Level up your digital workspace with the Veikk 2200 Pro Pen Display
If you have been reading my articles for a while, you may have noticed I've become a bit of a Veikk Geek! It's true. Well, those wonderful people at Veikk sent out a new offering. This is the most amazing display yet!
First Veikk sent me the Voila L, a truly fabulous pen tablet if you are just breaking into this sort of gear. Beautiful to use and flawless. Veikk then sent out the VK1200 display and pen to try. Loved it but felt it was more in the nature of a travelling display than a serious art pen display. I couldn't have been more surprised when they sent me the VK2200 Pro. I don't think I have actually swooned over a piece of tech quite so much.
Note: Veikk sent the pen display to review. However, this is a completely independent review. All thoughts about this item are our own.
One of the biggest problems people seem to have with any drawing tablet is hand-eye coordination. Using a display tablet that allows you to draw directly onto the tablet can overcome this. Personally, I didn’t have a problem with that and even found myself constantly looking at my monitor anyway while working with the smaller VK1200 display. The VK2200Pro changes all that instantly. It truly is lovely to work with and on. But it is BIG. This gorgeous display does take up some real estate on your desktop and I would not classify it as particularly portable.
Veikk VK2200Pro
Pros
Straight out of the box, it is easy to use. Plug and play and the pen (or stylus) and tablet work a treat (It does require drivers to be loaded for programming buttons and dials), and it does require a connection for the Display to work, it also requires power.
Has programmable buttons and dials on the display, is easy to set up and very handy (although I still keep changing my mind about hotkey settings - but so easy to do)
It has a smooth and comfortable matte surface to work on, actually, it’s very dreamy and super comfortable to work on
Pressure sensitive pen, with tilt function
Minimalist design and comfortable to use
Big, bold and beautiful as well as ergonomic.
The pen fits comfortably in your hand (battery free)
Fully laminated and High Resolution (IPS FHD display features 16.7 million true-to-life colors and ultra-low reflectivity) 1920×1080
Appears to be a solid build, very solid
Good installation guide (once downloaded from the website)
Comes with spare nibs and a pen holder (and spare pen)
Non-slip feet as well as the upright stand built-in that is fully adjustable
Can be used by left or right handed artists
Cons
The user guide is quite small. Much better off to go straight the website and download the manual
You need to close down all programs (Lightroom & Photoshop etc) to load the drivers successfully, then restart your PC to get it working properly, and then it’s easy to use. I know this is applicable to many programs and drivers as well.
I needed to buy a Display Port to HDMI adapter to get the display working as my graphic card did not have the correct connections, but it is getting a little old.
Still no finger control via display, to zoom or rotate, but you can easily program that to dials and hotkeys, as a workaround.
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Studio VK 2200 Pro — Technical specifications
All of the technical specifications for the Studio VK2200 Pro are from the Veikk website, the above images are supplied by Veikk.
Dimensions: 556mm x 330mm x 18mm (WxHxD) - not including stand
Weight: 3459 grams
Working area: 21.5"
Report Rate: 290 PPS
Screen Resolution: 1920X 1080
Pen: P05
Pressure Sensitivity: 8192
Reading Height: 10mm
Port: USB-C & Mini HDMI, plus power
Compatibility: Windows 11/10/8/7, MAC OS10.12 (or later), CHROME IS 88 (or later), Linux
Color: Black
Full Lamination: Yes
Shortcut keys: 8
Dial: 2
Visual Angle: 178o
Input Voltage: DC5V
Sacred Kingfisher hand-painted using Veikk 2200 Pro and Mixer brush in Photoshop, by Julie Powell
Studio VK2200 Pro — Limitless possibilities
Ergonomics are very good. It’s comfortable to work with, the adjustable stand means you can set the angle most comfortable to work with. Nice, fluid smooth matte surface area and pen connection. Adjustable pressure sensitivity.
Build quality
The display feels solid, it is larger and heavier than the travel version (VK1200), but this display is solid and stable on the desktop. The display is solid and has a non-slip matte surface, with an adjustable stand. The stylus is also lightweight and feels comfortable in the hand. In fact, after now using Veikk products for over six months, the stylus feels more like a natural addition to my workflow.
Out of the box
Out of the box, there are no batteries or anything, connect via the supplied USB-C, HDMI cable and power and the pen worked straight away. As mentioned above I had to get a Display Port to HDMI Adapter to plug the Mini HDMI into my graphics card to get the display working. In the Download section, there is a link for the User manual, this manual is quite good and once I shut down Lightroom and Photoshop the drivers were installed quickly and easily. A quick Restart and the Veikk software allowed me to program the pen and tablet with ease.
Two pens are supplied, a pen holder, 20 extra nibs, a nib extractor, a cleaning cloth and a handy drawing glove.
The other issue I had, which took a little fiddling around with is the display setup, as I already have two monitors connected. I had to go into Display (right-click on the Windows screen) and go to Settings. I needed to add a third screen and then duplicate my first screen onto the display or third screen). Not overly complicated, but it is something to be aware of. This would be much easier if I only had one screen (like on a laptop). I did also find I had to remove all previous Veikk installation and Driver files, to complete my installation, but most people won't find this problem.
Controls
You can program the buttons to whatever function you wish ie; Grab/Move, Rotate, Undo, Save, brush, Alt, Space and more. You can even program the buttons on the stylus. With so many button choices it can be set up just how you wish. The dials are fabulous for zooming in/out and increasing/decreasing brush sizes too.
Battery life
Refreshingly no batteries are required at all. No charging!
Connection
You simply connect the pen display to your computer with the included USB-C cable, and HDMI Cable (a display adapter may be required — not included, plug in power and turn it on). The power button is on the bottom right-hand corner, underneath. As are display controls for brightness, contrast, temperature and more etc.
Setup
Once I programmed my pen and tablet, it was super intuitive to use. The pen feels comfortable and the matte surface feels terrific to work with, it is dreamy and so nice for painting especially. Very precise.
Tip: Use some reusable tape and write what you have programmed the buttons for and stick on the buttons or attach a sticky note to your PC until you remember them all. Especially with so many button choices. Oh, and changing your mind is so quick and easy to do, just jump into the Veikk Settings and change them.
Final thoughts
The Studio VK2200Pro is surprisingly good for the price. Once installed and set up, it is super easy to use. Has nice solid fluid movement and details. The buttons are great, as are the dials. Took little to no time to get used to them. While reviewing the smaller VK1200 I felt the large-sized display would be far more beneficial and I was correct. It is a fantastic size to work on, easy to read everything on the screen too.
If you are a serious digital artist or photo retoucher I would suggest looking at the 22″ version and the fabulous people at VEIKK have a special Promo Code to get 10% OFF on a special link. (PROMO CODE 10OFFJULIE) or you can of course, also available via Amazon.
Not sure which option is best for your needs?
I'll pop all the reviews and some other related material here in one handy place.
