Managing Colors

Wacom Intuos 5 touch

2012-03-01T12:58:00.001+01:00

Wacom has released today a new version of the Intous 5 tablet series. This new family adds some interesting features to the previous generation of tablet. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to use the Intuos 5 Small in the last days. This article doesn’t pretend to be a full review of the product; I will just talk about the good and bad points that impressed me.

Design and multi-touch

First of all I have to say that I really do like the design and the ergonomics of this new product: comfortable and, in the same time, very solid. It really seems designed for professional photographers and artist in mind. Why? Check, for example, how the buttons works and you will find the answer. They are both capacitive and click sensitive. So you can scroll between them without clicking to have a preview on what function they have and then click (having both a tactile and audible confirmation of the input that you gave). This allows you to stay with your eyes (and mind) focused on the screen. No interruption of your workflow, no need to look the tablet.

Youtube Video - Side buttons of the Intuos 5

The first “real” new feature that I noticed is about the multi-touch functionality. Basically you now get both the high precision that only the Wacom pen technology can give you with the benefits that a multi touch tablet can offer.

You can have an idea of what the touch and pen combo features offer watching the following video.

Youtube Video - 2 finger multi-touch

Essentially I am drawing with the pen and using a 2-finger input to zoom and rotate the canvas in Photoshop. Unfortunately multi touch technology is not deeply implemented in modern software, but I am sure that in the feature we will see huge improvements. Wacom multi touch is very advanced (supports more than 10 points at the same time) and the good news is that the driver offers a very nice panel to personalize your shortcuts. You can see my setting in the following screen.

Basically you can personalize in a different way each program and get very impressive results. You can choose to assign a different shortcut for each gesture. Just watch the following video to see how I work in Photoshop while using the Pen and the touch in the same workflow.

I really think that the touch feature offers a nice improvement in the way you can approach the software.

The drawbacks of the multi-touch are essentially related to the behavior of the tablet when you approach it with your hands when you want to use the pen. Basically when the pen is close enough to the tablet surface the touch function is disabled. This systems works fine if you get close to the tablet with the pen pointing on it but, if the pen is too far from the surface when you put your hand down, the driver could recognize unwanted inputs. Not a big problem, it’s just a matter of habit.

Anyway as you may have notice in the video sometime the multi-touch doesn’t react as expected. I have to get confident with this technology but I think that it has great potential.

Another feature that I really like is the extended surface area. You’ll not get your pen nib stuck with the borders of the tablet any more. This was a problem for many users. While drawing on the borders of the area you could get the pen nib in the “duct” on the side of the active area. This again confirms that these products are made with the users in mind.

Other features

Same pressure levels and pens. Wacom found that 2048 levels of pressure are enough and this is why the new generation of Intuos tablet is not offering any improvement in this sense. I have to say that I noticed the improvements from 1024 to 2048 but they where maybe a little bit small and this is why many users are still using (and happy with) the Intuos 3. I agree with Wacom. Regarding the pen I don’t see any possible improvements from the Intuos 4 technology and Wacom engineers must had the same awareness.

Personally I am very enthusiast about the new multi-touch feature but if you don’t want it you can get the new 5 Medium sized tablet for a reduced price (lower than the previous generation of Intuos 4 tablets).

Wacom didn’t change the material that is used for the tablet surface. This material was made after years of studies and research. What Wacom engineer wanted was a material that, used in combination with the different nibs, can give the best possible drawing experience. I like the material but I don’t like how fast the nib run out when you use it. I have to say that the nib wearing will be much more slow after the few weeks of use. You have to “run in” the tablet. Personally I prefer the feeling of the 24HD surface, but this is really a matter of personal taste. I think that I'll soon make a new post on the blog with more details regarding the nib wearing.

What is new for Intuos users is the wireless module. No longer based on bluetooth technology but on a more efficient one, you just have to plug in the dongle and the software will do the rest. I have been told that with the small sized tablet you should be able to work for 16 hours continuously. This wireless module is exactly the same we have seen on the Bamboo series.

Conclusion

Basically what we have is the same, excellent, Intuos 4 Pen technology with some smart design improvements and the multi-touch. I think Wacom has done a good job.

Cintiq 24HD ArtPen problem solved!

2012-02-22T22:15:00.002+01:00

I am pleased to announce that, after some moths, Wacom has finally released a firmware update for the Cintiq 24HD. This update is required only if you are using the ArtPen and if you are experiencing problems with it.

