Wacom One 13 Contact
Wacom took its Wacom One pill again to the drafting board and closely improved it over the primary iteration with the brand new Wacom One 13 Contact.
For those who’re starting your digital artwork journey or trying to enhance your artistic instruments, there are various choices, and determining what one is finest to seize generally is a bit overwhelming.
That is why I am excited to take a look at the Wacom One 13 Contact. It is a pen display that means that you can draw instantly on the display, offering a extra immersive and tactile expertise than conventional graphic tablets. So, should you’re not able to pay Cintiq prices, possibly the Wacom One 13 Contact is for you.
Weighing in at just below 2 kilos, the Wacom One 13 contact includes a 13.3-inch show with a 1920 x 1080 pixel decision. Its plastic building is a particular departure from the iPad Air I take advantage of for many of my inventive endeavors, however it’s the identical as different graphics tablets I’ve used.
The display is a good measurement, although it has important bezels across the edges, which, once more, feels a little bit bizarre should you’re coming from utilizing an edge-to-edge iPad. Nonetheless, it isn’t a deal breaker within the slightest.
I used to be stunned by how fingerprint- and smudge-resistant the One was, too. And even after I smudged up the display with my hand, a fast wipe with a lint-free material appeared to do the trick.
Wacom One 13 Contact evaluation — The swap to USB-C is definitely the largest enchancment during the last one
The largest improve, palms down, is that the brand new Wacom One lineup makes use of a single USB-C cable, in comparison with the unique Wacom One I reviewed, which required the dreaded X-cable. Because of this your One is considerably extra transportable, which is nice for artists on the go. Moreover, much less twine muddle makes it a lot simpler to maneuver your pill round as wanted.
The Wacom Contact 13 pen
Equally vital to the pill itself is the stylus you utilize. For those who’re conversant in the Apple Pencil, the Wacom pen is not going to really feel like a serious switch-up. And, actually, that is in all probability a very good factor.
The place the Wacom One Pen beats out the Apple Pencil is that it instantly feels significantly better on the Wacom One than the Apple Pencil feels on the iPad. It is in all probability most akin to utilizing a ballpoint pen on pretty easy paper.
Wacom One 13 Contact evaluation — Wacom One’s pen would not require batteries or cords
It additionally would not require batteries. That is big should you’re entering into marathon drawing periods or habitually overlook to cost issues.
Like different Wacom pens, the nib on the Wacom One Pen is replaceable. Not solely does this help you change it out as soon as it suffers some put on and tear, nevertheless it additionally means that you can change out nibs for various ranges of friction. This can be a nice option to mimic conventional instruments it’s possible you’ll be extra conversant in.
I’ll notice that as a result of the pen is totally spherical — not like the second-gen Apple Pencil — you will lose it should you sit it down. Snagging an image for the evaluation was annoying, because the pen appeared hell-bent on making a beeline straight to the ground. So, whenever you’re not utilizing it, guarantee it is tucked into that handy little loop up prime.
The strangeness that’s the Wacom One Stand
Wacom additionally included a Wacom One Stand with the Wacom One 13 Contact, and I’ve to say that it is an odd alternative. I am unsure why there aren’t toes on the again of the Wacom One which flip out, however the stand is not what I might name a chic answer. I may not even name it a “stand” — I really feel like Wacom is taking some liberty with the time period there.
Wacom One 13 Contact evaluation — the magnetic Wacom One Stand
The stand is a pair of plastic and rubber magnetic free-standing toes you possibly can place in your desk or desk and lean your Wacom One towards. On the product description web page, Wacom claims that the stand “could be adjusted to suit your most popular working fashion completely.”
This isn’t the case. It doesn’t matter what, the stand will prop your machine as much as a sure diploma as a result of it is not adjustable. You may push your machine ahead or again to have some say within the angle.
Wacom One 13 Contact evaluation — The Wacom One Stand is verifiably not adjustable
Additionally they appear to be pretty straightforward to lose or go away behind.
Additionally, the “stand” — once more, I am utilizing that time period fairly loosely — costs $45, which appears steep for what you are getting. It is a uncommon miss for me concerning one in all Wacom’s merchandise.
