Honest 1st Impression: XP-Pen Innovator 16

XP-Pen made a new sexy pen display. It's called Innovator 16, and I've been given one for a review. Let's see what this laminated 16-inch display is capable of for 500 bucks!
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:13 - Unboxing
08:29 - In Action
22:22 - Verdict
Music:
Counting the Days - Cody High.mp3

[@kiksable8039]

love how he's feeding us content regularly now honestly, we stan consistency

[@alberto9827]

I love how it is a "raw unedited" first impressions and it is way better than most reviews hahaha nice job Boro!

[@parientou]

This is the first non wacom display that I'm seriously considering and I'm so happy you're making a review. You're always so detailed and you dive really deep into it. When you encounter a problem, you investigate it thoroughly so I'm looking forward to seeing your two weeks from now review!

[@BlayeArt]

"A brick? An American brick!" im dying

[@wildbloodyrose9311]

last year I found your channel when I was looking for a drawing tablet and later then I stuck around to learn more about digital paintings in general. I'm a beginner and I bought an XP-Pen tablet as my first drawing device, I must say as a affordable alternative drawing tablet, they are pretty GOOD! Thanks for the review boro :D

[@ariii39]

I love your honest first impressions about the product Boro. I'm looking forward for the part 2

[@brysiaa7953]

Great video! Thanks for the review! Very useful as I'm planning to start making digital in future!

[@sakura33777]

if its not expensive then it is worth it. Huion and XP are the best and budget price for me. it can even pair with the high end sometimes offer more.

[@thuaners]

love your honest review, thanks for testing it so thoroughly! :) 👍

[@v-mordecai]

I hate how low the angle of it's stand it. It's like, hello neck pains.

[@BoroCG]

Yeah I'm already using my old stand I used with my iPad

[@sadrocket7186]

@BoroCG can i ask you a link for the iPad stand you are currently using? I can't find it anywhere :c

[@3polygons]

Yup, for me is the main bad point. (The pressure sensitivity is very subjective, almost each one would need to try it to see if this problem would be such in each one's workflow... Despite the undeniable fact of Wacom having more pressure sensitivity in every device than... every other brand, in every device). Color accuracy and other display-specific tests would be interesting for those of us working for print. I believe in the box I could read 92% Adobe RGB coverage, which is pretty good (quite higher than Cintiq 22's (around 72%, if I remember well, and almost 100% sRGB), if that remains true after hardware calibration with a colorimeter). But then again, for pro work I'd rather go for something 22 - 24 inches. PD: For 3D modeling you do need slight pressure response for delicate modeling when sculpting, IMO. All these things tho are strongly related to cost. A huge number of non pro artists would find Huion and XP-PEn a great deal for the cost, and at least functional.

[@xnagato666x]

Buy an aluminum laptop stand from Amazon it works better than any stand I've used. www.amazon.com/dp/B086PLCLG1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_m5ZmFbR66JHR2

[@STICKYArt]

I made a review of the lamicall tablet stand I use for my iPad Pro I have links there

[@rolfo728]

Hey man I've been following your channel for a while now. I'm not able to draw or paint too much anymore due to wrist pain, but I still love watching your stuff. Keep it up!

[@RaxleGaming]

im totally getting this now, thank you for the review

[@aja7749]

First time watching you and it's already a great video. Worth subscribing!

[@Idaero_Art]

Thanks for the review! I watched some other reviews but they didn’t explain these essentials like yours o.o

[@samuvelp]

You are amazing and I like the way you enjoying the tablet and explaining it!

[@ushiferreyra]

I bought an XP-PEN a while ago and I don't regret it. I searched far and wide at the time for somebody that could describe how well the tilt worked. This is the only review so far that actually goes in depth on this subtle but important aspect. Congrats!

[@user-zh4nf6ky3s]

if it breaks after one year pls update me

[@kiren3168]

The only youtuber that I trust really

[@ryumikooo]

i love watching pen display reviews even though i can't afford them lol

[@chomeo6797]

SAME!!

[@yoanjun3997]

we're gonna have it one day 🗿👊🏼

[@Aquarellina]

thank you so much. Very useful vid, you focused on all the important things, very in depth review.

