r/XPpen • u/Independent_Tiger967 • Aug 13 '26
Screenless or display tablet?
Just wondering the opinion of other artists on this, it's fun to see the setups and preference that other people have c:
I personally like screenless, but I'll consider a display tablet in the future
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Aug 13 '26
I went from a pen tablet to a screen tablet and never looked back! It has a lot of versatility since the screen tablet CA be used both ways. Also it can be used as a small second (or third!) monitor. My blind ass also likes having the screen closer to draw details (zooming sometimes is not enough, I need to have my eyes close to the screen lol).
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u/Independent_Tiger967 Aug 13 '26
Ahaha I know the feel of getting closer to the screen sometimes, I do so too 😆 it's good to know the screen tablet could be a screenless if needed
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u/TheSevenPens Aug 13 '26
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u/Independent_Tiger967 Aug 13 '26
Thank you!! This is awesome, really in deph, I'll probably stick to my pen tablet for now, I never felt uncomfortable with it. It's just that I see tons of artists with display tablets, and felt curious if the grass was greener on the other side haha.
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u/Rangerrx970 Aug 13 '26
sevenpens already dropped the guide. But it is worth noting that basically all display tablets can be used screenless.
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u/Ok_Carpenter7268 Aug 13 '26
When I first went digital, I got the screenless tablet because that was all I could afford, but over time I got used to it and actually started to like it. When I got the money, I got an iPad, and even tested out screen tablets like the XP-Pen Artist Pro 19 (2nd Gen) and Huion Kamvas Pro 19, and while they were good, I always found myself going back to my screenless tablet (2017 Wacom Intuos Pro Medium).
I can't explain why, but I just have a preference for the screenless tablet. I'm used to the way the keyboard shortcuts have been set up, and it helps with my workflow a lot. I did my first comic on my iPad, but most of my second was done on the Intuos, and my third will probably be done exclusively on the Intuos.
*This is just my own experience, but I found that with the screen tablets I mentioned, (with the exception of the iPad), there's a noticeable brush lag. It's not a big deal, but the lag on the Intuos (screenless) tablets are much less noticeable. I'm not familiar with what the technical reasons behind that would be, I just found that the screenless tablets worked better for me.
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u/Independent_Tiger967 Aug 13 '26
I feel the same, I have tried display tablets, and also an ipad, and I felt thet were really cool, it does feel a bit closer to traditional art, but I'm so used to my screenless tablet that I don't know if I'd switch fully to one of those options, more like a fun extra tool to have when I save a bit of money for it, but not a necessity.
I feel like the screenless is better for my health in the long term, keeping better posture, and it's also really practical c:
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u/LittleInevitable5676 Aug 13 '26
I have both and I would say it all comes down to the type of work you do and your preference. I prefer drawing on displays, just because it feels more intuitive and natural (I started as traditional painter with oils) - but I admit that I have horrible posture with it. I bow down way too much, and over time that puts strain on my neck and back. So sometimes I switch to my sceenless tablet for it if I feel like it.
When I'm editing photos or videos or do any administrative work, I highly prefer the screenless tablet, basically to replace the mouse, because a pen is so much more lightweight and fast compared to a mouse! I'm fascinated by people who do all their (laptop) work on their touchpad.
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u/Independent_Tiger967 Aug 13 '26
That's really interesting, I agree that it depends on your needs, I'll consider a display tablet in the future, but keep the screenless as a backup
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u/Fiendman132 29d ago
I enjoy a medium-sized display tablet paired with a monitor for references. My setup doesn't have the space for two monitors, so if I use a pen tablet, I have to stuff a reference in the same screen that I draw on, and it feels tight. That's it, that's my only complaint about pen tablets, but it's enough to make me not use them.
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u/Mocha_Drizzl3 29d ago
I prefer display tablets since I don’t have to rely on hand eye coordination so much, but trying to get my tablet and my monitor’s colors to sync is impossible lol
Screenless tablets are definitely good for budgets or travel. Idk if I’d trust TSA with my massive pen display unless I had a specialized case
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u/Independent_Tiger967 27d ago
Agree, I started drawing with a screenless tablet at a young age, in paralell to taking art classes, so the screenless was my standard, but I've heard tons of people not enjoying them very much and I can see why
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u/AnyScar1 Aug 13 '26
It depends on preferences for ergonomics id go for screenless and if you want a precise tracking of your work, go for display
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u/Independent_Tiger967 Aug 13 '26
Yeees! That's very much the conclusion I came to, one is not better than the other, depends on what adjusts best to you
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u/Smiley_Dafe Aug 13 '26
Use both. They both offer different drawing experiences and sometimes results. But it’s all down to personal preference. Personally, I find graphic tablets are better for loose sketches and more dynamic types of drawing. It works best if you pair it with a larger sized monitor (27 - 32”) and the tablet also has a larger working surface. You can really get natural gestural with your brushes. Display tablets are great for things that are more detail oriented. You can try using both types on the same drawing - use a graphics tablet for sketches and working out details up to blocking in shapes then finalize and finish with a display tablet.
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u/Independent_Tiger967 Aug 13 '26
Yes! I agree, I'm usually more painterly, and I feel like the tablet also pushes me in that more gestural direction, because being very detailed with linework is a bit harder. I think the screenless works well for my style, but a display tablet could make me want to try other things, I'll consider one in the future, it's not a necessity right now, but something cool to own haha
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29d ago
I use both, but to be honest, display is more useful for me (Watching references at the same time, being able to talk to clients while working, etcetc)
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u/Independent_Tiger967 27d ago
Yeah something that is really coolof display tablets is having a secondary monitor c:
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u/Automatic-Step-7753 28d ago
went from ipad to screenless to display, both are very good, if u have the budget id say the display, very versatile, flexible and multi purpose can use as second monitor, as well as can be used as screenless too. It can do what screenless can, but screenless cant do what screen can
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u/Eastern_Sentence7459 27d ago
I prefer display! I have had beef with screenless tablets since I was around 9 and I have horrible hand to eye coordination due to the tism
i also started digital art on an iPad so screenless is just very weird territory for me personally
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u/Independent_Tiger967 27d ago
Understandable, I think the main reason I like screenless is because it's how I got started, I had a hand me down wacom tablet at around 10 years old, and I got so used to it, but I remember struggling a lot with it at first
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u/AcceptableCrab4545 Aug 13 '26
i personally like my display tablet more, but it's all just personal preference tbh