If you are a digital artist, you may have noticed that drawing displays have become remarkably good and affordable. Gone are the days when buying a drawing display almost required you to take out a second mortgage. We have XPPen and Huion to thank for that. Drawing display maker Wacom now has true competition. Just a few years ago, XPPen made cheaper tablets and displays, but they felt cheap. Today, their tablets rival the best and can cost almost half what other so-called premium displays cost. XPPen’s Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2) is one of the best drawing displays you can buy at any cost. Let’s find out why.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $899.99
Where to buy: XPPen, Amazon
What is it?
The XPpen Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2) is a 19-inch (diagonal) drawing display designed for direct drawing on the screen using a stylus (Pen). It must be connected to a PC to function. It isn’t like an iPad.
XPPen has incorporated a rounded wrist guard at the bottom for added drawing comfort. The back of the Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2) has fold-out legs that set the display at about a 20° angle.
The Pro 19’s 4K screen is made of exched glass and is fully laminated (more on 4K and lamination later in the review).
XPen offers two pens with the Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2). One is a standard “fat” pen with two-button shortcut buttons and a new programmable scroll wheel positioned on the barrel. The other is a slim version with two shortcut buttons, but no scroll wheel. Each pen has 16,384 levels of pressure, allowing easy drawing from thin to thick lines depending on the art app.
A programmable hand-held remote with a scroll wheel is included.
What’s included?
- Drawing display
- 3 in1 cable
- USB-C to USB-C cable (2)
- USB-C to USB-A cable
- Power adapter
- ACK05 wireless shortcut remote
- Drawing glove
- Cleaning cloth
- X3 Pro Roller Stylus
- X3 Pro Slim Stylus
- Pen case
- Extra nibs (with extractor)
Tech specs
- Color: Dark Gray
- Dimensions: 18 x 12 x .85 inches
- Weight: 5 lbs.
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (16:9)
- Color gamut: 99.8% sRGB, 96% Adobe RGB, 98% Display P3
- Laminated screen
- Etched glass
- Stylus pressure levels: 16,384
- Stylus tilt: 60°
- Integrated stand: 19° angle
Design and features
The biggest selling point for the Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2) drawing display is its 4K resolution. XPPen calls it “4K Ultravision Display.” 4K resolution is 3840 x 2160 dpi. This resolution is good on any-sized display, but it looks ridiculously sharp on a 19-inch display. The downside of 4K is that some app text may be too small to read for artists with less-than-perfect vision (like me). The good news is that 4K can be downsampled to 2.5K (2560 × 1440), while still looking good at 19 inches. At 2.5K, app text can be easier to read. Screen ratio is 16 x 9, which is more horizontal than many displays.
Color accuracy on a drawing display is an important, but often overlooked, component. The XPPen is Calman Verified. Calman is an independent color verification company that calibrates color accuracy for companies that rely on accurate color. Each Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2) drawing display is calibrated and verified by Calman, with a printed Color Calibration Report specific to that display included in the box. The result of this calibration is a beautiful screen that’s great at drawing and using as a monitor. I’m still amazed how far drawing displays have progressed over the last few years.
The Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2) drawing display supports three color spaces: sRGB, Adobe RGB, and Display P3. These spaces can be chosen in the XPPen PenTablet app. I prefer the P3 space over either RGB choice. Note that a color space can also be customized by the user if desired.
Connecting the Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2) drawing display to my Mac Studio could not have been easier. Once I downloaded the PenTablet driver app, a supplied USB-C cable was all it needed to function. Because of the Mac Studio’s USB-C Thunderbolt connections, it didn’t need the supplied power cord at all. Amazing.
Let’s look at the glass screen. Etched glass is infinitely more durable than an etched plastic film overlaid on shiny glass. Plus, glass etching makes drawing on the screen feel more paper-like and it’s non-glare. Granted, etching can make color appear a bit “dull” when compared to a glossy, glass monitor, but the trade-off is worth it. No one likes drawing on glossy glass.
The screen is fully laminated. Lamination simply means that there is no “gap” between the cursor you see on screen and the pen tip. Note that both lamination and etched glass are now becoming standard on many drawing displays.
A minor quibble: Post-it notes will not stick to the XPPen etched screen. That probably isn’t a big deal for most, but I love tacking notes to the edges of the screen while I’m working.
Two pens (stylus) come with the Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2). The standard pen is a thicker pen similar to many tablet pens from other display makers. Its thickness makes it feel more ergonomic in my hand. A thinner pen is included, but I’m not a fan. However, I’m sure many artists prefer the thinner pen. YMMV. Each pen has two handy, programmable shortcut buttons. I usually set one as a double-mouse click and the other as a control key for bringing up contextual windows. Each pen has over 16K pressure levels. Previous pens had 4K to 8K levels. I still cannot tell the difference, but it’s nice to have the extra pressure levels.
The thick pen now has a built-in programmable scroll wheel, which can scroll, zoom, or perform other functions customizable per app. After using it for a while, I turned the scroll wheel off. It wasn’t comfortable to use while holding the pen. It felt like it was in the wrong place, and I had to twist my hand and fingers to access it. Another downside to the new scroll wheel pen has no eraser. The previous pen had a built-in eraser button placed at the opposite end of the stylus—just like a real eraser. The good news is that if you have an older XPPen stylus with an eraser, it still works!
While the back of the Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2) has fold-out legs, some artists prefer a more vertical drawing angle. This requires a VESA stand (not included). The Artist Pro 19 has a “mini-VESA” setup. It has attachment holes 3 inches apart. A regular VESA has 4-inch holes for attaching a stand. Why XPPen didn’t include both 3 and 4-inch holes is a mystery. Note that VESA is the necessary standard for mounting any ergonomic arm or adjustable stand.
Since the Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2) is a premium tablet, XPPen includes a nice hand-held programmable remote. The ACK05 Bluetooth Keyboard remote has multiple keys and a rotating wheel that can be individually programmed for almost any key or command you desire. Plus, each button can be programmed for different functions depending on which app is being used, giving you almost infinite choices. The remote is designed to be convenient, sitting on the desk or held in one hand while the other holds the pen. This combination of pen and remote can be an efficient drawing method—but I don’t use it. I don’t use any remote. I’m old-school and still rely on a keyboard for all of my shortcut keys. However, younger and less stubborn artists will probably love this remote.
I am not an illustrator, but I do a lot of photo retouching and manipulation using Photoshop in my job as a children’s book designer. Drawing displays are indispensable, and I cannot work without them. The Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2) slots in perfectly next to my main 24-inch drawing display.
Final thoughts
The XPPen Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2) is a great drawing display that can satisfy the most demanding digital artist. While it’s too small to be my main drawing display, it’s great having it positioned next to my 24-inch display. Plus, it’s a perfect size for those with smaller desks. If you’re considering one, I highly recommend getting the optional XPPen ACS18 Adjustable Stand ($46), which allows for various drawing angles and works with both 3-inch and 4-inch VESA standards. Your shoulders and neck may thank you.
What I like about the XPpen Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2) Drawing Display
- 4K resolution
- 2 Pens
- 16K pressure levels
- Etched glass screen
- Verified color accuracy
- Affordable for what you get
What needs to be improved?
- Adjustable stand not included
- No 4-inch VESA holes
Price: $899.99
Where to buy: XPPen, Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by XPPen. XPPen did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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