Digital Art By John Thatch / February 19, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Christmas came early for me last year, when the Gaomon PD1560 was waiting on my table in early December. I’ve done illustration work for about two years using an entry level Huion H610 Pro graphic tablet. But when presented with a vivid 15.6 inch LCD screen where I could directly draw onto, do you think I squealed like a little girl out of excitement? You bet I did. While it was a love at first sight, this Gaomon tablet actually gave me a pretty rough time in the first few days. I simply could not get the tablet to work as intended, since shortcuts did not save, whenever extending the screen, pen input was no longer detected and whenever it was, the pen offset was at least 20px.This review is by Anzu from Anzuprints. Check Price on Amazon Customer SupportI reached their customer support with my cry of help and was absolutely impressed with the detailed replies I got, underlining the correct installation process and all the possible reasons why this may be happening - you can’t get that type of service from any manufacturer these days. So, what was the issue? Changing the install directory of the drivers and having different resolutions on my laptop and tablet. Simple as that. I even drew a “Thank you” picture as a shout-out to Gaomon’s excellent support 🙂Working Like IntendedFunnily enough, the 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity is something I will most likely never use at its maximum capacity. Since my artwork is less demanding and cartoonish with thicker outlines, I decided to reduce the sensitivity in the tablet settings and invest additionally into Lazy Neumi app, to meet my particular drawing style best. High pen sensitivity can sometimes work against you when you don’t have the steadiest hands or just want a long smooth line without having to rush (slower = more jitter). Lazy Neumi is now my trustworthy companion and while active, it allows me to benefit from my cintiq alternative’s quality LCD screen, but also to avoid any wobbly lines. It won’t be an issue with people working primarily on Illustrator, since the Fidelity Brush setting largely takes care this, but for Photoshop artists, Lazy Neumi plugin may definitely be something to consider to make the creation process more enjoyable.The Pros and ConsPROSWidescreen. This allows you to place menus on the side and see more of your artwork.Pen sensitivity. 8192 levels of it. Need I say more. This should be sufficient for even the most demanding design projects.10 handy shortcut buttons. I added labels on my tablet to help me remember what tools I assigned, but knew them by heart after a few days already. I especially appreciate the “smooth” touch (no “clicky” motion) and ergonomic shape of the buttons - clearly user experience was a priority when Gaomon designed these. I wish the touchpad buttons on my laptop were half as pleasant to press (*angry frown towards Dell*).Community & customer support. Gaomon knows they are a smaller kid on the block compared to giants such as Wacom, and they take care to compensate with an awesome sense of community and great support.The tablet comes with 2 pairs of drawing gloves. Having a silky glove for your small finger helps your hand glide across the surface with more ease as you draw. Don’t laugh until you’ve tried it.CONSAdjustable stand needs to be installed and removed with screws. For me personally, it was a bit of an unpleasant surprise that the stand could not be removed in a snap when I feel like sketching while holding the tablet in my lap or traveling. Reduced mobility. Sheer size, weight (1.5kg) and two sets of wires (power and USB outputs) also mean that this tablet is not something to easily pack into any bag and use “on-the-go”. Digital nomads or “cafe-sketchers” should therefore look into something more lightweight without needing a separate power source, since this beast excels best in your home, stationary on your table, in all its glory.Glossy screen. In some light situations, the reflection can interrupt the workflow and you may need to adjust your angle. However, since the LCD screen packs more vivid colors compared to matt screens, I personally think it’s a fair trade-off.Sensitive installation settings. Driver install directory can not be changed and both computer + tablet resolutions need to be equal for a streamlined and compatible experience.The included bag does not fit the wires and the adjustable stand. The grey felt-material is lovely and gives off a lovely modern-hipster vibe, yet there’s only room for the tablet and the pen. Therefore, in case of travelling, you need another bag to accommodate the wires and the stand.Wrapping it upIn general, the cons listed above are rather trivial unless mobility is one of your priorities. I’ve now used this tablet for a few months with my design work and continue to be impressed with it. I certainly do not feel like I am missing out on anything compared to more expensive Wacom tablets. It integrates perfectly with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop both and exceeds all my humble expectations as far as digital design goes.An honest confession is that while traveling, I will continue to pack along my old and lightweight Huion 610Pro. Whenever I’m at home though (where most of my work is done), there’s no question - Gaomon PD1560 is an absolute joy to use. I am still loving every moment I get to pull on my serious Gaomon “draw-glove” and start creating. GAOMON PD1560 15.6 Inches 8192... (3228) Last update on 2023-02-12 For any digital designer working behind their desk, this is definitely a solid investment. Gaomon PD1560 is powerful, beautiful and has not made any compromises on quality.
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