Wacom Cintiq Pro vs iPad Pro - A Graphic Designers Comparison

[@adrianboysel]

Question: Which drawing tablet do you prefer the Wacom or ipad?

[@soulfirecreditrepair]

I haven't been able to draw since I had my Samsung Note....lol. but, I love it!

[@ZM-et7zt]

iPad to start with but will definitely want to invest in a wacom in the future, love the idea of different pen nibs to try!

[@adrianboysel]

@@ZM-et7zt ya that is super cool

[@pinoyastronaut]

I have both an iPad Pro and Cintiq 16. The iPad is great when not on my desk. I have my Cintiq on an adjustable stand so it makes it more ergonomic to use. I like using both but the Pro Pen 2 is the best digital drawing experience. The Intuos Pro is also great to use to when I draw on my ultra wide display.

[@14mrh]

They're both great! If anythint I'd say it depends on what I'm doing. The Ipad Pro is the most versatile. As you state its mobile and a stand alone device. A lot of great programs apps like Pro Create are a plus. The Adobe apps get better every update and allow you to do most tasks. Pen is great. The screen is glossy but if you get a screen protector like Paperlike or Elecom it makes it feel like your drawing on paper. If you need to do some heavy duty work the Wacom is the way to go. While the Ipad apps are great they are still not desktop apps. The new M1s are powerful. All apps arent fully optimized. The Adobe apps are much improved from launch bit still dont have the full functionality as the desktop version. I still prefer the wacom pen by a hair. Especially with the eraser on the back. Also you can get a much larger screen. For the money, I'd say the Ipad pro is the way to go. Def get Wacon if you can afford it down the road but Ipad pro can do most everything you need and more.

[@Guez_art]

Great video. I’m an illustrator and have been doing digital illustration since the early 2000’s when I was in art school. I currently have a Cintiq 13HD and a Cintiq 24 Pro Touch. I also have an iPad Pro. In my long career, I’ve owned other tablets like the surface pro and XP Pen. Anyhow, if I had to choose my tool of choice, I’ll pick the Cintiq all day long. While the iPad is portable, I’ve never done a full illustration outside my studio. I do sketch ideas here and there, but my creative zone is at my desk behind the cintiq. The iPad is such a powerful tool to own and I use it religiously. Can’t go wrong with either. If you are a serious artist, invest in both and use them to compliment your workflow. Cheers!

[@Schwidawg]

What is your opinion between the Cintiq Pro 24 and the Wacom Intuos Pro Large (with a 100% SRGB monitor (maybe two)? My daughter is looking to graduate with a BFA in post-production and we want to set her up with home equipment to do work at home if needed or freelance work?

[@Guez_art]

@@Schwidawg hey Lisa, that’s fantastic! Congratulations on your daughter getting her BFA. In terms of a Cintiq or an Intuos, they both serve different purposes, I use an Intuos for photo retouching and photo composites mostly. But when I need to create art, I have to use a Cintiq only because you get to draw directly on the screen. It is entirely possible to train yourself to use the Intuos like a Cintiq, heck, I did that for many years, but I cannot use the Cintiq as an Intuos, just a very different mindset and workflow. I actually switch between using both sometimes during the same project. The cool thing about the Intuos is that they are very affordable from $79 to $400 for the Medium (size doesn’t really matter with these). The Cintiq pro is above $1000. You can actually get both the Cintiq and the $79 Intuos as they last a very VERY long time. Hope this wasn’t too confusing :)

[@Schwidawg]

@@Guez_art Thank you Oscar for your input. I do agree to have an Intuos plus a Cintiq 24 Pro, along with her Ipad and Apple Laptop would be setting her up nicely until she gets further along in her career and technology advances. Thank you again.

[@Guez_art]

@@Schwidawg a pleasure Lisa, wishing your daughter great success.

[@gco2075]

Thank you for your professiona input, my daughter also likes drawing but Wacom is too professional and too pricey, so I was looking at older models of iPad pro as a cheaper alternative. 👍

[@ZM-et7zt]

Can't believe I got a whole video in response to my question, thanks a lot Adrian! Btw I've chosen the iPad, mobility and standalone is what I need. Wish you all the best with the channel mate, your videos are really high quality 💯

[@adrianboysel]

Thanks so much, I'm here to serve people like you at my best. Appreciate you asking that question, people really like the video it's getting solid views so thank you!

