Yesterday’s Tech: Wacom Cintiq 21UX Setup
"Not supported" is not the same as "not useful"...
After watching Craigslist and FB Marketplace for a few months, we landed a Wacom Cintiq graphics tablet (DTK2100/K, Dec 2010).
While no longer supported by Wacom (it doesn’t offer drivers beyond OSXs 10.5), it is perfect for our purposes!
Once we got it back to the RainyDayOffice, setting up the tablet and getting it going was the order of the day. We weren’t exactly sure of the particulars, but knew that we had enough old Mac minis and Macbook Pros around that we would likely be able to make it work 🙂
Also, we are still using Photoshop 4.0…so that tells you something right there…
Wacom Cintiq 21UX key specs:
- 21.3in 1600×1200 IPS panel (17.0″ x 12.75″ active area)
- Intuos 4 pen, controls and nibs
- 2048 pressure levels
- Matt glass protective layer
- Fully adjustable to flat or upright
Connect
While we had all the bits to make a long daisy-chain of adapters to convert this to that and that to the other thing, we instead ordered exactly the adapter that would connect to the Cintiq to our current MBP (Mini DisplayPort to DVI-I adapter). We also ordered a 4 Port USB 3.0 Hub Expander to accommodate the USB plug of the Cintiq.
Getting the DVI-I adapter to connect the Cintiq to the laptop was definitely the right decision. It mated perfectly, was short enough to not be in the way, and very easy to disconnect should we want to use the Lightning port for something else.
(Software) Install
Unlike adding “just” another display, the Macbook Pro did not recognize the Cintiq when we plugged it in. We had to install the appropriate tablet driver first. The MBP runs 10.14 and fortunately Wacom has a driver which works with that version of OSX.
With the driver installed, the Cintiq came alive right after the restart. Before we could really use it, though, we had to run a quick calibration to align the pen with the screen. Once we got those two steps out of the way, the Cintiq became completely operational. Fantastic!
We were not used to using the pen as a mouse replacement, and we had not set up how the pen’s button clicks corresponded to the equivalent mouse actions (click&drag, double click, etc). We can tell that once we are proficient, the pen may be a better cursor controller than the mouse. We’ll see 🙂
Instead of the 15″ monitor on the wall, we now have the laptop’s screen, the 24″ monitor, and the 21″ Cintiq display as our desktop…a pretty large “desktop!”
There are now three interchangeable cursor controllers: the Cintiq pen, the trackpad on the laptop, and the Apple mouse. It’s kind of amazing that they all work seamlessly together with no conflicts. One of the major reasons why we love the Mac!!!
Power up
Wacom’s Cintiq 21UX combines a LCD monitor with a graphics table. This allows the user to work directly on the screen by using a pen. On the front and rear of the Cintiq are ExpressKeys and Touch Strips for keyboard shortcuts, scrolling, zooming, brush size control, and other often-used features.
We will set them up at another time. For now, we just want to learn how to do the basics on this fabulous piece of “Yesterday’s Tech!”
The crew is excited to have the Cintiq in house. We’ll have our FirstUse write-up later once we’ve had a few rounds with the tablet. Look for it in the Fall/early Winter.
Setup Summary:
- Make sure the workspace is large enough to accommodate the Cintiq
- Get the right adapter instead of daisy-chaining various adaptors.
- Instal the appropriate Wacom driver. The tablet will not be recognized by the system without it.
- Calibrate the pen to the tablet, or the cursor’s position could be way off.
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