The best graphics tablets for beginners (Cheap but quality)

Read our reviews of the best graphics tablets for beginners to find a cheap but quality drawing tablet for your needs.

Art is increasingly digitized. Starting in the world of design and digital drawing is an important leap. Although you should never put aside your paper sketches, drawing with graphics tablets for beginners (it’s the one you should choose if you have no idea) will change your life and the way you work completely.

You will not have to make a large outlay since you will not need high levels of pressure or resolution, and what matters most is that you catch the trick to draw on the tablet while looking at the computer screen.

What is the best digitizing tablet for drawing? There are very good models with great benefits at affordable prices. For example, if you want to start your design work with graphics tablets, then we advise the Huawei New 1060 PLUS. Why? For its 8192 pressure levels, which is a lot, the tablet will perfectly define the stroke you make and the pressure you exert in such a way that it seems that you have a pencil in your hand.

Although if you are looking for something cheaper and smaller, the Gaomon S620 has the same number of pressure levels and costs around $40. Anyway, let’s delve deeper into prices with a comparison table of the best beginner graphics tablets of the moment.

The 8 best budget graphics tablets for beginners

When it comes to choosing the best graphics tablet for beginners, there are many considerations to make. If you’ve already read the article on how to choose a drawing tablet, you know that there are many parameters to take into account. Some of the crucial aspects of choosing a graphics tablet or interactive screen for you are definitely size and price.

Precisely for this reason, I wanted to create this article in which I collected all the best graphics tablets and the best interactive or touch screens suitable for beginners.

Wacom Intuos Graphics Drawing Tablet

Cheap but quality drawing tablet market

Wacom is without a doubt the best reference for buying a graphic tablet for beginners. The most characteristic is its great compatibility and the very few problems that exist in the installation of its drivers and its configuration.

The active area is perfect for both drawing and retouching photos, and the pressure sensitivity is more than enough to start making your first steps in the world of drawing.

The quality of its materials is quite high, and its duration will be long. Just what an artist needs, not something that breaks and becomes obsolete after a year. There are many digital cartoonists who have used the older Wacom models for over 10 years.

The sensation when drawing is very reminiscent of paper, since a special roughness is noted. The screen guarantees 4096 levels of pressure (good) with a resolution of 2540 lip. In addition, it is very comfortable to carry in any case for a laptop or in any backpack.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Slim, minimal design
  • Comfortable working space
  • Pressure-sensitive pen
  • Bluetooth connectivity

Cons

  • Awkwardly placed express keys
  • The pen doesn’t include a built-in eraser

Discover more and the price here

HUION New 1060 Plus

economical drawing tablet for designers

If you are looking for something cheaper and a quality alternative, then yours is the Huion New 1060 Plus, which the Wacom Intuos have nothing to envy.

In fact, it would have to be the other way around because the Huion has twice the pressure sensitivity, better LPI resolution, and a better refresh rate. And why do people buy Wacom more? It is a simple matter of trust because it is the best-known brand. Wacom is the Nike of graphics tablets. Everyone knows that they are good; they work very well, and they don’t mind spending more money on them.

However, I assure you that the New 1060 Plus is exactly the same in benefits, and its configuration is very simple.

Finally, its active area is perfect for cartoonists and illustrators and for photography, although I am more in favor of going to something smaller. It is also a great model for retouching.

Pros

  • Good-sized drawing area
  • Lightweight and easy to carry
  • 12+16 customizable buttons
  • Battery-free pen
  • Affordable price point

Cons

  • Not wireless
  • Buttons are a little loose

Discover more and the price here

UGEE M708 Graphics Tablet

UGEE M708 Graphics Tablet

Although Ugee is not such a well-known brand, what is known is its Ugee M708 model. A super-recommended graphics tablet for beginners. As is normal in the vast majority of alternative graphics tablets to Wacom, this M708 model is cheaper and has similar characteristics.

You can use this drawing tablet for photo retouching as well as for design and digital drawing with most programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Paint Tool SAI, etc.

The strong point of the Ugee is the refresh rate of 266 PPS when drawing, and it is one of the highest on the market. Furthermore, with the sensitivity of 8192 pressure levels in your digital pen, fluency in writing is almost guaranteed. So, I want to clarify that the tip is a little hard, and you have to tighten it a little more than normal for those pressure levels to work properly.

In general, the Ugee M708 graphics tablet is a robust, high-quality, and economical option.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Good drawing performance
  • Eight physical shortcut buttons work well
  • Tilt and pressure sensitivity work well
  • Low initial activation force
  • No major driver glitches
  • Supports Linux too

Cons

  • Strokes don’t taper as smoothly with Photoshop (Win) compared to other drawing apps.