I have been in touch with Wacom team and I have to say thank you for the work that you did. I know that the Cintiq 24HD was made to work since the beginning with the ArtPen, but I also know how hard is to fix problems after a product is released.

The new firmware revision is 109 (1.09). I received the new firmware on the 9^th of February and I had the time to properly test it.

If you need this update you can directly ask Wacom Europe(support@wacom.eu). Please notice that this file will not be available for download from any link and you will need to ask Wacom. I can’t send the update to anyone. As usual for firmware updates, the procedure is very risky if not done correctly. If your Cintiq 24HD is not properly connected or if the power for some reasons is lost while the firmware is updating that you can be in serious trouble!

All new Cintiq 24HD in production from now have already installed the new firmware.

I tested this new firmware with the more recent drivers from Wacom, in both Windows 7 and MacOS Lion OS. What I really like of this drivers is the “Pen sensibility details” panel, where you really can fine-tune your pens to best fit your drawing style. I like to have a curve like the one that you can see in the screenshot below.

The firmware update comes in a zip file with attached PDF instructions very easy to follow, I will not explain how to do it but you can trust me if I tell you that it took about 2 minutes to do the whole procedure, including the time need to read the instructions.

What does this firmware change? Well, finally, you can properly use the ArtPen. I decided to re-do some of the tests done in the past moths to show the problems and I am happy to tell you that the problems are finally gone. For a detailed explanation on each test you can read the original ArtPen Article.

First test is done inside the “popular” black/red line test in Photoshop. The test consists in drawing a vertical line to join two horizontal lines already drawn on the screen. This test has been done in Window 7 Ultimate.

Here you can see the old video:

And now the new video:

As you can see the new firmware allows the Cintiq 24HD to really detect when the pressure is released. Now you don’t get any more “following” of the pen while you draw.

The first video has been made with Windows 7. I have also tested the Cintiq 24HD with the new firmware on a MacOs Lion based computer and, as you can see, the ArtPen works fine also on this configuration.

Now I can finally enjoy the Cintiq 24HD. Thanks Wacom!

Lightroom 4 Beta – Moiré Brush

2012-01-10T23:04:00.003+01:00

The new Lightroom 4 Beta that you can find here (free download for both Windows 7 and MacOS users) offers some new interesting features.

I’d like to give a practical example. The image that follows was taken a few days ago with a PhaseOne P30+.

This is a 100% crop (click to enlarge):

As you can notice there is some moiré. This is a very common problem for photographers working with clothes. I personally used different techniques to remove moiré and I found that this new moiré brush works really well. Let’s see how it worked with this example.

In just a few seconds the moiré is almost completely removed. I spent just a few seconds doing a very rough selection with the mouse. This moiré was both in L*, a* and b* channels, not an easy task for a tool. You can adjust the moiré filter brush from -100 to +100. I used a +100 setting for the example above, but also a +50 settings seems to do the job:

I’ll do more tests, but first impressions with this new Lightroom release are very good!

basICColor Display 5

2011-12-21T13:22:00.000+01:00

The new SpectraView Profiler software come out a few days ago.

This software is based on the basICColor Display 5.0.1 software and comes with new interesting features.

The software has a new, very user-friendly interface with some standard presets (honestly I never used them, but I think that they can come handy for some users).

I am testing the new software on different configurations. I am using a dual SpectraView 301 configuration to make some tests at the moment.

My usual workspace is a SpectraView 271 and a Cintiq 24HD (not shown).

As usual I am working with the basICColor Discus.

The validation from the SpectraView 301 is very good.Not a surprise, I personally think that basICColor Display used in combination with Discus colorimeter is the best solution for monitor calibration and profiling nowadays.

More importantly the monitors performed very well with some test images that I always use to test new software and hardware for color management. Gradients are uniform and difference between small luminance value are clearly noticeable. Good.

A feature that I like of this new release is the Color space simulation.

If you own the software and a monitor with hardware-calibration capable LUTs you can now use them to emulate another device (printer or monitor). I am testing this feature to emulate printer profiles and monitor profiler (sRGB for web output, for example).

It seems to work nicely, better than other soft-proof that I have tried in the past. For my personal needs I always prefer to make an “hard-test” printing a small detail of the final print if I need good color-accuracy, but I think that this function can help.

