XP-Pen Artist 22E Pro Mini-Review

I just got it and set it up so this won't be terribly comprehensive for the time being...

I set this up on my 2010 MacBook Pro and also on my 2009 iMac. First off, it does have the HDMI adapter for the MacBook Pro but I had to rob the HDMI adapter I use for my TV to hook it up to the iMac. This may not be an issue at all if you have a newer iMac but heads up for the older iMacs. Reviews recommend removing all Wacom drivers driver's prior to installing XP-Pen, which I did, so there wasn't an issue. You'll need to hook up both the top connecting port to USB as well as the HDMI cable for everything to work. Both pens charge by USB. For the MacBook, a USB hub is the best option if you're plugging it all in at once.

Unfortunately, my MacBook Pro charger decided to crap out today so I didn't get to finish testing it. The connections work but I'll have to come back to this once I get another charger. No biggie, just a minor setback.

I got it up and running just fine on the iMac though. I shut off mirror displaying in the display options and set the menu bar on the iMac but made the XP-Pen the main display so programs open on it by default. I opened the pen tablet display options and added Clip Studio Paint then wrote down the sixteen default hotkeys, which I like as is for now, then opened a Stickie and typed out the hotkeys on that, dragging it to the iMac screen for reference. I also dragged the navigator display from the side menu of CSP to the iMac screen and blew it up. This will make it easier to view the overall size while zooming on the drawing canvas in the program. I calibrated the pen, which may take a few tries, but it's all good to go.

The screen is definitely grainer if you're used to retina displays but I truly don't see this as a deal breaker for the price. The pressure sensitivity is very smooth and useful but it can be turned off if you want uniform lines that conform to the brush size. I don't have any issue with the pen buttons and I like the defaults where the top toggles between pen and eraser and the bottom is a right click. I haven't had issues with hitting the buttons when I didn't want to, but I am a pen turner so prolonged use may mean I end up turning off the bottom click setting at least. I did a bit of doodling and enjoy the feel and size of the pen as well as the stand and angles. Everything feels well built and, even after using the Wacom Intuos 4, I didn't find this to be inferior.

I've only played with it for a couple hours but so far, I'm pleased with it. I'm looking forward to using it for digital comics and book covers.

As for what it comes with, you get a bunch of cables, two pens (one comes in the case with the extra nibs and it's stored in a drawstring pouch), a drawing glove and a cleaning cloth. The pens charge with a cable but I've read that they charge quickly. I don't find them uncomfortable to use even when attached and charging though. Even as a third finger drawer, the third finger being covered is not obtrusive. The glove is very lightweight and comfortable. It's handy to reduce the cleaning of smudge marks caused by the oils on your hands.

The stand is very easy to adjust. You pull up on the little tab that hangs out and then move the stand bar. It's firmly held in place when you drop the tab back in place. It's nonskid so it won't be sliding all over your desk when you're using it. Despite my reservations about drawing being awkward at a desk, I quickly realized it's much more comfortable than I thought. The only thing that might get old is reaching up for the hotkeys so I may invest in the remote for it.

All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with what I'm seeing. I'll wait until I've had time to run it on the MacBook to go into more details, but so far, I'm excited to reconnect with drawings appearing under my hand. It's already a lot less awkward in that respect. I have a lot of experience with vector drawing and screenless tablets but it never quite felt right. I'd turn the tablet like I would paper and my strokes were going all over the place. I really see this cutting down on the time it takes to draw and paint and I'm eager to assess this again once I've put some quality time into using it.