Are you looking for the best tablet for photo editing?
Photoshop or any other photo editing apps is excellent for editing pictures. But to use these photo-editing tools, you need a suitable device to use it.
If you are a photographer, artist, or do digital illustration, having a tablet is an excellent option for you. You can edit pictures quickly and carry them along everywhere you go.
Nowadays, all professional photographers use a tablet for editing pictures. There are different photo editing apps like Photoshop Express, illustrator, lightroom, etc.
In this article, I have listed the best tablet for photoshop to help you edit pictures easily.
MacOS and Windows, Android Free s/w: Kami App, ExplainEverything, Pear Deck, Limnu & Collaboard 
11.04 x 8.46 x 0.23 inches ~12.9 inches (diagonally) Wi-Fi 6 fast connectivity 
9.63 x 6.28 x 0.22 inches 
9.81 x 6.47 x 0.28 inches 
Real-time writing and tilt for artistic shading with the Surface Pen
Best Tablet For Photoshop: Reviews
#1 Wacom CTL4100 Intuos
If you are looking for one of the best tablets for photoshop and digital art, then Wacom Intuos is the one you should buy. It has a battery-free pen, which you don’t need to charge anytime. This tablet has 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity. It means the lines you draw depends on how much pressure you apply.
Key Features
- Battery-Free Pen
- Shortcut keys
- Fast Installation
- Pressure Sensitivity
- Fun Drawing Experience
- Compact Design
- Connectivity
Battery-Free Pen. The Wacom Intuos comes with a battery-free pen. You don’t need to charge before using it. It is excellent for photoshop editing and digital artists. You don’t need to use a mouse or keyboard to edit the pictures, as you can edit in photoshop using the pen.
Shortcut Keys. This tablet consists of four express keys that you can customize as you want. There are two keys on the pen. You can add your shortcut key that you use most. Like you can add a scroll or undo button.
Fast Installation. You can install the software on this tablet quickly. You can watch a tutorial on the Wacom website for guidance. It takes less than five minutes to install the software.
Pressure Sensitivity. You can use the tablet in any photo editing software. It has 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity which you can adjust as you want. All the settings automatically get stored. This means if you use the tablet on any device, the settings get synced up.
Fun Drawing Experience. You will enjoy editing and drawing on this tablet. The surface of the tablet has a matte finish. It makes you feel pleasant when you rest your arm on it.
Compact Design. This tab is compact and easy to carry anywhere. It has a large drawing area that is 6-inches by 3.7-inches.
Connectivity. The tablet is compatible with both macOS and windows. You can connect it via USB cable.
Pros
- The battery is long-lasting.
- Light and portable
- Compatible with all software
- Compact design
Cons
- The pen does have an eraser at the back.
The Wacom Intuos tablet is one of the best tablets for photoshop editing. It is a great tablet at an affordable price. Overall the tablet is wireless, compact, and easy to use for beginners as well.
#2 Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2020 Model)
If you are already using Apple devices, you would consider iPad pro as your editing tool. It has a 12.9-inch display, which is excellent for editing. You can use an apple pencil with this iPad, which is a perfect tool for editing. The retina display provides superior color accuracy and brightness.
Key Features
- Great Performance
- Camera Quality
- Keyboard
- Portable
- Storage
Great Performance. It is excellent to work on an iPad with its large Retina display, which provides perfect color accuracy. It has an A12X Bionic processor. This means it is faster than many other laptops available today.
Camera Quality. With this iPad pro camera, you can shoot wider and capture some great pictures with the LiDAR scanner for some AR experience.
Keyboard. You can enjoy the best typing experience with this iPad. But you need to buy the magic keyboard with a trackpad separately. The keyboard gets attached to the iPad by a magnetic connection.
Portable. This iPad is portable and convenient to carry. It has a battery life of about 10 hours. It gets connected to Wi-Fi and LTE faster.
Storage. The Apple iPad Pro models come with 128GB storage, and you can even upgrade it to 2TB. iPad models come with at least 8GB RAM.
Pros
- Great Performance
- Good Battery Life
- Portable
- LED Retina Display
Cons
- You need to buy the apple pencil and keyboard separately.
- Expensive
This is one of the great tablets for digital illustrators and artists who use photo-editing tools. It offers excellent performance as compared to many other tablets in the market. I have been using this iPad myself, and I have personally found it one of the best tablets for editing. The only thing is you need to pay extra to buy an apple pen and other accessories.
#3 Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
The Samsung galaxy tab is an affordable tab with great features. The tab comes with an S pen that lets you edit pictures or write notes with ease. It has a good battery life which enables you to work for long hours. It has a compact design, which is very comfortable to carry around.
Key Features
- Compact And Robust Design
- S Pen Stylus
- Great For Entertainment
- UI Connectivity
- Display
- Performance
- Battery Life
Compact and Robust Design. The tab is made of a slim metal frame and is lightweight. The bezel around the screen is very slim as compared to the iPad and other tabs. The screen size is quite large, which is excellent for editing.
S Pen Stylus. The tab comes with an S pen stylus. You don’t need to charge this pen. It gets attached to the tablet magnetically.