Wacom is working to fix the ArtPen problem

2011-11-30T11:02:00.001+01:00

I have been told that Wacom is working on the Cintiq 24HD to solve the ArtPen problem.

They gave me no information about how long this process will take. The good thing is that they are working on it. The bad thing is that I lost more than one work due to this problems with the ArtPen.

The latest drivers for both Mac and PC (6.2.0-2) doesn’t fix the problem. This drivers have been removed from the download page but they are reported here.

I have the drivers installed on both my PC and my MAC workstations, and the good news is that they offer a very nice fine-tune possibility for the pen sensibility. I don’t know why they have been removed now, I will ask Wacom.

I hope to have soon good news from Wacom USA.

ArtPen (BAD) news.

2011-11-08T02:09:00.004+01:00

I have just received this email from Wacom USA:

Vittorio,

As of right now there is no fix for this problem and there may not be one in the future. I would suggest not using the Art Pen with the Cintiq 24HD and using only the included Grip Pen.

________________________________________________________________________

XXX XXXSenior Customer Care Technician
Wacom Technology Services, Corp

I think that no other comments are needed. Please notice that in the Wacom internet site the
Art Pen is reported to be compatible with the Cintiq 24HD.

You can read the original post here (description of the problems). After more than one moth waiting for news I have been told that maybe the ArtPen will never work with the Cintiq 24HD.

Cintiq 24HD: ArtPen Problem Update

2011-10-25T21:24:00.000+02:00

I have made two more YouTube videos to show the problem that I am expereicing with the ArtPen and the Cintiq 24HD.

Please read the previous post to have more information about this problem.

Notice that both the Cintiq 24HD and the ArtPen that I am using now are new units from Wacom. Wacom has changed my ArtPen and my Cintiq 24HD but the problem is still there.

Update (29th October, 2011):
Not only a Windows 7 problem: here you can see the same problem in OSX 10.7.2!

Here is the first video - problems in OneNote2011:

1) (first 10 seconds) If I get close with the ArtPen to the Cintiq 24HD there is an unwanted input (as you can see I draw small dots on the screen also if I am not applying any pressure, I am about 1cm away from the surface). As you can see pressure level in the Dignostic tool inside the driver stands to 0%! I am not touching the screen with the nib but little dots/lines are drawn!

2) (from second 10 to the end) When I release pressure the ArtPen doesn’t stop to draw.

This is not acceptable. I can’t work in this way!This is not acceptable. I can't work in this way!

Second video – problem in Wacom Driver “Sensibility details”:

As you can see the problem of “unwanted lines” is present also in the driver. This is definitely not a problem of any application.

This is how the problem is described by another user of the Cintiq 24HD (“jonstatt” in the Wacom European Forum):

Try drawing a line at moderate speed and then very quickly lift the pen away from the tablet at the end. An extra vertical line appears even though the pen was not in contact with the tablet. This only occurs with the art pen and even can be seen in the tablet driver section where you can test draw the pen on the screen. It is definitely not application specific. It is the driver.

To know what Wacom says about this problem you can follow the discussion on the official European Wacom forum.

Cintiq 24HD: new unit comes!

2011-10-13T20:08:00.002+02:00

I have received yesterday a new Cintiq 24HD. Wacom swapped my defective unit, and I have a new unit. I am very happy for this replacement, I didn’t have to wait for a new unit, since the same courier that took the defective Cintiq 24HD brought me the replacement unit. Good.

I was lucky enough to get a 0 bad pixel unit, and this is again good.

Ok, now the bad news:

1) The fan noise is present, also if it regular and not “un-continuous” like the one I had with the first unit I received. I have to report that if you have a quiet PC, and/or if you work in a silent workspace, than you will clearly hear the Cintiq 24HD when you are working with it. I really don’t like this, and I think that more Wacom could have done more efforts to reduce the fan noise. I have to listen some music while working to forget about this noise. Anyway my unit was defective, so I can confirm that the fan noise that I have reported some days ago is not normal.

2) The ArtPen is not working. Anyhow, Wacom finally confirmed (through the WacomForum) that this is a driver problem and that the ArtPen is not working. They told me that the problem is only a Photoshop problem, I have experienced a more general problem. Anyhow they now have both my ArtPen and my old Cintiq, so maybe they could do more tests and tell me if also my ArtPen was defective.

