10 Best XP-Pen Drawing Tablets for Graphic Designers, Artists & Illustrators

Founded in Japan, XP-Pen started in 2005 developing tablets for graphic designers. Throughout the company’s history, they have maintained a dedication to research, design, production, and the marketing of digital tablets. In its 15 years of existence, the company has built an impressive market share in Asia, Europe, North America, and other markets around the world.

With their impressive background, we thought that it might be time for us to introduce them to our audience. Now, if you know or even own a product from XP-Pen, be sure to tell us about it in the comments below. For everyone else out there, let’s take a closer look at the best XP-Pen drawing tablets for artists & graphic designers.

Before we start though, let’s take a look at the different options that XP-Pen offers graphic designers, artists, and illustrators.

The XP-Pen Tablets Range

Offering more than one type of product to your customers just makes good business sense. XP-Pen knows this and offers a wide range of different options to suit your needs. These options are broken down into three different series: Deco, Star, and Artist.

Deco Series

The Deco line of drawing tablets is XP-Pen’s entry-level option for designers and illustrators. While with some tablets, an entry-level product may mean less quality, that isn’t the case with the drawing tablets in this group.

Star Series

The Star Series of drawing tablets from XP-Pen is designed with a creative person in mind. Not only are these tablets amazing for drawing but they are also an excellent option for photography, design, and sketching. Plus, with its battery-free stylus, you won’t have to worry about stopping to give it a charge.

Artist Series

The Artist series is the top-of-the-line offering that XP-Pen makes for professional artists and designers. Built to allow you to draw right on the screen so whatever inspires you can be given life right in front of you. The design of these display tablets lets you create and increase your workflow with ease.

 

 

XP-Pen Tablets Comparison: What is the best XP-Pen tablet?

XP-Pen Artist 24 Pro is the best XP-Pen tablet. Check out the table to see a comparison of the other XP-Pen tablet and choose what is right for you.

How to choose the best XP-Pen Drawing tablets?

Pressure sensitivity

Pressure levels are the specific and distinct points that  the digital pen detects. If you are looking for a tablet, for graphic designing or drawing, pressure sensitivity is important to consider. These tablets should be capable of capturing the motion of the pen because it will provide great results in your drawings and illustrations. 

Active Drawing Area

Although the drawing area depends upon your needs and preference, it is a necessary factor to consider when buying a tablet. You must look into both the measurements like the overall size of the tablet and the exact drawing area as that information will easily help you to work through a stylus. You must check carefully for the screen size and search the ‘drawing area’ in the tablet’s specifications. 

Stylus Quality

It’s obvious that as a graphic designer or an artist that you need a high-quality stylus along with your tablet. There are two choices for a stylus: an electromagnetic stylus and battery operated stylus. No matter which type you choose, it is necessary to focus on its quality, so as to maintain your work’s quality. 

Best XP-Pen Tablets for Graphic Designers, Artists & Illustrators

1. XP-Pen Artist 24 Pro (Editor’s Choice)

Best overall XP-Pen tablet

Display Resolution: 2560 x 1440 pixels, 2K QHD | Display Color Gamut: 90% AdobeRGB | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: HDMI/USB-A/C | Size: 632 x 370 x 44.8mm | Active Area: 526.85 x 296.35mm

The Artist 24 Pro is the top of the line when it comes to the graphic displays that XP-Pen offers. With 2K QHD resolution powering its graphic display, while it might not be familiar to some designers, the resolution that the display offers adds more pixels to the screen and with more pixels, the image becomes sharper.

Packed with two battery-free styli, the overall design is solid, has a nice feel to it, and doesn’t feel hollow or cheaply made. The rubberized grip makes it easy to hold while the side buttons can be customized with mouse clicks or keyboard shortcuts. While the pen case comes with eight replacement nibs along with a nib remover, the cap’s build quality makes it an excellent pen stand.

Featuring two easy-to-control red dials wheels and 20 customizable shortcuts keys are placed on both sides of the display so whether you’re right or left-handed, it’s easy to use. The display comes with a USB hub built-in so you can connect devices such as your mouse and with its adjustable stand, you can change the angle to make it easier to get work done.

