Drawing Pad For Adobe Illustrator

Last updated on October 13th, 2020 at 01:54 pm

Illustration has evolved and continues to become more complex by the day. But the evolution hasn't left out the tablets that illustrators use. People aren't confined to using their desktop computers for official tasks anymore. Tablets are one of the most adored devices when it comes to artists. As the Adobe Illustrator is one of the most used software by artists, it's no surprise that they prefer a tablet for using Adobe Illustrator

So why is a tablet preferred by the artists? First and foremost tablets are miniature computers. As there are specific tablets for drawing, artists are drawn towards using a tablet for professional use.

But which tablet would be good for you? There are mainly two types of tablets. A drawing tablet and a normal tablet. If you have an external device to connect to, then a drawing tablet would be good for you. Otherwise just pick up a normal tablet.

Keeping in mind aspects such as the cost, power, tablet features among other features, we have managed to put together a list of what we consider to be the best tablets for adobe illustrator.

Wacom One (2020)

Wacom One Digital Drawing Tablet

If you aren't looking for something fancy and want the best overall tablet for Adobe Illustrator, you should go for the Wacom One. It's suitable for both beginners and professionals.

As we mentioned, the Wacom One is a mixture of simplicity with high-end utility. The Wacom one has an 11.6 x 6.5" working space. But overall, it's a 13.3'' tablet. The Full HD display has an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a superb 8-bit color depth. Overall, the display provides impressive visuals to the viewers.

In terms of performance, the Wacom one is up at the top with some of the best drawing tablets. It comes with a fast response time of 26ms. It also has a pretty decent color gamut coverage of 72% on NTSC (CIE1931). The brightness however is average at 200 cd/m2.

The pen that comes with the Wacom one is battery-free. You won't have to worry about charging it. It also has natural tilt support of 60 degrees. Finally, it has a pressure sensitivity of up to 4096 levels. However, it lacks multi-touch support.

Overall, the Wacom one is the perfect tablet for Adobe Illustrator. It has a reasonable price and the specs are high. What more can you ask for?

Pros

A pretty good workspace of 11.6 x 6.5".
With a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 170-degree viewing angle, users will get immersive visuals.
The pen is battery-free and needs no charging.
The mid-range pressure sensitivity of 4096 levels is sufficient for the most part.
The display response time of 26 ms is really fast.
A standard color gamut coverage of 72% on NTSC.

Cons

Lacks multi-touch through fingers.

Wacom Cintiq Pro 24

Now if you're one of those people that like having the best of everything then you should take a look at the Wacom Cintiq Pro 24. Wacom Cintiq 24 pro is truly the king of all drawing tablets. Let's have a peek as to why.

The Wacom Cintiq 24 Pro weighs about 15lbs. That's not much if you consider it a 24-inch tablet. The build quality is solid. Though you won't be dropping this tablet like a ball, it can take a few occasional bumps.

The display is truly lifelike. With 1.07 Billion colors and 99% Adobe RGB color gamut, it would seem as if everything is alive! Trust me it seemed the same to us. The display has a 16:9 aspect ratio and is 350 cd/m² bright.

The Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 has a massive active area of 20.55 x 11.57″, It also responds quite fast with 14ms response time. And if you're a professional adobe illustrator user, then that fraction of a second can make or break the outcome of your art.

The stylus has a resolution of 5080 LPI and it can also tilt up to 40°. The stylus also has a pressure level of 8192. Which means you can even put up the slightest of touches. The tablet also comes with 17 customizable keys!

Overall, the Wacom Cintiq pro 24 is truly a masterpiece with no flaws. However, the high price tag might not seem attractive to everyone. But if we were being honest here, the price tag is justified.

Pros

The 24-inch vast display has 1.07 Billion colors and 99% Adobe RGB color gamut.
The brightness rate of 350 cd/m² is quite high.
A massive active area of 20.55 x 11.57″.
The stylus has a high resolution of 5080 LPI
A super-sensitive stylus with a pressure level of 8192 and 40-degree tilting capability.
17 customizable keys.
Perfect for using adobe illustrator.

Cons

Very expensive.

XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro

XP-PEN Artist12 Pro 11.6 Inch Drawing Monitor

The XP-Pen artist 12 is aimed at professional artists. The features it brings to the table are polished and suitable for professional use.

