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Background: My name is Kyle and I am the owner of Freshwater Bay Creative design studio. I have been a creative professional since 1996 doing everything from video game backgrounds, conceptual art, storyboarding, illustration, editorial graphic design, craft beer label/can design and everything in between. Over the past twenty years I’ve used several Wacom products starting with the Intuos line of tablets in the late ‘90s and even the first Cintiq 21UX back in ‘04/’05. I’ve personally owned/own the Intuos2, Cintiq 12wx, Cintiq Companion Hybrid, MobileStudio Pro 16 and now the Cintiq 22.
Review: While I may mention some specifications this is not a review about specs. If you want those they are listed in the product description. I'm far more interested in how the device works for making art.
Pros:
- Full HD 1920x1080 screen resolution.
- Large screen for big, broad pen strokes.
- Heavy weight, solid stand attached to the back is fantastic and very easy to adjust.
- Screen surface is smooth, not slick.
- Works beautifully with the supplied Pro Pen 2. Works even better with the Pro Pen Slim!
- It’s big!
- Refresh rate makes for very quick pen strokes with no noticeable lag.
- Stays cool. Does not get hot after working on it for several hours straight.
Cons:
- Full HD 1920x1080 will seem a bit soft after using a 4K screen
- Color gamut, even after calibrating the screen, seems a bit dark and lacks some saturation.
- No express keys.
- No Touch input
- It’s big! (Not really a con, just make sure you have the desk space for it.)
- Three separate cables attached instead of 3-in-1 cable.
- No USB ports on the sides for thumb drives, etc.
At the time of this writing I’ve been using the Cintiq 22 daily for about a week on a Windows 10 computer. But for the past several years I’ve been producing the majority of my work on a Companion Hybrid hooked up to my primary work station as well as a MobileStudio Pro 16. So moving from a 13” screen and 16” screen, respectively, had an immediate and positive impact on my drawing movements. Being able to draw using my entire arm because of a larger surface space along with drawing in details while having more of the image visible is incredible. One can do beautiful work on a smaller screen but if you appreciate large, sweeping arm movements to create your work then this is definitely a great size for that. There is also plenty of space for floating menus, etc.
The attached monitor stand, which comes standard with the Cintiq 22, makes for excellent ergonomics and comfort while working. It is beautifully engineered for easy adjustment, solidly built and heavy with the rubber grips (located on a solid metal bar along with rubber grips located on the bottom edge of the device itself) keep the Cintiq 22 in place. There is no wobble, sliding or give when drawing with reasonable pressure. Resolution is a bit soft when doing line work, especially having used a 4K screen, but one can still put down very smooth and quick cross hatching, feathering or paint strokes. [Note: check your App Scaling settings in Win10 and make sure it is set to 100% for best results.]
The screen surface has a non-reflective coating that gives a slight bit of tooth for drawing. Since it isn’t etched glass some may not like the slight parallax distance between the pen tip and the cursor. However, I’ve never had an issue with this after properly calibrating the pen tool.
The biggest thing missing from this tablet are programmable Express Keys. I tend to use a keyboard for many actions but on other tablets I have Express Keys programmed for multiple uses. I honestly didn’t realize how often I used them until I didn’t have them anymore. I still find myself grabbing the left edge of the Cintiq 22 expecting to press a button only to find nothing there. It’s definitely a feature I miss. (Wacom does have a programmable remote with Express Keys but it is sold separately. I might be investing in one soon.) On screen menus can still be accessed through the Pro Pen buttons though. But even then you can only interact with them through the use of the Pro Pen since there is no touch input. Forget zooming or rotating your canvas with your free hand. I personally don’t use this feature much (it’s usually turned off) so I don’t miss it. But if that is a deal breaker for you then you’ll need to look at the Cintiq Pro line instead.
This next thing isn’t a negative but just something to be aware of...The device is big and needs plenty of space both in width and depth for it to be comfortable on a desk. Especially if you like to work with a second monitor and/or keyboard set next to it. When the monitor is stood straight up the stand extends 9” behind it. When lowered it will need up to the full depth of the device including space for the connected cables. (That’s approximately 15” of open space behind the device.) There are three separate cables (HDMI, USB, Power) that protrude from the back, top left of the machine. Apparently the Cintiq 16 version of this device comes with a single 3-in-1 cable for all of this. I would have preferred that cable over the three separate cables but it is hardly an issue. If you have the space and keep them managed with your other computer cables it won’t be a problem.
Color on the device isn’t as sharp or saturated as I’d prefer. I used a ColorMunki device to calibrate both my primary monitor and the Cintiq 22. It got them matched remarkably close but some colors and values (particularly bright/saturated) come off a bit soft and lack some contrast. Also, areas of black aren’t as inky and rich. None of this is a deal killer. I’m being extremely nit-picky in my assessment. Drawing and inking line art is no problem and looks great. Painting and coloring, if calibrated properly, will give you very close color approximation. But working in tandem with a second monitor and/or double checking your work on another screen or two is always recommended.
Another thing to note that I’m extremely happy about is the lack of heat! Working other Cintiq devices they can get a little warm when going non-stop all day. Working on the 22 it never once got hot or even warm.
Set-up was also extremely easy. Make sure you have the latest Wacom driver and it will work right away. All you'll need to do to start working is calibrate your pen, monitor color and, if you want, program your onscreen menus.
Finally, the Cintiq 22 is Wacom’s answer to the “entry level” tablet market. But don’t let that fool you. The Cintiq 22 is a high-end creative tablet perfectly capable of creating your professional quality artwork on, in my opinion. Yes, the “Pro” Cintiq line sports higher resolution screens, better color gamut and more bells and whistles but if you’re an independent freelancer that doesn’t want to break the bank then this will absolutely get the job done.
I didn’t talk about the Pro Pen 2 because it’s been around and it’s fantastic. But if you haven’t tried the Pro Pen Slim yet, it’s a must have. Feels great in the hand, light weight, feels like a brush or pencil and is amazing on a large screen like the 22. Check it out.
I'm sure I missed something. So if you have any questions give me a shout.