In the photo above, you can see my 16″ Macbook Pro VS the XP-Pen 24″ tablet.

Pros	Cons
➕ Impressive display	➖ Lacks touch screen
➕ Budget friendly

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

2. Artist 12 Pro

Display Resolution: 1920 x1080 pixels | Display Color Gamut: 72% NTSC | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: USB-C | Size: 35.1 x 22.5 x 1.29cm | Active Area: 25.6 x 14.4cm

With its 11.6-inch display, the Artist 12 Pro uses fully-laminated technology to combine the glass and screen into the perfect distraction-free work surface. A 178-degree viewing angle and virtually no parallax, ensure that you will have the perfect viewing angle for all of your projects.

With a pressure sensitivity of 8,192 levels, the stylus is designed to provide you with the best accuracy and highest level of performance to help you create amazing sketches or the finest lines.

With its 3-in-1 cable design, the 12 Pro is easy to connect to either your PC or Mac. 8 shortcut keys are fully customizable, so you can have more control of your work and have it come out just the way you want. A control wheel makes choosing the right brush size for your work simple while the included stand puts the tablet at a comfortable angle to work with.

Pros	Cons
➕ Light weight	➖ Small screen when compared to other tablets
➕ Great color accuracy

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

3. Star 05 Wireless

Display Resolution: N/A | Display Color Gamut: N/A | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: USB | Size: 30 x 18 x1cm | Active Area: 20.3 x 12.7 cm

Best budget-friendly XP-Pen tablet

Star 05 gives you two different ways to work with the tablet. You can choose to go wireless by plugging in the USB receiver that’s included in your computer or you can connect the tablet directly to your computer through the use of a USB cable. Six touch-sensitive shortcut keys help streamline your workflow while the overall design makes it easy to transport and its 8 x 5 drawing surface gives you a good amount of room to work.

The P03 stylus comes with 8,192 levels of sensitivity making it easy to draw thick or super thin lines with ease and to make things even easier, the stylus is battery-free so you can work all day long without having to worry about running out of juice. With its incredible tactility, you can draw with better accuracy and control.

Pros	Cons
➕ Comfortable to work	➖ Some might face an installation issue
➕ Great performance

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

4. Star 06C

Resolution: 5050 LPI | Display Color Gamut: N/A | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: USB | Size: 35.4 x 22 x 0.9 cm | Active Area: 10” x 6”

Designed to be used in conjunction with your computer, the Star 06C tablet  connects to your computer through a USB cable and provides you with an active area of 10 x 6 inches, which can offer a great deal of space to work on your designs. The tablet features six touch-sensitive express keys that you can customize to suit your needs and a quick dial to make changes brushes and other setting even easier.

With a battery-free design, the stylus offers 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity which can help you draw lines of any weight and sense every touch of the stylus for your purpose. With the battery-free design, you can work continuously without having to stop for a recharge, further putting your creativity in your hands.

Pros	Cons
➕ Best for designers and creators	➖ The tip of the stylus could be large
➕ Great performance
➕ Impressive built quality

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

5. Star G640S

Display Resolution: N/A | Display Color Gamut: N/A | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: USB | Size: 30 x 18 x1cm | Active Area: 20.3 x 12.7 cm

One of the most annoying things a designer may ever have to deal with is working on an image in Adobe Photoshop or drawing in Corel Painter with a mouse. Thankfully, the Star G640S gives you the ability to just pick up a pen and draw. With the tablet’s active area measuring 6 x 4 inches and overall small size, it can be a great option to take with you when you decide you need a day working in the sun.

The stylus that comes packaged with the G640S has had its pressure sensitivity improved to 8,192 levels and can provide you the tools you need to create the art you want with a full range of brushes and pens. Designed for easy use by either right or left-handed artists, the tablet has six round customizable shortcut keys that are easily accessible with your fingertips. The tablet’s orientation can be set to eliminate any awkward reaching across the tablet.

