• Portability: You may want to carry your work around with you. If so, you won’t want to get a tablet that’s too big. The most popular models range from 11.6” on the diagonal, such as the XP Pen Artist 12, Huion Kamvas Pro 13, which is 13” on the diagonal. There are 15” and 20” models as well, but you might prefer to leave these at your place of work.

• Make sure that you have the ports on your computer: One user of the XP-Pen Artist 12 said that they had problems using their tablet with a Windows computer (but not for a Mac) because they required a combined HDMI and USB cable. The workaround was to get an HDMI-DVI adapter. So, this is something that you have to consider if you wish to work with the tablet attached to the computer.

• Compatible with creative software: People have their favorite software packages. There are tablets compatible with Photoshop, Manga Studio, Adobe, CorelPainter, and more. Make sure that your favorite graphics software is supported by the tablet that you want to buy.

• Resolution: You’ll see that a tablet’s resolution will be listed in LPI (=lines per inch), or in pixels, such as 1920 x 1080 pixels. Typically, 1000 lines per inch are sufficient for producing such high quality, the image looks smooth. But, the Huion Kamvas Pro 13 allows for 5080 LPI!

• Color Gamut: Different tablets will have a different range of colors. The NTSC standard is the range of colors visible to the human eye, while the sRGB color gamut is what is used in most products, such as computer displays or digital cameras. You’ll see tablets that can display 70-75% of the NTSC color gamut. That is usually considered sufficient--although there are also more professional models that can display over 90%!

• Shortcut keys: Many tablets will have a set of shortcut keys on the side. For example, the Huion Kamvas 13 Drawing Monitor has 8 keys, allowing you to switch from brush to eraser mode, or to increase or decrease the width of the “brush”.

• Battery-free stylus: Some tablets require you to recharge the stylus as well, while others use a battery-free stylus, that just relies on the pressure that you apply. A battery-free stylus is an added convenience. The button on the stylus is the equivalent of a right-mouse click on your mouse. And some allow you to “erase” with the opposite end, much like a pencil eraser.

• The tilt of the stylus: Some tablets, such as the Huion Kamvas, allow you to hold the stylus at a range of angles. You can tilt it as much as 60 degrees in either direction, much as you would with a crayon or pencil.

• Ports to connect to your computer: You’ll want to transfer the images that you create to a computer. Some tablets can use both HDMI and USB ports, both for charging up your tablet, as well as for data transfer. If your computer has smaller, USB-c ports, you may require an adapter to connect to your computer.

XP-Pen is a manufacturer of digital graphics tablets and pen display monitors for professional graphics results. They were founded in 2005, Their products are compatible with Windows and most Linux distributions, and with all of the most popular digital art software packages.

Gaomon makes pen tablets, pen displays, signature pads, and LED light pads for animation and handwriting recognition products. It was founded in China in 2011. They make tablets that are thin and lightweight, while still offering a large space to work.

Wacom was founded in 1983 in Saitama, Japan. Their products include cordless pens, pen displays, tablets, and computers, smart pads, and more. They have products that are suited for professional artists, as well as for educational purposes.

Huion is located in Shenzhen, China. They manufacture pen tablets, pen displays, pen computers, LED light pads, and more. Their Kamvas line of products utilizes quantum dot technology, to be able to provide as many as 8 million pixels of resolution!