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In partnership with Wacom
Artists know well that color accuracy is a crucial component of their workflow. What’s the point of spending hours perfecting the colors of your characters, the shadows in your scene, if the result isn’t the same on the client’s end? This need is even more pronounced with the rise of streaming platforms, as animation series and VFX projects are then watched on a wide range of devices. It’s essential to start with the most accurate base possible to avoid discrepancies. Thus, for artists and studios, a consistent and controlled workflow with flawless color accuracy is more necessary than ever.
While these constraints might seem less pressing for animation, visual effects, and graphic design students, mastering color remains a vital part of their education. Indeed, presenting a project or graduation short film must involve careful attention to color accuracy. Without it, photorealistic animation might end up looking more like a video game cutscene, and a cartoon student film might be overly saturated. Jury members, by the way, sometimes lament the lack of precision in grading.
Other industries such similar challenges, for example studios working on projection mapping projects, or advertising: every link in the graphic chain must be calibrated.
Wacom has refined its range of pen displays over the years to provide workflows tailored to industry needs, with increasingly precise colors. The latest versions of these products, the Cintiq Pro 17/22/27 and the Movink, are a testament to this.
Wacom Movink: Wacom’s First OLED Pen Display, No Compromises
The new Wacom Movink, proudly presented at the Annecy Festival by Wacom, fits directly into this logic. As Jeroen van’t Hoofd, Product PR Manager EMEA at Wacom, explains, this product is designed both for professionals who want to expand their studio setup with a more compact and portable creative pen display and for those seeking an affordable solution, such as aspiring artists still in school.
In practice, it connects to your computer running Windows, MacOS, ChromeOS, as well as some Android smartphones/tablets with a single USB-C cable (Alt DP mode on PC/Mac, or a Thunderbolt 4/5 port is required. As for Android, the device must provide a desktop mode).
While OLED screens are not new, Wacom deliberately avoided rushing to market, instead partnering with Samsung. Avinav Khanal, Senior Manager at Wacom, also points out that OLED comes with specific challenges: early generations of this screen type were prone to burn-in with screen marking effects. Wacom waited for the technology to progress sufficiently to resolve this issue and also includes software compensation mechanisms, such as pixel refresh cycles and pixel shifting.
This allowed for the development of a specific creative pen display: forget the oversaturated colors of a TV screen, you’ll get a 13.3″ Full HD panel with Pantone® Validated™ and Pantone® SkinTone™ Validated certifications, as well as 100% of the DCI-P3 color space and 95% of Adobe RGB.
Like Wacom’s other professional products, the Movink is factory calibrated to ensure precise colors from your first use. As Avinav Khanal emphasizes, the goal is to provide clients with the same confidence as with a Cintiq Pro.
The Wacom Movink also benefits from OLED’s advantages, with a 100,000:1 contrast ratio and very deep blacks. This again highlights your creations and ensures you work under the best conditions.
Whether creating in a studio, on the go, or presenting a project to a client, you can be assured that the colors truly match your vision, says Jeroen van’t Hoofd. The Movink was designed to be a good reference monitor, not just a good creative pen display.
And of course, like the Cintiq Pro, the Movink features anti-glare treatment for use in all situations.
Finally, despite its compact size, the Movink retains the advantages of Wacom’s philosophy. Avinav Khanal explains that because the screen is touch-sensitive, Wacom has implemented a system of customizable and adjustable on-screen controls (which can even be used to run scripts!). He adds that Wacom knows some artists usually prefer to disable touch controls, but might want to use them for controls here: a specific mode allows for activating only the necessary areas.
Additionally, physical buttons are provided to trigger certain actions, such as toggling on-screen shortcuts.
All this is the logical result of Wacom’s software efforts, as noted by Heidi Wang (Senior Vice President Ink Division – Wacom). We tend to overlook this aspect and focus on technical features, but firmware, support, and new functionalities are another key to the brand’s success over the years.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 17, 22, 27: A Creative Pen Display for Everyone
The same care is evident when it comes to the Cintiq Pro range, which needs no introduction. These creative pen displays have been ubiquitous in animation and visual effects studios for many years.
The latest generation of Cintiq Pro comes in three models: 17, 22, and 27 inches. Each model offers 10-bit color accuracy with Pantone™ Validated and Pantone SkinTone™ Validated certifications.
- The Wacom Cintiq Pro 17 covers 99% of DCI-P3, 88% of Adobe RGB, and 100% of Rec.709.
- The Wacom Cintiq Pro 22 covers 99% of DCI-P3, 95% of Adobe RGB, and 100% of Rec.709.
- The Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 covers 98% of DCI-P3, 99% of Adobe RGB, and 100% of Rec.709.
All three interactive screens have a 3840 x 2160 pixel display, with an IPS panel and multi-touch support.
As seen above, while there is slight variation between Wacom products, the aim remains to provide broad and reliable color space management.
The Wacom Cintiq Pro creative pen displays also benefit from Wacom’s experience, offering good brightness uniformity, minimal parallax (little shift between the alignment of the stylus tip and the drawing), and an anti-glare treatment that allows your Cintiq Pro to adapt to studio lighting conditions and reduce eye strain.
Additionally, the Wacom Cintiq Pro 17, 22, and 27 support HDR gamma and can a display frequency of 120Hz.
Avinav Khanal also notes that artists might need to switch between color profiles: the Wacom Cintiq Pro allows for the storage of 4 profiles and quick switching between them. The Movink offers 2 profiles.
Wacom Movink and Cintiq Pro: Color at the Service of Your Projects
As you can see, whether it’s the Cintiq Pro or the brand-new Movink, Wacom remains focused on the same idea: providing the best color accuracy possible to continue meeting the needs of artists.
The Wacom Cintiq Pro builds on the brand’s experience while pushing the features of previous generations further. The 3840 x 2160/120Hz display, ExpressKey buttons, and multitouch functionality will make your daily work easier.
The Wacom Movink addresses a dual need:
First, mobile artists who want to complement a Cintiq Pro with a lighter, more portable system for moving from site to site or to a client.
Second, newcomers, whether students or young professionals, who seek the most affordable solution while still having the benefits of Wacom’s color science and technology, honed over more than 40 years.
Heidi Wang (Senior Vice President Ink Division – Wacom) also notes that artist feedback was very positive at the Annecy Festival, particularly regarding the new products’ display quality and improved ergonomics. Movink was especially appreciated for its compact, lightweight format.
For more information, you can check out the dedicated pages for the Cintiq Pro 17/22/27 and Movink on Wacom’s website, and also watch our interview with the Wacom team at the Annecy Festival. The company showcased its latest products to studios, artists, and students in the animation industry.
