Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1470092
hen I was given the opportunity to review Wacom's new One creative pen display tablet, (not to be confused with the earlier One by Wacom, which has no display), I was intrigued. The Wacom One is a tablet with a 13.3-inch display, and has most of the pen input functions you'd expect from a Wacom device, just slimmed down so as not to compete with their higher-end products. I have used Wacom Cintiqs and Intuoses in the past. In my experience, the Intuos has an inherent learning or ad- justment curve because the point where you are controlling the cursor is detached from the screen. While we are all used to doing this with a mouse, somehow it takes some getting used to on a tablet. Conversely, on the Cintiq, you don't have that learning curve because the cursor follows the stylus on the screen. So, I have always preferred Cintiqs, but the cost has been prohibitive, unless it is something you use daily in your profession. The One, however, is kind of a hybrid. It comes in at a price point not much higher than an Intuos, but features a screen. Obviously there are some compromises. The screen isn't super bright, and is only 1080 reso- lution. Additionally, there is no touch or gesture control, and the stylus has only one button. I'll be honest: at fir t glance, I was a bit disappointed in the screen and thought the lack of touch or gesture control was a mistake. I also really didn't like the look of the color on the monitor, with the yellows going really green, and reds sub- dued. But having bought an X-Rite (now Calibrite) iDisplay Pro calibration tool to match my monitors, and get the most out of the monitors I was using, I thought that this was a perfect use case for the iDisplay. After running the calibration, I found the display to be passable. I talked to Wacom about this, and even sent them my calibrated profiles. ith the most recent upgrade, they seem to have taken this concern to heart, and not only fi ed the colors, but added additional controls for adjusting the colors to differ- ent preference or lighting situations. So I appreciate Wacom's willingness to take feedback and improve their product. At this point, the screen color is no longer an issue. In order to get around the lack of ges- ture control, which I really needed for ori- enting the canvas to my changing needs, as well as add the shortcut functionality I am used to on my Intuos, I asked Wacom to send me the ExpressKey Remote, which added even more assignable but- ton controls and rotation options than are built into the Intuos tablets. The reason these control buttons are essential when using a tablet is that often you use the tablet in place of a keyboard, so you need to be able to do things like change brush size, or rotate the canvas, or any number of things you would nor- mally do with a keyboard. Some of these controls would be possible with gesture and pinch controls, but since this tablet doesn't have those controls, any serious artistic work would likely necessitate the ExpressKey Remote. That said, the ExpressKey Remote is an awesome con- trol with more buttons than my Intuos, and the advantage of being wireless. I have actually used the One for a variety of applications, in addition to its intended purpose. I have primarily used it is a second portable monitor for my Surface Book, but I have also used it as a discrete monitor, lying fl t on my desk, while filming videos If you have ever used a Cintiq, it works just the same. While you're limited by the single button, this can be supple- mented by hotkeys on the remote. Importantly, the price is very affordable. It plugs in using a USB-C cable that breaks out to an HDMI and two USB plugs — one for power and one for data. You can plug both off of a omputer if your computer provides enough power off of USB o power it. In desktops, this isn't usually a problem, but if running off of a no ebook computer, you may need to power from the included power adapter, or a power bank. In actual practice, I like the feel of the One. It is lightweight, ergonomic and the stylus has enough drag across the matte screen that it has some of that sense of drawing on paper. The one-inch bevels on the sides, and slightly more on the bottom, make it very easy to do detailed work on the edges of the screen. There is also a built-in cloth loop for holding the stylus, so it doesn't get lost. The Wacom One is defini ely some- thing I use on a daily basis, and I could defini ely use another on my main edit- ing machine. The time it has saved me drawing masks has made it very valuable, and I have found myself in situations where I was kicking myself for not bring- ing it with me when traveling. Since you can now get the One with ExpressKey Remote for under $500, it's defini ely something to consider. Any tool that can significantly speed up our productivity and potentially preserve your sanity when doing time-consuming tasks can pay for itself in time saved on one or two projects. With the caveats of the just "okay" screen, and the need for the ExpressKey Remote to really make it functional, it is defini ely an affordable and functional introduction to a drawing tablet, from the most respected drawing-tablet manufacturer. WACOM ONE DISPLAY TABLET WITH EXPRESSKEY REMOTE BY HEATH FIRESTONE CINEMATECHNICA.COM A COMBINATION THAT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY SPEED UP PRODUCTIVITY W REVIEW www.postmagazine.com 36 POST NOV/DEC 2021 VITAL STATS COMPANY: Wacom PRODUCT: One & ExpressKey Remote PRICE: One: $349.95; ExpressKey Remote: $99.95 WEBSITE: wacom.com