Overview

Drawing tablets that have an embedded display panel and those display panels have maximum typical brightness. You have been exposed to many display panels in televisions in phones and watches. Here I'd like to set your expectations about what you're going to experience in terms of brightness for drawing tablets.

Measurement

Brightness is measured in cd/m2 (Candela per square meter) but that is hard to type so man people use the equivalent unit of nit.

Lighting conditions

The environment you are using the tablet in greatly affects the brightness you need. Below is my take on what you need under different conditions

What you can expect from drawing tablets

Overall, display panels for drawing tablets fall in the range of 200 to 400 nits.

• Many are within the range 220 to 250 nits.

• Only a few are >= 300 nits.

Distribution of brightness values

Here is the distribution of brightness values for pen displays released on 2020 or later.

Top 10 brightest pen displays

Includes only those pen displays that have been released since 2020

Fan noise

A few tablets (only Wacom as far as I know) have fans. And these fans help to keep their brighter displays cool. The fan noise can be disturbing for some people. For others it doesn't matter.

Companion video

Because this is a visible phenomenon, watching the video I made on this topic may be a good starting point.

Reducing the anti-glare sparkle

Overview

To prevent reflections and room lighting from interfering with your drawing experience, manufacturers of pen displays provide an anti-glare treatment.

The treatment comes in two forms:

• anti-glare etched glass

• anti-glare film

The physics of the anti-glare treatment produces an effect called anti-glare sparkle (AG sparkle).

AG sparkle is hard to describe in words, but overall it will look like a grainy look.

What it looks like

Photographing it or filming it is very tricky.

Depending on the camera settings...

• the effect can disappear

• the sparkle can look very different from what your eyes see.

• you might notice it more with some colors than others

Example 1

The the pictures below show screens that are showing black, white, and gray pixels.

The one on the right represents an mor extreme example . You can clearly see that different "color grains"

Example 2

It could also look like this - this is a very close up view

Example 3

I found this in a reddit post. The AG sparkle is everywhere but is most noticeable in the green area.

How manufacturers refer to the AG treatment

Huion Kamvas Pro 24 (4K) [GT2401]

XP-Pen Artist Pro 16TP [MD160U]

Wacom One [DTC133]

Buying a tablet

You MUST research AG sparkly for any tablet you are intend to buy.

I see many people buy tablets and not realize the AG sparkle might be present. And so they get very frustrated with their purchase.

DO NOT rely on photos provided by the manufacturer. These photos never show AG sparkle. It's probably not even deliberate that AG sparkle isn't shown because it is very tricky to photograph.

You need to ask people who use the tablet if the tablet exhibits the effect and how much the effect is visible.

Prevalence

AG sparkle is varies depending on the model of pen display.

All pen displays that I know of will have some amount of it because they all have some kind of anti-glare treatment.

Contributing factors

Your perception of AG sparkly will be affected by several factors.

• The nature of anti-glare treatment. Some tablets models in general seem to use a very intense AG treatment and others have a much milder treatment.

• The distance between your eyes and the tablet. What might be strongly noticeable at 1 few inches might be essentially invisible at a normal drawing distance.

• The pixels-per-inch (PPI) of the display.

High Pitch (PPI) displays

High-pitch means lots of pixels per inch (PPI).

For example:

• 4K on a 27" pen display has a pitch of 163.7 PPI

• 4K on 16" pen display gives a pitch of 281.4 PPI

AG Sparkle will appear more on high-pitch displays

If the same exact AG treatment is used on those two displays you will notice it more on the 16" display.

Removing the Anti-glare sparkle

AG Etched Glass

I don't know of any way to remove the anti-glare sparkle if it is due to etched glass.

However, some people have had luck reducing the sparkle by adding a film on top of the AG glass.

Here is an example:

AG Film

Tablets with replaceable AG films

Tablets without replaceable AG films

If the tablet's film is not designed to be removed, you could still do it, but I think you might risk damaging the glass. If you do pursue this route, try to find someone who did this before and learn from their experience.

