Digital Drawing with the best tablet for adobe illustrator

The world normally moves around the habit of mankind and it is fair to say that the thinking of mankind keeps getting evolved or change.  For instance, the artist belongs to the past normally used to draw on paper through brush and paint.

At that time people used to imagine science and technology as the devil’s dark magic pretty dumb right? Well like we discussed before the nature of mankind started to evolve.

So like every people artists also started to include advanced gadgets in their professional uses. This gives a new and much better option to the painters to draw or edit designs easily as compare to the traditional ways. So the painters now can draw paintings from anywhere on a soft copy.

At the same time due to the rise of competition the artist community start to use professional designing software. Such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe illustrator which allows the users to design unique art which can’t be possible through traditional ways.

So by using a stylus or pens the user can draw smooth lines on a tablet screen with complete control that can’t be possible using a paintbrush. Although picking the best tablet for adobe illustrator isn’t as easy as it looks but luckily myUSAmart is here to help you out.

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Buying guide for the best tablet for adobe illustrator

Active Screen Area

The important feature to consider for the best tablet for adobe illustrator is the screen area as many tablets come bezel-less but many tablets come with a plastic edge that covers the active area and screen casing.

The screen should be large enough to easily move the stylus in the active area. A larger screen area is preferred for drawing so you can get your hands around and showcase your creativity easily.

Pen Pressure Sensitivity

The pen pressure sensitivity is a key feature for a drawing tablet as the more the pressure, the thicker the line will draw.

Consider a graphic or drawing tablet that can capture pen pressure sensitivity, it helps in terms of outlining.

The ideal pen pressure level of a tablet is 2048, the more the pen pressure sensitivity is the more the thickness is.

Stylus

Just like in the traditional drawing, you need a brush as a tool, the same as in digital drawing, the stylus is your brush. The stylus is available in two categories such as battery-operated and EMR.

The difference between them is that the battery one is a little bit thicker than the EMR also they are thicker as they have batteries to suck the internals.

EMR can operate on wireless connectivity and are available on both thick and thin points. They have a thinner body and rely on low-energy pulses.

Lines per inch

Another factor for the purchase of the tablet is lines per inch which describe the screen resolution helps in targeting high-quality images. If the LPI is higher than the screen will perform like a 4K display.

The higher the LPI, the better the result is.

For daily tasks or in-depth projects, many artists consider LPI Screen but in most cases, an ultra HD screen or Super AMOLED Displays are considered.

Top 6 best tablets for adobe illustrator

The internal specs matter a lot when it comes to operating professional software such as adobe illustrator. In this section different tablets are listed that can be suitable for this task. So the user could select the best tablet for adobe illustrator from the given list.

1. Apple iPad Pro (Overall best tablet for Adobe Illustrator)

The tablet has an 11 inches screen with a resolution of about (1688X2388) pixels for clear visuals. The device is packed with an A12Z Bionic Chipset processor. It provides powerful performance with its 6GB of RAM and inbuilt 128GB of storage. 

Features
Display	11 inches, 2,388 x 1,668 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate
Sensors	LiDAR, Face ID
Battery Life	Estimated up to 10 hours
Ports	USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, Apple Smart Connector
Connectivity	5G
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB
Rear camera	12-megapixel wide, 10-megapixel ultra-wide
Front camera	12 megapixels
Audio	4 speakers
Processor	Apple M1

It operates on an iPad OS 14. The main camera is 12MP wide and 10MP Ultrawide. For enjoying these fascinating features, the device gives you a battery timing of 10 hours.

The Apple Pencil has built-in hardware that detects the pen pressure sensitivity and draws accordingly. The operating system has a palm rejection mechanism to rest your arm on the Apple iPad pro while you are working.

You can double-tap anywhere on the pencil to change the brushes on the current program. These features make this tablet the overall best tablet for adobe illustrator. 

The device comes with an adobe premium membership and supports a third-party stylus.

2. Wacom PTH660 Intuos Pro (Most recommended tablet)

The tablet has a 13.2 X 8.5 inches design. It comes with a 5080 LPI resolution. It comes with Wacom 2 stylus. If you are an artist searching for a good tablet for designing or drawing and illustration then consider this tablet. The tablet supports Mac OS 10 and Windows later versions. It has a USB-C port for better compatibility. The pen of the tablet is packed with advanced technology such as It has 8192 levels on both pen tip and eraser for responsive touch.

Features
Active Area	8.7 x 5.8-inches
Pen	Wacom Pro, Pressure-sensitive, cordless, battery-free
Pressure level	8192, both tip and eraser
Tilt Recognition	±60 levels
Weight	1.54lbs
Operating system	Windows 7 or later, Mac OS X 10.10
Connectivity	USB port, Bluetooth, Wifi

The pen works on low-power energy and also provides virtually lag-free tracking and outstanding tilt recognition. The tablet comes with application-specific Expresskeys to program keyboard shortcuts. The touch ring provides control of canvas rotation, brush size, and other functions.

The multi-touch technology can sense finger movements to navigate around your art. It has included Boris FX Suite for video editing, visual effects, and post-production. The Suite has over 500 visual effects for masking, tracking, and graphics on adobe illustrator.

It is the most recommendable tablet for artists. It can be used wirelessly so you can draw and transfer your artwork directly to a computer without the hectic of wires.

3. Huion Inspiroy Q11K (Professional tablet for illustration)

The tablet has an 11.6 inches screen with eight customizable express keys. The tablet has a smoother surface and curvy edge to provide you maximum comfort while working.

