Wacom goes big at Vegas electronics show

Wacom, the Japanese interactive pen-and-display maker with Americas operations based in Vancouver, on Tuesday released two new products for artists and designers on opening day of the huge Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Wacom announced that its flagship Cintiq line of pen-on-screen displays will be offered with 27-inch screens, including one touch-screen model with edge-to-edge glass work surfaces. The new models, Cintiq 27QHD and 27QHD touch, also have an “ExpressKey remote” feature that can allow functions to be performed off-screen, freeing up more workspace on the screen, said Doug Little, the company’s Vancouver-based senior public relations manager. The new Cintiq can work as a standalone Windows 8 PC, or plugged into either a Mac or PC, the company said.

The company, which will discontinue its 24-inch model, is heavily promoting the larger screen size.

“We listened to our customers who wanted us to develop a bigger screen for broader strokes when designing, so they can get into the creative groove they are looking for,” Little said.

The company’s other product is a second-generation of the Cintiq Companion, a portable model with a 13.3-inch display. The company said it implemented the feature most requested by customers — an ability to connect the new Cintiq Companion 2 into a Mac or PC for a desktop experience when not mobile.

The new products were developed by a collaborative team of Wacom designers working in Japan, Germany and Vancouver, Little said. Wacom worked closely with Intel on design issues on the new mobile Companion model, he added. Wacom has some 165 employees in its Vancouver office.

Wacom’s Cintiq line, introduced in 1992 and generally upgraded every couple of years, is highly popular with graphic designers, animators, artists and industrial designers. In the Portland metro area, the animation studio Laika is a heavy user of Wacom products for its films, Little said.

The Cintiq 27QHD, with a price of $2,300, and Cintiq 27QHD touch, costing $2,800, replace Wacom’s Cintiq 24HD models. They will be available in late January. The company also sells 13-inch and 22-inch stationary Cintiq units.

Companion 2 will be available at the Wacom eStore in several configurations in February. Prices will range from $1,300 to $2,000. Wacom’s enhanced versions, costing $2,500 and $2,700, are expected to begin shipping this spring.