![Wacom One Creative Pen Tablet 13.3 – Students and Designers [Artist Review]](https://mediapeanut.com/wp-content/uploads/Wacom-One-creative-pen-tablet-13.3-students-and-designers.jpg)
![Wacom One Creative Pen Tablet 13.3 – Students and Designers [Artist Review]](https://mediapeanut.com/wp-content/uploads/Wacom-One-creative-pen-tablet-13.3-students-and-designers.jpg.webp)
Just like the Wacom brand itself, the Wacom One creative pen tablet 13.3″ needs no introduction.
Whether you are a student, photographer, designer or artist, the Wacom One 13.3″ proves useful in most scenarios.
Wacom is the most well-known manufacturer of graphics tablets, so you can be sure that the new Wacom One is a very reliable device. The Wacom One is particularly useful for students that need a pen tablet that desire the absence of issues and unexpected device-related problems.
It also includes multiple licenses for popular creative software like Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint Pro and more. This is very helpful for beginner artists or students who want to experiment with more than one application for the first time.
See: How do Drawing Tablets Work? (A Complete Guide)
If you’re seeking a graphics tablet with no screen, I strongly advise viewing the Xencelabs pen tablet for up-coming artists… I tried out the XenceLabs drawing tablet and found they include much more out of the box than Wacom did. (I’ve hand tested both devices).
So if you’re looking for a graphics tablet (no screen), then definitely at least take a peek at them because I was thoroughly impressed with the way they tailor their device to the artist.
But what about the Wacom one’s features? If you’re seeking a comprehensive review of the new Wacom One, then we have you covered.
Related: iPad vs Wacom: Which is Better for Digital Art? (Full Review)
In this review, we will outline the Wacom One device and how it performed during our tests. We’ll outline it’s compatibility, price point, accuracy/precision of the active pen, pressure sensitivity, and shortcut keys.
Pros and Cons – Wacom One 13.3” for Students & Upcoming Designers
Wacom claims that the One is the perfect device for creative beginners and students. To what extent is this true?
Well, during our test, the Wacom One proved to be a very reliable and powerful drawing tablet with a screen, especially for students and upcoming artists.
To be precise, the device has all the essential and advanced features that a beginner user needs.
- Weve hand tested this at mediapeanut and found It feels just like drawing on paper. It is Ideal for those who want a reliable device.
Starting with the display, Wacom has included a 13.3″-inch screen that offers an intuitive drawing experience.
The full HD resolution (1920 x 1980) is fantastic and we had no problems with lags or issues of any kind.
A less expensive alternative to the Wacom One is the XP-Pen artist 12, which we cover in our review: Xp Pen Artist 12 2nd Gen
It even worked well when drawing on the corners/edge of the screen; an area where many graphics tablets fail to provide a responsive experience.
Related: What is a Wacom Tablet? (and is it worth it?) | Explained
What we liked
We also really liked the fact that Wacom One has included built-in ‘legs’ that can be extended up to 19 degrees for the most comfortable experience possible.
When you add in the many shortcut keys, great software, and the very responsive active pen with 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, the One becomes the ultimate device for students and beginners.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Related: Gaomon S620 – Graphics Tablet Review [Artist Review]
Drawbacks
The only downside we could find is the the lack of some extras in the package (like a glove). However, most artists I know have plenty of these types of miscellaneous extras on hand.
Artists will find that Wacom is like the “Apple” of drawing tablets; they don’t need to add in all the extras to compensate for their devices, because the product is truly of premium quality. Though, beginner artists may not have all these extras, so expect to pay a bit extra if you are starting from a fresh slate.
Although the Wacom One 13.3″ is not the most expensive graphics tablet model out of the Wacom line of products, it’s not considered a budget pick either.
Related: 7 Best Drawing Tablets with Screen Built-in (Artist Picks)
This is because Wacom provides the utmost quality in each device they distribute. The Wacom One is a few times more expensive than graphics tablets without a screen like the Wacom Intuos or the XP Pen Deco 03.
However, this is more than reasonable considering the features of the device. To illustrate this, let us look at the differences between the One and other Wacom tablets.
What is the Wacom One Creative Pen tablet 13.3″ and how is it different from other Wacom models?
As a brand new device designed by Wacom, the One integrates all the technologies that the brand has recently introduced. Therefore, the Wacom One offers a much better experience than other devices in this price range.
The biggest difference between the Wacom One and other Wacom devices is the display. The Wacom Intuos devices lack in providing a second monitor in addition to your computer screen.
Related: 7 Best Laptops for Animation Students
Although the One is not a standalone device, it has an amazing 13.3-inch display. This gives you the feeling of drawing or writing on (nearly A4) paper with a traditional pen.
Apart from that, the Wacom One includes some of the best creative software we have ever tested. The Wacom one is simply fantastic and gives you the ultimate freedom in keyboard shortcuts, compatibility and much more.
Note: Wacom drawing tablets will not work with the Procreate, because it is iOS only and Wacom can not connect to an iPad. However, there is a Wacom stylus which was designed for iPad, but is not widely available.
Pros and cons – Hands on testing of the Wacom One 13.3″
We have utilized the Wacom One as our primary drawing tablet for more than 2 weeks.
During this period, we discovered a high level of confidence as a mid-range graphics tablet.
Starting with compatibility, we had no problems connecting the One to our Windows and Mac computers.
Plus, the active pen provides a great experience with all the major creative softwares. We tested the Wacom One with applications like Photoshop, Procreate, Krita, Sketchbook and more. The result was always reliable and without delays.
As far as drawbacks of the Wacom one creative 13.3″, we found the screen may be relatively small for some studio-level professionals, but for us it was extremely comfortable.