Removing the AG film without replacing it

Reddit threads

References

Overview

Lamination in the context of a display is the removal of an air gap between the display and the sheet of glass above it. The benefits of lamination are improved parallax and preventing things from getting between the glass and the display.

The air gap

Especially in older models of pen displays and pen computers, there is an air gap between the display panel and the glass. This air gap itself is another source of parallax.

A laminated display removes the air gap and replaced it with an optically clear adhesive layer. This layer because of optical properties and because it can be thinner than the air gap it replaced also thus reduces the parallax.

It is always preferable to by a drawing tablet that has a laminated display.

Benefits of lamination

The most obvious benefit of lamination and the removal of the air gap is that it can improve parallax.

However, it can also prevent a things from getting between the glass and display panel such as:

• moisture

• dust and other particles

Resources

Overview

Also called "Matte film", anti-glare film glass is one of two popular treatments the glass surface of a pen display. (The other is called ).

This film is affixed to the glass underneath with some optically clear adhesive.

Benefits

Anti-glare film provides two benefits

• It reduces glare and reflections due to light hitting the tablet. The film does this my scattering that light.

• It adds some texture which helps the pen grip better - without this the pen would feel slippery on the glass

• As a film, it provides some protection to the glass underneath.

• Some films are designed can be removed and replaced. So if you've scratched up the film, you can restore the table to its original feeling.

Removal and replacement

For SOME tablets, these films are intended to be removed by the user. Some manufacturers even sell replacement films. These films, tend to be easily removed.

For SOME tablets, these films are quite firmly attached to the glass and are not easily removed.

If you remove the film, you'll notice typically that the display will look brighter and the colors more vibrant, however:

• you'll notice glare

• And of course the glass is no longer protected from scratches

Films are NOT lamination

Sometime people confuse these films with lamination. They are very different and have different benefits:

• These films are on TOP of the glass

• Lamination means that the glass is bonded UNDERNEATH to the display panel

So it is quite possible to have a pen display that has BOTH a film AND is laminated.

Introduction

Just like a monitor a pen display contains a display panel with a native display resolution.

Monitors tend to have a large variety of resolutions, but pen displays have just 3:

• 2K (aka HD) = 1920x1080

• 2.5K = 2560x1440

• 4K = 3840x2160

Some considerations about the display resolution

Seeing pixels

• Some people are very sensitive to seeing pixels.

• When drawing on a pen display you'll be much closer to it than when you are using a monitor

• So you might notice the pixels more due to this proximity

Compatibility

The resolution with the least compatibility issues is 2K.

This format has the least issues with ports, cables, GPUs, adapters, etc.

As you start getting into higher resolutions, you have to be more careful about compatibility and ensure everything is going to work.

For example:

• Not all HDMI cables support 4K

• Some laptops struggle to support an external 4K display

• Macintoshes have difficulty supporting 2.5K resolutions

• Some systems support the higher resolutions but not a high-enough refresh rate. For example one of my laptops supports 4K but only at 30Hz instead of the standard 60Hz.

Pixels-per-Inch at different diagonal sizes

You can find PPI values by using this tool: https://www.sven.de/dpi/

Picking between 2.5K vs 4K resolution

People often ask about picking between these two resolutions. Overall I think 2.5K is the best value for your money.

Especially at the 13" and 16" sizes, a 2.5K delivers a massive increase over 2K. After that the benefits are incremental.

Anti-glare sparkle

Given a specific physical size for a display panel, anti-glare sparkle is more noticeable on higher resolutions. See this document for more information: anti-glare sparkle.

Before you begin

You may want to familiarize yourself with this doc before you continue if you are not experienced connection options: Connecting a pen display to a computer

Overview

Sometimes the tablet needs to be connected to your computer through HDMI. This means that there's a cable coming from your tablet that has a “male” HDMI plug. And of course you then need a “female” HDMI receptacle.

“Plug” and “receptable” are the official terms, by the way 😊

However it is possible you can use another port.

Order of preference of ports for adapters

Not all ports are equally good for connecting to HDMI. Some you should try first because they will give you a better experience.

