XP Pen Artist 22 Plus Drawing Display Review

 The Artist 22 Plus, a 22-inch drawing display tablet from the folks over at XP Pen, has made its way to our office doorstep. 

For many years, Wacom has dominated the graphics and drawing display tablet category. It’s been the go-to choice for artists; from young enthusiasts to seasoned professionals in the graphics design, animation and illustration industry.

However, Wacom’s biggest drawback has been its price, often making it unattainable for most starting artists.

But if you were in the know for Pen Displays and Tablets, you would have most probably heard of XP Pen. This brand offers more budget-friendly options while still maintaining the functionality and intuitiveness that most artists need.

Today, we are looking at their latest large-form factor drawing display, the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus, the successor to their previous Artist 22 line.

Now is it a worthy upgrade? 

–Well, read on to find out.

Unboxing

The XP Pen Artist 22 Plus comes in a large blue box and sports an illustration made by renowned artist, Shan Jiang, assumingly with a display like this one.

Aside from the illustration in front,  it proudly boasts the XP-Pen name, badges indicating the X3 Pro chip and the impressive 16k pressure levels you get with the device.

Turning to the back, it shows the highlighting key features: a 1920 x 1080 display, an adjustable stand, dimensions of 547 x 364 x 33.4mm (21.5″), and full lamination. It also features what the rear of the display looks like.

The left side of the box lists the specs and certifications, with more branding and product labeling on the right side.

As you unbox the XP-Pen Artist 22 Plus, the careful attention to detail becomes apparent. The product is securely packaged to withstand shipping. Though hefty, opening the box reveals the drawing display on top and a separate white box underneath, which contains all the included accessories.

What’s in the Box

Design and Build

Taking a closer look at the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus, we’re greeted by a generous 21.5-inch display, that features minimal branding except for the logo centered at the bottom bezel.

It thoughtfully includes a screen protector. However, a word of advice: remove the plastic layer GENTLY.

We learned this the hard way by accidentally pulling off both the plastic layer along with the screen protector, which isn’t supposed to happen, but fortunately we managed to re-apply it.So, take it slow to keep your protector intact.

The display is framed by bezels that are just right—thick enough to rest your palm comfortably, which is ideal for a drawing display of this size. Additionally, the edges are chamfered, with the bottom edge being slightly thicker for a subtle, ergonomic tilt.

As for the front, its featuring only a slot for the pen holder and a few essential buttons in the upper right corner. There’s a dual-function plus and minus button for brightness control and a power button next to it, with icons engraved in the body of the display for easy identification.

Moving to the back of the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus, we find the foldable stand. It’s versatile, adjusting from 15° to 88°.

If you need to mount it differently, simply unscrew the four screws to detach the stand. This reveals the VESA mount option, allowing for various mounting setups.

Interestingly, the back also features a diagonal speaker grill-like design. It’s purely aesthetic, though, as the display doesn’t include speakers but the venting could be for dissipating heat.

The display also features a headphone jack, which leads us to the port section on the left side.The ports are initially uncovered, but there’s a back panel cover in the box for cable management and an overall cleaner look.

Speaking of ports, there are four in total: the power DC in, USB Type-C, HDMI, and the headphone port. And lastly, two rubber grips sit at the bottom, ensuring the display stays put when you adjust the stand.

It’s a relief that despite these features, the side profile of the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus remains relatively slim, considering its larger form factor.

Setup Process

Setting up the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus is quite straightforward. It has a plug-and-play feature via USB Type-C, which is a great fit for modern laptops. We tested out the display by connecting it to an Apple MacBook Air M1.

Also, the presence of an HDMI port also offers flexibility, especially if your desktop lacks a Type-C port with support for display output.

Initially, I encountered a minor pet peeve where the cursor jumped between the laptop and the display.
This happened because by default, it set itself up as an extended monitor, while some displays typically default to mirror mode.

However, installing the appropriate driver quickly resolved these cursor detection issues. This step emphasizes the importance of software installation for achieving the best performance.

Additionally, the driver provides options to adjust the pen pressure, but I’ll delve more into that in the software section.

Display and Visuals

The XP Pen Artist 22 Plus features a 21.5-inch FHD 1920×1080 fully laminated display with an anti-glare matte finish.

It stands out with a 130% sRGB native color space and 99% sRGB color gamut coverage, offering color accuracy comparable to high-end displays, like MacBooks.

The display’s brightness, comfortably adjustable up to high levels, but it’s typically set at 80% for a balanced viewing experience.

The fully laminated screen and reduced parallax contribute to a pleasant drawing experience, enhancing accuracy and natural feel despite the display’s lower resolution.

Reduced parallax from a laminated display is a key feature in graphics tablets like the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus, minimizing the gap between the pen tip and its corresponding point on the screen.T

his significantly decreases the offset between the stylus’s contact and the mark’s appearance, ensuring precision in drawing and a true representation of the artist’s intent.

The X-inspo Wrist Rest is an ergonomic accessory designed to support and comfort the wrist during prolonged drawing sessions.

This support is crucial for digital artists, as it helps maintain a comfortable position and reduces the risk of strain or fatigue. The wristrest’s design complements the tablet’s shape and size, providing support without impeding the drawing area.

Stylus Functionality and Software

Now let’s delve into the stylus functionality of the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus. The rubber texture of the stylus ensures a firm grip during use.

It’s equipped with the X3 Pro Smart Chip, offering an impressive 16k pressure levels. While such a high level of sensitivity might seem excessive, it’s a valuable feature.