It is good to have a confirmation from Wacom (maybe they could have emailed me before). I hope that new drivers will soon fix this.

I really liked the fast Wacom swap service, but I have to report that they didn’t tell me anything about this (I was not present when the courier came the first time) and that there was some confusion about should be shipped back to them. I was told to ship only the Cintiq 24HD and the ArtPen without accessories. Then I discovered that I should have shipped the Cintiq 24HD with all accessories and not the ArtPen. Anyway I should get back the ArtPen again, and UPS will come again to pick the accessories.

Cintiq 24HD: update.

2011-10-11T20:16:00.003+02:00

No big changes, one week more on the calendar, no real solution for Cintiq 24HD problems.

I am waiting for an official answer from Wacom to the fan sound problem. Other people have reported in my blog and in other forums that the fan noise is clearly audible, some of them reported that they have an “irregular, scratchy, noisy sound” like the one that I have reported.

I am also waiting for an official (and also an unofficial) answer to the Art Pen problem. Nobody in all the forums that I have checked and on YouTube seem to have tested the Cintiq 24 HD with an Art Pen. I really don’t know if my unit was defective, if it is a driver problem, or if it is an ArtPen problem. Only time will tell us.

I am starting to get disappointed with Wacom support. I have emailed them several times and I have also asked for a telephone number, but I never got an answer. They told me that my Cintiq 24 HD will be replaced. Today at 3:00 pm an UPS courier tried to retire a package but I was outside. I was waiting for an email from Wacom to know some basilar things such as:

1) When the courier was coming.

2) What I should put inside the box (only the Cintiq 24HD, the tablet with all accessories?).

3) Time to have a replacement unit.

4) Type of replacement unit (used, new?).

I really don’t understand why they didn’t answer my questions. My first email was sent on the 5^th, then I sent an email on the 7^th, then another email on the 10^th. Never got an answer.

Meanwhile I found the Wacom policy for bad pixel: There is a detailed European ISO norm 13406-2 regarding pixel default classes. We apply class 2 rules and additionally we do not accept any panels with a fully black or fully white pixel. This seems very unreasonable to me. We are paying perfectly working and flawless 2300 euros for this tablet. We expect a perfectly working tablet. I would be happy to pay more to have a 0 bad pixel warranty. You can find it on many low-cost monitors nowadays! I have already reported that in 2006 I purchased a 1200 euro monitor with this kind of warranty. We are in 2011 and we are talking about a product that is almost two times more expensive. Wacom should really work on this. A single bad pixel in the center of the monitor can really ruin the working experience with this product.

Other problems that have been reported are:

1) Red cast: I think that this is more a colorimeter problem, I will let you know if any update is available.

2) Color “gradient” from side to side (with a gray background one side is magenta and the other is green). This is absolutely normal if the color difference is below 2 DeltaE 2000(1.5 DeltaE 2000 would be better). You have this kind of gradient also on very expensive Eizos and NECs monitors. A perfectly uniform panel.

That’s all for now. I hope to receive a response to my emails soon.

Cintiq 24HD: current situation.

2011-10-05T02:32:00.001+02:00

As readers of this blog may already know I am experiencing some problems with my Cintiq 24HD. Don’t misunderstand me: I really like the Cintiq 24HD and how it feels to draw on it, but the problems I have are compromising my experience with this nice piece of hardware.

The first problem is a fan noise that maybe will require my unit to be changed, but I don’t know how much it will take. I am waiting for a confirmation from Wacom.

Then a problem with the Art Pen that is not working properly (for me is not usable at all). I have been told (it was the supposition of a YouTube user, nothing from Wacom) that my problem is only a driver problem. I really don’t know if this can be true, I am waiting for an answer from Wacom.

Other problems that have been reported by user are:

1) Bad pixel (2500€ but no 0 bad pixel warranty, that nowadays you find on many monitors. I got my Eizo replaced for one bad pixel in 2006 (5 years ago) and it was a mid-level monitor (S2410W). On my blog I got one comment from an user with a bad pixel and I know about one more case. It seems that there are no standards for bad pixel. Read this topic on Wacom European Forum.

2) Driver problems in “remembering” settings: read this topic. I reported this in the Wacom Forum, I hope that they can do something. At the moment the solution is to use the preference utility to backup and reload setting each time you restart the computer. Not a very user friendly workaround. I had also some problems with the driver (the Cintiq 24HD a couple of times was not recognized correctly) but this could be a problem of my computer (also if other user have reported a similar problem and I am not experiencing problems with all the other hardware that I use, including the Wacom Intuos 4 Wireless).