[@miguelpereida249]

One of the few review I watch completely

[@andrewduma6467]

Thanks for the really cool review! 👍

[@JRPW]

Thank you for showing pen accuracy, huion advertises actually but it is wayyyyy off. I don't trust many reviewers anymore. I will try xp-pen. Thanks you

[@kalliopilyviaki]

awesome review loved it!

[@vivianeb90]

I have an xp pen artist 12. I am happy with it. Never used tilt on it before. For a screen tablet it seemed very affordable to me. The cables are a mess, though. Looks like they haven't changed that yet. Also the driver won't let me use other drawing tablet drivers on my laptop at the same time. I have to delete and reinstall the right driver whenever I want to switch tablet brands. Depending on the paint program it works well or not well with it. Maybe that has improved since I bought mine, though. But xp pen customer service is super nice and over all I would recommend them because they have pretty good quality for what one could expect.

[@superdopelynamedperson2505]

"Finally the full package of features..." Hiuon: are we a joke to you?

[@maikkaune]

Hey Boro, nice and honest review. Would you mind to test the following: Try to create many stipples and small dots! This is something I had trouble with on the Deco Pro tablet series. It was nearly impossible to draw on a spot, like moving the tip up and down. Sometimes it made a dot, sometimes not. I had the impression that the pen needed some movement to a side. The new display, pen and drivers seem to be very similar. I am curious if this is an issue with the pen technology and/or the software drivers. Tanks in advance!

[@Kipzi]

I have the artist 12 and I will say that sometimes it seems to need a moment to activate the pen once you put it to screen.

[@Ajjikmada]

Thanks for the video, Nice review!!

[@deleted-289]

Love an honest review

[@rePath]

Great review, thank you boro :)

[@ViktorsJournal]

They have profiles currently only for shortcuts (you can set different programs for shortcuts) but not for the general settings (only way is to set it up for one program (win ink) export the config and then create a new one and reload but un/ticking win ink is a lot faster ;). The tilt has the same problem on all their devices (the edges), I don't know what it is about it but the same problem can be found on huion (or at least one of the latest ones I know about) so I guess the tech in that regard needs to catch up in these companies. (I have the large xp-pen with tilt and use tilt as a base part of my drawings and it's fine but with the larger display I basically don't use the edges ;0) Glad to see the honesty, I wonder how you are going to conclude this review.

[@BoroCG]

Yeah I noticed key profiles, I think that was available for a while

[@ViktorsJournal]

@@BoroCG Yeah keys has been around for a while now. Some parts from xp-pen and huion makes me thing nuts. It's like you already have the functionality why did you not extend it just a tid bit more? xD

[@Oozaru85]

Maybe Huion and XP-Pen use the same screen. From the same manufacturer. Wouldn't surprise me really.

[@randommcranderson5155]

can you use the import/export buttons on the bottom right? I would assume you could make one for each program and just switch that way. more cumbersome but maybe will work?

[@mr.i1463]

This unique cable, can be rebuyed on amazon. I messed mine up on the artist 12 and it was kind of 20$ direct from xp pen. But after i dry it, it works again. So i have two now. The pen is also rebuyable.

[@Ar7ific1al]

I still have the XP-Pen Artist 15.6 display tablet and I still love it. It's my first tablet display (technically my second; returned the 13.3 to get a 15.6). I'm incredibly happy to see Wacom routinely being shown up. lol

[@Trid3nt861]

I have that same display that has the red wheel thingy on its left side.

[@Ar7ific1al]

@@Trid3nt861 That's the Artist Pro series, mine isn't the pro. But either way, it's awesome :) Their support has been great whenever I needed it, too!

[@Weird_Quests]

Hey Boro - for a beginner in digital art (as that's what I am... sadly) would you recommend a display like one or one in which is separate from the display? I'm asking as I currently have the Wacom Medium Touch/Pen and am wanting to get back into learning digital art and what I can do. Also, if you aren't too busy, what resources would you recommend for learning from home? I want to do environmental concept art and character design - mainly for my own narrative worlds (writing and roleplaying), but also for fun.

[@thankslg]

Yea now im definitely getting this one for Christmas when I save up.