XP Pen has also enhanced accuracy by 20% over their previous models. Another notable aspect is the compatibility with the Х3 Pro Roller Stylus.

A major advantage is its battery-free design, eliminating the need for charging, unlike the Apple Pencil.

This stylus incorporates a roller wheel and dual shortcut keys, allowing access to common functions directly from the pen, bypassing the need for a mouse.

It’s also programmable, offering personalization to fit your workflow. However, this stylus is an additional purchase.

The included stylus’ default settings feature an upper key for double-clicking the mouse, a lower key for right-clicking, and a scroll wheel.

To fully utilize the features of the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus, installing the driver and software is recommended. This enables customization of macro keys and pressure sensitivity and even calibration.

In terms of software capabilities, you can adjust the color settings of the display from the standard sRGB to Adobe RGB.

Additionally, the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus is compatible with the Wireless Shortcut Remote, enhancing its functionality and user experience.

For a detailed overview and insights into how this remote integrates with the display, you can refer to our recent review of the XP-Pen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2).

This review provides a deeper understanding of the remote’s capabilities and how it complements the display’s features.

Going back, once the driver is installed, the buttons and keys can be customized within the software, allowing unique functionalities for various applications.

During the review, I tested the drawing display with several Adobe Creative Suite tools, including Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, and Premiere CC.

Despite its 1080p resolution, it maintained precision, even with small interface elements.

The lack of touchscreen capability means reliance on the source machine’s keyboard and mouse, or the wireless remote for added convenience.

The stylus buttons are easily accessible and responsive. Changing the nibs are straightforward—simply twist the stylus head and use the nib removal tool. The stylus also includes an eraser at the top, a convenient feature for those who like simulating erasing with a pencil eraser.

Performance

Since the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus primarily serves as a drawing display, the majority of the processing workload is handled by the source machine, like a laptop.
Therefore, if your machine experiences lag or stuttering, the responsiveness of the drawing display could be affected.

One huge advantage of the display is that it comes with its own power adapter brick. Meaning, that it doesn’t rely on the power from the source machine. However, this also implies that you can’t power the display solely through the Type-C cable; the power brick adapter is necessary for operation.

Regarding the stylus performance, it does have limitations in terms of tilt sensitivity. While it performs best at a 90-degree angle, you might notice a decrease in precision at steeper angles. This is where products like the Apple Pencil might have an edge.Nonetheless, for artists who don’t frequently draw at high stylus angles, the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus remains a solid choice.

In terms of line wobble and jitter, the verdict is positive – there’s virtually none! Our tests showed that from the lightest to the heaviest pressure, the line accuracy is impressive, arguably on par with Wacom counterparts.

This is a significant improvement over previous models. We conducted tests using a ruler for straight lines and freehand for varied pressure, and the results were consistently reliable.

The only hiccup encountered was related to the source laptop stuttering due to running multiple applications in the background.
When the drawing display was used with a single application, the performance was smooth and responsive.

I also recommend using the Wireless Shortcut Remote for an enhanced workflow.
It’s more efficient than relying on a keyboard or mouse, as it can be placed directly on the monitor without sliding off.

Overall, the performance of the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus exceeded my expectations. It’s a commendable step up from their other models.

Oh, by the way, for those curious about connecting an iPad to the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus, it’s a mixed bag. Yes, you can extend the iPad’s display to the tablet, just like with any monitor. However, keep in mind that the XP Pen’s stylus won’t work on the iPad.

On the Android front, there’s good news: it’s a plug-and-play experience. But there’s a catch – it seems only Android devices that support external displays, like certain Samsung models, will work effectively.

When tested with entry to mid-range smartphones, the display just showed blank, though the stylus was still functional.It’s safe to say that flagship devices will be most compatible.

Ergonomics and Adjustability

The XP Pen Artist 22 Plus really excels in its form factor. Its large display size offers a substantial working area, which is a major benefit for artists or any user who needs ample space to create.

This expansive workspace is a significant advantage over smaller models like the XP-Pen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2), which has a more limited angle range which is could still seem like a good trade-off for portability.

Although with the Artist 22 Plus, you can adjust the display angle to a position that suits your comfort.

It’s not really portable. Due to its form factor, weight and size, it’s not a device you can easily place on your lap or carry around on-the-go. It’s most suitable for a fixed setup, like on your desk or in your workspace.

Another benefit, especially for artists who work at night, is the matte finish of the display. It minimizes light reflection, which is great if you’re working in less than optimal lighting conditions.

However, this feature might not be preferable for everyone, so it’s really about personal preference.

Additionally, the display panel itself is remarkably sturdy. There’s no flex or distortion when you rest your palm or fingers directly on the display, which is a significant plus for a drawing display. This sturdiness adds to the overall durability and build quality of the device.

Conclusion

It’s clear that this drawing display is more than just a tool – it’s a vital partner in the creative process.

Its expansive display, precise stylus, and customizable features make it a dream workspace for all artists out there. While it may not be the most portable, its robust design and large drawing area are ideal for studio use.

For digital artists seeking a blend of quality and performance without breaking the bank, the XP Pen Artist 22 Plus stands out as an exceptional choice.

The XP Pen Artist 22 Plus is priced at $469.99PHP 27,582INR 39,832EUR 448CNY 3,421 and you can make a purchase directly through their official website 16.

For buyers in the Philippines, the tablet it’s also available on popular e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Lazada through their official merchant channels, with prices ranging from PHP 24,999USD 426INR 36,114EUR 406CNY 3,102 to PHP 27,999USD 477INR 40,447EUR 454CNY 3,475.

XP-Pen Artist 22 Plus Specs: