Wacom has recently launched Cintiq 12WX, the first hybrid product to combine the advantages of a Cintiq interactive pen display with the portability and compact size of a traditional Intuos3 pen tablet. The new item in the company's portfolio is presented in slimline dimensions of 405 x 270 x 17 mm, comparable to an Intuos3 A5 Wide. The Cintiq 12WX mixes a high quality, 12.1 TFT display for direct pen-on-screen drawing, painting and sketching, with the advanced features and performance consistent with the Cintiq 21UX and Intuos3 range.

As Wacom says, Cintiq 12WX was specially designed for the professional digital content creators which are working on some serious stuff, including storyboarding, finishing, retouching and compositing. It weighs 2kg, meaning it is portable enough for mobiles. But it should also integrate quite well into existing desktop setups, where it can be used as a second or third monitor.

It reveals a nice thin 12.1 inch widescreen display and a design for comfortable and effortless handling. Combining the small size and flexibility of a normal pen tablet with the convenience of an interactive pen display, the Cintiq 12WX is said to enable perfect hand-eye co-ordination. Like the Cintiq 21UX, users can work with the pressure sensitive pen directly on the high quality screen, which provides a WXGA resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels with 24-bit color depth and a wide viewing angle of 170°.

To work at its full capacity, the Cintiq 12WX comes packed with a convenient stand, fully adjustable and completely integrates into the main body. To make it a pleasure to use, the manufacturers have optimized the display for using in three different orientations, at a 25-degree angle from horizontal, at a 65-degree angle for viewing and reviewing or flat on the desk or lap.

Thanks to its compact size, the Cintiq 12WX can be used in a similar way to a traditional analogue sketchpad, meaning that ideas and creative content can be shared in a digital format immediately and spontaneously. The best thing is, when placed flat on a desktop, it also rotates on a pivot to provide ergonomic positioning of the hand - the best way to emphasize your artistic part.

Wacom thinks the Cintiq 12WX is also great to use in a multi-monitor setup as a second or third monitor, for users working across displays. This can take place either at a workstation with a large-format display or with a laptop, providing the advantages of an interactive pen display in a classic workplace scenario, integrating seamlessly into existing workflows. Besides that, using the Display Toggle function the Cintiq 12WX allows you to switch between screens or maximize pen control across different displays via multiple monitor environment. It includes the ExpressKeys and Touch Strips.

The first ones, the ExpressKeys are two five-button keypads that are preconfigured with frequently used modifier keys, such as CTRL, ALT, SHIFT, SPACE or to initiate functions such as the Display Toggle function. The second one, the Touch Strip acts like a scroll bar with presets to allow zooming and scrolling in various applications. These features are said to significantly improve productivity.

There is also the cordless and battery-free Grip Pen, precise enough to provide advanced control and realistic results due to the 5,080lpi resolution and 1,024 pressure levels in both the pen tip and eraser.
In addition, tilt functionality is supported, with angles of up to 60 degrees recognized. Which means the system will allow a natural-looking pen, brush and eraser strokes.

It is important to know that the Cintiq 12WX supports all Intuos3 input devices. All of them offer Tool ID, the tablet automatically recognizes the relevant tool with its individual settings when the device is brought into contact with the tablet.

According to Wacom, the display comes profiled out of the box and can be calibrated with most color measurement solutions from companies including Datacolor, X-Rite and basicolor. It can also be connected either by VGA or DVI-I for a better effect.

It will be available from November, priced at £829.99.