[@nirosketch]

Why does everyone make it seem that procreate is the only iPad app for drawing? There are so many to choose from like full fledged Clip Studio Paint, Affinity Designer, ArtStudio Pro, and ibs Paint.

[@nitopizano6794]

Nice vid, thnx, I'm currently looking into just beginning digitally and this really helped out. I'm also interested in traveling a lot more so the Ipad Pro will most likely be by go to for now and see where that goes...appreciate the time you took for the info...

[@janellehernandez1703]

Thanks for this video Definitely helped me decide which way to go best for me right now and later I can always get the Wacom but I think the iPad one is my best route especially for color and of course mobility and just seems easier at this point since I'm a beginner.

[@griffith43]

well for my budget i have two options 1- gets an ipad m2 pro 12.9 inches 2- pc and a cheap old wacom whitout a screen for me yeah gaming for pc is good but i want to take art as a job and seriously not gaming so which one is better for me the ipad m2 pro 12.9 inches or pc and a cheap wacom no screen to work on i hope you can tell me which one is better for someone whit limited budget and wants to be a professional artists

[@lonestrawberry]

I'm in a similar boat, and also confused. But I think getting the ipad pro M2 as a start into professionalism, and then if it gets serious, then it will be easier to invest later into a more expensive option such as a cintiq and a pc or mac device.

[@mohamadrizky1098]

I think it can be a easy/hard option but lately i’ve been thinking that practice everyday and everytime is a key, so why dont choose ipad first

[@SheenaRea]

Hi Adrian! Thanks for the informative video! I've been doing cartoons on paper for years and would like to shift to digital design for my t-shirt business. Thinking of getting a Cintiq Pro. May I ask: Once an image is created in Cintiq, do we upload to another software on our PC, such as Photoshop, Affinity, or similar? For years I've been strictly using Canva, yet I REALLY want to hand-draw my own images. Your advice is greatly appreciated!! 👍

[@theengineer6213]

I have both. I’m a professional concept artist. My take is by far, Wacom/Cintiq. If you’re doing professional work, there’s no way in hell you’re having and iPad Pro as your go to drawing device. iPads are good for flushing out quick roughs and ideas but definitely not for finalizing. It’s good for kids… sorry but that’s just the truth.

[@adrianboysel]

I highly respect and appreciate your opinion as an expert, it's important as a coach for me to call things out when I see/read them. Your statement you made is more about your beliefs that the limits of what is done on an ipad vs wacom. It's not the tool but the person operating, I can prove this by telling you to check out logo shift on instagram and watch their last few videos, their are people creating things that would inspire you and show you we are our only limitation truly. Designers that would make us feel like amatuers even though we are not even close to amateurs in our field, with all that being said your perspective matters to me and I'm grateful you spoke up to share your truth. 🙏

[@KuttyJoe]

@@adrianboysel No, it's not about the person, or the tool, it's about the kind of work that needs to be done. That will decide what is best tool for the job. If I'm doing a certain kind of work then I know exactly what tool I will need for that work. There's some overlap, but we have to decide what is ultimately most important. In the case of a Cintiq vs an iPad, it can be a question of maximum productivity vs maximum mobility. If the most important thing for me is to be sitting in front of a client, at their office and showing them ideas, I would definitely go with a iPad. If the most important thing for me is cranking out work as fast as possible then the big Cintiq workstation is as good as it gets. iPad is not even a consideration. It's not a question of quality at that point, it's a question of productivity. This is possibly a hard rule whenever a device gets miniaturized although it may not always be the case. But it is certainly the case in computing. Think of it like this. If you could put everything that an iPad can do into an iPhone, would you think that you'd get the same level of productivity? Definitely not. However, if you were hiking up a mountain and needed something to draw on once you got to the top, and you needed to be as light as possible? Hmmmm, now you're taking a much closer look at the iPhone.

[@guy25590]

Is it better having wacom hd or ipad pro for digital painting?

[@TheFirelinuxy]

« Good for kids » it looks like you aren’t neutral at all, so hey I won’t take your stuff for an argument, and lol they’re is no argument here except judgement.

