the graphics tablet for paper lovers smart health innovation

Review – The Slate 2+ is the latest graphics tablet from Grenoble start-up Iskn. This innovative interface differs from its competitors thanks to its paper support. It will thus make it possible to reconcile the followers of pencil drawing with digital. Already available, it is priced at 179 euros.

• Mark : Iskn

• Model : Slate 2+

• Category : graphic tablet

• Autonomy : 7 hours

• Dimensions: 07 x 18.6 x 26.6 cm

• Weight: 380 grams

• Availability: already available

• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0

• Divacore NoMad price: 179 euros

• Tested : iPhone 7

(embed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZuSfZoGbUk (/ embed)

The Grenoble start-up Iskn has created a graphic tablet that allows you to draw digitally while keeping the pleasure of the pencil stroke. So you can draw with paper and your favorite HB1 mine and find your works directly on your phone or computer. After that you can edit them on Photoshop, Illustator and many other software. This versatile tablet will therefore be able to seduce paper lovers who wish to go digital. On paper, without a bad pun, the Slate 2+ is a very good product but what is it really? We have tested it for you.

Insk Slate 2+ Unboxing

The graphics tablet is delivered in a fairly imposing rigid cardboard box.

Once the latter is open, we discover the neatly stored tablet with pen.

Under the drawing board, there is, the explanation manual, the charging cable, a pencil, a block of sheets , and hooks to hold the paper on the shelf.

The lightness and finesseof the tablet jumps directly to the eyes She is very easy to handle.

We can still blame the builder for not not have put on protective pouch. It is however possible to buy one on the manufacturer's website. No magnet either to hang his pencil, it's a shame.

Features of the graphic tablet with paper support

The Slate 2+ works with all kinds of drawing tools. Around the pencil delivered with the tablet, there is a small magnetic ring.

The latter can be removed and placed on another support. With this small accessory, you can change your work tool as you wish. True freedom, this ring can be adapted to a felt, a fountain pen, a colored pencil, in short, you will only have to let yourself be carried away by your imagination. Small flat however, only one size is available . You will therefore need to find pencils suitable for the size of the ring.

The Slate 2+ offers the possibility of draw on paper.Few graphics tablets offer such a choice. It thus makes it possible to reconcile lovers of paper drawing and digital. We can thus keep the pleasure of the stroke of the pencil while working on digital . Very important, even indispensable, function in our modern societies.

Two pens are providedwith the tablet. But don't worry, in the app you will have more choices. You can select the ballpoint pen, pencil, marker, felt-tip pen, chalk, airbrush. This tends to make us forget the unique size of the ring. In addition, you will have access to the rubber . Once you have selected the tool of your choice, you will be able to customize the line. Even more, you will be able to choose the size, opacity, speed sensitivity or even smoothness of lines.You can also choose the color you want to use. Eight are already available. But thanks to a color palette, you can customize them endlessly.

Another interesting feature of the Slate 2+ is the replay mode . It allows to replay with the first stroke of the pencil until the final drawing line by line your work. You will be able to admire the’Evolution of your drawingin mode Time lapse .

Once the design is saved on your tablet or computer, you can rework from applications like Photoshop, Illustratorand others.

You can, for a few euros more, buy a stylus that will allow you to draw directly on the tablet without the need for paper . If you already have one, just add the magnetic ring to make it work on the tablet. This feature is intended for professionals.

In public transport or crowded places, it is not always very easy to use their phone and tablet at the same time.This is where the Slate 2+ comes in, allowing you to have all of its features without even taking it out of your bag . Indeed, it is equipped with a 4 GB memorywhich allows you to record up to 400,000 sheets. So you just have to draw, save and presto, you can get it on your phone or tablet a little later.

Use and Review of the Slate 2+ from Insk

From the start, Iskn warns the user of a drawback, the magnetic objects can cause interference. You should therefore be careful not to have a ring or other metallic object. Your phone or tablet should also not be too close to your Slate 2+.

To use the graphics tablet, you will need to download the application, Imagink. Once your phone is put in Bluetooth mode, the two devices connect very easily. No sooner has you pressed the button than you can start drawing.

Once these two steps have been completed, you can start using the product. Theuse is quite easy and intuitive. You quickly become familiar with the application and the tablet.

