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Screen protectors

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Overview

Screen protectors are protective sheets of some material (usually plastic) that cover the glass of your pen display and prevent certain kinds of damage.

If you are looking for protection for other kinds of devices go here: Surface protection

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Laminated does NOT mean "screen protector"

This is a persistent point of confusion. People sometimes think a screen with "lamination" means there is a screen protector. Or vice-versa.

Lamination in the context of drawing tablets means that the glass is bonded to the display panel with some optically-clear adhesive. It has NOTHING TO DO with something sitting on top of the glass. More here: lamination.

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Characteristics

  • Transparency - Screen protectors must, of course, be transparent. Make sure you verify any protector you buy is intended for use with a tablet with a screen.

  • Anti-glare - Screen protectors usually offer some amount of ant-glare treatment. Screen protectors vary in how much of this treatment they have. And some deliberately offer low or no AG treatment at all.

    • A side affect of anti-glare treatment is: AG sparkle. Some people are very sensitive to the amount of sparkle. So factor that into your choice. More here: anti-glare sparkle.

  • Parallax - Parallax increases when the distance increases from the tip of the pen from the display panel. In practice these protectors are incredibly thin and the actual parallax increase is very very small and I've never heard anyone complain about the small bit of additional parallax they add. See: parallax.

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Pre-installed screen protectors

Some pen displays arrive with a screen protector already on top of the glass.

You'll often see these pre-installed protectors listen in table specs like this:

  • anti-glare film

  • matte film

Here's an example for the Huion Kamvas 13 (GS1333).

However, be aware that sometimes the screen protector is not listed even if the tablet has one. In this case you'll need to contact support or other users of the tablet.

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Replacing pre-installed screen protectors

It MAY be possible to replace pre-installed screen protector. This is useful if the screen protector itself gets scratched.

Note that:

  • Some tablets are designed to have the screen protector removed relatively easily

  • Some tables are designed to have the screen protector be permanent and they are difficult to remove. And removing might even cause you to accidentally damage the glass.

Contact your manufacturer to see if they sell replacement films.

Examples:

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3rd-party screen protectors

If your tablet manufacturer does not make a screen protector, then you do have 3rd-party options.

This list comes from ones I have tested to some degree (Photodon) and those suggested by users on reddit posts. I don't use any of these screen protectors personally. So, please research thoroughly before you buy.

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Should you get a screen protector for your tablet?

Tablets with screens are expensive. I understand the need to protect your investment.

My guidance is this. If you are concerned about scratching your tablet, then it makes sense to get a screen protector - even if the benefit is just your peace of mind.

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What to look for in a screen protector

  • If your tablet did not come with a screen protector, then it presumably has an etched glass surface which provides an anti-glare effect.

    • If you get a screen protector, you may want a clear one - so that you aren't adding TWO layers of AG effect.

    • On the other hand, I've seen some people report that putting a clear screen protector on etched glass can reduce the amount of AG effect.

  • Some 3rd party screen protectors offer a "sample pack". So try a small sample before you commit to a full protector.

  • It can be super difficult to apply a screen protector and avoid air bubbles and dust. Have someone who is good at this help you or do it for you.

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Using screen protectors with pen tablets

Screen protectors are intended to work with tablets that have screens. However nothing prevents them from being used with pen tablets (screenless tablets). In fact, many people use them exactly this way to preserve the surface of their pen tablet.

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Links

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