The pen tablet and controller for editing and retouching certainly help photographers, especially when working on large batches of images. These editing tools from Xencelabs seem to expand that to a whole new level.
Tools used for editing, editing, designing and creating graphics are commonly used. However, creating a tool that can be used by more people often limits how to make it more effective for specific workflows. Most pen tablets are made with a few buttons and pens, and these should work enough for graphic artists, photographers, retouchers, and everything in between. As with camera gear, the most useful tools are those that you can customize to make your workflow more efficient and make working with tools more efficient. That’s why most of the digital tools launched in recent years not only offer better performance, but also aim to allow as much customization as possible. The Xencelabs pen tablet combo and quick key are notable examples of such tools.
Construction and Design
The Xencelabs . tablet There are three sizes: small, medium and large, depending on your personal preference. The small tablet takes up 9.21 x 7.27 inches of space on your workspace and measures 0.3 inches wide. In it, the active area measures 6.93 x 3.89 inches marked with customizable LED indicators at all four corners. On the top edge is the USB-C port and the power switch. In the middle of the upper part of the tablet face are three customizable buttons, the bottom edge is tapered to provide a better resting surface for the user’s wrist. Inside that is a built-in battery that can last up to 16 hours and fully charge in 2.5 hours.
The Xecelabs nhanh Quick Key Control is a pocket tool measuring 6.2 x 2.48 inches with a width of 0.47 inches and weighing only 142 grams. At one end is a dial that measures 1.41 inches in diameter, and the inner center switch takes up 0.6 inches. On the other end is a single settings button for changing modes in a designated editing application. Taking up the middle half of the surface area is a 3.18 x 1.0-inch OLED display that comes with four customizable buttons on each side. One side is the only USB-C port for charging and connectivity, while the other side is the power switch.
Covers and Packaging
Along with the tablet, the box includes a soft padded carrying case, a USB-C to USB-A cable, half-gloves, and a tool case with a hard silicone mold to keep the contents safe. The box contains two pens, six extra plastic nibs, four felt nibs, plus a USB-A dongle, a USB-A to USB-C adapter, and a tool to remove and replace the nibs. One of these pens is thinner with a 0.37 inch diameter, two customizable buttons, a pen tip on one end and an eraser tip on the other. The second is a thicker pen with a maximum diameter of 0.55 inches and tapers for a better feel. This second pen has 3 customizable buttons as well as the same two-tip configuration for the tip and eraser. Overall, it’s quite impressive to see that users get to choose between two pens as well as a safe and efficient carrying case for better mobility.
Quick keys come with their own hard-shell carrying case, USB-A dongle, USB adapter, and USB-C to USB-A cable. The case has room for all of the aforementioned accessories and a few others.
Perhaps another important aspect about these tools is the packaging. Both the tablet and the Quick Key have barely any plastic involved in their packaging, except for the wrap that protects the entire cardboard packaging when brand new. Sustainability and avoiding plastic waste are steps many brands have been taking recently, and it is impressive that this relatively new brand seems to be facing that direction as well.
Set up and connect
Setting up both devices is easy and straightforward. The first step is simply to download the driver available on their website and plug it in via cable. This step also sets up the product to connect wirelessly using the dongle, meaning that once the cable is removed and the dongle is plugged into the USB port, the device will automatically pair and connect to the computer.
Setting up a tablet allows you to customize the three buttons on the top of the tablet as well as the buttons on the pen. These buttons can be assigned to keyboard shortcuts, mouse buttons, navigation tools, as well as shortcuts for different applications. The same configuration steps apply to the quick keys. However, it is clear that it involves more buttons that can be customized for similar features. Keyboard shortcuts in a particular application can be customized into sets that can be assigned to specific workflows, such as sketching, editing, or drawing. Each app can have up to five sets, and each set has eight different shortcuts that provide up to 40 functions per app. Each function on each button can be labeled differently according to the user’s wishes and make the label available at any time the device is on. The dial can also be customized for scrolling, zooming, layer switching, and brush size by pressing the function button on the dial. The orientation of the device can also be rotated depending on what the user prefers and the text of the screen will be adjusted along with it.
Functions and applications
Like all other pen tablets, the Xencelabs pen tablet acts as a more precise input tool instead of a mouse or trackpad. The 8,192 pressure level sensitivity and 60-degree tilt function are really impressive. Aside from the three or two buttons available depending on which pen you prefer to use, the function of the other end of the pen as a customizable eraser is quite unique and impressive. In general, tablets are compatible with any application. However, of course, custom buttons depend on the shortcut functions available in whatever application is being used.
Quick keys are part of this combination perhaps giving modularity. Just like tablets, buttons are customizable for any app function or navigation tool as long as a shortcut is available in the app or on the main computer system. This makes the device not only a tool that photographers can use but almost anyone with a need for handy shortcuts.
At first sight, I was personally curious as to whether this device could double as an editing panel not only for photography related applications but also for editing. video and was pleased to see that all the essential tools I like on my Adobe Premiere and Davinci Resolve Shortcuts can be set up on the device. Personally I use Tourbox Neo which is very helpful in video editing but it takes quite a while to memorize all the keyboard shortcuts I have specified and I end up using only about half of the buttons because I don’t. I can immediately remember where I have placed the function I use less often. Quick Keys has solved that problem thanks to custom labels on the screen and has a more travel-friendly construction because the knobs and buttons protrude less, and it comes with a dedicated carrying case.
The tablet and the Quick Keys controller can be used together or independently depending on the user’s preference. In general, functionality expands when the tablet is used in conjunction with a controller. The dongle can also be configured to work for both devices, although they would certainly be much more convenient if Bluetooth was an available option.
Inference
Overall, the pen tablet offers convenience and a good variety of options with extra buttons and tips. The option between a thinner pen with fewer buttons and a stylus with more buttons is a thoughtful bonus alongside well-made carrying cases. In terms of my personal use of these devices, the Quick Keys controller extends the tablet’s functionality and efficiency and is a very useful tool, even when used alone. Because of the way buttons and functions can be customized for a wide variety of functions on almost any application, this tool can be useful for photographers, digital illustrators, designers, architect and can even (possibly) be used for video games.
What I like
- Impressive design and functionality
- Thoughtfully included accessories and pen options
- Environmentally friendly packaging
- Extensible modules for use in multiple workflows
What can be improved
- Currently no bluetooth connection
- Controller dials Quick key does not retract for safer storage
- Even more functions are possible via the wheel or even the touch sliders on the sides
Buy, lean on, cling to