[@jintat87]

*Throw away the manual *Continue guessing all the features

[@nadavy111]

thank you for the review :) you mentioned about drawing light on it, well I tend to push the sensibility of the pen to soft, so I dont push hard / avoid hand injuries, do you adjust the pen pressure as well while working? can you talk about the display viewing angles? I have some Huion screen tablet that I can see some hue/ contrast shifts and one question about the dials - can you feel "clicks" when rotating them? sometimes they're too "free" for the touch thank you and cheers!

[@mattkaz9604]

I got an XP-Pen (Artist 12), so while it's a different model it's been great and the price is amazing. If they are all as good as this model I'd recommend it to anyone. EDIT - also of interest - some computers won't require you to plug the red usb into a power source - it can power itself off just the black USB to the computer if your computer puts out enough voltage (one of mine does, one doesn't).

[@Alysa-Kins]

Beautiful!

[@AlexLikesToListen]

I would really like to see some color accuracy / brightness / contrast data on the model you received. Companies tend to exaggerate their specifications. I'm assuming that you have a calibration tool. I appreciate that you acknowledged that this was a free review model early on in the video.

[@BoroCG]

Thanks for the idea, I'll see what I can do to give some insight on the color accuracy. I don't have a calibration tool, and I don't feel like I need it for artwork to be honest

[@rickysargulesh1053]

@@BoroCG Since Windows and Linux color management is rubbish it really doesn't matter to get a calibration tool.

[@jononehundred]

Good job puting the link to it

[@CMgraffix]

thanks good review

[@aileen9266]

Just bought it, can't wait to try it! The thing with the tilt not working 1" is on purpose apparently. Though I do not know why.

[@aetheldread]

Good to see Wacom getting some competition. I bought the high end Wacom Mobile Workstation a few years ago for $3000. I had to buy the proprietary stand extra for $100 and then had to pony up for a huion glove.

[@Snowshowkat]

Can you show how long the cord is? I don't have two USB ports side by side and I want to make sure the cord would be able to reach a power source. This review came just in time, I've been looking at getting this tablet. Thanks in advance!

[@carles_carbonell]

Thanks to be honest. Right tilt functionality it's a must for me, because i use it a lot (palette knives kind of brushes).

[@leondecastro1807]

The response time sold me. Now I'm going to buy this for Christmas... Unless Huion releases a Kamvas 16 2020 with good response time.

[@SketchyTigers]

I think the problem with Paintstorm Studio might also be a problem with the Global Stabilisation settings in the program for the pressure stabilisation option. There's a delay delay before start setting but I'm not sure how much it changes.

[@SketchyTigers]

Hm I apparently also now have that problem after the program crashed on me. It was perfectly fine up until an hour ago so idk why it's happening

[@johnhunter743]

Any Craft Pro news? It's been many months again, I thought with a programmer in your team things would go faster :) Would like to hear from you.

[@BoroCG]

Sorry guys it takes so long. We're stuck with a ton of research to make the Metal API integration work. Things take a while since it's no one's main occupation, too.

[@johnhunter743]

@@BoroCG Good to hear you are still workin on it though. Excited for the next update :)

[@x30nplayerone71]

Usb c to c can be used to replace the 3 in 1

[@cyberwaste]

Really nice information. Which would you recommend for a left handed person?

[@adikavita436]

You're underrated, man.

[@3polygons]

Thank you! XP-PEN has come a long way. Seems the main issue is the stand (I don't like either Cintiq 16's stand, so there's that). The maximum angle is too low, and the sliding can be a problem. And tilt, for those using that (not me...but other inkers and illustrators could have an issue). And yep, it seems Wacom's pressure sensitivity stays unbeaten. Nor XP-Pen neither Huion seem to get it better, for now. A lot of people wont notice. But for example for professional photo retouch, I know is often preferred Wacom. The problem with Windows INK and Paintstorm happens with more apps... and many tablets. Is mostly a software problem. *A question* could be (and in general, for any XP-PEN tablet...) if it produced the issue some users had with the 22R, where when inking really small features (in line art, lines) like a super tiny circle, it looses precision. A firmware patch solved it, but one needed to email them for the patch. I am very curious about if the 24" new tablet has this, or if it is something present as well in the older 22E, or exclusively happens in the 22R. If this one does not have it, it could mean they fixed the bug for ever (maybe). PD: I thought XP-PEN was Japanese and Huion Chinese, but maybe I got it wrong... Ok, directly from Wikipedia : _XP-Pen is a division of Chinese company Hanvon Ugee Technology Co., Ltd.[1] Like its parent company, it specializes in graphics tablets, pen display monitors, light pads, stylus pens and digital graphical products. The brand was developed in Japan in 2005. In 2008 they established an office in Taiwan. In 2013, XP-Pen Technology Co. was founded in the United States. In 2015 they opened their office in Shenzhen, China.[2]_ I'll be watching for sure your further experiences with this tablet.