[@theone2678]

No expert would define them as an expert . The point of gtn there is being unbiased and consolidating all info to create your own best opinion to incorporate work. Asides you can draw anything well with enough precision n skill regardless of the tech with the skill allowing you to force that talent through the tech regardless of what tech it is. This is the complexity of any good artist ​@adrianboysel

[@leonardallen8979]

Hello I'm a abstractionist I draw in pen and ink what type of tablet do I need and can I transfer my art to a large format printer love the details you give on tablets

[@swifty1969]

you can buy paperlike screen cover for the ipad to give it that same feel as the Cintiq.

[@patrickflanagan8008]

Great stuff, researching for my grandaughter so this was very helpful.....subscribed.

[@adrianboysel]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@gregalee]

Are you sure that 96% of Adobe RGB for the Wacom is a *smaller* color gamut than the iPad Pro DCI-P3? I think that’s a misconception. The two color spaces are both considered wide-gamut and they don’t even overlap entirely. You can’t compare them just based on percentages alone, which is an apples to oranges comparison.

[@jeanegolf3960]

I posted question about this also.

[@proseandpuns]

Ooh, that's a tough question. I think I would prefer the Wacom.

[@blancostudio3d]

I made a HUGE mistake thinking an Ipad Pro could be enough to get my job done, first of all the Ipad is SUPER LIMITED in many ways, storage capacity and more important which software you can run in an Ipad Pro? Because is not strong enough for my needs and I end wasting my money and giving it to my 8 year old child, nowadays one of the more used tools is 3d, day by day you see more and more advantages incorporating 3d to your workflow and the Ipad Pro is far (too far) away to be able to make 3d work, I am a game developer and animator and to be honest even the MacBook pro has troubles to run Blender or Maya the Mac M1 processors are not as strong as an AMD or intel processor and with eleven hundred dollars youc an actually get a Wacom Cintiq 16" and get a computer good enough to work, for REAL work I am not talking of kids making posts for Instagram I am talking about create games, cinematics, video editing and animated movies the Ipad Pro is just a toy for enthusiast not a tool, then that is the main consideration you must take, if you buy an Ipad Pro more soon than later you will end needing a computer and a Wacom Cintiq, then why waste the time and the money on buying it in first place?????

[@adrianboysel]

🤦‍♂️ the wacom can't do any of those things you mentioned you want to do..your context is way off, the Wacom is simply a drawing display. If you want all the things you mentioned by a high end computer. If you are a graphic designer on the go then buy the ipad. It's realt simple. Merry Christmas!

[@blancostudio3d]

@@adrianboysel yes but that display is connected toa computer able to do so while the iPad is limited in all ways, size, storage, hardware capabilities and software capabilities, summary is not for work is just a toy

[@marcy2693]

@@blancostudio3d saying it "just a toy" is harsh man. No way a toy would cost thousand of dollars lmao.

[@blancostudio3d]

@@marcy2693 the NieR: Automata DeLuxe collective anime figure cost over US$7300 and is clearly just a collectible toy that do nothing more than become an ornament display in your home and people still buy it, but I am keeping an eye on new apps in the apple store for 3d sculpting and re topology that can be a game changer and flip the chessboard in favor of the Ipad, I am testing them and I will say I will not see using the Ipad as main tool for work but I can make some work on the go with it, time change everything and is different how we work in concept art today than 30 years ago, you can not seek for potential investors with just pencil sketches, now we need to create concept art faster and with ULTRA HIGH RENDERS in minutes and for that we need to use 3d models photobahing and many other new techniques, is not about being great at drawing anymore, entertainment is an INDUSTRY is about money, to make a living as a concept artist be good at drawing is not enough anymore, then I can make 3d sculpts in the iPad something I do in daily basis, the quality is good, as soon as you have the skills actually you can work with any tool, are not too many option for retopolgy yet but the one available is easy to use but not gives great results and I am not able to rigg 3d models in the Ipad yet, but the future looks promising, at less I can go and relax an hour in the nearest Starbucks and start making some new designs that I will finish in my computer later, but I can recognize is a great progress

[@marcy2693]

@@blancostudio3d now you know iPad pro is not just "a mere toy" yet you keep arguing

[@WaheedAkhtarWahid]

Great video, only thing that's missing is the choice of apps, for some this is an important deciding factor. Also not to mention the ecosystem.