If you don't have an HDMI port you should try alternative ports in the order below.

• DisplayPort

• USB-C (remember not all USB-C ports support sending a display signal).

• DVI

• VGA

Adapter details

• DisplayPort to HDMI adapters

• USB-C to HDMI adapters

• DVI to HDMI adapters

• VGA to HDMI adapters

Check your requirements

You need to make sure your adapter supports the resolution and refresh rate that you want from you pen display.

General flakiness

Generally these adapters "just work". But sometimes there are odd quirks on some computers and they just don't work or not work correctly.

VGA is a very old display technology. You should use it as a last resort.

Quality: Because VGA is analog and must be converted to a digital signal for HDMI, it is possible you might see some degradation in quality.

Reddit threads:

https://www.reddit.com/r/wacom/comments/txxvrt/bought_a_wacom_cintiq_22hd_but_i_have_no_dvi_or/

Overview

A pen display will either one of two surfaces:

• Etched glass - glass that has an etched texture. Learn more here: etched glass

• Film - A thin film on plastic that sits on top of the glass. See anti-glare film.

The traditional thinking is that etched glass is better. You will see many "pro" tablets that have etched glass while their "consumer" counterparts have the film.

My view is that it is not so clear that etched glass is better. In some cases films have real advantages. In this document we'll discuss the merits of each.

Anti-glare sparkle

AMOUNT of Anti-glare sparkle - which is an undesirable effect - is present in both etched glass and films. And the amount is highly variable. It's not possible to say that either choices has less of the sparkle. You have to examine the specific etching or film used for a tablet.

Changing the etching

This is not possible. There is no known way to reduce the amount etching on glass.

Removing and replacing the film

For films, many tablets that do have films have removable films. And manufacturers even sell replacement films.

This is one flexibility that films have over etching.

• You can remove the film entirely

• If you scratch the film, you can replace the film.

• If you don't like some aspect of the film - maybe it has too much AG sparkle - you can buy a different film that has different properties. For example, Photodon sells films that have different amounts of AG effects. You can even get completely clear film.

NOTE: Some pen displays have very securely attached films, and it may be difficult to remove them.

Handling scratches

• Scratches in etched glass are permanent

• Films are clearly better at this since the films can be replaced.

Texture

Plain glass will feel slippery to draw on. Etched glass offers some texture and so too do films - so you will find that your pen grips the surface a bit better.

In my opinion the etched glass has a silghtly stronger texture feeling. The films tend to fill a little different. Both are better than plain glass.

Overview

The VAST majority of pen displays up to 60Hz.

Only a handful of pen displays support refresh rates of at least 120Hz.

Pen displays that support high refresh rates

As of Nov 2024, only a few pen displays support high refresh rates:

• Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 (DTH- 271) -> 120Hz

• Wacom Cintiq Pro 22 (DTH-172) -> 120Hz

• Wacom Cintiq Pro 17 (DTH-227) -> 120Hz

• XP-Pen Artist Pro 24 GEN2 165Hz (MD240QH) -> 165Hz

Do high refresh rates improve pointer lag?

Slightly.

I've tested several of these high-refresh-rate pen displays. Compared to a 60Hz pen display, the pointer lag visually seems improved by maybe 10% to my eyes. This indicates to me that pointer lag is driven by other latencies and rates in the system.

Overview

DVI is a bit of an older display protocol type. There are DVI-to-HDMI adapters on the market but I don't have a direct experience in using them.

If your computer has a DVI port:

• You need to know the "shape" of the DVI port (see below)

• And get a male DVI to female HDMI adapter that matches that port type

Example

Here's an example of such an adapter.

DVI port types

Videos:

• ZachEberly -DVI-D to HDMI Adapter TESTING! | Questions and Answers!! [2020]

Reddit threads

• /r/wacom - will this hdmi to dvi adapter work with a cintiq

Other resources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface

TLDR

Try to avoid using HDMI splitters if possible. If you need to use one, then understand the limitations and research before you buy one. But overall I recommend that you try the alternatives listed at the end of this document.