[@Taronites]

Wonder how well this would work with Verve!? There you can even disengage the 60fps lock and let it run as fast as it can. Should be interesting.

[@savenaah]

That was a great review, but do you necessarily have to plug it into a computer in order to use it or something? What if you don’t want to connect it to it?

[@infectioussneeze9099]

such a fancy intro 🤯

[@bobsamurai]

The xp pen store sells that cable for like 15 or 20 on Amazon. I saw it a few weeks ago.

[@andrekling]

Hello, i have the xp pen 15.6 pro one, the one with the red ring, and on my tablet if you press the pen button repeatedly in short span of time, the cursor would jump a few pixels around it should be and return to its position, its super annoying when using a 3d program like blender if you set up the button to navigate the interface and you are rotating around the model, or selecting vertices (if u use right click select)... could you test on this model to see if still happens?

[@desikachan]

The drawing printed in the packaging box is from @bearbrickjia 😍😍 my fave artist

[@lunady]

Hey Boro, do you think it has great left-handed support? I know those right angle cables, and plug-in? I'm sure it has a flip display option, but the cabling and plug in location is also important.

[@lunady]

Just kidding, just saw the second video! Thanks for covering lefty mode:)

[@MillyKKitty]

Waiting for my xp-pen artist 22 pro. Hopefully it's my first good drawing display 😮

[@veewinch]

Maybe perfect for manga drawing.

[@shiroh3581]

20:20 You can export the settings as a file, which can be imported if you want to change profiles

[@polycrystallinecandy]

Can it work through a normal USB-C to USB-C cable if your computer has display out via USB-C?

[@Scio_]

Oh, it does support Linux. Thanks for the note!

[@mrjean9376]

very good and interesting video, im subs

[@eddyalvaross2195]

Huion also has a similar pen display, with tilt support... Though I'm not sure about the pen performance and whatnot. It will be probably be different from the one coming from XP Pen...

[@dreamingflurry2729]

XP-Pen offers the cables separately - even on Amazon (I know, because I've looked if I could buy a second one if the one in use would break)

[@arammco]

At 11:08 there are two dials, so maybe you need to set both to different actions? Have you tried?

[@CaffeinatedHiFi]

GET THE PARBLO COAST PR 100 STAND IF YOU GET THIS TABLET!!! I have the predecessor of this tablet and it's amazing. However, that stand is NOT good enough. The Parblo Coast stand is adjustable and it works great!

[@SceneTurkey]

I think the x it shows for the virtual wheel is an axis that spins, though they weren't very clear on that.

[@juschu85]

Are there even any non-Wacom pen displays that also support touch? I would really miss it because I use it a lot for panning and zooming. Perhaps I should try to deactivate touch, to try if I could change my workflow. But honestly, I would prefer to not change my workflow if there is a pen display that lets me do that and doesn't cost me an arm and a leg.

[@Oozaru85]

You can order replacement cables on Amazon. Or directly on the manufacturers website. At least if its Huion or XP-Pen. Just saying.

[@Chris-Brown-]

I just bought one, mainly for 3D sculpting

[@dreamtvthai]

How is it for 3D sculpting? I’m thinking of buying this for Zbrush.

[@Zadestroyah]

So basically they built a 16-inch tablet to compete directly with the KAMVAS Pro 16? Only difference I see are the scroll wheel and like two extra hot keys which are tempting considering how much I dislike the touch bar on my Huion.

[@maui6262]

I could watch boro draw random lines all day!

[@artbythedarkside4273]

re: cables Huion offers a USB-C to USB-C cable for an additional cost, and when I ordered my Kamvas13 I almost didn't take the cable, which would have been a huge mistake. If you are working on a laptop and not a desktop, always order the additional cable, because 3-in-1 cables need the HDMI to be plugged into the graphics card, which is impossible with laptops.