Great For Entertainment. The crystal clear display looks just fantastic. It has a dual speaker with sound. You can enjoy your time and listen to some music on Spotify and also set your tracks.
UI connectivity. The UI connectivity helps you sync two to three devices at once. You can use a hotspot and share the files all in one go.
Display. The tab has a 10.4-inch screen with 2000 by 1200 resolution. It has a large screen size which is great for watching movies as well as editing pictures. The screen resolution is quite bright, which makes you watch movies outdoors as well.
Performance. The galaxy S6 lite works in Exynos 9611 chipset. The tab has an octa-core processor and a GPU, which is fast and robust. It has 4GB RAM. The 8MP rear camera and 5MP front camera are great if you want to do video conferencing and take selfies. It even has different selfie modes.
With the live focus mode, you can change the background or make some changes efficiently using the S pen.
Battery Life. The galaxy S6 lite has a long-lasting battery. It has a 7040mAh battery, which is excellent for this tablet. On a single charge, you can use the tab for at least 12 hours. It has a fast-charging USB-C port. It helps you start quickly from where your work stopped.
Pros
- 10.4-inch display with HD visuals
- Powerful octa-core processor and GPU
- You can increase the storage to 1TB
- Long-lasting battery life
- Compact and portable
Cons
- Facial recognition not that great
The Samsung galaxy s6 lite is an excellent choice for looking for a slate with a pen. Despite many features, the tab is a bit slow compared to the Apple iPad pro. Overall it is affordable and can run photoshop well. It is helpful for editing and writing notes with ease.
#4 Huion KAMVAS 20 Tablet
If you want to buy a tablet for professional photo editing but at an affordable price, then Huion KAMVAS is an excellent choice for you. The tablet is compatible with photo editing software like photoshop, lightroom, illustrator, and many others. It provides an excellent HD resolution.
Key Features
- Stylus
- 120% sRGB Color
- Wide Viewing angle
- Anti-glare glass
- It comes with an adjustable stand
- Wide Compatibility
Stylus. The stylus pen is very comfortable to use and has an excellent grip. It has an 8192 level of pressure sensitivity with +60 or -60 pen tilt support. You don’t need to charge the pen.
120% sRGB Color. The tablet has around 120% color gamut. It produces 16.7 million colors that are bright and colorful.
Wide Viewing Angle. With a wide viewing angle, the pictures look beautiful and clear. There is no color disparity.
Anti-Glare Glass. The screen display has anti-glare glass. It means it does not damage your eyes even if you work for long hours. It even reduces the distance between the pen nib and the cursor. Thus offering an excellent editing experience.
Comes With An Adjustable Stand. The tablets come with an adjustable stand which helps you work as you want. You can tilt the stand from 20° to 80° quickly and position it as you find it comfortable. The stand is lightweight and easy to carry along.
Wide Compatibility. The tablet is compatible with Windows seven or a later version and macOS 10.12 or later version. You need to connect it using a cable that is included in the box.
Pros
- Great Display
- Works on many editing software
- It comes with an adjustable stand
- Lightweight pen
- Affordable
Cons
- It does not have express keys.
- You need to connect it to a laptop or computer to work.
Though you cannot compare this tablet to professional tablets like Wacom, this tablet also has many features that help you edit pictures with ease and is excellent for beginners.
Overall the tablet works on various editing software and has a pretty large screen size. You can adjust the screen resolution as you want and work the way you want to. It is pretty easy to set up the tablet to the computer. Thus it is one of the best and affordable tablets for photo editing.
#5 Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
If you are looking for a tablet with a stylus and keyboard support and other accessories included, then the Samsung galaxy tab S4 is an excellent choice. It is a 2-in-1 tablet as it can be converted to a laptop-like screen with its customizable windows. It has a powerful octa-core processor with 4GB RAM.
Key Features
- 2-in-1 Tablet
- S Pen Included
- Display
- Dolby Atmos Sound System
- Quick Charge
- Connectivity
2-in-1 Tablet. You can transform this tablet into a laptop quickly. You need to attach the keyboard that comes with the tablet, and the dex will convert to a computer. You can customize and change the app setas you want by simply dragging and dropping it on the screen.
S Pen Included. The tablet comes with an S pen. You can edit pictures, write any messages and note down ideas. You don’t need to unlock your tablet for this. The S pen helps translate or magnify pictures and does not require charging. The tab easily recognizes the pressure sensitivity level and makes your drawing experience fantastic.
Display. The tablet has a 10.5-inch wide AMOLED display. The 1600 by 2560 resolution and 16:10 ratio give a great overall experience. The display is bright and is protected with glass. You can view the tab from different angles and see it shares the same color output.
Dolby Atmos Sound System. The Dolby Atmos sound system gives a great experience and has an amazing audio quality.
Quick Charge. The tablet quickly gets charged in just three hours. You can use it for at least 16 hours on a single charge and watch videos or edit pictures on photoshop. It has a 7300mAh battery, which is great.
Connectivity. You can control all your devices with this tablet. You can adjust your home lights, lock doors, and switch on AC with this tablet. You can even get the information of any security alert alarm.
