Comparison XP-PEN Deco Pro Medium vs Huion Inspiroy H1161

The exact size of the active area of a tablet (or screen in a graphic display) in width and height. In general, it is more of a reference than a practically significant parameter: when choosing a traditional graphics tablet, there is often enough information about the format (see above), and for displays, primarily the diagonal (see above) and aspect ratio (see below) are of practical importance . However, the exact dimensions can also be useful in fact: for example, you can determine the aspect ratio from them (for classic tablets, this parameter is often not indicated).

The aspect ratio of the tablet working area (width to height). This parameter allows you to evaluate the overall proportions of the device: for example, the ratio of 4:3 gives an almost square shape of the work area, and in 16:9 models it is noticeably elongated in width.

Actually, "widescreen" aspect ratios — 16:9 and 16:10 — are now much more common than the classic 4:3. The 3:2 standard is also rare, although it is actually also a widescreen. This situation is due to the fact that, ideally, the aspect ratio of the monitor and tablet should be the same (otherwise, there may be a mismatch in the movement of the pen and the cursor on the screen, or part of the screen or tablet area will be unused). And the most popular nowadays are just monitors in 16:9 and 16:10 formats, the 4:3 standard is much less common, and 3:2 is extremely rare.

The number of control keys provided in the design of the tablet.

Each of these keys is responsible for a specific function, while the set of these functions can be configured: in some models they can be selected manually, in others the functionality of the keys changes automatically, depending on the currently active application. Anyway, additional keys allow the user to perform various actions without looking up from the tablet — this can be very convenient in the midst of the work process, when you don’t want to change the pen to the mouse again or reach for the keyboard. And the more control keys — so, respectively, more additional actions can be performed using the tablet. On the other hand, with relatively simple tasks, the abundance of additional buttons can hinder and confuse the user rather than help.

The most modest modern tablets provide up to 5 control keys ; the most popular option is from 6 to 10 keys, and in advanced models this number can reach 15 or even more.

The device has a touch ring for quick control of popular parameters. By simply moving your finger around the ring, you can zoom and scroll in graphics applications, switch between layers, change brush size, rotate the canvas, etc. Note that the touch ring can have several operating modes, and a physical button in the center of the circle is often responsible for switching between them. In advanced devices, the ring can be reprogrammed for certain actions, and even sensitivity (scrolling speed) can be adjusted.

A touch-sensitive surface, usually located along one of the edges of the front panel of the tablet case. The touch strip provides additional controls such as scrolling, zooming, canvas rotation, and other gestures that can be customized to perform different tasks. Thus, the strip can often be reprogrammed for certain actions, be it quickly switching between tools in a graphic editor or changing brush parameters.

Full-fledged and mobile operating systems with which the device can interact normally. Specific compatibility options may be:

-Windows. The vast majority of graphics tablets are designed to work together with desktop computers and laptops running Windows. At the same time, it is important to clarify the supported OS versions - in modern realities, these are Windows 10 and Windows 11.

— MacOS. The ability of the device to work with Apple computer equipment that uses the proprietary desktop operating system macOS. First of all, these are iMac desktops and MacBook laptops. This technique has software and hardware features that significantly distinguish it from other types of PCs and laptops, so such compatibility for graphics tablets is specified separately.

- ChromeOS. ChromeOS is a software product from Google originally created for laptops. The key feature of Chromebooks is their close integration with web services, and in general they are positioned as the most inexpensive and accessible laptops.

- Linux. Initially, the Linux platform was designed mainly for professional programmers and IT enthusiasts. For the average user, such a system can be quite difficult to learn and use. However, a number of graphics tablet models are compatible with this OS.

- Android. Compatibility of the device with...portable gadgets running Android OS (primarily smartphones and tablets). This involves using mobile versions of applications to create and process graphics.

- iOS. The ability to work with mobile applications for creating and processing graphics, implemented when using Apple smartphones running the iOS operating system.

The model of the pen that comes with the device. Allows you to understand which one is used and learn more fully its full characteristics. In this case, in the case of a replacement, you will already be aware of which accessory is needed for the purchase. However, nothing prevents you from replacing the existing one with a more advanced one, of course, if the graphics tablet itself allows you to work with a different pen model.

A characteristic of a graphics tablet that determines how many times per second the tablet records the artist’s actions. The response rate is expressed in PPS (Points Per Second).

The higher the PPS value, the more responsive the surface is. If responsiveness is low, there is a possibility of getting jagged lines when working with the pen, and the stylus cursor may lag behind the movement of your hand. Devices with a response of 266 PPS or more perform best, the “golden mean” is the range of values 230 – 233 PPS and 250 – 260 PPS, and in entry-level models the response can be 220 PPS or less.