You as an illustrator or a designer are always fueled by instant hits of creativity that lets you design and nothing ever satisfies your creative thirst like 13.3-inch XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro V2 display drawing tablet.
It is an upgraded model of the previous XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro and Wacom One 13 Touch alternative that comes with a Red Dial interface for smooth performance and optimal efficiency.
At $269.99, This drawing monitor is insanely good for the price. It is amazing for beginners Literally all you gotta do is take it out of the box, plug it in and download the drivers and it’ll work right away.
After having the XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro V2 for almost a month now, I can honestly say this thing is incredible. This is definitely the model I’ve been waiting for. Maybe that applies to you, too.
Unboxing
It arrived in a pretty box, undamaged and on time. What you do get in the box with the tablet are the new X3 Pro Stylus, Pen Holder, 8 Spare Nibs, 3-in-1 Cable, USB-C to USB-C cable, USB-C to USB-A Cable, USB-A Extension Cable, Foldable Stand, Drawing Glove, Nib Extractor, Warranty Card, Quick Guide, Cleaning Cloth.
I have to say It is a complete package with its perfectly complemented accessories. The 3-to-1 cable came in a separate box.
The included folding stand can only be adjusted to one 20 degree tilt angle. This is a compact stand when folded and can be carried around easily together with the pen display.
Moreover, the cylindrical pen holder keeps the X3 Pro pen and pen nibs secure and it can also be used as a pen stand or pen holder. This ensures stylus will be completely safe even while traveling.
Design & Build Quality
Design of the XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro V2 looks almost similar to the previous model. Build quality feels solid and good even though the body is made with plastic. Corners are rounded off, edges are beveled.
It comes with thick bezels on display and the 12.9 mm thick makes it not the sleekest looking device in the market, but you can comfortably place your hand on the screen while drawing.
Down the left side are the 8 shortcut keys and a unique red scroll wheel. Down the right edge of the tablet display, from top to bottom is the power button, 2 buttons for adjusting brightness, and two USB-C ports.
Left handed users can rotate the pen display 180 degrees to get the hotkeys and dial on the right side instead. It’s good to see that XPPen is keeping this design around as there are people who still prefer having red roller wheel and hotkeys.
Flip it over and on the reverse are the four rubber feet in each corner to keep it stable on your desk.
Display
It comes with a 13.3-inch IPS LCD Screen with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and 89% Adobe RGB / 99% sRGB Color Gamut that gives you a full and vivid range of natural colors and clear, sharp details.
Its 178-degree viewing angle providing you entirety on the visual watch of the artwork you create. The peak brightness is 250 nits, which is adequate for use in a bright room environment.
The screen is fully laminated that reduces the space between the display panel and the top glass to increase accuracy and reduce the parallax.
The display also has an anti-reflective, AG matte screen protector which is a huge benefit as any light won’t get reflected.
Stylus pen
This tablet comes with the latest X3 Pro Smart Chip stylus which has a a big silicone grip section, two buttons, and a surprising digital eraser at the end.
The pen is not powered by battery so no charging is required. It is truly unique and innovative. It has incredible accuracy and quicker response.
The X3 Pro pen supports high 16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity and low 3g Initial activation force, that not only enhances the performance but also helps to conveniently draw fine lines and sketches.
It is further embedded with a 60-degree tilt function which gives the experience of a real tilting brush. This feature helps to flawlessly carry out the natural transition between lines and strokes further elevating the drawing experience.
Compatibility
This graphics tablet is widely compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, and Chrome OS.
This tablet integrates well with these operating systems and have options to configure their settings accordingly.
In addition, all the main creative software apps will work with this like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, SAI, CorelPainter, GIMP, Krita, Blender 3D, Clip Studio Paint, and MediBang etc.
Connectivity
One of the significant differences between the first Gen XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro and this Artist 13.3 Pro V2 tablet is the single USB-C to USB-C Cable Connection support.
The first gen XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro only support 3-in-1 cable connection, while the Artist 13.3 Pro V2 supports both 3-in-1 cable and single USB-C to USB-C Cable connection.
The 3-in-1 cable is a bit messy, starting as one clean USB-C cable and then splitting to 3 (HDMI, USB-A and power). Yes you need a HDMI port and a USB-A port to use this.
The single USB-C cable connection is ideal for smaller workspaces or mobile users. The USB-C cable provides power, video and pen data. No power cord and no HDMI to connect needed.
To use the single USB-C cable, you need a computer with a USB-C port that delivers power and functions as a DisplayPort at the same time.
Install the Driver and Set Up
I started out by deleting my previous tablet driver and downloaded the one that my computer needed on the XPPEN website. It was a walk in the park, super simple.
The driver software is nicely laid out and is easy to understand. It’s here you can change and/or edit things like adjust pen pressure cruve, change the display settings, re-map the shortcut keys etc.
I find most shortcut key commands on the device already have the best/most used options already set, but it’s great you can amend if you so wish.
Drawing Experience
I’m very happy with this 13.3-inch drawing monitor, it does exactly what you’d hope and is basically like drawing onto paper but with all the advantages of digital drawing.
It has become a really amazing tool for my digital art and photoshop – photo editing.
The screen is nice and bright, the image was pin-sharp , colors looked excellent and fidelity are what you’d expect of a professional piece of kit.
The screen has a texture which gives an almost real feel to your work as if drawing on paper. Working in a bright, but naturally lit room, I didn’t encounter any distracting glares or reflections.
when I’m not drawing I use the screen as a second monitor alongside my computer screen and it’s really nice for this. I watch movies on it while playing games or listen to music while 3d Modelling, a real treat to do.
The great thing I found about the 13″ model that isn’t achievable with the 22″+ models is that you can access and view the whole screen quickly and easily, it doesn’t dominate your work space/ field of view if you have a multi monitor display, you can also nicely put it on your lap to sketch.
On the other hand, I could have done better if I were to have a larger screen where I could really use my whole arm. If your budget allows, I recommend buying a larger 15.4-inch XPPen Artist 15.6 Pro V2 with same design and tech specs.
Another point to add would be that I do find myself having to zoom in and out a little more with a smaller screen, but thanks to the red scroll wheel to quickly zoom in and out, XPPen have done their best to not let this disrupt your workflow and I think it works.
The stand is also great, feels a little… ‘crap’ though seems to be holding strong so can’t really complain. Pen not only looks good but is really nice to hold.
Drawing feels really nice and natural – pressure sensitively is accurate and can be easily changed to suit your drawing style. Pressing harder produced thicker lines and vice-versa.
I didn’t experience any lagging, even when scribbling away quite fast. Drawing ever-so-sloooooooowly did produce a slight ‘wobble’ in straight lines, but to be fair, you’re going to get that on most tablets. The end of the lines also tapered very nicely.
In Conclusion
At present, XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro V2 is the best alternative to Wacom One 13 Touch for a pocket-friendly budget.
If you’re looking to upgrade from a XPPen Deco or similar product but can’t afford bigger like me then I would say yes, this I feel has really filled a gap in the market.
The quality screen coupled with precise stylus and ample features gives the power to create naturally and intuitively.
Moreover, it has added an alternative in the market for beginner and hobbyist designers willing to pursue their creativity without investing a hefty sum of money.
For those who want a fairly inexpensive, smaller and portable pen display, you should get in quick before he runs out!
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