Innovator 16

ImagineFX

August 2021

SLIMLINE STYLE The performance of XP-PEN’s display tablet matches its high-end looks and solid build quality

Price £450 Company XP-PEN Web www.xp-pen.com

The XP-PEN Innovator 16 is a great example of a midrange pen display that, at T £450, sits between the Wacom’s Cintiq 16 (£530) and Huion’s Kamvas Pro 16 (£418). It’s slimmer and more compact than either of these rival tablets, has marginally better colour reproduction, and is equal if not slightly brighter, too. If you’re planning to upgrade from a smaller tablet then the XP-PEN Innovator 16 is well worth a look.

First off, the 15.6-inch display is something to be excited about. Yes, there are bigger displays out there, priced accordingly, but this is what we’d call a (more than) happy medium, and certainly not a compromise. Full HD is about right for this too. There were no signs of pixellation, and for the majority of artists the 92 per cent Adobe RGB colour gamut should be more than enough in terms of colour accuracy. Our only qualm with the XP-PEN Innovator 16’s display is that it could be a touch brighter. However, this may be a result of the laminated matt screen – a small price you pay for its ‘tooth’, which emulates the feel of paper when you draw on it.

MINIMAL SCREEN GAP

Overall, drawing with the XP-PEN Innovator 16 is a pleasing experience. The screen is close to the glass, much like a high-end phone or iPad Pro, and so reduces a gap that sometimes makes the whole experience of using (a not much older) pen display somewhat ‘clunky’ in nature. It’s very slick and responsive, too, and once calibrated it’s about as accurate in terms of hand/eye coordination as you’d hope – there’s no discernible lag. Note that the Innovator 16’s screen doesn’t have touch capabilities and only works with the stylus.