Summary

HDMI splitters are devices that take a single HDMI input and provide two HDMI outputs.

They can be very useful devices, but they are often misunderstood in the context of using pen displays. This doc will help clarify how and if you can use them.

Below is an example of a simple HDMI splitter. The male HDMI end goes to your computer. The two female HDMI ports are intended to connect to monitors, pen displays, etc. This splitter takes the signal from the computer and copies the two devices you have attached.

The problem

Often someone with a new pen display will need to connect it to their computer via HDMI.

In this situation they may have an HDMI port but it is already in use.

So, they wonder if an HDMI splitter can turn that 1 HDMI port into 2 HDMI ports. In a sense, that is exactly what an HDMI port does, but it may not do that in a way that is desirable.

What an HDMI splitter does

Physically an HDMI splitter will take a single HDMI port and then provide two HDMI ports.

However, it is important to understand that whatever input the HDMI splitter gets from the computer will ALWAYS be duplicated on the two HDMI ports.

In other words, if you were expecting to show two different things on your pen display and your monitor, then an HDMI port WILL NOT BE HELPFUL. It will always duplicate the exact same image.

If duplication is what you want then an HDMI will work for you.

Your computer thinks of the HDMI splitter as a single display

If you are an HDMI splitter, and you check your computer's settings you will see that it thinks only 1 display is connected. The computer has no idea that the signal is being split.

Native resolutions

Every display device has a native resolution.

It is typically best if the display signal they receive exactly that native resolution

If you pen display and monitor have different native resolutions and yet receive the same display signal, ALWAYS something weird will happen.

You may see an image on one of your displays that is:

• cropped

• smaller but with correct proportions

• smaller but with incorrect proportions - it will looks stretched in one dimension

• flickering

• etc.

Or you may not even see an image on one of them at all.

Refresh rate

Your HDMI splitter may not support the refresh rate you want. For example, some might only work at 4K resolution up to 30Hz. Verify refresh rate support before you buy a splitter.

Max resolution

HDMI splitters may not support the resolution of the display signal you want to send. You may want to send a 4K signal, but your HDMI splitter may only support up to 2.5K signal.

All HDMI splitters that I know of support at least 2K resolution (1920x1080)

General weirdness

Sometimes displays just don't like receiving a signal from an HDMI splitter and will show you a blank screen or some other problem.

Alternatives

Your computer may have other ports you can use.

If you have a DisplayPort port available, you can buy a DisplayPort to HDMI adapter. I use these often.

If you have a DVI port, you may be able to find an adapter that works. I don't have any experience with this.

If you have a USB-C port THAT SUPPORTS A DISPLAY SIGNAL, then you could buy a USB-C to- HDMI adapter. I have used one of these and found it to work, but it is flaky - working with some USB-C ports but not others.

Input lag

There are many threads on this, some linked below - and there isn't a clear consensus. Some claim that there is no additional lag, some claim it does. Overall I haven't noticed that splitters that I have personally used have introduce any lag into the signal.

• Do HDMI Splitters add LAG to your games ??? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-4IGVKkWvs

• https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/a015up/will_a_hdmi_switch_affect_my_fps/

• https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/2pbbwj/do_hdmi_splittersswitchers_add_intput_lag_or/

Definition

Parallax = an apparent inaccuracy in pen tracking due to physical separation of the display panel from the surface the tip of the pen is touching. The apparent inaccuracy will change as the position of your eyes changes relative to the pen on tablet.

Video

Parallax is discussed in great detail in this video (https://youtu.be/M4rEk_RNBrM)

Cause

The cause of parallax is a physical separation between the display panel and the tip of the pen. Whenever there is any distance between the two, some parallax will be introduced. The greater the separation, the greater the visual effect of the parallax.

In drawing tablets this is caused because there the glass that covers the display panel has some non-zero width.

Depending on where your eye is, the what you see the tip of the pen pointing to is different.

Compare this line of sight

To this one:

Clearly parallax makes you see different things.

Additional parallax can be introduced by:

• anti glare matte films that applied on top of the glass.