At 11.6-inch, the XP-Pen artist 12 pros might seem like a bit smaller tablet. But the active area of 10 x 5.7 inches provides a decent workspace. The Full HD display comes with 16.5 million colors. Combine that with the 178-degree viewing angle and you've got the perfect display for Adobe illustrator.

The display performs well too. It comes with a lightning-fast response time of 14ms making it the fastest responding display on this list. It also has a standard color gamut coverage of 72% on NTSC. Finally, there are 8 programmable shortcut keys. You can use them as you want.

The pen is battery-free and pretty light. At such a low price you'll be getting a pen pressure level of 8192 and tilt support up of to 60 degrees. However, the Matte screen protector affects the sharpness of the screen

Overall, the XP-Pen Artist is a budget-friendly drawing tablet. You should opt for it if you're on a budget.

Pros

8192 level of pressure sensitivity at a really low price point.
A decent working area of 10 x 5.7 inches.
The full HD display consists of 16.5 million colors and provides impressive visuals.
The tablet maintains a standard color gamut coverage of 72%.
At just 14 ms, the screen response time is very fast.
Programmable Shortcut Keys.

Cons

The Matte screen protector affects the sharpness of the screen.

Wacom Cintiq 22

Wacom Cintiq 22 Creative Pen Display including

Professionals who like a robust tablet with a larger display and precise settings would prefer the Wacom Cintiq 22.

The Wacom Cintiq 22 is a behemoth in itself. It comes with a 21.5 inch Full HD display. The bezels aren't too big and you get a spacious working area of 19.5 x 11.5 inches. The display also has 16.7 million colors so expect vibrant and lifelike visuals from the Wacom Cintiq 22.

The performance is better but not the best. The screen response time is 14ms and color gamut has 72% coverage on Adobe RGB. Though these are pretty standard specs, for a screen this big, the performance could've been a bit better. Another thing is that there aren't any shortcut keys.

The Wacom Cintiq pen is pretty decent too. As it's a battery-free pen, there isn't any hassle of charging it. The pen supports tilt up to 40 degrees. To finish it off, on both the pen tip and eraser, you'll find 2048 pressure sensitivity level

The Wacom Cintiq 22 isn't aimed at everyone. It's perfect for professionals. If you're a professional Adobe Illustrator user, you should opt for it.

Pros

The Spacious workspace of 19.5 x 11.5 inches.
The lively 21.5 inches Full HD display has 16.7 million colors and provides lifelike visuals.
For a screen this big, the 14 ms response time is really fast.
A standard color gamut coverage of 72% on adobe RGB.
The pen can be tilted as low as 40 degrees.
There's a 2048 pressure level on both the pen tip and eraser.

Cons

No shortcut keys.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

Enough of all the drawing tablets. Let's talk about something normal. If you want to use a tablet that not only runs Adobe Illustrator, but also do other things, and has a decent price range, you should opt for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 lite.

As these tablets aren't drawing tablets, you might find the specs to be a bit different. Let's begin with the processing unit. The Galaxy S6 lite comes with a 10NM Exynos 9611 chipset. It runs on an octa-core processor. The Mali-G72 MP3 GPU takes care of the graphical unit. Finally, it has 4GB of RAM.

The Galaxy Tab S6 lite has base storage of 64GB or 128GB. The storage can be expanded up to 1TB with a MicroSD card. The battery life on this tablet is more than enough. With up to 13 hours of backup on a full charge, you should be all set for a hard day of work. But one thing that bugs us is that the facial recognition feature is a bit clunky.

The display is great for using adobe illustrator. The Galaxy S6 lite has a 10.4 inch full HD display. It also has corner to corner views thereby allowing the viewers to get great visuals. The slim metal design on the other hand provides a comfortable grip.

The Galaxy Tab S6 lite is an affordable tab with the latest specs to run Adobe Illustrator. We highly recommend it.

Pros

The 10NM Exynos 9611 chipset is perfect for high usage.
The octa-core processor and the Mali-G72 MP3 GPU complement each other perfectly.
The long battery life of 13 hours.
Comfortable slim metal design.
Storage can be expanded up to 1TB
The storage is expandable up to 1TB.
It has the 3.5mm headphone jack port and supports fast charging.

Cons

Facial recognition is of average quality.

Apple iPad Pro (2020)

Apple iPad Pro

The best overall tablet for Adobe Illustrator is none other than the iPad Pro (2020).