Discover more and the price here

GAOMON S620

GAOMON S620

It has a very fine design with a thickness of only 8 mm. The total size is 21.1 cm by 17.4 cm, while the work area measures 6.5 x 4 inches. The device contains a non-slip mat on the back, so it won’t move while working with it.

It has great compatibility with both Windows and Mac, as well as with different graphic design and drawing programs. For example, you can use Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel Painter, Manga Studio, Procreate, etc. It has four customizable buttons and up to 8192 pen pressure levels, a fantastic figure for a model in its range. It has a very durable battery and is an excellent option to play Osu.

This stylus has two customizable buttons and requires two AAA batteries to function. This model works with Mac 10.10.0 or higher operating systems, as well as Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10. Besides, it supports design and drawing programs such as Corel Draw, Macromedia Flash, Adobe Photoshop, SAI, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Painter, Comic Studio, or Adobe Fireworks.

Pros

  • Lightweight pen
  • Responsive tablet
  • Use with smartphone or tablet
  • Express keys

Cons

  • Include a pen holder
  • Add pinch and zoom features.

Discover more and the price here

One by Wacom Graphic Tablet for Beginners

The One by Wacom is the cheapest Wacom graphics tablet and is a good solution for those who want to buy their first drawing tablet. For a very reasonable price, you get a well-functioning device without risking buying cheap devices from unknown brands.

It is not a graphics tablet that stands out for its characteristics, if not the opposite. It has enough to start working without leaving a big buck on functions that a novice will not use, and it does not matter at first.

This graphics tablet closely resembles the Wacom Intuos, but with no quick-function buttons or wireless connection. It does not use a battery, so you will not have to be aware of recharging it.

It is available in two sizes: the S which has an active area of ​​15 x 9 cm, and the size M with 21.6 x 13.5 cm. Both are large enough to draw, retouch photos, and do 3D modeling.

Pros

  • Simple, light, and economical graphic tablet without a screen.
  • It offers good resolution and precision.
  • Stylus has 2540 pressure levels and two quick-access buttons.
  • Compatible with MacOS and Windows.

Cons

  • The connection is micro-USB.
  • Does not include shortcut keys.

Discover more and the price here

XP-PEN Artist12

Best graphics tablets for beginners review

If you are looking for an affordable graphics tablet with a built-in screen, you can consider this option. It is a device that has an HD screen resolution of 1920 × 1080, together with a 72% NTSC color gamut, which guarantees the display of sharp and vibrant colors as well as more vivid images. The size is 36.3 cm long, 21.8 cm wide, and 11.5 mm thick.

This model has six express keys along with a slim touchpad. The buttons can be customized with the preferred tool and based on user need, while the panel can be programmed with zoom functions to zoom in and out, scroll down, and up. These options are perfect for optimizing and customizing your workflow, making them an alternative that will help you perform your drawing tasks efficiently and quickly.

The pressure sensitivity level is 8192, and it comes with a multifunctional bracket. The screen has an anti-reflective coating, which reduces glare to protect the eyes. It features a smart connection design with USB-C input and 3-in-1 cables.

This model is compatible with Mac OS 10.10 and higher, as well as Windows 10, 8, and 7. It also supports different digital art programs such as Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, CDR, and SAI, among others.

Discover more and the price here

Huion Inspiroy H640P

Huion Inspiroy H640P Graphics Drawing Tablet graphics tablets for beginners

As with most technologies, the more you spend on a drawing tablet, the better the quality. If you are not quite sure if a dedicated tablet is for you,? Well, give the Huion H640P a try. It is now available for only $43.99 (at the time of writing).

Despite the low price, it still packs in some useful features, such as a pressure sensitivity rate equal to the others here, but it’s small enough. With an area of ​​6.3 x 3.9 inches, it’s not ideal for everything that happens, but it’s a start. Likewise, there is only one surface for drawing without options for changing the way things feel. The stylus is a little awkward compared to other, nicer (and more expensive) examples, but it should be good for a start. It comes with eight different types of pen tips, which can be useful when working.

If you are just starting your digital hobby or career design, this is a great place to start.

Discover more and the price here

Conclusion: the best graphics tablets for beginners

In conclusion of the best drawing tablet for beginners, I want to underline how important it is to choose a tablet that matches your needs.

Do not spend hundreds of dollars on a device that you will use three times a month. Do not buy a professional tablet if you’re not sure how to use it, and focus on interactive displays only if the expense is worth it for your profession. In addition, you may also like to know the best mechanical pencils and drawing pens of different thicknesses.

I will try to update this article as much as possible. So that it is always useful and of the highest quality possible. Do you have any doubts about which one to buy, and is this article not enough for you? Try leaving a comment below! See you next time, friends. Thank you.

Leave a Comment