• protective films on top of the glass

• touch senser between the glass and the display panel

Reducing parallax

The way to reduce parallax is to minimize the distance between the tip of the pen and the display panel

Here is a thick sheet of glass with lots of parallax

Compare it to a very thin sheet of glass with much less parallax

Lamination

Especially in older models of pen displays and pen computers, there is an air gap between the display panel and the glass. This air gap itself is another source of parallax. Replacing the air gap so that it is replaced with an optically clear adhesive can improve the parallax.

learn more here: Lamination

It is always preferable to by a drawing tablet that has a laminated display.

Good examples of parallax

The Apple iPad Pro has the best (lowest) parallax I've ever seen. I would rank it as EXCELLENT.

Parallax vs pen tracking accuracy

Parallax introduces an apparent visual inaccuracy.

Consider these two cases:

(1) A pen display that tracks the pen position perfectly. If there is any distance between the display panel and the where the tip of the pen touches the tablet (for example due to glass) then there will be some amount of parallax - an apparent inaccuracy.

(2) A pen display that does not track the pen position accurately but also has NO distance between the display panel and the pen tip. Such a pen display would have NO PARALLAX effect but clearly their will always be some real inaccuracy.

So we see that inaccuracy comes from two sources:

• apparent inaccuracy from the parallax

• actual inaccuracy from the tablet EMR sensor

Very often, people refer to any visual discrepancy as "parallax" but that is an incorrect usage of the term. They should only be using it when the position of their eyes in combination with the physical separation of the display panel and glass are causing the discrepancy.

Is parallax always bad?

Generally, users of drawing tablets do not want to see parallax.

However, some people (perhaps not many) even find parallax to be slightly beneficial. For them, they like to see where they are drawing a stroke on the display and having the pen tip be a little displaced from that position makes it easier to see that point.

Examples of parallax

These three pen displays show very good parallax. Notice that the one of the left is a $3500 pen display and two on the right are entry level $300 pen displays. All these displays are laminated/

Compare the laminated pen display on the left to the unlaminated pen display on the right. Disregard the blurry image - that is an issue with the photograph itself. Notice how far away the tip of the pen is from the tip of the point.

Resources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax

• Sweet Monia: What is parallax? And is it really bad in a pen display like Cintiq or Kamvas?(https://sweetmonia.com/Sweet-Drawing-Blog/what-is-parallax-and-is-it-really-bad-in-a-pen-display-like-cintiq-or-kamvas/)

Overview

When working with pen displays tablets you'll encounter lots of different connector types. This is a visual map of those connectors.

Terminology

• the "male" end is called the plug

• the "female" end is called the receptacle

HDMI connectors

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI

DisplayPort connectors

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort

Normal-sized DisplayPort connectors

Mini-DisplayPort connectors

USB-C connectors

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB-C

The important thing to remember about USB-C is that it is a popular connector type, but it often not clear what a given cable or port support. For example:

• Some ports and cables support power only

• Some ports and cables support power + data

• Some ports and cables support power + data + display signal

• Some ports may not deliver as much power as you need

• Some cables may not support as much power as you need

Thunderbolt 3 and 4 connectors

Thunderbolt 3 and 4 use the same USB-C port shape.

The important thing about thunderbolt cables and ports is that they are required to carry a display signal. So, if your USB

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbolt_(interface)

Thunderbolt 2 connectors

Thunderbolt 2 connectors use the min-DisplayPort connector type. And again by definition they can carry a display signal.

USB-A connectors

USB-A ports are not used to provide a display signal. They are being listed here as a reference so you know what they look like compared to the other USB ports.

Other resources

• Techquickie - Why DisplayPort Is Still Better Than HDMI Aug 11, 2023

Frequency of occurrence

A dead pixel does occur on some small percentage of monitors and pen displays.

I have not seen it be super common on pen displays from any manufacturer. And none of my pen displays from Wacom, Huion, or XP-Pen have any dead pixels.

Fixing

It MIGHT be possible to fix a dead pixel

See this video:

Returning your tablet or getting a refund

Usually a single dead or pixel will not be enough to qualify for a return or refund.

