Is Wacom's new Cintiq 22 the drawing tablet you've been waiting for?

For many artists and designers, the ultimate dream is to have a full-size Wacom Cintiq to draw, sketch and design on. But being arguably the best graphic tablets the market has to offer also means these heavyweight creative pen displays don't come cheap; they're usually within the reach of working designers who can offset the cost against tax, but for students and enthusiasts, they're just a bit too rich.

However, there's now a more affordable alternative available. Wacom has just announced the latest addition to the Cintiq range, the Cintiq 22 – a 21.5-inch creative pen display. So if you love the features of the Cintiq 16 (see our Cintiq 16 review) but find it's not big enough to create on, then the Cintiq 22 could be for you. 

While the Cintiq 22 lacks the advanced features found at the expensive end of the Cintiq line, such as 4K resolution, pro colour performance and optical bonding, it delivers enough power to keep most creatives happy. There's vibrant colour, HD clarity and ergonomic design (more on that later). Best of all, it's yours for well under a grand: £869.99 or €999.90.

The Wacom Cintiq 22 features a 1,920 x 1,080 full HD display with 1000:1 contrast ratio, 72 per cent NTSC colour, 96 per cent sRGB and a 22ms response time. Its hardened cover glass has an anti-glare treatment and a natural paper-like feel, making it ideal for sketching and drawing at any time, day or night, and it comes with an adjustable stand that gives you an 16-82 degree angle for ultimate ergonomic comfort.

As with most other Wacom tablets, the Cintiq 22 works seamlessly with the Wacom Pro Pen 2, which provides 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and about 60 degrees of tilt response, and gives you incredible precision and accuracy. And thanks to Wacom's EMR technology, you don't need to put in a battery or recharge the Pro Pen 2; it simply draws its power electromagnetically from the Cintiq itself.

If you've ever coveted a full-size Cintiq but haven't had the budget to make it a reality, the new Cintiq 22 could very well be the pen display you've been waiting for, and it's available to order now from the Wacom eStore.

Not sure the Cintiq 22 is the right fit for you? Here are some other great pen display options...

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