Features
Resolution	5080LPI
Battery	2500 mAh (40 hours)
Pressure level	8192
Customize buttons	2
Dimensions	11 x 7-inches
Wireless connection	4GHz
Shortcut keys	8

It is a professional tablet for illustration and comes with a pen that is upgraded to wireless charging and has 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity.

The overall design of the pen is that it is matte and has rubber banding on the grip area with two buttons available for easy navigation.

The best part is it has wireless connectivity and you just need to plug wireless code on your computer and press the wireless button on your tablet to enjoy wireless connectivity. The tablet provides you with a battery life of 40 hours.

It operates on Windows 7 or Mac OS 10.11 or later. Do remember it is a drawing tablet, not a display tablet so it can’t take pictures. This price tag provides the highest pen pressure sensitivity.

4. Wacom DTK1660K0A (Biggest active area for working)

This tablet has the biggest working area of 15.6 inches with a resolution of about (1920X1080) HD Display. It supports Windows and Mac operating systems.

Features
Resolution	5080LPI
Active Area	13.60 x 7.60-inches
Pressure level	8192
Tilt Range	60 degrees
Dimensions	1.00 x 16.60 x 11.20-inches
Operating System	Windows 7 or later, Mac OS X 10.12 or later

This tablet is expensive as it offers an on-display screen. Also if you zoom to the highest level it still shows clarity. You can detail your artwork as it supports a 4K monitor screen.

The tablet has a special anti-glare screen and it does not reflect light on your tablet for a smooth drawing experience. It comes with a Pro Pen2 that provides 8200 levels of pen pressure sensitivity for a smoother drawing. The tablet provides a 3 in 1 HDMI connection to use with your mobile device, computer, and TV.

The pen has two express keys and uses low light signals. It comes with different editing software. It is an overall good tablet with powerful performance.

5. XP-Pen Artist15.6 (Best tablet for drawings)

The tablet has a 15.6 inch IPS display with a resolution of about 1920X1080p. For an amazing creative experience, it is paired with anti-glare glass. Artists love this tablet because it has an extra-wide viewing angle combined with hosted creative features.

Features
Resolution	5080LPI
Active Area	344.16 x 193.59-mm
Pressure level	8192
Weight	4.56kg
Dimensions	443 x 280 x 12.6-mm
Operating System	Windows 7 or later, Mac OS X 10.10 or later
Display Resolution	1920 x 1080 pixels, Full HD
Ports	HDMI/USB
Thickness	11mm (thinnest)
Display Color Gamut	88% NTSC, 12% RGB

It has eight shortcut keys on the left side of the panel for editing. It comes with an adjustable stand to change the viewing angle up to 180° degrees.

The tablet has about 8192 Lines Per Inch. The tablet comes with two rechargeable pens having their programmable express keys. The tablet comes with an HDMI, USB, and power supply connector.

The tablet is best for drawing due to its features also it is compatible with different main steam design software including SAI, 3D Max, Adobe illustrator, and photoshop.

6. XP-Pen Deco 01 V2 (Affordable features with good features)

The tablet comes with a 10.6 inches design with 8192 LPI. If you are a night worker and adobe illustrator lover, it helps as it comes with a cool new light feature that illuminates the surface.

Features
Weight	2.2 pounds
Operating System	Android v6 Marshmallow, OS X 10.10 Yosemite.
Dimension	13.82 x 8.54 x 0.31-inches
Connectivity	USB

It comes with eight programmable express keys so to change settings, you don’t need to switch between multiple tabs.

The pen stand comes with eight nibs in the box. The pen has two side buttons with no eraser at the back. The tablet has 8192 pressure sensitivity levels and they don’t need any charging.

It is not a wireless tablet, it needs to be connected with the USB-C connection. It is compatible with almost all operating systems. It can tilt more than 60° degrees. It is an affordable tablet for designers with good features and also comes with a free Artist glove.

Frequently Ask Questions (FAQs)

Do Wacom tablets work with Adobe illustrators?

Yes, Wacom tablets are amazing for illustrations as they provide the real feel of pen and paper and help in polishing your artistic skills. These tablets come with a good working area so the artists can make broader strokes.

Which one is better: Photoshop or illustrator?

Yes, Illustrators work on vectors while photoshop is based on pixels. Photoshop is easy to learn and it is used by many people for editing, designing, etc but illustrator is most used by artists, it is not as easy as photoshop.

Can you draw with an illustrator?

Yes, Adobe illustrator comes with a variety of tools such as a pencil helps in making curves, lines, and straight work. For using Pencil as a tool you need to do some settings.

Can you draw on a touchscreen laptop?

Yes, you can draw on a touch screen laptop by using compatible STYLUS now many modern touch screen laptops have a digitizer layer that restricts the use of pens to select a few. Wacom pens are compatible with laptops.

Conclusion for the best tablet for adobe illustrator

There are types of drawing tablets, the ones which come with a screen or without a screen. It depends on your personal preference for what tablet you should go for. The market has so many options for the best tablet for adobe illustrator.

This article has suggested different price range options like if the budget you can for models like Apple Ipad pro or Wacom tablet which are allrounder and have great pressure sensitivity levels.

For an affordable one, you can go for XP-Pen deco or anyone but make sure the pressure sensitivity level must be higher than at least 4000. The stylus and active screen area are important key features as they both help in making broader strokes or any sort of artwork. 

Before purchasing the tablet make sure to read the buying guide and search all given options for a better purchase.