Wacom One Review for Photo Editing and Drawing

Editor’s note: This review reflects our hands-on experience with the Wacom One in 2022. Wacom’s current models, compatibility, bundled software and specifications may have changed since publication.

A professional baby photographer for 18 years, my wife never wanted to try a pen display. She liked her Apple trackpad and keyboard and did not see a reason to change.

Or so she believed.

After just a day or two of using the Wacom One and its pen to edit photos, her verdict was overwhelmingly positive: “Why was I so stubborn and did not try this before?”

Using the Wacom One for Photo Retouching

The Wacom One we tested is a 13.3-inch pen display that connects to a computer. Our experience was with a Mac, and my wife primarily used it as a second display while retouching photographs. She could look at the higher-resolution Mac display while making edits with the pen on the Wacom One.

Setup was straightforward for us: connect the hardware, install the required software and configure the device. Because compatibility and software offerings can change, current buyers should check Wacom’s present requirements rather than relying on this 2022 setup experience.

Design and Drawing Experience

The Wacom One felt light and well designed. Small details mattered during long editing sessions, including the built-in stand and pen holder.

The screen was large enough that she did not feel constrained while working. Her reaction to drawing directly on the display was enthusiastic: “It is fantastic to stroke the screen with the pen. You feel like you are actually drawing with a normal pen on a sheet of paper.”

When drawing, she used the Wacom One as an extended display and worked directly on its screen. The pressure-sensitive pen made it possible to vary the strength of a stroke; in applications such as Photoshop, that translated naturally into controls such as brush flow.

Overall

For our photographer, the Wacom One quickly became a useful part of the editing workflow. As she put it: “The Wacom One changed how I work for the best. My workflow is more efficient and long hours of retouching are fun again!”