Pros	Cons
➕ Comfortable stylus	➖ Requires software installation
➕ Solid construction
➕ Impressive built quality

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

6. Artist 12

Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 | Display Color Gamut: 72% | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: USB | Size: 36.4 x 21.8 cm | Active Area: 25.6 x 14.4 cm

When you’re a graphic designer, you can’t always afford top of the line technology to create your next masterpiece and that’s where the Artist 12 comes in handy. With its affordable price, the Artist 12 provides you with 11.6 inches of active area in a super portable display tablet that you can use to draw at your workstation or sitting in your favorite coffee shop.

Featuring a slim touchpad along with six shortcut keys makes customizing simple so that it fits your needs. The included touch bar can also be programmed to zoom in and out on your images, scroll up or down, and even more. The design of the Advanced P06 stylus can provide you with a pencil-like feel from its hexagon design, to its digital eraser and partially transparent pen tip, the stylus can help you with its technical sense, high efficiency, and comfortable grip.

Pros	Cons
➕ User-friendly	➖ Clunky drivers
➕ Solid construction
➕ Impressive built quality

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

7. Artist 22R Pro

Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 | Display Color Gamut: about 88% NTSC, Adobe® RGB≧90%, sRGB≧120% | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: 1x USB-C port, 2x USB Hub,1x HDMI port,1x VGA port,1x DC port | Size: 57 x 33.4 x 4.4cm | Active Area: 47.6 x 26cm

The Artist 22R Pro is the answer to the question that many Mac users have been asking. The 22R is the first graphics display to fully support USB-C to USB-C connection. This means that you can connect the display and all 21.5 inches to your iMac or Macbook Pro without using an adapter. The display can also work as a USB hub so you can connect peripherals such as a mouse or even a way to charge your devices.

The stylus comes with 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity that allows the battery-free stylus to feel natural in your hand. Packaged with a holder that can keep your pen and pen nibs safe, it can also be used as a pen stand or even a pen holder. With the stylus supporting up to 60 degrees of tilt, the stylus can provide you with incredible line performance to help you design the best sketches and lines in your artwork.

Pros	Cons
➕ Great stylus	➖ Expensive than others
➕ Good build quality

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

8. Deco 03

Display Resolution: N/A | Display Color Gamut: N/A | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: USB | Size: 35.4 x 21.8 x 0.8 cm | Active Area: 10” x 5.62”

Deco 03 is the latest release in XP Pen’s Deco line and its overall design is beloved by illustrators and graphic designers alike. Designed for both wired and wireless use, the tablet simply plugs into through the use of a USB cord or receiver to bring your images to life on your monitor. With an overall thickness of 8mm, it is perfect to take with you and won’t become a burden.

The tablet features a multi-function red dial in the upper left-hand corner of the tablet plus six customizable buttons. Setting the tablet into left-hand mode will allow you to turn the tablet 180 degrees making the red dial accessible. The stylus has a pressure sensitivity of 8,192 levels ensuring a durable and comfortable fit in your hand each time. With its pencil-like feel, you don’t have to worry about making mistakes. The digital eraser on the stylus will get rid of them easily.

Pros	Cons
➕ Great drawing experience	➖ No built in quality
➕ Wireless

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

9. Artist 22E Pro

Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 | Display Color Gamut: 77% – 82% Adobe RGB | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: USB | Size: 56.7 x 32.6 x 3 cm | Active Area: 47.6 x 26.8 cm

If you’re serious about your design work, then you need to consider the 22E Pro from XP-Pen. With its massive 21.5-inch display and 178-degree viewing angle, you have a ton of space to create the art that you’ve always wanted. 16 shortcut keys are fully customizable to help you express your ideas and with the ergonomically designed stand which while being sturdy, is also adjustable so you can have it at just the right angle and can also be mounted to a VESA mount.

The P02S rechargeable stylus gives you the tool you need to create incredible artwork every time it touches the screen. With 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, you can have perfect control and beautiful fluidity which each pen stroke. When the pen is fully charged, you can scribble, sketch, and design for up to two months.