Let's get straight into the performance unit. The iPad Pro comes with an A12Z Bionic chip. It also has a 64-bit M12 coprocessor. Based on a desktop-class architecture with a neutral engine, the processor and chipset are currently the best in the market.

Up next we've got the storage. The storage ranges from 128GB up to 1TB. The RAM is 6GB on all versions of this iPad Pro. For the battery backup, you can expect up to 10 hours of battery life on a full charge.

We don't have anything particular to say about the display other than it's currently the best. The 12.9‑inch Liquid Retina display with ProMotion technology provides vibrant and life-like visuals to the user. With added features such as P3 WIde color gamut and true tone, expect stunning visuals every time you take a look at the screen.

Overall, the iPad Pro is the best tablet for Adobe Illustrator. If someone is willing to spend a lot, its features are worth the price.

Pros

The A12Z Bionic chip and 64-bit M12 coprocessor is the best processor and chipset duo currently.
The display boasts of features such as ProMotion technology, P3 color gamut, and Truetone.
Superfast 6GB ram.
Compatible with running graphics-heavy applications such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
A decent 10-hour battery life.
SSD storage options ranging from 128GB up to 1TB.

Cons

Very expensive.

Microsoft Surface Book 3

There was a time when the surface book 2 was considered the peak of laptop and tablet combination. But since time has flown, a better laptop and tablet combination has risen. It's called the Microsoft Surface Book 3!

A bit of a warning, Surface book 3 is a very recently released tablet. So the prices are going to be a bit high. With that said, you need to look at the specs this tablet brings to the table.

The surface book 3 comes in 13.5 and 15-inch versions. Both offer pixel sense displays that enhance visuals on screen to display maximum realisticness. The processor is 10th gen Core-i5 or Core-i7 (depends on the version you choose).

The surface book 3 is also beastly when it comes to storage. As it offers you up to 2GB SSD storage! The GPU of the surface 3 ranges from simple iris plus to GTX 1660TI! It's a beast on itself!

The battery life of the surface book 3 lives up to 17.5 hours on a full charge. So even if you plug it up for just a few minutes a day it'll serve you the whole day without much of a problem. And finally, it comes in a magnesium case and platinum color.

The surface book 3 is the perfect laptop+tablet combination anyone can ask for. It has no flaws, so if you can afford it then there isn't a better tablet than this one to use Adobe illustrator.

Pros

Up to 15-inch pixel sense display.
It runs on the latest 10th gen core i5 and i7 processors.
Super strong GTX 1660TI GPU.
It offers up to 2GB lightning-fast PCIe SSD.
Mammoth 17.5 hour battery life on a full charge.
Durable magnesium case.

Cons

Very expensive.
Stylus pens are sold separately.

Wacom CTL4100

Wouldn't you want to know about the most budget-friendly tablet for adobe illustrator? Well if you hadn't guessed it already, we are talking about the Wacom CTL4100.

Like honestly, for a sub $100 drawing tablet, you won't get better service than the Wacom CTL4100. The Wacom CTL4100 runs on EMR technology. And at just over 200grams of weight It's super light too!

Though this is a budget-friendly tablet, it's performance speaks otherwise. It has an active area of 6 x 3.7″. On top of that, the stylus has a pressure level of 4096 allowing it to point out even the slightest of touches. This tablet also comes with 4 customizable buttons.

Though the stylus is battery-free, it's lacking the multi-touch function. Other than that, this is a tablet that speaks value!

So if you're on a tight budget then this is the tablet for you without any doubt!

Pros

At just 200grams weight, it's the lightest tablet on this list.
Very affordable as the price is below $100.
The active area of 6 x 3.7″ is decent enough.
This tablet is run by EMR technology which offers better accuracy.
The stylus has a pressure level of over 4096.
4 customizable buttons.

Cons

It's lacking the multi-touch function.

Wacom CTL6100

Looking at how this article is going, the addition of another mid-range won't hurt, right? Which is why we'll be discussing the Wacom CTL6100 up next. This nifty little drawing tablet is fairly priced and will serve you well in the long run.

The Wacom CTL6100 is quite light with just 800grams of weight. So mobility isn't an issue with this tablet. This tablet is also stylish as it has white dots all over its body alongside the sleek matte finish. One thing for sure here, your hand will never slip out of place!

