There’s a new drawing tablet brand on the block, and Xencelabs is here with it’s premium pen tablet offering for digital artists. Wacom has pretty much dominated the pro tablet arena for years, and for good reason. I’m excited though, see another challenger on this particular battlefield. I haven’t got my hands on one yet, but I hope to soon. Let’s take a quick look…
There’s a back-to-school sale over Xencelabs website until 15 September!
About Xencelabs
So Xencelabs (pronounced ‘sense-labs’) falls under the HanVon Ugee Technology parent company, who also own XP-Pen. The company is based in China, but the Xencelabs product is developed globally with team members from all around the world. Most already have a long history in the industry, some even having worked Wacom.
Oh, you may recognize DaCosta Bayley on the team too… you know, the guy behind March of Robots.
encelabs sets itself apart though by targetting the professional market. Their premium tablets are designed with and for experienced artists and designers.
The Xencelabs drawing tablet
Right now the Xencelabs offering consists of a medium and small size screenless tablet that you draw on while looking at your main screen. Many professionals prefer this type of device over the small-sized display tablets. They generally encourage better posture when drawing and painting at your desk for long hours.
You’ll notice only three express keys on the tablet itself. Many pros will want a device that slots right into their existing workflow, and many already use different controllers for their shortcuts. Or they stick with their keyboard. This eliminates the need for a full range of shortcut keys on the tablet and avoids any wasted features.
For those who like a lighter look to their device, Xencelabs also recently released a special edition bundle in Nebula White that includes the Quick Keys remote.
Convenience and customization – Xencelabs Quick Keys
With those three keys at the top of the tablet: they bring up your settings, adjust pressure sensitivity, and toggle between multiple displays.
If you do like having a controller, or express keys on the tablet to the side, then you have the option of the Quick Keys remote. You can program this to suit your needs and workflow, ensuring you can work more efficiently no matter what program you’re using.
The degree of customizability here is pretty impressive as you can have multiple presets of programmed shortcuts per application that you can cycle through… up to 40 in fact. I have a pretty straightforward approach to painting and probably wouldn’t need that level of customization for it. Dabbling in 3D the last couple of weeks and editing some videos though, I can see how having that range can be really helpful!
You can change the colour of the dial on the remote and the corners of the tablet’s working area depending the program you’re using. Most tablets let you change their orientation. You can do that with the actual Quick Keys as well if you prefer to have the dial on the right, or if you prefer a vertical orientation.
Xencelabs Tablet Specs
| Colors | Carbon Black or Nebula White |
| Device dimensions | 12.61 x 9.16 x 0.3 in / 320.5 x 232.85 x 8 mm |
| Active area size | 10,33 x 5,8 in / 262,4 x 147,4 mm |
| Active area ratio | 16:9 |
| Product weight | ~ 710.5 g / 1.57 lbs |
| Wireless | Yes – Bluetooth |
| Hours per charge | 16 hours (2.5 hours charging time) |
| Cable connection | USB-C – USB-A (adapter included) |
The Pen case
Also included in the bundle is a pen case that includes not one, but two pens. One is that more regular size pen you can expect to get with similar tablets, but with three buttons. The second is a thinner two-button pen. This is a little coser in form to the Apple Pencil. I think it’s great that they have that, just in case users have a preference. Generally I don’t mind pen shape too much, but I have been suprised by how many peope do.
The pens give the now standard 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity with 60 degrees of tilt recognition. Both also have an eraser on the back.
Art made with Xencelabs
I like to see what people actually pull off with the tools they use. Below are some works made by artists using a Xencelabs drawing tablet. Be sure to head over to their profiles to see more of their work!
This review by Colombian illustrator, Orly Meza, is in Spanish, but she gives a nice view of both her screen and the tablet as she uses it. Play starts at the speedpaint.
It’s great to see Xencelabs also sponsoring talks at events like Lightbox Expo! Below is a chat with one of my favorite artists, Nathan Fowkes. If you haven’t already watched his talk on building a bulletproof freelance career here, I HIGHLY recommend it.
Who is this for?
The Xencelabs table is for professionals. Having a premium build with so much room to customize, it’s more geared toward the professional artist with an established workflow. It’s also worth considering if you are a serious and determined novice who has a decent budget. If you are just starting out though, I’d look into something like the Deco Pro from XP-Pen. It can still offer a bit of that pro feel, but at a third of the price.
Price
The standard price of the Xencelabs bundle, with both the drawing tablet and express key remote, is $360 (or $380 for the Nebula version). This is pretty much in line with Wacom’s Intuos Pro Medium.
Of course, as with any such purchase, be sure to check out multiple reviews to make sure this is the right fit for you.
Xencelabs Discount sale!
Xencelabs is running a back-to-school sale on their website! Get between 15 and 30% off on their awesome pen tablets and quick keys remote.