[@adrianboysel]

Amazing suggestion!!! 🙏

[@juanete69]

Which one detects better different pressures and angles, without ghosting or strange effects and without lag?

[@simonpheasey3541]

I have a Cintiq Pro 24, and an iPad Pro 12.9. Biggest issue for me, not covered here, and the reason I prefer Cintiq, is you can see your cursor BEFORE making a stroke on the Wacom, as you hover over the screen the cursor, its size and shape are at your pen tip. You can’t do this on iPad due to the pen technology used. This is huge for me, I struggle with iPad because you can’t easily gauge your brush size and shape on the fly. Neither are perfect, and a ‘feature’ of the Wacom often not discussed is the effect the etched glass has on image quality. It blurs the image slightly and is noticeably worse than iPad. However I still prefer the Wacom overall due to the cursor situation. I feel so much more connected to my art and less like I am using a digital tool.

[@LeanEre]

I think you can see the size of your brush by holding the size bar, no?

[@simonpheasey3541]

@@LeanEre tbf I have not tried that, so thx for the suggestion, appreciated, but the Wacom shows you on hover by default wherever your cursor is which I personally think is a more natural experience. Good shout though.

[@chinaahpek]

I am a graphic designer. I’m considering one atm. Does it matter if all my gadgets are Apple? Is it better to stick with all Apple products? I’m not a regular artist but very occasional. I might use it more later since I’m studying fashion design part time. My teacher in the class is using centiq16. He is persuading us to get centiq16. He didn’t mention iPad Pro at all until my friend asked me about iPad Pro.

[@Frabricio_yahir_lgagp]

hello, interesting review, thanks as always, when you say that you use it as a graphic tablet, the pencil button that can increase or decrease the volume and transparency in Photoshop can be activated or only line and the parallax looks like what graphic tablet you have, I have experience on an intus pro, kamvas 22 rds

[@adrianboysel]

Good point! Thanks for saying hi!

[@gallucciart164]

How about the Wacom Mobile Studio Pro, maybe it wasn't available when this video came out? This tablet has a computer in it.

[@adrianboysel]

Making a new video on this soon. Thanks for the question!

[@BryanTenedora]

The ergomonics of the Cintiq are what do it for me

[@adrianboysel]

They are very nice!!!

[@andrewbeauman]

there's a product for iPad called Paperlike. It's a screen protector and it augments your glass experience to be like... well. Paper. Totally worth it.

[@adrianboysel]

That's amazing!!!

[@Guez_art]

Any Matte screen protector will give you a texture surface and some resistance. I’ve been using $10 screen protectors since the surface pro 1 days. And they last! Even on my newer iPad, I purchased a pair of generic matte screen protectors off of Amazon for like $8 and I’ve only used one of them in the last 3 years since I first installed it. I’ve never purchased Paperlike (might be 100x better) but $35 for a plastic film??? Mine already feels like im drawing on paper. Just another option.

[@jeanegolf3960]

Thank you for this very informative video. Regarding color gamut, if work involves primarily graphic design for print materials rather than web graphics or animation, does it matter that the Wacom Cintiq has a smaller gamut than the iPad's? ie why do I need a Retina display if my final product is CMYK? Recently, I purchased a new MacBook Pro with liquid retina XDR, only to find that I need to tune downfall that beautiful color since it wouldn't be a fair representation of how my work would end up looking in published materials. I had to" change reference mode :"Use this mode for graphic design, printing, and publishing workflows. This mode uses wide color P3 primaries for a wider color gamut than a typical sRGB display. Instead of D65, it uses the D50 whitepoint typically used to evaluate the color of printed output in line with ISO 3664:2009 and ISO 12646:2015 specifications.") I suppose my question is, do you know if Wacoms with screens have color gamuts more in line with graphics for print versus graphics for screens? Or do they have options for setting/calibrating their screens like laptops do?

[@silvertongue3003]

I just wish photoshop and other Adobe software was available on the iPad Pro

[@lukecsuarezartistry8568]

The Ipad would be the one for me if they had a better pen, the nib is fat af and the grip is too thin AND you have to recharge it. I went with the Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 and am loving it (for lot's of reasons) and because the pro pen 2 is so comfortable and has a thin nib which helps with precision.

