Chromebooks are lightweight laptops with Chrome OS and are fast, easy-to-use, and cheap making them a popular choice for people.
Due to their affordability, design students or artists also consider using the chromebook but might be confused on whether it would be the right machine for the job. Many digital artists and graphic designers are hesitant to buy a drawing/graphics tablet for their chromebook as they fear it might not be compatible.
However, drawing tablets do work on chromebooks and major drawing tablet manufacturers such as, Wacom, Huion, and XP-Pen have started to make tablets that are fully compatible with chromebooks.
There are some drawbacks when compared to using a drawing tablet to draw on Mac or Windows which we’ll go in more detail.
Can You Use a Drawing Tablet on a Chromebook?
Yes. Due to increasing demand for chromebook compatible drawing tablets many major manufacturers are starting to make tablets that can be used to draw/write on chromebooks.
The Covid-19 pandemic could also be a reason for the growing demand as most teachers and students opted for online learning and many businesses advised to work from home.
The great thing about using these tablets is that they are fully plug-and-play meaning you don’t have to download any drivers. Just grab your tablet, plug your USB cable into your chromebook and your tablet should start working.
However, there are some downsides to this.
Drawing tablets require high amounts of RAM to function to the best of their potential but since most chromebooks offer low amounts of RAM, usually no more than 4GB, it would hinder the possible benefit you can get from your tablet.
Secondly, the current tablets available in the market for chromebooks are graphics tablets, meaning they don’t have a screen.
So, to use these tablets you would need to practice your hand-eye coordination as whatever you draw on the tablet would appear on the screen. Even though there is this learning curve, overcoming it would make you much more comfortable with the tablet in the future.
Finally, using a drawing tablet with a chromebook isn’t ideal for professional work. If you are planning to buy a tablet for your kids or some other kind of work such as signing documents, taking notes etc. I believe getting a chrome OS compatible tablet will be pretty worthwhile.
But for the majority of design/drawing work it might not work out as you plan. Most designers and digital artists use industry-standard software from Adobe CC for their work however, chromebooks only offer android apps – which can be laggy and have limited features.
So, can you use a drawing tablet with chromebooks? Yes, it’s totally possible but should you? It depends on the type of work you do.
If you are a design student I would highly suggest you to save up some money and get a better laptop or a standalone drawing tablet which can be a much more worthwhile investment for your career.
What Drawing Tablets are Compatible with Chromebooks?
Although tablet manufacturers have started to create drawing books compatible with chrome OS they all aren’t the best.
Most of them might give you issues and result in an overall awful drawing experience.
However, the best drawing tablets that are compatible with chromebooks are the Wacom Intuos and One by Wacom.
Wacom Intuos
The Wacom Intuos is the most popular choice for most people as it is affordable and is certified as “Works with Chrome” which means it officially meets Google’s compatibility standards for its chromebook.
The Intuos comes in 2 sizes, small and medium. The small is cheaper and will get the job done for most people.
If you want a more comfortable drawing and writing space the medium size is perfect as it is a great size for your overall office setup.
You can buy the Wacom Intuos from Amazon for just $40 as Wacom frequently offers limited time discounts on their tablets there.
One by Wacom
The One by Wacom is another great option for drawing as it also supports pressure sensitivity making your drawings look much more professional.
It was also the first ever pen tablet to be compatible with the chromebook.
Just like the Intuos, the One by Wacom comes in small and medium sizes and meets the compatibility standards of Google’s chrome OS.
The great thing about both the tablets offered by Wacom are fully plug-and-play meaning you don’t have to go through any complicated process to get them working.
All you have to do is plug the USB into your chromebook and start using your graphics tablet.
You can buy the One by Wacom graphics tablet from Amazon for $50.
Does Huion Work with Chromebook?
Another popular brand amongst drawing tablet users is Huion, known for their cheap prices with advanced tablet functionality.
Following Wacom, Huion also recognized the demand for drawing tablets compatible with chromebooks which lead them to make a few options with chromebook compatibility.
Huion have recommended 3 of their best tablets specifically for chromebook users these are the:
- Inspiroy H430P
- Inspiroy H1161
- Huion H610Pro V2
All of the above tablets are compatible with chromebook and perfect for note taking, designing, editing, and drawing.
They have advanced features such as, tilt functionality, high levels of pressure sensitivity, and several hot keys for a faster workflow.
The above options are also pretty cheap with the Inspiroy H430P starting from only $33.99.
Check out all their options from their official store where they offer bundles and a deeper insight to all their products.
Do XP-Pen Tablets work with Chromebook?
Yes. XP-Pen have also joined the competition for making the best chromebook compatible drawing tablet.
XP-Pen has done a great job for providing their customers with great functionality and a professional drawing/writing experience with their XP-Pen Deco series.
The Deco mini7w shouldn’t give you any issues and work smoothly with your chromebook but you can explore other options for XP-Pen as they have a wide range of tablets to choose from.
The XP-pen tablets aren’t as great as Wacom and Huion but can definitely be considered because of their cost-effectiveness and smooth workflow.
Conclusion
Chromebooks are lightweight and affordable making them a popular option for consumers. A drawing tablet is a great tool to use for drawing, designing, and note taking and finding one that is compatible with your chromebook is important.
Fortunately, thanks to advancing trends, many major tablet brands such as, Wacom, Huion, and XP-Pen have started making tablets that are compatible with Chrome OS making it possible to use a drawing tablet with a chromebook.
You might enjoy limited features when compared to Mac and Windows users but if you don’t plan on using it for your professional career it can be a great option to start with. You also won’t have to go through the hassle of downloading drivers. You can just plug in and start using your tablet with your chromebook.