Let us take a closer look at the pros and cons of the Wacom One:
| Wacom One Creative Pen Pros | Wacom One Creative Pen Cons |
| Compatible with macOS (X10.13 or later), Windows (7 or later), and Android (an external adapter is required) | Relatively small screen |
| Full-HD, 13.3-inch built-in screen with a great color gamut | Not many accessories included (adaptors, extra nibs, drawing glove, etc). |
| 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity | Not a standalone device |
| Battery-free active pen | |
| Affordable | |
| 60-degree tilt recognition | |
| Offers licenses for software like Photoshop, Illustrator, and more |
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The Technology behind the Wacom One 13.3″
Wacom has once again surprised us with the introduction of numerous advanced technologies in the (price-wise) mid-range category. Overall, the Wacom One offers great digital freedom and allows you to sketch, paint, edit and annotate like never before.
To be more specific, the device offers a pen tilt of 60 degrees and a response rate of 26 ms. When you add the modern design and great color performance (NTSC 72%), the Wacom One has some pretty impressive technology to offer.
The 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity could be improved (some competitors have 8192), but it does not make a huge difference. In a few words, we can say that the Wacom One has all the technical features that a beginner or a professional needs. Models we’ve tested include the DTC133 and more.
If you’re using a Digital whiteboard with your Wacom, then you’ll want to see the best digital writing pad for online teaching & whiteboarding guide we created.
Features
Let’s check out the features in depth- I’ve hand tested this Wacom One tablet in hopes to explain this in a clear and concise manner for both artists and students.
Pen Pressure sensitivity
When it comes to pen pressure sensitivity, the Wacom pen included with the Wacom One tablet is quite something to behold. In fact, the active pen has 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity and is combined with a pressure-sensitive full HD display.
Apart from that, the Wacom pen offers a very balanced experience when you apply low or high pressure to the drawing tablet.
Although there are some devices in this price range with 8196 levels of pressure sensitivity, the overall experience offered by the One is equally impressive. In short, if you are looking for a budget-friendly device with a pen that feels and behaves like a real pen, the One is a great choice.
Now, if you’re looking for a different type of pad other than a Wacom, then see our guide on the 8 Best Digital Writing Pads (Electronic Notebooks)
Design & Size
Wacom is widely known for its modern and lightweight devices. This is also true for the latest Wacom One. In our test, we really liked the One’s slim and compact design.
The dimensions of the device are 8.9 x 14.1 x 0.6 inches (225 x 357 x 14.6 mm). Accordingly, the display area is 11.6 x 6.5 inches (294 x 166 mm). It is clear that the Wacom One has very discrete borders around the screen.
To sum up, the Wacom One is not only powerful, but also comfortable to work on and looks like one of the most premium devices on the market.
Stylus pen
The Wacom One pen is a battery-free, cordless device that offers 4096 levels of pressure. That being said, the pen feels similar to a real pen and weighs as much as a real pen.
When it comes to shortcuts, the Wacom One pen has a customizable side switch that gives you ultimate freedom over the device’s shortcut buttons. Finally, the pen also supports 60-degree tilt detection, so it behaves like a real pen when it comes to shading.
Button & Shortcut keys
Since shortcut buttons are very important for all creatives, let us take a look at the Wacom One’s corresponding features. First of all, unlike devices without a screen, the Wacom One has no shortcut keys on the side of the pad.
However, this is understandable due to the integrated full screen HD. With the Wacom One, you can access programmable shortcut keys via the Wacom One pen. This is because the active pen has a great side switch. By pressing this switch, you can easily access your editable shortcuts on the screen of the device.
The result is a very smooth and customizable workflow. Although most creatives are familiar with the actual shortcut buttons, you can be sure that this shortcut system works very well.
Compatibility
Compatibility is one of the most important parameters that determine whether you should buy a graphics tablet or not. As with many creatives, we work on more than one device that uses a different OS.
Fortunately, the latest Wacom One is fully compatible with macOS (X10.13 or later ), Windows (7 or later ) and Android devices. However, if you want to connect your Wacom One to an Android device, you will need to purchase a compatible third-party adapter.
Why the Wacom One is standard for graphic design and drawing
After our extensive review, we can safely say that the Wacom One is a great choice for graphic designers and artists. For beginners and students, it is simply the best choice. The device has an integrated screen, a powerful active pen and is available at a reasonable price.
Wacom One is also a good choice for professional graphic designers and artists. In our opinion, the screen has the perfect size and the overall drawing experience is top notch. So, when you consider that this device is much more affordable than other premium graphics tablets, it’s a smart solution for professionals on a budget.
How to use the Wacom One as an artist or student
If you are an artist or student, you’ll be pleased to hear that using the Wacom One is as easy as it gets. Wacom has included a EX -Shape cable that allows you to connect the device to your macOS or Windows computer via a USB port.
If you are an artist, you can use the Wacom One to draw in illustration software such as Adobe Illustrator, Procreate, Corel DRAW etc. The device offers a top-tier drawing experience with pressure-sensitive strokes and customizable shortcuts.
On the other hand, drawing is not the only task that the Wacom One can help you with. For example, if you study photography, the Wacom One will greatly enhance your photo editing workflow with software like Photoshop.
How to Connect the Wacom One to your computer or laptop
Connecting your brand new Wacom One to your desktop PC or drawing laptop is very easy. In fact, all you need to do is:
- Connect the USB cable of the Wacom One to your computer.
- Plag your Wacom One into power via the AC adapter.
- Turn on your Wacom One.
- Visit the official Wacom webpage and download the latest Wacom One software. All you need to do is choose the correct version (macOS or Windows).
- You are all set! All that’s left is to follow Wacom’s setup wizard and start customizing your Wacom One stylus and tablet.