[@juslenjeyatharan1004]

I've never worried about charging my Apple Pencil because it charges when magnetically attached-- and it usually is. The nibs weren't that bad either; it feels a lot like using a pencil.

[@lukecsuarezartistry8568]

@@juslenjeyatharan1004 it really comes down to preference I guess, I've seen people create awesome works with both the Ipad Pro and the Cintiq. Although I prefer the thick grip on the Pro Pen 2 because my hands are pretty large.

[@kushana9561]

Can you suggest which is the best drawing app for Wacom?

[@sapiensludio1280]

Thank you for the video ! Very clearly compared.

[@mashley444]

I have the iPad Pro and the Wacom cintiq pro 16. I just bought the Huion kamvas pro 16 with 4K and find it much better than the Wacom. Between the iPad & the Huion, I love them both, I do fine I reach for the iPad more often.

[@julianc691]

I am a graphic artist who is currently looking to buy a huin kamvas pro 16 (4k) . How is your experience with it and can you recommend it? Is is better than Cintiq? In terms of screen sensitivity,contrast and how can you compare both to the Ipad pro? 🙏 thank you

[@wRAAh]

1:57 Huh? Just received my MBP M1 Max and I am in the market for a replacement of my trusty old Wacom. I don't want my Wacom or an iPad to mirror. And I don't want to use the apps/ios of the iPad: I want to use my tablet (be it Wacom or iPad) as an extended display. You say that the Cintiq Pro 16 only mirrors... Is that true? Even my UX21 is an extended display the way I hooked it up with the standard Wacom driver... And with 3rd party apps like Duet, the iPad functions like an extended desktop/pen tablet too... Or am I missing something?

[@snakeace0]

"just 650 dollars" proceeds to forget that you need an entire pc since the Wacom only mirrors. I expected you to delve into actual details like Resolution, accuracy and Software accessibillity.

[@adrianboysel]

Thanks for the feedback I will work on that.

[@bethlondonart]

Thank you for the video, Adrian!

[@adrianboysel]

thanks so much for watching.

[@camdavis5762]

Good analysis.

[@adrianboysel]

Thank you, trying to get better

[@imeleventeen]

The color range on the iPad is what sold me on the pro

[@apurbalohar8308]

what camera did you use for b roll?

[@Renzsu]

iPad instantly loses for me because of the apps (each app may have a killer feature, but is weighed down by limited functionality of other parts.. none can compete with desktop Photoshop) and the lack of keyboard shortcuts, not to mention the file exchange between tablet and computer. Screen is too small as well for the type of work I do. I have an iPad Pro 12.9 and it's just not working for me.

[@WaheedAkhtarWahid]

Same with me.

[@teabagNBG]

another fact wich isnt viewed here is the desktop setup... if u have dual monitors a wacom can be tricky... u might also need a bigger desk... i work alot with illustrator i got me a wacom 27 for drawing and sketching but i cant draw good with my hand i still used the mouse alot LOL so i sold the wacom... but since its gone i feel like drawing lol i think i will try a ipad this time...

[@wueiboei7666]

And I look at my no-screen wacom tablet...

[@adrianboysel]

Lol that's how it started for me:)

[@LutraLovegood]

Nothing wrong with normal drawing tablets. They're much cheaper and with a stand better for your posture.

[@ashleyfox1714]

I bought the iPad because of the large number of positive reviews in comparison. Now I have $1000 sitting on my shelf and I hate using it for drawing. I can't return my iPad to the store.

[@knowvoid9958]

Can I ask this? what good is higher color accuracy if it's not the same color settings as everyone else's phone or computer that just means that whatever you draw is going to be off putting a comparison to whatever they see

[@aspidhameleon3955]

At the end of the day even iPad will be more expensive if you don’t like it you can keep it and used it otherwise drawing then you get biggest Wacom

[@dennisfrederick751]

I have not even completed the video and there are points that have not been researched or incorrect. 1. There is a paper like cover you can get to make drawing on the iPAD more like the Wacom. 2. You can also get different NIBS for the Pencil 2 for the iPAD as well.

