large inbuilt screen, it lacks a computer to install the software.
You will have to connect to a computer to use it. Just like any other large-size tablet, you will have to buy a stand for a comfortable user experience.
Apple iPad Pro Best iPad for Illustrator
- Display Size: 12.9 inches
- Resolution: 2732 x 2048 Pixels With Liquid Retina Display
- Pen: Apple Pencil 2 (Separate)
- RAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 128 GB to 2 TB
- Processor: Apple M2 Chip
- Brightness Levels: 600 Nits
- Connectivity: Thunderbolt 4, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
- Battery Life: up to 10 hours
- Tablet Type: Standalone Tablet (No Computer Required)
If you need a tablet that you can install software and use without a computer, the Apple iPad Pro is your best pick.
This tablet is currently the best in the market, thanks to its powerful performance and top features. The screen on this tablet is smaller than the Wacom Cintiq 22 but features a higher resolution and unique Liquid Retina display technology that makes it crisp and clear.
High Brightness levels will allow you to easily use this tablet in high-light environments such as outdoors or in studio setups.
Being a premium-level tablet, however, makes this tablet pricey and not a budget option. Additionally, it does not come with a pen and you will have to buy it separately, further increasing the price.
Apple iPad Pro is compatible with Apple Pencil 2 which like Wacom Pro Pen 2 is an industry standard and one of the best you can buy.
Overall this is a premium multipurpose tablet that will surely give value for money. It has its fair share of shortcomings among them being that it runs on an iOS system which is a little complicated for beginners.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra Best Android Tablet for Illustrator
- Display Size: 14.6 inches
- Resolution: 1848 x 2960 pixels AMOLED screen
- Pen: Samsung Galaxy S Pen
- RAM: 12 GB
- Storage: 256 GB
- Processor: Apple M2 Chip
- Brightness Levels: 354 Nits
- Battery Life: up to 10 hours
- Tablet Type: Standalone Tablet (No Computer Required)
An Android tablet easily overcomes the price and complicated system found on the iPad. It also works independently of a computer unlike the Wacom Cintiq 22.
The new Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra is the best Android Tablet for illustrators. After years of trial and error searching for the best iPad Pro alternative, finally here is one with massive potential.
A larger AMOLED screen and high resolution sets apart this tablet from the bunch. It comes with a 14.6-inch size screen slightly larger than the iPad Pro at 12.9 inches.
The resolution is lower and less clear than the iPad but is still perfect for all your needs in Adobe Illustrator. It features lower brightness levels compared to the iPad but will still work perfectly in a fair amount of high-light conditions.
RAM and processors match up for fast lag-free usage even when multitasking. Although it is a premium-level multipurpose tablet, its features, and prices are fairly balanced, especially considering that it comes with the professional Samsung S Pen.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra is a standalone tablet that you will install Illustrator directly without using a computer or laptop.
XP-PEN Artist Pro Pen Display: Best Drawing Tablet for Illustrator with Screen
- Display Size: 21.5 inches
- Resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080
- Color Gamut: sRGB:122%
- Tilt Recognition:+-60
- Battery Free Stylus
- Pen Pressure Levels: 8192
- Connectivity: USBC-C to USBC-C
- Tablet Type: Graphic Tablet (Computer Required)
Wacom Cintiq 22 is a great professional-level graphic tablet. It is, therefore, premium priced and a little expensive. If you still need a large screen but are on a budget then the XP-PEN Artist Pro is your best alternative.
It comes with a 21.5 inches screen size and Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixels display resolution similar to the more expensive Cintiq 22.
Additionally, the pen is very similar with both coming with +-60 tilt recognition and 8192 pen pressure levels. The pen is also battery-free and you will not have to keep charging.
Just like the Wacom Cintiq 22, this tablet must be connected to a computer to use and you will need to install Illustrator on your Laptop or desktop computer.
XenceLabs Pen Tablet Medium Best drawing tablet for Illustrator
- Display Size: 13 inches
- Tilt Recognition:+-60
- Battery Free Stylus
- Pen Pressure Levels: 8192
- Connectivity: Wireless or USB
- Tablet Type: Graphic Tablet (Computer Required)
XenceLabs Pen Tablet Medium is a new budget-friendly tablet that you can use for Illustrator. Just like the Wacom Cintiq 22 and XP-PEN Artist Pro, the XenceLabs Pen Tablet comes with a screen but no computer.
You must connect to a computer to use where you will install your Adobe Illustrator Software. The screen is slightly smaller at 13 inches, almost the same size as the Apple iPad Pro at 12.9 inches.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite Best value for money
- Display Size: 10.4 inches
- Resolution: 1200 x 2000 pixels
- Pen: Samsung Galaxy S Pen
- RAM: 4 GB
- Storage: 64 GB
- Processor: Exynos 9611
- Connectivity: Dual sim, 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi
- Battery Life: up to 10 hours
- Tablet Type: Standalone Tablet (No Computer Required)
A tablet with a computer and a screen is perfect for illustrators because it is fully portable and can be used outside of the office. However, the two mentioned in this review, Apple iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra, are premium and expensive.
If you need a budget-friendly cheap standalone tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is the best pick.
It is made with the same technology as the S8 Ultra and even comes with exactly the same S Pen only at a lower price. You will however forgo the large screen and resolution because it comes with only 10.4 inches screen and 1200×2000 Pixels resolution.
Although the screen will still work perfectly, this tablet is slower than the more powerful S8 Ultra and iPad Pro because of its low 4 GB RAM and weaker Exynos 9611 processor.
Despite the above shortcomings, it will still run Illustrator perfectly without problems.
Wacom Intuos is Small Cheapest tablet for illustrators
- Display Size: 7 inches
- Resolution: No screen
- Pen Pressure Levels: 4096
- Connectivity: Wired
- Tablet Type: Pen Tablet (Computer Required)
Wacom Intuos Small is the cheapest tablet for Adobe Illustrator that you can buy. It is the only drawing tablet under 100$ in this review.
The reason this tablet is very cheap is that it does not come with both a screen and a computer to install software. It is totally dependent on your computer for both a screen and space to store software.
Despite this, this tablet is the best beginner-level tablet and will work perfectly as you start before moving to more complex devices.
Best Tablet for illustrators
- Wacom Cintiq 22 best Wacom tablet for adobe illustrator
- Apple iPad Pro Best iPad for Illustrator
- Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra Best Android Tablet for Illustrator
- XP-PEN Artist Pro Pen Display: Best Drawing Tablet for Illustrator with Screen
- XenceLabs Pen Tablet Medium Best drawing tablet for Illustrator
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is the Best value for the money
- Wacom Intuos is Small Cheapest tablet for illustrators
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