If there’s any a part of this course of I did not love, it was organising the pill. Theoretically, it needs to be straightforward. You simply plug in your pill, obtain the motive force, and try to be prepared.
That wasn’t my expertise, although. No, as an alternative, I discovered that when the pill was plugged in, and the motive force was put in, I acquired the identical error repeatedly: no show sign. I fearful that this was someway attributable to my having an M1 iMac.
I adopted the troubleshooting steps. I deleted and reinstalled the motive force. I restarted my Mac. I attempted totally different USB-C ports on each my iMac and the Wacom One. Just about it doesn’t matter what I did, it did not appear to work.
I stepped away from the Wacom One to work on different initiatives and determined to return to it later. After I did, I all of the sudden started working. There isn’t any rhyme or cause, actually, nevertheless it’s labored positive ever since.
That is hardly my first Wacom product. I have been within the Wacom ecosystem since 2009, so I knew what to anticipate, and it was unbelievable.
Drawing is identical buttery easy expertise as each different Wacom product I’ve used. The 4,096 strain ranges guarantee easy strains and practical line width and tilt variation.
It was quick and responsive and had a standard media really feel. It labored properly with all my favourite packages, together with Adobe Photoshop, Rebelle Painter, and Affinity Designer.
So far as colour copy goes, it is pretty stable. I nonetheless discovered myself compelled to double-check my colours on my iMac’s display, however they had been fairly shut, all issues thought-about.
Wacom One 13 Contact evaluation — Works with all of your favourite large identify software program like Adobe Photoshop
Whereas I used to be working, one thing felt off, although. It took me a couple of minutes to comprehend what I discovered odd in regards to the Wacom pen — after which it hit me.
You may’t flip it over and use the again finish to erase, which is fairly irritating should you’ve used different graphics tablets that permit for that characteristic. Nevertheless, you possibly can’t flip over the Apple Pencil, both.
And sure, this can be a touch-enabled machine, which I believe actually feels a little bit foolish to make use of on a graphics pill. If you are going to be drawing, the very last thing you need is to have your fingers registered as further inputs, however then once more, possibly it is not.
Wacom One 13 Contact evaluation — Energy, menu, and touch-mode toggle buttons
Because it seems, you possibly can allow, disable, or partially disable the contact characteristic. And it is in that partially disabled state the place the Wacom One Contact earns its accolades.
You see, the Wacom One would not characteristic a nifty little sidebar of buttons because the Intuos line does. These buttons are unbelievable as a result of you possibly can set them up to make use of widespread options like undo, redo, and alter your brush sizes — after which hit them together with your non-dominant hand.
However the Wacom One means that you can allow sidebar menus that seem on display, and whereas the remainder of your display will not register your fingers as inputs, these on-screen menus do. I beloved this characteristic as a result of it instantly felt acquainted to earlier experiences with Wacom merchandise.
General, it was precisely what I might anticipated it would be. It is a unbelievable software for drawing, and it really works flawlessly with packages which have already chosen to work with different merchandise within the Wacom lineup.
So, chances are high, you are in all probability questioning why you’d truly resolve to go for a Wacom One over one thing like an iPad. Here is the rationale — since you’re the sort of artist who’s loyal to a desktop artwork program.
That is it. I’ve an extremely onerous time recommending a Wacom One Contact over an iPad should you’re completely blissful utilizing Procreate, ArtRage, or Adobe Fresco. These apps are unbelievable, and an iPad’s pace, responsiveness, and colour copy are top-notch.
Nevertheless, these are removed from the one packages that artists use. I really like Rebelle, which does not have an iPad model however does exist on macOS and Home windows. Pairing the Wacom One Contact with Rebelle is right.
- Works seamlessly with main artwork packages
- Works with macOS, Home windows, Chrome, and Android
- Display screen is snug to attract on
- Pen is snug to carry, straightforward to swap nibs out
- Can not flip pen to erase
- No built-in angle adjustment
- Expensive
- Stand prices $45, would not look like the very best answer
It is not straightforward to charge each merchandise on a one to 5 scale, particularly when many issues come all the way down to consumer desire. I consider that the Wacom One 13 Contact is a unbelievable software for artists who use a number of desktop functions, however for the typical particular person trying to delve into digital artwork, the iPad could also be a greater match.