As for the drawing, it's pretty difficult to get a faithful rendering . The tablet has sometimes hard to pick up the pen– possibly due to magnetic interference -. Conversely, from time to time even before touching the sheet a line appears on the screen . During our Review we could see that the Slate 2+ is very sensitiveand requires an assured pencil stroke. This tablet not really suitable for quick sketch. It is more suitable for long drawings.

The two lines – the one on the sheet and the one on the screen – are, as a rule, fairly synchronized. One of the biggest problems is the big gap with the eraser. When we use the latter, whether on the phone or in the drawing, when we resume our work it has sometimes tend to be shifted.

For example, in this drawing after having erased the nose to redo it, it did not return to the same place at all. We also had the same problem when we made a pause in the drawing. When we resume it even a few minutes later, the lines are no longer aligned. This is the main criticism that can be made of this tablet. Same thing when we go back on his own lines , they are offset by a few millimeters as can be seen in the sketch below. The pencil nevertheless followed exactly the previous lines, so that we obtain two different drawings.

The Slate 2+ by Iskn Facing the competition

The graphics tablet is today a essential object for drawing amateurs and professionals.However, few manufacturers offer a graphic tablet with paper support. We therefore present here a comparison of objects with paper support that can be digitized.

Wacom Intuos Pro Paper: A high-end paper graphics tablet

Wacom is with Iskn, the only brand to offer this kind of graphics tablet. The Intuos Pro Paper is fatter, she can bear A4 sheets. It is also much heavier, weighing 1.3 kilos . This weight is due to many integrated technologiesto the graphics tablet. Unlike the Slate 2+, it only offersone pen. However, it is very thin and therefore allows you to make very precise drawings . The Intuos Pro Paper has less storage capacitythan its competitor. It can save up to 200 drawings versus 400,000 for the Slate 2+ . Its price is, however, significantly higher. You will have to pay 498 eurosto get it for you. Wacom's Intuos Pro Paper Edition is more for professionals while the Slate 2+ is more for amateurs and beginners.

Moleskine's digital notebooks

The Moleskine brand, specialist in writing for more than a century, has not missed the digital age. She decided to release a digital notebook . Thanks to this support, you can take your notes, draw on the pages of the notebook that will be directly scanned on your phone,your tablet or computer. To do this, simply touch the small envelope at the top of the page with the brand's stylus. And presto, it is digitized. You can even find your notes in digital writing. The stylus is priced at 130 euros and the notebook is 30 euros. You will therefore have to pay 160 euros to get this digital notebook.

Insk Slate 2+ Review conclusion

The Slate 2+ is a innovative tablet, it bridges paper enthusiasts and digital enthusiasts . Many old-school designers were wary of using a graphics tablet. Iskn reconciled them with technology by allowing them to write on paper.However, in practice it is still perfectible. We enjoyed using it. Its very fine design makes it very pleasant to handle. The application is simple to use and intuitive. However, the digital rendering is not always true to the original drawing . A few pen bugs are feltas well. Sometimes even before touching the sheet, the tablet takes into account the stroke. Conversely, we will make a line and it will not take it into account.

The Slate 2+ therefore only offers not always a precise and faithful rendering . Its concept is interesting, but it still needs to be improved. It is necessary master it and know its faults in order to use it correctly.For its price of 179 euros, it will seduce amateurs or beginners. For the professionals, we advise you to turn to Wacom's Intruos Pro Paper .

Good points

• Fine and light

• Innovative concept

• Two pens provided

• 4 GB memory

• Replay mode

• Movable magnetic ring

Negative points

• Not always precise and sometimes offbeat lines

• Doesn't always pick up the pen well

• Eraser not precise

• Digital rendering different from paper drawing

Design and ergonomics – 9

Ease of use – 8

Quality of digital design – 6.4

Features – 7

Value for money – 7

7.5

Design and Ergonomics : The design is very successful. The tablet is thin and light. it makes it easy to use. However, it remains a bit small.

Ease of use : the application is simple and intuitive, just like the graphics tablet. It is however important to know its faults to be able to use it correctly

Quality of digital drawing : the rendering is not the most exceptional. As said above, it is important to know the tablet to have a good rendering.

Features : The Slate 2+ has interesting features such as replay mode or the possibility of overlapping layers. Other than that it is not a jewel of technology

Quality / Price ratio: Correct quality / price ratio.

AB SMART HEALTH REVIEW