3) UPDATE 6^th October 2011: Some user reported a flickering problem of the screen. You can read here and here (two different link). The problem is described in this way: the display flashes off and on again for about a second at random intervals.

In Europe getting customer support seems a bit tricky. I wrote to the support on the 30^th and I got incomplete email as answer. In Wacom Europe they are all very kind, maybe they are busy because all the 24 HD are sold out, but the service starts to seem to me slow. You can read the story here.

On my blog you will find more information and a review of the Cintiq screen review of the Cintiq 24HD screen and a review of the moving and locking mechanism.

Other things that I need to say (some of them where already described in this blog) are:

The screen is hot (maybe related to my fan issue). I am working in an air conditioned room and I can feel that the screen is a little bit too hot for my taste. After some hours of work I started to really hate the temperature of the screen. Very sad, because otherwise working with this product is a fantastic experience.

If you scratch the screen you will have to pay several hundred euros to get it replaced. It is recommended to clean it only with soft cloths, using only water, no solvents. But you never know. I was more than one picture of a ruined Cintiq 21UX. Consider that is suggested not to use screen protector because they will compromise quality.

I love felt nibs, great feeling, but you will really need many of them, they seem to consume even faster than on the Intuos surface.

I bought the product because I always loved Wacom products, I hope that they will quickly solve my problems. I will keep you updated. Any comments are welcome.

Cintiq 24HD and ArtPen: problematic combo.

2011-10-02T01:07:00.001+02:00

Update 8th November 2011: Link
Update 25 October 2011: Link

Update 22 February 2012: The ArtPen problem is now fixed. A firmware update removed all the problems: Link

What is the Art Pen?

The Cintiq 24HD comes with a very good Grip Pen, sensitive both to pressure and tilt. The Art Pen adds to the features offered by the Grip Pen the sensitivity to rotation. This means that if you are using a rectangular brush in Photoshop you can make a thin or thick line just rotating the brush in your hand. The pen also comes with different nibs, some of them are very similar to an highlighter head. The Art Pen is a pen that has pressure, tilt and rotation sensibility.

What is this article about?

Sadly I am experiencing some problems with the Art Pen KP701E01 used in combination with my Cintiq 24 HD. There are several Art Pen model numbers around. Please notice that is the Art Pen that Wacom Europe recommends for the Cintiq 24HD. I have asked what was the correct Art Pen for the Cintiq 24 HD because I was aware that more than one Art Pen exists. On the Wacom European Forum (see post number 2, from Wacom) I got the answer that the KP701E01 is the right Art Pen for the Cintiq 24HD. I know for sure that in USA there is also another Art Pen, the KP701E2 LINK but Wacom Europe officially doesn’t know anything of this product. I suppose that is the same product as KP701E01, just a different name, but I might be wrong.

Are you sure that your Art Pen is not defective?

Yes, the Art Pen has been tested on an Intuos 4 Wireless and it works simply fine, flawlessly I would say. Very precise, all its functions are recognized correctly. The problem that I am experiencing is not related to the Art Pen that I am using, but to the Art Pen + Cintiq 24 HD combination.

Did you try different nibs?

Yes, I tried all four kind of nib that come bundled with the Cintiq 24HD. I also tried to install them in different ways. Anyhow, as I told you, I am not suffering any problem with the Intuos 4 Wireless. This is not a nib problem.

UPDATE (6^thOctober 2011): Are you using a screen protector/screen guard?

I am not using a screen guard. For what I know the screen guard is not recommended for two reason: the quality of the screen in terms of color reproduction can decrease and the pens could stop to work correctly. Anyway I don’t know any screen guard for the 24HD which is already for sale.

Ok, what is the problem with the Art Pen used on your Cintiq 24 HD?

Cintiq 24HD: the moving and locking mechanisms.

2011-10-01T19:18:00.001+02:00

As you may already know the Cintiq 24HD does not allow rotation of the screen. This could be a problem for some users, even if I have to say that I don’t miss this function because all the programs that I use offer a good “canvas rotation” function that work very nicely with the Cintiq Touch Ring.

