Wacom’s Cintiq 27QHD Touch Reviewed

Archive notice: This article was originally published on June 27, 2017. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.

What was the first thing we noticed about the Wacom Cintiq 27QHD Touch? Its size. Yes, at 820 x 510 x 390 it is a massive device that, as usual from Wacom, is elegantly and professionally finished. The package also contains a Pro Pen including holder, ten different brush tips, an eraser and two configurable buttons near the thumb. The Pro Pen offers 2,048 pressure-sensitivity levels and 60 tilt levels – a sensitive device for precise and detailed work.

Now Also with Remote Control

Because two buttons on the pen are often not enough, Wacom also supplies the ExpressKey remote control. With 17 additional buttons and a touch ring, all important functions can be accommodated practically. Who still needs a keyboard?

So Many Colors

With a diagonal of 27 inches and a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, the Cintiq 27QHD Touch offers a razor-sharp workspace. Anyone who wants to enjoy the 1.07 billion colors with 97% Adobe RGB color fidelity is best off using a graphics card with a color depth of 10 bit. The connections for the computer are located on the back behind a flap. The device also offers four USB slots for external media.

Get to Work

The Cintiq 27QHD Touch is best suited for working with Photoshop. This is where the advantages of the Pro Pen are also apparent. The software automatically recognizes pressure intensity and tilt angle and adjusts the display directly. Exactly as it should be.

The device also cuts a fine figure when sculpting with ZBrush. In the software, the “Tablet” field can be found under the “Preferences” menu item. There you can make various settings for the pen. Once the buttons on the pen and remote control have been assigned practically, nothing stands in the way of sculpting.

3D Matte Painting with Clarisse

Anyone who wants to take full advantage of the tablet in the 3D world should familiarize themselves with the tablet settings. Here you can assign special functions to the remote controls. All active software tools are displayed in the list of compatible programs and can be selected easily. The individual buttons can now be assigned the most important functions via drop-down menus. Many functions can thus be detached from the keyboard, although it will not be possible to do without it entirely. For example, a num pad is a useful addition for entering values.

Who Is the Cintiq 27QHD Touch Suitable For?

The tablet is a wonderful tool for concept artists, matte painters, texture artists and, to some extent, 3D artists, particularly sculptors. Photographers and architects can certainly also work more freely without a mouse and keyboard. Due to its price and size, the Cintiq 27QHD Touch is certainly aimed primarily at larger companies that have the necessary cash. But here it ensures maximum creativity. The complete article about the device can be found in issue 07: 15.

Wacom as Sponsor at animago

At the animago AWARD & CONFERENCE 2017, Wacom is appearing as sponsor of the “Best Character” category. More information can be found on the animago website.