XP-Pen

XP-Pen Artist 12 3rd

Ranked #2 in Drawing Tablets

980 LP on the category ladder what's LP?

Wirecutter's tested budget display pick and a current-generation design, so firmware support should run longer than its ageing rivals.

Consolidated from 16 cited sources across 13 outlets

Where the cited sources landed, as we read them

1 enthusiastic source
15 positive sources

See the sources

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Pros & cons

✓ Named by Wirecutter as one of the two tablets worth considering after its new round of testing
✓ Newer generation design than most budget rivals
✓ Better positioned for firmware and software support over the years ahead
✓ Compact 12-inch pen display
✓ Current-generation model

✗ New generation with an unwritten long-term record

The sources behind this ranking

We searched the web and YouTube for what has been published about this product, then read the articles, video transcripts and comments we found.

Evidence 3 articles, 12 video reviews and 1 community source

1 enthusiastic source

AppleInsider Brian Patterson · reviewer · Oct 2025

The Artist 12 3rd is aptly named, pushing the live work area to just at 10.5 inches by 6 inches. This is smaller than a standard piece of 8.5 x 11 paper.

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15 positive sources

Nytimes Article

But the most shocking thing about the Artist 12 3rd is its price-to-performance ratio. It’s often on sale for as little as $200, which gets you a remarkably good drawing experience. In my testing, I found minimal wobble, and fishhooking in fast lines was almost nonexistent. There’s no touch input, and the screen isn’t terribly bright, but if you’re looking to get started with a pen display, the Artist 12 3rd is an excellent option that doesn’t force you to build an entire workspace around it.

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Jaison Arts Jaison Arts · 1.2M subscribers · Dec 2025

Dude, I'm holding here what might be one of the best entry-level graphics tablets ever released. And I'm not exaggerating . XVPN took technologies from the professional line and incorporated them into the more compact 12-inch model. And the result was this, Arts 12 from the third generation.

Watch X r/XPpen u/Dragonheni · owner

I own a Samsung tab s8 (base model), wacom intuos S bt, and the artist 12 3rd (mostly wacom and xppen displays). I have tried out many other ones as a one time experience. As you can see, i don't own any big tablets and one of the main reasons is portability. Yes, the artist 12 3rd is a very portable device. It has the same length as my 14 inch laptop, so they both fit in one carrying bag.

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XPPen XPPen · 127K subscribers · Oct 2025

She praises its portable size, perfect color sync, and the super-responsive performance from the 16K pressure levels. Ykha's favorite feature is the X-Dial, which she uses for quick, effortless adjustments to brush strokes and canvas view. Watch as Ykha shows how the right tools enable her to create her signature bold and joyful art.

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Creative Bloq Article · Oct 2025

For its size and class, the Artist 12 (3rd Gen) performs beyond expectations. The laminated screen eliminates parallax nicely, and strokes appear cleanly aligned under the nib. Line tracking is consistent, and pressure response remains stable across the active area.

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God hazbin hotel God hazbin hotel · 110K subscribers · Oct 2025

XPPen Artist 12 3rd : Review BY FENIX — Smarter, Smoother, and Brighter Drawing Display!

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XPPen XPPen · channel

Go beyond the specs and see the unboxing experience for the revolutionary New Dial Shortcut Drawing Display.

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vivi☆ vivi☆ · 83.1K subscribers · Oct 2025

This tablet is pretty small from what I'm seeing, making it very portable. You can literally bring it anywhere with you. Very slim, very sleek. Why? Why am I feeling up on it like that, freak? It also has this dial thing going on. Very fun to run your fingers on. Okay. Okay. You can you can stop now. You can stop now. It is very nice. Small and petite 11.9 in screen.

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XPPen XPPen · channel

Unboxing therapy on Artist 12 3rd. Hear that satisfying peel? Sound on for some pure, relaxing ASMR.

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CatiReel CatiReel · 64.7K subscribers · Apr 2026

I was able to try out XPPen’s Artist 12 3rd tablet! I am very honored to be able to try out their tablet, thank you so much XPPen!

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XPPen XPPen · channel

See how the New Dial Shortcut Portable Drawing Display redefines what a perfect on-the-go gear is.

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Michael Clarida Arts Michael Clarida Arts · 22.7K subscribers · Nov 2025

Come on by and spend some time with me as I review this great product from XPPen. They are having a sale on their site for Black Friday 2025 beginning on Nov 20th.

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Maike Alves Art Maike Alves Art · 20.8K subscribers · Mar 2026

And the coolest thing about this table here are these rotatable knobs on the side. You can configure what this button will do, but I think they 're quite useful. We also have the cables here. There are cables that you can connect directly to your computer or laptop, but it also has a wall plug . And then there's this other cable that goes directly from one input to the other.

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EmilyArts EmilyArts · 15.9K subscribers · Jul 2026

I just love how nicely the tablet sits on the stand. And it's kind of got like a rubber thing on it, so the screen doesn't move at all.

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Irish Chippy Irish Chippy · 10.5K subscribers · Mar 2026

Oh, it's so nice and slim. You will notice that the this is very what would you say? It's very not shiny. Okay? So So the the item itself is 328 mm or 12 and 3/4 No, just over 12 and 3/4 in and this way it is 190 mm and it's so ever so slim. It's coming in 11 to 12 mm depending on there's little rubber feet on the bottom of it.

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