What Does a Touch Ring Allow an Artist to Do on a Digital Tablet?

We know that as artists, we are always looking for ways to better streamline our workflow and make the creative process frictionless. Like our already ergonomic, tactile, and responsive XPPen, we have honed the design of a second tactile tool for our tablets: the touch ring.

What does a touch ring allow an artist to do? In this article, we’ll explore the abundant utilities of a drawing tablet with a touch-ring design and recommend four premier drawing displays to take your creation to the next level.

Touch Rings on Drawing Tablets: What Are They Good For?

Think of the touch ring as a customizable shortcut dial for your favorite tablet functions while drawing or painting. This includes many of the most frequently used features, such as adjusting one’s brush size, zooming in and out, rotating the canvas, or cycling through layers.

Instead of constantly needing to reach for the keyboard or navigate menus with your stylus, you can quickly adjust these settings on the fly using the touch ring like a tuning dial, allowing you to stay zoned in on your piece. Our goal is to make the touch ring your partner tool alongside your pen for faster, more intuitive drawing sessions.

Digital Drawing Pads with Touch Rings

XPPen is dedicated to creating tablets that empower artists of all levels. We believe in crafting our digital artist tools to support an artist’s natural abilities. Both our advanced stylus and touch ring are designed to enhance your workflow through intuitive use that becomes a natural extension of your body.

The following are four of our tablets featuring touch ring functionality, each designed to cater to different creative needs and workflows.

Artist 13.3 Pro v2 - Your Portable Workstation

Best For

The artist on the go who needs a portable solution that delivers professional results.

Highlighted Features

• Compact and portable

• Fully laminated screen with minimal parallax

• Pen-on-paper feel to drawing with it

• Responsive touch ring for adjusting brush size and zoom

The Artist 13.3 Pro v2 begins at the perfect intersection between a slim, portable device profile and versatility. It’s also our most affordable touch ring model, at a $300 price point.

The touch ring allows you to quickly adjust things like the brush size, zoom, or even undo with one simple, tactile motion. The responsiveness of the ring is meant to match that of the pen, each becoming different extensions of your hand while drawing.

With an HD screen display sporting superb color accuracy of 99% sRGB, the accompanying pen has excellent pressure and tilt support for a perfectly smooth and responsive experience.

Artist Pro 16 - An Artistic Spaceship for Dreamers

Best For

The artist looking to strike a balance between portability and a larger canvas.

Highlighted Features

• Larger display offers a greater surface area to visualize and work with

• Smooth, precise touch ring control allows for fine adjustments

• Eight customizable shortcut keys give a solid array of options for versatility

Compared with the Artist 13.3 Pro v2, the Artist Pro 16 has a larger display screen at 15.6 inches, while still retaining excellent portability. This means you can work on grander visions without compromising on your ability to work from one space to another seamlessly.

The Artist Pro 16 also features a more sensitive stylus, with 16,384 pressure levels, or around double that of a standard stylus. Used in conjunction with the upgraded touch ring, you get even more precise control over features like brush opacity and color saturation.

Finally, the display is upgraded to a 2.5k resolution at a 16:10 aspect ratio, with a more vibrant color gamut of 99% Adobe RGB accuracy. The tablet also comes with two rechargeable styluses, an adjustable display stand, and a partial glove for wearing while working with the screen.

Artist 15.6 Pro - Born to Create Masterpieces

Best For

Artists looking for precision control, especially for line art and illustration work.

Highlighted Features

• Intuitive touch ring with seamless integration that works with most artistic software

• Excellent color accuracy for vibrant illustrations

• Responsive, lag-free adjustments

The Artist 15.6 Pro features a sleek black silhouette with the single red accent of the touch ring. The wheel is complemented by eight shortcut keys for maximum customization and control alongside the excellent stylus with 60-degree-tilt sensitivity.

When it comes to the display, it has the same 15.6-inch large screen diagonal of the Pro 16, but at a lower price point. This is complemented by a native full HD screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 with 88% NTSC color accuracy in a 120%-sRGB-color space.

Overall, the XPPen Artist 15.6 Pro provides a great middle ground with its vibrant display, responsive stylus, and user-friendly design. This makes it a compelling balance point for digital artists seeking both performance and affordability.

Artist 24 Pro - Immense canvas for Boundless Creativity

Best For

Artists working on complex or large-scale projects who need an expansive canvas.

Highlighted Features

• Massive 23.8-inch display for an immersive creative experience

• Dual touch rings for multi-layered control

• Wide color gamut and high resolution

The Artist 24 Pro features a massive 23.8-inch display, perfect for artists who need the maximal amount of screen real estate for their work. The dual touch rings also offer unparalleled flexibility and control compared with smaller models, enabling control over multiple functions simultaneously.

This is our most robust and powerful display featuring our touch ring technology. The resolution is 2560 x 1440, almost twice that of our other models, and has a color accuracy of 90% Adobe RGB.

The powerful device is meant to go head-to-head with professional grade tablets that can cost nearly twice the price. With our famous advanced stylus and intuitive to use display, the 23.8-inch screen also features 20 shortcuts alongside the 2 accompanying touch rings. That’s why the Artist 24 Pro is our strongest offering of the best drawing tablet experience.

A Quick Comparison

Conclusion

The touch ring may seem like a small and unnecessary addition to a drawing tablet for those who have yet to experience its power. But for many who have had the chance to work closely with them, they have become an important addition to the drawing tablet experience that can greatly increase an artist’s ability to work seamlessly with their digital tools.

As a tactile wheel, it allows the artist to learn by feeling the exact switch for navigating between their most used tools on the tablet. Over a short time, we’ve found that this allows them to work faster and more effectively, without disrupting their workflow.

We encourage you to try out a touch ring if you get a chance in person at a store near you to discover just how powerful they are. Or, visit our website and explore each of our tablets with a touch ring option.

FAQs

Q: Are there alternative features for the touch ring?

There are. While the touch ring offers quick and intuitive control, XPPen tablets also feature a number of customizable shortcut keys on the dial that can be assigned to various functions. You can also use on-screen controls or keyboard shortcuts alongside the touch ring. Ultimately, we believe in giving artists final say in the matter, allowing you to customize your setup to fit your unique workflow.

Q: How do I configure the touch ring on XPPen drawing tablets?

Configuring the touch ring is simple. Open the drawing tablet driver, select the touch ring option, and assign your desired functions to the ring's rotation wheel and center button. You can even customize the settings for different applications, ensuring that the touch ring behaves intelligently in multiple programs. We also provide detailed tutorials and support resources on your website to help you get the most out of your XPPen tablet.

Q: Can you use fingers on a drawing tablet?

Traditionally, drawing tablets are designed for stylus use to provide precision and control. However, some models, like our Artist Pro 16TP, offer multi-touch capabilities, allowing you to use finger gestures for zooming, panning, and rotating the canvas. This provides an alternative way to interact with your artwork and can be extremely useful in certain workflows. In general, yes, you can use your fingers for some uses of the drawing tablet but not all.