Pros	Cons
➕ Great sensitivity	➖ Lacks shortcut buttons
➕ Well built

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

10. Star 03V2 Express Keys

Resolution: 5080 LPI | Display Color Gamut: N/A | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: USB | Size: 36 x 21x 0.8 cm | Active Area: 26 x 17 cm

Sometimes, to get the most out of the designs we create, we need as much room as possible and that’s where the Star03 V2 finds its niche. With a working area of 10 x 6 inches, you have more than enough space to create incredible works of art. The tablet design includes eight easy-to-use programmable buttons that will lessen your need for an external keyboard by allowing you to assign the keys to common keystrokes and functions.

Designed to provide you with 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, the battery-free stylus has a 266RPS report rate gives you a stylus that capable of providing you with precise accuracy and quick response so you can draw, sketch, paint, or doodle with a smooth, enhanced performance. The tablet comes in two different colors – black and white, which can be great for those designers looking to change things up a bit.

Pros	Cons
➕ Provides adjustable stand	➖ Might not great for beginners
➕ Great drawing space

 

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

11. XP-Pen Deco 01 V2

Best compact drawing tablets

Display Resolution: 2560 x 1440 pixels, 2K QHD | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: USB-C | Screen size: 10 inches 

Providing a wide drawing area of 10 x 6.25 inches, the tablet is a perfect choice for artists. Having a compact and thin design, the tablet is lightweight and portable enough to carry around for work. 

Featuring eight customizing express keys, you can work and draw easily through this tablet without wasting time. As it is flexible, this drawing tablet is designed for both left hand users and right hand users. 

With a pressure sensitivity of 8192 levels, the tablet provides a stylus that is responsible for giving a great drawing experience. The XP-Pen Deco 01 V2 is versatile and supports many creative software such as illustrator, Clip studio, Painter, etc. Due to these features, you can consider this tablet as a great option for not only beginners but also for professionals. 

Pros	Cons
➕ Provides tilt function with pen	➖ Budget-friendly compared to other options
➕ Great drawing space

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

12. Artist 22 Pro

Best table with impressive screen 

Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 | Display Color Gamut: 77-82% Adobe RGB | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: USB | Size: 51.7 x 32.1 x 3 cm | Active Area: 47.6 x 26.8 x 1.1 cm

One of the amazing things about the Artist line of display tablets is the way they let you expand your creativity naturally and intuitively. The 22 Pro certainly fits this mold with its 21.5-inch display that boasts a resolution of 1080p as well as an extra-wide 178-degree viewing angle. With a color gamut of 77-82%, you can be sure that all of your artwork is displayed with vibrant colors, and with its support for 4k displays, you can sit back and be amazed at the sharp details on the screen.

To create all of that beautiful artwork, you’re going to need a stylus that can keep up with your overflowing imagination, and thankfully, the P02S can do just that. With 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, you can create one masterpiece after another with superior control and fluidity. With the ergonomically-designed, adjustable stand helps to keep the display from shaking or sliding so that your session is never interrupted by tech issues.

Pros	Cons
➕ Impressive stylus	➖ Lacks programmable buttons
➕ Great build quality

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

13. Deco 01 V2

Best versatile drawing tablets

Resolution: 5080 LPI | Display Color Gamut: N/A | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: USB | Size: 13.82 x 8.54 x 0.31 in | Active Area: 10” x 6.25”

XP Pen tablets are lauded across the graphic design community for many things and a major one is their versatility, which is ever apparent with the Deco 01 V2. With a 10 x 6.25 inch workspace, you have a lot of room to get your ideas out of your head and on your screen. With a thickness of only 8mm, traveling with the tablet is easy. Versatility is the key with the Deco 01 V2 which you can rotate up to 270 degrees to have all the angles you need to create amazing artwork.

Just like a real pen, the stylus doesn’t need a battery or a recharge to help you create the artwork of your dreams. With its 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, the stylus has the smarts and the brawn to let you navigate, modify, and create your masterpiece. The features don’t end there are the tablet features eight customizable express keys that are within reach at all times and can easily be programmed to work with many different software programs. The tablet also comes with support for Android devices 6.0 and higher.

