Undefined Professional Graphics Tablets: Top 7 for UK Animators 2026

The tablet is framed in a light grey / silver metal and feels robust. Two USB-C ports connect to your laptop and power supply. There's an on/off switch that is easily accessed on the top left of the tablet and a second jogger for adjusting the display brightness.

This carries through to the rear of the tablet, with two small rubber grips to keep it in place when in use; there are two more at the top of the XPPen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2) to really keep it from moving when laid flat.

The anti-glare surface works well; I've used the XPPen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2) in direct sunlight and it remained workable, where some older drawing tablets haven't.

As mentioned some budget drawing tablets lack everything you need out of the box, but the XPPen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2) is different.

The tablet's frame is metal and feels sturdy. The display sits inside a wide-ish bezel of around two-inches to enable you to lean onto the tablet nicely, a design idea replicated by the slightly large strip below the screen to enable you to rest your wrist and get a good...

The Artist 16 Pro (2nd Gen) from XP-Pen is one of the best-packaged budget displays I've had the opportunity to go hands-on with.

Balanced pen with 16K pressure sensitivity

2.5K 16-inch display is the 'sweet spot' for portability without sacrificing screen real estate

The 16-inch pen display is widely considered the 'sweet spot' for artists who are looking for more screen real estate without sacrificing portability.

But, of course, the screen is the main event, and what you’ll be mostly concerned with. The Artist Pro (Gen 2) comes with a 2560 x 1600 resolution, which is a decent improvement over the first-gen tablet’s 1920 x 1080 spec, with twice as many pixels and a taller 16:10 aspect...

The screen is fully laminated and is said to be free of parallax – meaning the markings on the screen should precisely match the movements of your pen.

+ Built-in stand and keydial accessory

+ Roomy 2.5K display

The Artist Pro 16 retails for just $599.99 / £529.99 / AU$609.99, which is an astonishing amount considering some of the high-tech features packed into this mid-range drawing tablet – particularly the 16,000 pressure levels in the stylus (included).

Out of the box, the XPPen Artist Pro 16 Gen 2 arguably improved the design quality over their previous models with a sleek and minimalistic design.

The pen for the Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2) comes with a pretty sleek-looking metal enclosure to keep all the little accessories like spare nibs and the USB dongle for the keypad safe while traveling.

The case has a spring-loaded feel to get access to the inside of the case with the nib tool built right into the internal compartment, basically letting users treat the tool like a pen stand to remove and insert new nibs.

Moving away from built-in buttons and attached pen holders, the Gen 2 tablet adds a new (optionally) wireless shortcut remote that gives users 10 programmable buttons and a rotating jog dial where users can program a custom layout of their most frequently used keyboard...

The software allows for four “modes” per application should you choose to customize your most used applications and settings yourself, all of which are easily navigated using the Pen-Tablet application from XPPen.

In addition to the button customization, the software allows users to set their preferred rotation of the keypad as well, giving them a smoother editing experience regardless of being left or right-handed.

The display of the tablet gives users a nice 16:10 aspect ratio, 2560×1980 maximum resolution, and a 60Hz refresh rate with a working screen area of 13.57 inches x 8.48 inches making it a very comfortable working size for creatives to retouch or draw/illustrate on.

According to the company, this new and improved level of pen pressure sensitivity will address the technical issues found when working with other tablets – issues of lag, latency, instability, and disconnections when working with heavier (or extremely light) pen strokes.

This stylus is all about efficiency with its two shortcut keys that allow you to seamlessly switch between brush and eraser without having to touch the display. It’s a time-saver that enhances your workflow.

Despite its lightweight profile of just 16g, we can confidently say that this stylus is built to last. It’s perfect for long creative sessions, allowing you to draw comfortably with minimal hand fatigue.

The XPPen Artist Pro 16 Gen 2’s X-Nature Display is a real eye-catcher for us. It’s designed to make everything you see pop with vividness and accuracy.

From our personal experience, one thing we love about this Artist Pro Gen 2 is its new stylus, which is super sensitive. In fact, it has a 100% boost in pressure sensitivity, compared to the first-generation Artist Pro.

It’s also faster, with a response time that’s 1.5 times quicker, at just 90 milliseconds. We can attest that there’s almost no delay when we draw, making our strokes smooth and natural.

The accuracy is another big plus. It’s 20% more accurate than the older version, so your lines and details come out just how you want them.

What really wowed us is that there’s almost no lag. Our lines are clean and smooth, with no interruptions or jagged edges. This will surely give you confidence when you’re creating your art.

The advanced XPPen chip is not the only feature that sets the Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2) apart. The pen’s appearance provides a more comfortable and intuitive drawing experience.

The cone-shaped body stylus impressed us as it offers a balanced and comfortable grip. It even comes with a replaceable silica-gel grip, allowing you to customize it to your liking.

To keep you organized, it includes a practical pen case, ensuring that your tools are always at your fingertips. Plus, its sleek space gray color adds a touch of elegance to your workspace and lets you travel with style.

The ±60° of tilt sensitivity is another game-changer, recognizing the angle of the pen for natural shading techniques. As someone who often uses tilt with real pencils, this made sketching on the tablet much more intuitive.

The huge leap in pressure sensitivity to 16,384 levels (up from 8192) was immediately noticeable during my testing.

The heart of any great drawing tablet is of course the stylus, and the X3 Elite Plus does not disappoint. Developed in partnership with Wacom, it‘s one of the most advanced tablet pens on the market.

Despite the slim profile, the tablet feels rock-solid and well constructed, with no creaks or weak points. This is backed up by the upgraded 8H scratch-resistant screen and toughened glass, which should hold up well to daily use and travel.

The built-in adjustable stand is a small but welcome feature, letting you quickly prop the tablet up at a comfortable 20° angle for drawing. When not in use, it folds flat against the back, maintaining the sleek profile.

One of the standout features of the Artist Pro 16 Gen 2 is the gorgeous 2.5K (2560×1600) resolution display. That‘s a big step up from the typical 1920×1080 screens found on most 16" drawing tablets, even other "pro" models like the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 and XP-Pen‘s own...

In practice, the extra pixels make a huge difference. UI elements and text look incredibly crisp and defined. More importantly for artists, the higher pixel density means you can fit much more detail into your work before needing to zoom in, helping maintain a better sense...

The 99% sRGB / 90% AdobeRGB color coverage is equally impressive, and a big selling point for professional users. During my testing with a colorimeter, I measured an actual 99.6% sRGB and 91.4% AdobeRGB – slightly beating XP-Pen‘s claims.

The 220 nits of brightness won‘t break any records, but it‘s still a 10% increase over the previous Artist Pro 16 and perfectly usable under normal indoor lighting. I had no trouble seeing details clearly even in a brightly lit room.

One unique aspect of the display is the full lamination and optical bonding technology. By eliminating the air gap between the screen layers, it virtually eliminates parallax and provides a more natural "pen-on-paper" feel as you draw.

The first thing you notice about the Artist Pro 16 Gen 2 is the refined, minimalist design. The all-black aluminum alloy chassis looks and feels incredibly sleek and professional.

The included pen stand is a nice premium touch too. Made of aluminum just like the tablet itself, it provides a sleek and secure place to store the stylus and spare nibs when not in use.

I also appreciate that the stylus is completely battery-free, so it‘s lightweight and you never have to worry about charging it. The two programmable shortcut buttons on the pen came in handy as well, letting me quickly access undo/redo or my eraser tool without breaking my flow.