[@zcodec369]

Hey what's that graphic table cover called? Wanna get one for myself.

[@FrauleinEisenherz]

I love lemonade dispay!

[@ion-shivs]

6:16 This is how I've always checked for metal, too.

[@michaelbitzer7295]

True 🤣

[@rioreason]

4:45 Shit, I was actually kinda hoping you’d ID the artist that did the illustration on the box. I love that flowing hair. I’m a sucker for super flowy hair done well. AND it’s pink!

[@BoroCG]

Oh I've no idea. In an Innovator ad the actor pretended to be drawing this picture haha

[@vi8799]

Any differences between this one and artist pro 15.6?

[@zarrenbenzon560]

Can the tilt function be turned off? Nice review!

[@BoroCG]

I mean you just do that for the brushes you use in a drawing app. Most brushes don't use tilt at all

[@alankritsharma6678]

Can you compare it to their previous model and the huion competitors

[@kudasibanda4553]

Can you use it for left handed people Flip it and the buttons be on my right side

[@The_OEK]

Топовий огляд. Є уся необхідна інформація для того, щоб скласти думку на рахунок продукту, а також вирішити чи підходить він для власних цілей чи ні. Після перегляду огляду замовив собі такий. Топ контент, ізі підписка!

[@MakeupByFavi_O]

Would love some help deciding between this or the xp pen 22E pro, anyone know which one is better? Hoping to get one since XP Pen are doing the New Years sales💓

[@GarbageGirI]

I don't understand that point about the cable. You could most likely get a replacement if your warranty is still valid or buy a replacement if not. Sorry, but that was a weird complaint. xD

[@Alazim7890]

I like this kinda review lol xD

[@akashnba03]

Hey Boro, can this be used with a single USB C or Thunderbolt cable, because i saw one end of the special cable that connects to the tablet via USB C.

[@BoroCG]

You mean just using a simple usb-c cable to plug it into a computer? I'll give it a try, but chances are low. Would be cool though

[@Germania9]

1 question: How do I draw vertically on this display?

[@xabab]

Boro, мне всегда, пока смотрел твои видео, было интересно, возможно ли в твоём стиле нарисовать звездное небо? Все-таки объекты точечные и без кисти а-ля "спрей", мне кажется, не обойтись.

[@misery3079]

Godddddd I want that display table aaaa

[@ALum918]

Hey, I have this tablet and sometimes the pen point isn't accurate to where I'm pointing on the screen. It's sometimes off by a few centimeters. I usually have to restart my laptop, mess around with the PenTablet screen settings, and open my drawing software (Krita) again to fix the problem. Is my tablet bugged or is there a way to fix this?

[@user-zh4nf6ky3s]

I've experienced this in my xp-pen 15.6 only recently (after 1 year+ use) I usually just connect and disconnect the tablet but it feels terribly uncomfortable or restart my application (photoshop)

[@chansovecjeaofficial8594]

hello xp-pen 15.6 can't connect with desktop? it only laptop?

[@pico1790]

Just received my Innovator 16 two days ago and still trying to get it set up and calibtrated. Seems impossible. Thinking of sending it back unless I can find a video on tips to calibrate everything.

[@watagree]

our favorite bald artist

[@BoroCG]

I'll take it.

[@LuxiferreArt]

Actually Huion's tilt function is not really good yet I hope they fixe it ... Cause even on their pen tablet the tilt is pretty shitty

[@thanos8726]

I think this tablet is great but they should drop the price a little more . You can buy a Wacom Cintiq 16 for around the same price and the pen is still better other than that Wacom Drivers have higher compatibility (they work also on linux and android ) and they have more features . The cintiq support also different kind of pens and i found out that all the cintiqs even the big cintiq pro 24 are compatible with different android devices . Than if you have a note 9 / 10 / 20 , a new samsung tablet or other similar android devices you can use pretty much all the cintiq models on the go with krita , painter , clip studio and all the drawing apps you find on android. I try it with the last note 10 and 20 and some other android tablets and the overall drawing experience is great .

[@orenji13]

Did XP PEN do something about the tilt problem?

[@randomerrs]

I love how you bend that thing hahaha