XPPen Artist 12 (Gen 2) review

Artist 12 (Gen 2) is the lowest-priced pen display on this list at $174.99 on XPPen's US store, against a $249.99 list price. The 11.9-inch Full HD screen is fully laminated and anti-glare, and XPPen lists 127% sRGB and 94% Adobe RGB color. The X3 stylus is battery-free, reads 8,192 pressure levels and 60° of tilt, and XPPen says it starts registering at 3 grams of force, which helps with light sketch lines. A full-featured USB-C port connects to PCs and Android phones with one cable, though XPPen notes the USB-C to USB-C cable is sold separately. Driver support covers Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, Linux and Android, and XPPen names Photoshop, Krita, GIMP and SAI among supported apps. The official store adds an 18-month warranty. Compared with the Kamvas 13 (Gen 3), you give up some screen size and half the pressure levels to save about $35 at current prices.

Who it is for

budget buyers who want a small screen display

Price

$174.99 on XPPen's US store (list $249.99).

Anti-glare screen. $174.99 $249.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 13, 2026.

Key features

• 11.9-inch FHD fully laminated anti-glare display
• XPPen lists 127% sRGB and 94% Adobe RGB
• X3 stylus with 8,192 pressure levels, 60° tilt and 3 grams initial activation force
• Full-featured USB-C connection to PCs and Android phones
• Compatible with Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, Linux and Android

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: $174.99, the cheapest pen display on this list
• Strength: Battery-free stylus that never needs charging
• Strength: Supports Chrome OS and Linux as well as Windows and macOS
• Weakness: 8,192 pressure levels, half the 16,384 of the Huion Kamvas 13 (Gen 3)
• Weakness: Smaller 11.9-inch screen than the 13.3-inch Kamvas 13
• Weakness: USB-C to USB-C cable is sold separately

Key facts

• Price: $174.99 (list $249.99)
• Screen: 11.9-inch FHD
• Pressure levels: 8,192
• Color: 127% sRGB, 94% Adobe RGB
• Warranty: 18 months from the official store

Where it ranks

XPPen Artist 12 (Gen 2) is No. 3 in our Best Drawing Tablets verdict.