My first suggestion it to download and read the useful Cintiq 24 HD manual, that you can find here (English PDF, Wacom.com). The download size is about 6.4Mbytes. The manual doesn't come with the Cintiq 24HD, in the box there is only a Quick Stard Guide. The bundled CD/DVD has no PDF manual in it.

The support station has a nice cable management system in it that saves you from “chaotic cable situation”. This component of the Cintiq 24 HD is the counterweight that allows you to move the Cintiq to very comfortable working position, like a drawing board. Exactly what you see the the Wacom Youtube video.

What you don’t see is that the support stands on some pads that have very poor antiskid performance, this allows you to move the heavy weight of the Wacom Cintiq with one finger when it stands on a smooth surface like the desk in the following video:

I don’t know if I like this thing or not: it can be useful in some working conditions, but maybe some user may want their support station to don’t move so easily. This “sliding ability” is desired by by Wacom and it is also mentioned in the Cintiq 24 HD User Manual.

The support of the Cintiq 24HD one is structured in four tilt levers and two very strong metallic support arms that allows many different working positions. The following image comes from page 19 of the user manual that I have liked above.

The two support arms have only one blocking position (vertical, about 80°) and, if you release them with a control that is in the center of the support station, you can’t block them in any other position. The four levers (two on each side) allow you to block the tilt between the screen and the metallic support in many different ways. This mechanism works fine, and you can place the screen of the Cintiq in many different position. But you have to be careful not to abandon the screen in a wrong position, because the support will not block the screen from moving, you will have to block a screen in a position where it is standing properly. You will have to make the screen and the support base touch each other. The support/lever system seem very solid, also if I don’t like very much the fact that the, once you release the control of the supports, there are no blocking other positions that the initial one. You can still use the levers to block the screen in any tilt position, as I wrote.

You can create an angle of 90° making the screen perfectly perpendicular to the support (and to the desk). You can even set the screen to an angle of more than 90° like you can see in this picture:

Green line is the actual screen position. Red line is desk direction and perpendicular to the desk direction. Blue lines show other possible tilt positions (not all, you can also tilt on the other side). Of course, as I said, you can make the screen perfectly perpendicular to the desk but you need to unlock the arms and let the screen touch the basement.

With the arms locked in position (there is only one lock position) the screen does not go to a perfectly perpendicular position. The picture above shows the “most perpendicular” position that you can get when the support metallic arms are in their blocked point.

If you are not happy with the support system you will find information on the manual on how to mount the Cintiq 24HD Screen on a VESA MIS-E 100/200 compatible support.

Also after many hours of work your arms and back will not hurt. I have to say that this is the better ergonomic tablet that I have ever tested. One bad thing that I have noticed is that the screen gets a little bit hot, something that you can feel. Don’t know if this is related to the that I reported

The good:

1) You can position in many comfortable working positions. It is very nice to work with this digital drafting table.

2) Nice ergonomics. Perfect for long working sessions.

3) Feels very solid.

4) VESA MIS-E 100/200 compatibility.

The bad:

1) The arms have only one locking position and their movements are not controlled by some sort of damper.

2) The support feet slide too much.

Fan sound problem on the Cintiq 24HD

2011-10-01T14:47:00.003+02:00

I am experiencing a sound problem from the fan of the Cintiq 24 HD. It seems to me that the fan is not working correctly. I am getting a very disturbing sound from my Cintiq 24HD. I have customized my workspace to make it as quit as possible (using water cooling and specific fans to reduce the sound from the computer, for example) and I can clearly hear a “strange sound” coming from the back of my Cintiq 24HD.

I reported to this to the Wacom European Forum. Please read post number 15 of the linked discussion.

I tried to describe my problem on the forum in this way:

I am a bit scared about the fan because the sounds it produces is not “regular” but, randomly, it produces a metallic and creaky sound. The sound that, in my experience, is produced by a fan that is not working properly. It is usually produced by a fan that is not spinning correctly, but which is moving a little bit around the rotation axis. Not easy to describe with words. I have emailed the support and I hope to get an answer. I can make an audio/video recording to show the problem if needed.

I tried to make a sound recording but I don't have a good microphone. Anyway you should be able to hear something in this registration, that could help to understand what problem I am reporting:

Audio Recording (Download)

It seems that I am not the only Cintiq 24HD user that has this problem: there is another topic on the Wacom European Forum of an user that is reporting a "noise issue".