If you have a lot of them or a cluster of them, then you have a case for a refund.

In either case there is no harm checking to see if you can return the product.

These will be MALE DisplayPort to FEMALE HDMI.

Quality: There is no loss in quality when using this kind of adapter.

What I use

• Display Port - For a 2K display at 60Hz:

• Mini DisplayPort - for 2K display at 60Hz:

Not all USB-C ports carry a display signal. You need one that can. Read more here:

Quality. There is no loss in quality using this kind of adapter.

What I use

I've had good luck with the "Amazon Basics Premium Aluminum USB-C to HDMI Cable Adapter (Thunderbolt 3 Compatible) 4K@60Hz, 6-Foot, Black". Note that is an entire cable, not just an adapter. link:

This comes in different lengths (6ft and 3ft) and different refresh rates (60Hz and 30Hz). Make sure you buy one long enough for your needs and get the 60Hz version.

Overview

Some pen displays exhibit a color tint at the edges of the display. Often it is a purple or lilac color. Some devices exhibit it as a yellowish or orange color. Is NOT pixelated or rough - has very smooth look.

Appearance

The tint is greatly exaggerated in these diagrams. In reality in can be very subtle.

Keep in mind the topic being discussed here is when the tint as at the edges, not when the tint is evenly distributed over the entire display.

Examples

When it appears

This effect can be visible the first time you use your pen display, or it can can show up after you've been using the pen display for a long time.

Compared to backlight bleed

Unlike backlight bleed, the tint is often visible even on a very bright or pure white background

Causes

How often it occurs

Overall it is uncommon. It is present in NONE of the display devices I have that are laminated.

Manufacturer pages

Links

Overview

If you want to send a display signal from your computer to a pen display via a USB-C cable, then the ports and cables need to support DP alt mode (DisplayPort Alternative Mode).

NOT ALL USB-C PORTS OR CABLES SUPPORT DP ALT MODE.

Support for DP alt mode is something you must verify for your ports and your cables. Sometimes this is not straightforward to do. You will find multiple techniques described below.

Verifying if your USB-C port or cable supports DP alt mode

Option 1: DisplayPort alt mode symbol

The DisplayPort symbol indicates the cable or port supports DP alt mode. Unfortunately many cables that DO support DP alt mode, do not have this logo.

Option 2: Thunderbolt symbol

The Thunderbolt symbol indicates a cable or port supports DP-alt mode.

Here is an example of two USB-C ports with the Thnderbolt symbol

Here is an example of a cable with a Thunderbolt symbol.

Unfortunately, many USB-C thunderbolt ports and cables simply do not have the thunderbolt logo on them.

Option 3: Unlabeled ports and cables

If your cable or port, does not support DP alt mode, you have several remaining strategies:

• Read the documentation. Look for for the words "Thunderbolt" of "DP alt mode". Sometimes the documentation will say something more ambiguous like "supports display".

• Contact product support from your manufacturer. Just ask them!

• Reach out to an online community and ask if anyone has been able to use that port in their tablet to receive a display signal.

Things to keep in mind

• You have to verify DP support for the USB-C port AND the USB-C cable. Just having one support DP alt mode is not enough.

• DP alt mode has nothing to do with whether the port or cable can carry power or carry enough power. That is a separate issue.

Overview

Etched glass is one of two popular treatments the glass surface of a pen display. (The other is called an ).

"Etched glass" describes a microscopic texture applied to a glass surface.

Etched glass provides two benefits

• It reduces glare and reflections due to light hitting the tablet. Etched glass does this my scattering that light.

• Provides more "grip" for the pen. Without the etching a pen would feel "slippery" on the smooth glass surface.

Sparkle

Permanence

Etched glass is a permanent treatment to the glass. It cannot be removed.

Intro

To some extent, It is possible to use an iPad as a pen display connected to your computer. I don't have any direct experience with this, so I recommend you consult the resources below.

Resources

• Dec 30, 2023

• 2021/12/06

• 2021/11/26

• Aug 26, 2022