We also liked the way this tablet performed. Yes, it's a bit less funky compared to most other tablets, but at the end of the day all that matters if it's good for adobe illustrator (Which it is!). The active area of 8.0 x 5.3 inches is decent. And with this tablet, you'll also be getting 4096 levels of pressure-sensitive drawing experience!

The Wacom CTL6100 also did a pretty good job of handling the rest of the features. For example, you'll be getting 4 re-programmable express keys. The pen is battery-free too. It's lightweight, easy to set-up, and comes with free software. What more can you ask for!

Overall, the Wacom CLT6100 is a great tablet for using adobe illustrator at an even greater price. Should you choose this tablet, you're bound to love it!

Pros

At just 800grams of weight, the portability of this tablet is on point.
A stylish design coupled with a sleek matte finish ensures that your hand never slips out of place.
The active area of 8.0 x 5.3 inches is quite big.
4096 levels of pressure sensitivity ensure picture-perfect drawings!
4 reprogrammable express keys.
A battery-free pen so no hassle of keeping it plugged in!

Cons

The pen might not be comfortable for most.

Wacom Intuos Pro Digital Tablet

Wacom Intuos Pro

The best one of the Wacom drawing tablet lineup is the Wacom Intuos Pro. The Intuos pro provides an excellent value to money ratio.

The Wacom Intuos Pro comes in two versions and three sizes. Depending on your needs you can pick the paper version or the regular version. And the sizes vary from small to large.

On to how it performs now, you'd be happy to know that it justifies the name pro. The active area goes up to 12.1" x 8.4". On top of that, the pro pen has 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity. Making your arts look as detailed as possible. The pen is also battery-free.

The Wacom Intuos Pro also features multi-touch. It comes with 8 express keys that you can customize freely. One other fun feature of this tablet is that you won't have to worry about cords as it supports Bluetooth connectivity!

Overall, the Wacom Intuos Pro is the tablet to go for if you want the best of both worlds. It's one of our favorites and we're confident that it'll be yours too.

Pros

Available in two versions and three sizes.
The Active area goes up to 12.1" x 8.4"!
The revamped Wacom pen featured in this tablet is revamped and boasts of 8,192 pressure sensitivity levels for accuracy when used for creating illustrations
The pen has inbuilt tilt support and is battery-free hence it doesn't need to be charged
Compatible with all the latest mac and windows versions.
Supports Bluetooth connectivity.
8 customizable express keys.
It has a multi-touch functionality

Cons

The battery life isn't that great.

Huion INSPIROY Q11K V2

Remember what a hit the Huion inspiroy Q11K was? Well, we've got a successor to that! The new Huion Inspiroy Q11K v2 succeeds in the original Q11K in every way possible.

So what makes it such a hit? The combination of great price and even greater utility makes this tablet stand out from its competitors. The Q11K v2 comes with an active area of 11 x 6.875 inches which is more than enough for most professional artists. It also comes with 8 express keys which you can customize freely.

Let's take a look at how it performs now. The Q11KV2 has a 5080 LPI resolution. It also reports at a rate of 266 rps. So don't worry about your pen not being responsive enough. Finally, the reading height of 10 mm is very minimal. It allows your pen to respond at minuscule levels.

On the other hand, the pen is battery-free. This cuts out the tension of keeping your battery on charge constantly. The design is very ergonomic. It allows you to rest your wrists to reduce fatigue. The design is modern so expect a curvy and smooth designed tablet to use adobe illustrator!

Overall, the Huion Inspiroy Q11K V2 is one of those rare tablets that holds its legacy in succeeding gens. It'd be a worthy investment should you choose to go for it.

Pros

Performs at a better level than its predecessors.
A decent active area of 11 x 6.875 inches.
A massive 5080 LPI resolution.
The ergonomic design ensures fatigue-free work sessions.
The RPS rate of 266 is blazing fast!
The 8 express keys are freely customizable.

Cons

Might suffer from odd connection issues.

Final Thoughts

Whether you are a professional looking to purchase an illustration tablet as a long-term investment or a novice who's just starting out you must keep in mind that not all tablets are suited for Adobe Illustrator. If Adobe Illustrator is your preferred choice of illustration software, it is advisable that you do a thorough research and read multiple user reviews on the functionality of the tablet with the aforementioned software.

While making this list we've kept the price, usability, and overall performance in mind.

Both the Wacom One and iPad Pro are best in their class. But if you want to go for something cheaper then we've mentioned that too. It's up to you now on which one you want to pick.