I sent an email to the Wacom Support (support@wacom-europe.com) and they told me that have to compile the return module. I have been told that Wacom does not have technicians that can come and check the unit in your working place or home, so you will always have to send the unit back to them in Germany if you have a problem or need a repair/replacement. The good thing is that they are going to pay for the shipping. The bad thing is that the Wacom 24HD is sold out at the moment and they don’t know when a replacement unit will be available.

I am happy with the Cintiq 24HD but the fan sound is very distracting. I have some experience with electronic devices. I don’t have any technical details of the fan that is installed (maybe is more than one) in the Cintiq 24 HD. Maybe Wacom should have chosen a better fan like the Noctua that I am using to keep my PC cool?

UPDATE (13^thOctober 2011): My unit wasreplaced. Noise is present but this times it is “uniform”.

Cintiq 24 HD - Monitor Calbration and Profiling

2011-09-30T16:46:00.000+02:00

I made a video where you can see a Cintiq 24HD that has been calibrated and profiled with a basICColor Discus Colorimeter and basICColor software, in my opinion the best combo to make monitor profiles.

Just a short review of the monitor-only capabilities of this new product from Wacom, with particular attention to color management related topics.

I heard many complains about the low quality of older Cintiq monitors and I have to admit that I was a little bit disappointed when I tested the 2010 Cintiq 21UX. Please notice that I make comparisons with “pro-grade” monitors like the SpectraView 301W and the Nec CG275W.

I found this display to be a good one also if it is not excellent. The default color temperature of 6500K is very close to the real value (6700K), the black is deep (with 105 cd/mq) My unit reached less than 0.2 cd/mq using some customs settings. Consequentially the contrast is very good, with a value of about 600:1. The average DeltaE 2000 of the validation is 0.43.

Trying different setting in the basICColor Discus I found that the best results I reached come from CIECAM02 - dark as tonal response curve and I found it a very nice solution (now I can see difference between L*1 and L*0 value in Photoshop). In this way I can clearly perceive shadows and highlights details.

I tested my Cintiq in what could be a realistic usage scenario for a digital artist, with a non-light-controlled light environment.

What I don’t like about the display is the low pixel density (compared to display that we have on mobile phones and cameras nowadays) and the angle of view, which is not very impressive for an IPS panel.

Gamut is wider than I expected. Bigger than AdobeRGB, also if AdobeRGB is not 100% inside the gamut of the Cintiq. Not as big as recent Eizos and Nec, but still good.

I don't know why ColorThinkPRO see the white as "5000K", my setting was D65 (and I can see the D65).

The validation is not extraordinary, but not bad. Please notice that I moved the Discus in another area of the screen before making the calibration (20cm away from initial position) and this could have compromised the results.

The display has a matte/anti-glare finishing that has a texture that for my taste is too much evident (more than the SpectraView series overlay for example). This means that the “perceived sharpness” is a bit low. Not a bad thing for everybody because it makes it harder to see single pixel. The matte finishing is very useful to work also with non-ideal lighting conditions (it is very hard to see reflection on the screen).

Update (3 October 2011): Inside the Cintiq driver disk that comes bundled with the 24HD I have found an ICC profile. This profile should fit the “6500K” preset inside the OSD screen in the Cintiq.

I made a video 3D comparison between the Cintiq 24HD ICC profile provided with the tablet and the one that I made with the Discus. The software used is ColorThink Pro 3.0.3.

In full colors you can see the gamut 3D graph of the Cintiq 24HD profile that I have made with the Discus colorimeter, using the calibration and profile settings described in the article. In red you can see the profile provided by Wacom. In blue the AdobeRGB gamut is shown.

My conclusions:

The good:

1) Calibration possibilities (you can manually select single values for R, G and B, for example). Good presets (I liked the 6500K one).

2) Wide gamut (you can reproduce a lot of colors and you get good match to many other monitors and devices, if everything is correctly color-managed).

3) With proper settings you can get very good gradients. No more shadow detail lack as seen in some older generation Cintiq.

4) Works nicely also if the lighting conditions are not perfect.

5) Color matching and color critical work can be done, also if there are better screens for this purpose, this display could satisfy the needs of many artists and photographers in terms of color accuracy.

The bad:

1) Angle of view could have been better.

2) Low perceived resolution. Not only because of the low pixel density, but also because of the matte finish that seem to “soften” a little bit too much everything.