Pros	Cons
➕ Impressive sleek design	➖ Lacks higher report rate
➕ Great hot-key functionalities

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

14. Star G640 Sketch

Best tablets for graphic designers 

Resolution: 5080 LPI | Display Color Gamut: N/A | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: USB | Size: 19 x 16.2 x 0.8 cm | Active Area: 6 x 4”

For every graphic designer, there are times when you might get tired of drawing for your clients all day and just want to do some sketching for fun as a way to relax and XP Pen has you covered with the G640 Sketch, part of their Star line of tablets. With its lightweight and slim design, you can easily pack this in your bag and take it with you for a nice day outside the office. The G640 Sketch comes with a 6 x 4-inch working area giving you plenty of room to work on your latest creation.

All of these designs you create need to have a stylus that can keep up with your imagination and thankfully, XP Pen has thought of that with their P01 pen-like stylus. Battery-free without the needing to recharge, the stylus has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity that gives it enough smarts for you to create, navigate, or even modify with ease. The stylus comes with a button click so you can easily switch from drawing to erasing. Knowing that you’re going to get a lot of use out of the stylus, the G640 Sketch comes with 20 replacement nibs so you don’t need to stop anytime soon.

Pros	Cons
➕ Stylus works smoothly	➖ Lacks compatibility with Thunderbolt-3 ports
➕ Great performance

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

15. XP-Pen Innovator 16

Best mid-range tablet with amazing value

Active drawing area: 13.54 x 7.62in | Pen pressure sensitivity: 8,192 levels | Connections: HDMI | OS: Windows, Linux, or macOS

Reasonably priced, the Innovator 16 from XP-Pen is a welcome addition to their already amazing stable of pen display tablets. With a good build design and a sleek profile, the Innovator is built for artists on the go.

Packed with Artrage 5, a free drawing software, the Innovator is a pretty incredible piece of tech. This is not to say that the tablet doesn’t have some faults. Without a touchscreen, adjustable stand, or brightness that could be better, the Innovator is not going to be replacing your high-end drawing tablet.

It may not beat some of the best options on our list, it doesn’t have to. This is especially true if you are looking for incredible value and portability, you have found your tablet.

Pros	Cons
➕ Slim and portable	➖ Brightness could be better
➕ Decently priced	➖ No adjustable stand
➕ Free drawing software	➖ Not touchscreen

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

16. XP-Pen Deco 01 V2

Best compact drawing tablets

Display Resolution: 2560 x 1440 pixels, 2K QHD | Pen Pressure: 8192 levels | Ports: USB-C | Screen size: 10 inches 

Providing a wide drawing area of 10 x 6.25 inches, the tablet is a perfect choice for artists. Having a compact and thin design, the tablet is lightweight and portable enough to carry around for work. 

Featuring eight customizing express keys, you can work and draw easily through this tablet without wasting time. As it is flexible, this drawing tablet is designed for both left hand users and right hand users. 

With a pressure sensitivity of 8192 levels, the tablet provides a stylus that is responsible for giving a great drawing experience. The XP-Pen Deco 01 V2 is versatile and supports many creative software such as illustrator, Clip studio, Painter, etc. Due to these features, you can consider this tablet as a great option for not only beginners but also for professionals. 

Pros	Cons
Provides tilt function with pen	Budget-friendly compared to other options
Great drawing space

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Best XP-Pen Tablets for Graphic Designers

For 15 years, XP Pen has been manufacturing incredible tablet options for graphic designers and creatives alike. If you were already familiar with their products, we hope we helped you find your next tablet. Being introduced to them for the first time then we’re glad to provide you with a list of the Best XP-Pen Tablets for Graphic Designers and hope that you come to fall in love with their products like many others have.

---

More Top Gear for Designers

• Best printers for designers
• Best monitors for designers
• Best tablets for designers
• Best earphones for music-lovers
• Best cameras for designers
• Best microphones for designers
• Best office chairs for designers
• Best external hard drives for designers
• Best monitor calibrators for designers
• Best pens for creatives
• Best phones for designers & creatives
• Best powerbanks
• Best laptop bags & backpacks