XPPen Deco MW Review – the perfect beginner drawing tablet

XPPen has another range of tablets sporting their new X3 pen technology: the Deco M/MW and L/LW, available in 4 different colors. Read on for our review XPPen’s Deco MW to see how it performs.

*Note: This tablet was not sent to me by XPPen, nor did they ask me for a review of their device. I purchased this out-of-pocket for my own use and to grow DrawYourWeapon’s review content.

In the box

• 1 x Pen Tablet
• 1 x X3 Elite Stylus
• 1 x USB to USB-C Adapter
• 1 x USB to Micro USB Adapter
• 1 x USB Cable
• 1 x Nib Extractor
• 10 x Nibs
• 1 x Wireless Dongle (only for Deco MW Drawing Tablet)
• 1 x Quick Guide
• 1 x Warranty Card

Deco MW Specifications

These are the key specifications for the Deco MW tablet. As with most drawing tablets today, you can expect 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity from the battery-free stylus, supporting 60 degrees of tilt.

Tablet size	26 x 15.8 x 0.9 cm
Active area	8″ x 5″
Express keys	8
Wireless	Bluetooth 5.0
Pen	X3 Elite – Battery free
Battery life	10 hrs
Surface	Smooth matte – light texture

You can view the full product specifications on the XPPen website.

The tablet

The first thing to point out is that the Deco MW is a screenless drawing tablet and you’ll be looking at your main monitor while you draw on this. It can take some time to get confortable with it if you haven’t drawn this way before, but it is not too difficult.

The Deco M/MW and L/LW tablets come in four different colors to suit the style of your workspace. For this review, I went with the black Deco MW. It’s a good medium size with an 8×5″ active area. The distance between the edges of the active area and the edge of the tablet is quite short. Your hand may come off the sides if working towards the bottom and right edges of your screen.

If you are working with a screen size of 22″ or larger, it might be better to go with a larger tablet. The relative movement of the cursor to your pen can be quite big if you are using a small tablet.

Tablet buttons

To the side of the Deco MW’s drawing surface, you have 8 customizable express keys. 6 of these have braille-like bumps on them so can somewhat feel which button is underneath your finger without having to look. They give pretty firm feedback when pressed as well.

On the underside, there are rubber ‘feet’ at the corners to prevent your tablet from sliding around on the desk.

The only difference between the M/L and the MW/LW tablets is the wireless capability and the need for a power button on the side of the tablet.

Deco MW – $69.99
from: XPPEN TECHNOLOGY CO

 

The driver

The first thing to do when you buy a tablet is to download the appropriate driver from the XPPen website.

After installing the driver, you’ll have a new PenTablet application available. Here’s where you’ll be able to customize your tablet settings. It’s divided into three sections: Work area, Pen settings, and Shortcut keys.

The driver tested below is version 3.3.9 for Windows.

Work area

Under the work area tab, you will be able to adjust the mapping of your Deco tablet. If you are using multiple monitors but only want your tablet to work on one of them, you can set that in the Screen section.

Most drawing tablets are orientated to the right-handed mode by default. You can change the rotation if you are left-handed though or are mapping your tablet to a vertical monitor.

Pen settings

This section lets you customize what the buttons on your pen do, and adjust your pressure curve. Moving the Hardness slider to the left will mean you won’t have to press as hard to get bold lines when you draw.

If you want different pressure and button settings for the different apps you use, you can create a new profile for each app by pressing the plus button next to the Application top bar.

The buttons on the pen and the express keys on the tablet have the same range of things they can be programmed to. This includes different mouse clicks, modifier keys, and keyboard shortcuts. Setting one button to switch between monitors or between brush and eraser is also quite nice to have.

You can turn off the pressure and tilt response of tablet by clicking the gear icon towards the top right of the window. This is also where you can export your settings if you want to carry them over to another computer.

Shortcut keys

All 8 of the express keys on the Deco MW drawing tablet are customizable. Like with the pen buttons, they can be set to different mouse clicks, modifier keys, keyboard shortcuts, and various other things.

If you’re a beginner and not sure what to program the express keys to, don’t worry. The default settings cover most of the standard shortcuts used in most painting applications. You’ll figure out over time which shortcuts you use most often.

IMPORTANT

After making any changes to your pen and shortcut key settings, you must click the OK button on the bottom left of the PenTablet window to confirm them. If you close the window without doing this, you’ll have to go through the process again.

Depending on your computer’s Bluetooth capability, you may not need to use the included wireless adapter. You can expect around 10 hours of wireless use out of the 1000mAh battery and you can still use the Deco MW while it’s plugged in and charging.

I experienced no noticeable difference in latency while drawing wirelessly either.