[@Darriebp]

I think you forgot to say you can get paper like feel cover for Ipad that and feels much like paper.

[@adrianboysel]

I did!!!

[@giankogianki4168]

IPad pro, Procreate, Apple pencil. The Best!

[@Steven-e7c]

My friend told me he wrote Procreate on his resume when he tried to apply at a studio in Hollywood. They didn't call him back in a week so he called them. He told me they said, "I'm sorry but we are looking for skilled artists with professional program experience, not hobbyists that use an iPad."

[@ChangeHere]

the wacom has more versatility for use with a wider variety of apps. i guess if you are stuck in the apple ecosystem and procreate is the main app then ipad wins

[@mrmz3802]

Cintiq for me

[@adrianboysel]

Ya they are amazing

[@MilkoMilkovicz]

Cintiq,ok... but you can take a mobilestudio pro with you.

[@soulfirecreditrepair]

Woot Woot. 10k

[@adrianboysel]

Booom!

[@Maks-vo3uo]

If anyone is thinking of choosing a graph monitor or an android tablet (the main thing is that there is a stylus), take an android tablet and install the free Spacedisk driver program and connect the tablet as a second monitor or as a graphics tablet with stylus support, Photoshop works, blender sculpture works, use tab s7+ itself. if anything, then you can take such a used one for 40000r, if it is expensive, then the same 12-inch size, although for 64 GB of memory (buy a memory card and there will be more memory), for avito tab s7 FE about 25,000 (a more budget version). At the expense of the tab s6 lite, there are doubts that it will work through the Spacedisk driver, since the transmission speed of this budget tablet is lower (version 2.0), but if you only draw, then for 14000 rubles on avito they can be installed (for schoolchildren up to 5th grade NORMS), their styluses are standard, do not require charging They use Wacom technology for drawing. The pressure sensitivity is 4000, there is a tilt sensitivity. I'm sitting on a Samsung myself, but I'm looking at

[@slickshewz]

Your section on "color accuracy" was completely meaningless, and here is why: listing a screen's area ratio, as opposed to its coverage ratio, means nothing. When you list a number over 100%, it is the area ratio, because coverage can't go over 100%. Cintiqs are calibrated in the factory, and have much better color accuracy than any iPad could ever hope to. They also generally only list the coverage ratio for cintiqs, which means you compared the area ratio of an iPad, to the coverage ratio of a cintiq. In other words, very misleading. You also failed to mention what color space you were referencing. Ntsc? sRGB? Adobe RGB? DCI-P3? Rec 709? You can work in just about all of these color spaces on a cintiq (some of them). You can't on an iPad.

[@luzvel79tiscareno67]

Like really lol, I'm a professional wacom is it ... but if you aren't really into drawing anything else will do.

[@NNNedlog]

Really nice video

[@adrianboysel]

Thank you!

[@chris-mckinzie]

Mac is overpriced

[@adrianboysel]

You think so...

[@soulfirecreditrepair]

Agreed!

[@Guez_art]

Chris, I’ve never been a windows/Mac fan boy, but this year I purchased the M1 MBP and also the MBP M1 Max… let me tell you that the almost 4k I spent on the Max is worth every penny. The battery alone is a game changer. My business partner bought a top of the line ASUS laptop and has to have it plugged in to get any work done. My Windows Laptop which was supposed to have an 8hr battery life would only give me 1hr since day one.

[@adrianboysel]

@@Guez_art macs rule for a reason.

[@refreshist4821]

@@adrianboysel For certain applications, maybe.

[@leoelderkin9716]

Pretty slick Apple ad. You forgot to compare the Apple's ability to be bloated with apps that spy on you---and quite possibly allow developer thieves to steal your uncopyrighted designs and artwork, while the Wacom just sits there dumb and happy that you use it in anonymity and privacy. Believe me when I say that there is no Apple user that can stop their iPad Pro from turning on it's Wi-Fi in the background to allow app developers watch you work in real time, all while you were smugly unaware that you turning off your Wi-Fi was just turning off the wifi symbol.

[@MrNecropodo]

Bad apple publicity here!

[@bunobeatz5737]

The iPad Pro for me is just a small screen size I need something at least 22 inch for my type of artwork @ Mwalker_arts