Pros
- Excellent Display
- Quick Charge and long-lasting battery life
- Has SD support
- Great camera quality
- deX experience
Cons
- It is a bit expensive
- Speakers are not good enough
The Samsung Galaxy S4 has its pros and cons, but in the end, it is one of the best tablets used for photo editing and other work at a great price. The tab works smoothly on desktop mode as well.
#6 Microsoft Surface Pro (5th Gen)
The Microsoft surface pro has all the features that professional photographers and digital artists would like to have. It has excellent processing power, long-lasting battery. You can access the Internet even without Wi-Fi with advanced LTE. It weighs only 1.7 pounds which means you can carry it anywhere and work.
Key Features
- Excellent Performance
- Different Modes
- Surface Pen
- Perfect Layout And Design
- 12.3-Inch Pixelsense Display
- Battery Life
Excellent Performance. The Microsoft surface pro has fantastic speed and great performance overall. It has an Intel core processor and has 50% more battery than previous models. The tab works great with a surface pen and dial. You can use 3D creation tools and enjoy creating graphics.
Different Modes. You can easily convert the tab into laptop, studio, or tablet mode. You can convert it to laptop mode by opening the built-in kickstand. To use it in studio mode, you can pull down the kickstand and place the tab. It is perfect for writing notes and drawing. To use it as a tablet, just close the kickstand and fold its cover back.
Surface Pen. The surface pen is handy to write and draw. It has ink on one side of the pen and an eraser on the other side. You can draw, sketch or paint with perfection.
Perfect Layout And Design. The overall layout of the tablet is just perfect. It is 8.5mm slim and works as a full Windows PC.
12.3-Inch PixelSense Display. The Microsoft surface pro has a 12.3-inch PixelSense touchscreen display. However, there is not much difference if you look at the previous models, but its production and quality have improved.
Battery Life. You can browse and play for 14.5 hours, and it has a long battery life.
Pros
- Portable and good battery life
- Exceptional Performance
- Great pen support and touchscreen
Cons
- Expensive
- Surface pen not included
This Microsoft surface pro tab looks like a premium tab when you open it. It is one of the great tablets with an excellent display and builds quality.
Buyer’s Guide
Screen Size
Screen size is one of the main things to consider before buying a tablet to use photoshop. The screen size of the tablet ranges from 5-inches to 18-inches.
You will see a lot of difference if the screen size is large. It allows you to zoom the pictures and work with your editing in a better way. The screen size will help you know your work area, and the dimensions have a significant impact on the tablet.
The most common tablet size that people buy is 10-inches. You can buy a bigger size according to your need.
Screen Resolution
With a good screen resolution, you will have a good screen quality overall to help edit pictures better. If you want to edit high-quality photos, you need to have a tablet that gives you great resolution.
Specifications
You need to know the specifications of the tablet before making a purchase. See if the tablet can install photoshop efficiently.
You need to look for memory storage, RAM, and other necessary specifications. RAM is important to consider when you are editing large files. Look for a RAM of at least 2Gb or more.
Looking for a storage capacity is also essential to consider. To use photoshop, you need to have at least 32GB of storage.
Battery Life
Different tablets have different battery life. Look for a tablet battery that can last for at least 10 hours and take less time to charge.
Operating System
Before buying a tablet, you need to see which operating system you want to run: macOS, Android, or Windows. Most people choose the tablet with the same operating system they are already using.
Accessories
If you want to use different accessories with a tablet-like keyboard, stylus, or apple pen, look for one to support them. You can use a stylus with apple and Windows tablets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do Most Graphic Designers Use Pen Tablets for Photoshop?
A pen tablet works like a mouse of the computer. Many tablets nowadays are operated with a pen or stylus. It gives better control.
Most people or artists use different tools to edit pictures. The pen tablet allows the artist to draw pictures the same way they would do using pen and paper. Pen tablets are very convenient to carry and make editing easy.
What Is Better to Edit Pictures: A Tablet or a Computer?
Tablets are better for editing pictures than a computer. Nowadays, tablets come with good processing power that makes editing pictures easy. A lot of photo editing tools are already installed on the tablet. A tablet comes in various sizes and accessories like a pen that helps edit and make changes in the pictures quickly and easily.
How Do You Find the Best Tablet for Photoshop?
There are different models to choose from. You have to first decide on the price and the screen size you are looking for. Choose the screen size according to your use. The screen size ranges from 8-inches to 18-inches. Also, you need to check its compatibility with different accessories you want to use.
Conclusion
In this article, we have reviewed the best tablet for photoshop based on the features mentioned in our buyer’s guide and the ratings and comments mentioned by actual users on Amazon.
In our opinion, the Wacom CTL4100 Intuos is the best tablet for photoshop among the various options that we have considered. This is because it is portable, lightweight, and has great battery life. It gives a fun drawing experience and is compatible with both MacOS and windows.
The Apple iPad Pro 12.9 is another excellent choice. It has a great retina display with perfect color accuracy and has a great battery life and storage.
If you are looking for a value for money option, you can also consider Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, which offers great value and features at a very reasonable price point.