Pen test

The Deco MW comes with XPPen’s new X3 Elite stylus. They have vastly improved the initial activation force needed with these pens (only 3 grams) and so the lightest dragging of the pen across the tablet surface is enough to get thin lines on the canvas.

 The X3 Elite pen is lightweight, cased in matte plastic, and has no internal battery so there’s no need to charge it. The two buttons along the side are well-placed and respond firmly when pressed. There is no eraser on the back, but you can purchase the X3 Elite Plus pen separately if that is an important feature for you.

The matte drawing surface may feel smooth to the touch, but when drawing it offers the perfect amount of resistance.

The X3 Elite stylus is also compatible with XPPen’s new range of 2nd gen Artist display tablets.

How to use the Deco MW on Android

Android devices can only be connected to the Deco tablets via USB and using one of the included adapters. Bluetooth will not work here. There are no drivers to download when using this with a phone.

1. Plug in the appropriate adapter for your phone or tablet and then connect your devices with the USB cable.
2. A cursor should now appear when you move your pen over the tablet.
3. Download and install your drawing or painting app from the Play store. See some recommendations below.
4. If the cursor is not visible, check the app’s settings if there’s an option for that.
5. In most cases, the buttons of the tablet won’t do anything.
6. The tablet orientation is vertical with the buttons at the top. The corners of the active area will correspond with the corners of your phone’s display. If you want to use your phone horizontally, lock the orientation in vertical mode first.

No cursor on your Android device?

During the review of the Deco MW, when I plugged it into my phone (Xiaomi 11T Pro), no cursor appeared. This makes drawing almost impossible. But, some apps have an option in their settings menu to make a cursor or brush shape visible, which at least solves the problem when you are hovering on the canvas. With that in mind, I recommend using the following apps with your Deco tablet which enable this:

1. Sketchbook (Free) – automatically showed brush shape
2. Artflow (Freemium) – changed cursor visibility in settings
3. Clip Studio Paint (Paid, but decent trial period) – changed cursor visibility in settings

If you have no cursor issues with the tablet, then my app of choice on Android is Infinite Painter (paid).

Your Deco MW will also work with regular Android tablets which don’t have screens that support a pressure sensitive stylus. This can actually work pretty well for a compact setup if you don’t have a computer. The Deco tablet orientation is always vertical here, so if you want to use your Android tablet horizontally, make sure you lock the display orientation in vertical mode.

It’s great to see so many tablets now are Android-compatible, including the XPPen’s Deco tablets. It makes it easier to start your journey in digital art as tablets like this are quite affordable and most people now have a smartphone in their pocket. But what if that phone is an iPhone?

How to use the Deco MW on iPhone and iPad with Ibis Paint

For the most part, drawing tablets that are compatible with mobile phones and tablets have been limited only to Android devices. XPPen’s wireless Deco Pro, and the Deco MW and LW tablets are the only tablets that you can pair with your iPhone or iPad. Ibis Paint X is the only painting app that you will be able to pair with a Deco tablet on iOS/iPadOS, and can only be connected via Bluetooth.

1. Turn on your Deco tablet by pressing the power button on the side.
2. Press and hold the first button under the indicator light for 3 seconds.
3. Go to the Bluetooth settings on your iPad or iPhone.
4. Select the Deco MW from the list of available devices and allow it to pair.
5. Download and install Ibis Paint X from the App store.
6. Open Ibis Paint X and click on the settings gear icon.
7. In the Pressure Sensitive Stylus section, select XPPen Pen Tablet from the drop-down menu.
8. Your tablet should now be connected and you can customize the pen buttons.
9. You’ll know the pen is working when a crosshair appears as you move your pen over the tablet.

I tested this on the 4th gen iPad Pro. Of course, it’s unnecessary with a device like this if you have the Apple Pencil, but for this review I wanted to see if the Deco MW would work with it. It paired well without any trouble.

If you notice that Ibis Paint says it’s not connected to the Deco tablet even though your iPhone is, try completely closing it and reopening the app. It needs to have a fresh instance of the app opened after you connect the devices.

Wrapping up this Deco MW review…

Overall, the Deco MW performs well and would make a great first tablet if you’re getting started with digital drawing and painting. It’s versatile and very portable. If you do not need the wireless functionality, then consider going with the wired Deco L instead for the same price as the Deco MW used in this review. That extra drawing area does make a difference.

If you’re looking for a tablet to use with a mobile device, then this is not a bad option. It’s light and small enough to carry around with you comfortably. Keep in mind that the cursor might not appear with some tablets and phones. But you can get around that in some apps.

Buy it?
Yes if… you want something compact, affordable, and phone-compatible.
No, if… you would prefer working directly on a screen, or if you have a 22″+ screen (then go for a larger tablet).

The Deco MW is currently available for $70 on the XPPen US store,
OR
Get it on Amazon US.

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