Archive notice: This article was originally published on March 3, 2010. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Wacom has improved the Cintiq 21UX pen display: it now features state-of-the-art pen technology and a new ergonomic operating concept and was designed to meet the high demands of designers, digital artists, 3D illustrators and professional photographers, the manufacturer explains. The Cintiq 21UX provides the highest level of drawing feel, ease of use and productivity.
With its new pen technology, the Cintiq 21UX registers even extremely light contact by the pen on the LCD surface and, according to the manufacturer, can distinguish a total of 2,048 pressure levels. New features also include two Touch Strips located on the rear of the display at the right and left. This position makes them ideally accessible with the fingers without disrupting the workflow. Each Touch Strip has a Touch Strip toggle button that switches between up to four user-defined functions per application. Users can therefore select and control functions such as zooming, scrolling, changing brush size or rotating the canvas easily. The entire design of the interactive pen display has been further refined and updated, Wacom emphasises, and now appears in a black colour scheme. The new Cintiq 21UX therefore visually matches the design of the Intuos4 series.
The Cintiq 21UX Grip Pen works with Wacom’s new proprietary Tip Sensor technology. The minimum pressure detected by the pen approaches zero (one gram). The new Cintiq 21UX therefore offers the highest pressure sensitivity an interactive pen display has yet provided, the manufacturer boasts: its sensitivity to even the lightest touches produces the same writing and drawing feel, responsiveness and result when writing, drawing and designing as working with a traditional brush, marker or pen.
The pen doubles the resolution of the pressure-sensitivity curve compared with its predecessor. This improves the new Cintiq 21UX’s responsiveness and expands creative possibilities in software applications that support pressure sensitivity. The Grip Pen offers a pressure-sensitive eraser and two freely programmable side switches that can execute commands such as double-click or right-click.
With its new ergonomic design elements and productivity-enhancing functions, the Cintiq 21UX is intended to serve as the ultimate tool for creative professionals. Eight fully programmable ExpressKeys are available to the user on each side of the display edge. They place the most frequently used commands within fingertip reach, contributing significantly to an improved workflow and higher productivity. Pressing the top ExpressKey causes an on-screen display to appear listing the settings of every ExpressKey and Touch Strip. The proximity of these controls to the actual working surface increases efficiency and ease of use. Users save valuable time that would otherwise be spent operating the keyboard and can concentrate better on the hand guiding the pen.
Another new feature of the Cintiq 21UX is the introduction of two user-defined Touch Strips located on the back of the housing edge and two Touch Strip toggle buttons used to set the function of the respective Touch Strip. An illuminated LED next to the toggle button indicates the current function of the associated Touch Strip. The Touch Strips work on an application-specific basis and can perform up to four functions per application, such as zooming, scrolling, changing brush size or rotating the canvas. This ergonomic arrangement allows users to switch with their thumbs and control parameters such as scrolling speed or brush size using the Touch Strip with their index or middle fingers. Overall, the toggle button and new position of the Touch Strips lead to greater ease of use and a measurable increase in productivity. Locating the Touch Strips on the rear of the interactive pen display rather than the front prevents unintentional activation – for example when the user works with sweeping brush strokes that extend beyond the edge of the screen. The new Cintiq 21UX uses the same technology platform as Intuos4, making the two fully compatible.
The patented Cintiq 21UX stand allows the interactive pen display to be positioned at any angle between 10 and 65 degrees to suit the user’s personal working posture. The Cintiq 21UX can also rotate by up to 180 degrees in either direction, allowing users to employ natural drawing movements or view the display comfortably from different angles. Users can also remove the Cintiq easily from the stand to use it lying flat on a desk or mount it on an articulated arm (not included) using the standard VESA mounts on the back of the display.
A new, perfectly balanced pen holder not only provides a convenient and secure place to store the pen, but when unscrewed also contains space for additional nibs and the nib-removal tool. Standard, felt and brush nibs are included. This allows the drawing and writing behaviour of various traditional art and design tools to be simulated.
Cintiq 21UX users can choose between several high-quality software applications according to their individual needs. After installing the interactive pen display, software programs from industry leaders including Adobe, Autodesk and Corel are available for selection. Users also benefit from substantial upgrades to the powerful, user-friendly driver software, including precision mode and radial menus, which enable even more precise work.
An Art Pen is also available separately; its rotation function enables natural brush effects in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Corel Painter 11, just like a calligraphy pen. The separately available Airbrush allows spray patterns to be created and defined in certain creative programs.
The new Cintiq 21UX is expected to cost 2,000 euros including VAT and, according to the manufacturer, will be available from late March/early April 2010.
