With Wacom releasing more and more specialist nibs for their drawing tablet range, we have decided to publish this article going over a breakdown of the Wacom pen nib differences in an attempt to help our readers get a better understanding of the main differences between their nib range. This is a similar idea to our Huion Vs Wacom Vs XP-Pen Vs Gaomon drawing tablet comparison to try and help our readers make the correct choice for their needs but this time for their stylus nib rather than the actual drawing tablet.
Due to seeing so many people reaching out and asking for assistance on the different Wacom pen nibs and what they are supposed to be used for when drawing on a tablet, we feel that our article should be able to help a number of our readers. Please note, although there are some third-party nib options on the market these days that can work with the official Wacom pens, we will only be covering the official Wacom pen nibs as they are only a dollar or two more than the third-party ones but don’t have the drawbacks of the cheaper third-party nibs.
We have tried to lay our article out in a way that will be easy to follow too with the more popular nibs from the Wacom range at the top of the article and the less common nibs towards the bottom. This should be able to help our readers get an idea of each nib type that they are more likely to use without having to waste time.
A Breakdown Of The Wacom Pen Nibs Differences!
Unlike some competing drawing tablet brands, Wacom stylus nibs have a nice amount of cross-over between them and although each nib type does tend to have a specialization, most of them can also be used for other less specific, more generalized tasks too. That’s why we usually recommend the variety nib pack for Wacom pens to our readers. Provided you ensure you are getting the right variety nib pack for your pens, you should be able to use them for any task you may encounter while using your Wacom tablet.
The Standard Nib
The standard nib is the most popular of all Wacom pen nibs by far due to it being able to be used effectively for the majority of tasks a digital artist may encounter when drawing on their tablet. There are variants of the standard nib available for every type of Wacom drawing tablet and they are also available in small, medium, and large so be sure to check the nibs pen type and size prior to ordering to ensure that you are getting the ones you require.
When it comes to the expected lifetime of the nibs, the standard nibs do tend to be long-lasting even when used for long periods of time on a daily basis for a professional artist. They can also work out to be the cheapest too but this will depend on the vendor that you purchase them from too. Purchasing them via an online vendor will almost always be the cheapest option but some local stationary and art stores do sometimes have special offers lowering their prices.
The Stroke Nib
Next up, we have the increasingly popular Wacom stroke nibs and although they are less common than the standard nib option, the stroke nib has seen a surge in popularity over the last few years and is probably the second most commonly uses Wacom nib type. They tend to be around double the price of the standard nib though but you can still usually find some decent bargains with online vendors to keep your costs as low as possible.
The purpose of the Wacom stroke nibs is to offer the artist more of a brush-like feel when they are using their stylus on their drawing tablet and the Wacom design for the nibs is flawless and delivers a very similar feeling during use. This brush-like feel is delivered due to the spring loading system in the nib and can be useful for anyone who prefers a digital painting style than a digital marker style when drawing.
The Felt Nib
Next up we have the Wacom felt nibs and similar to how the stroke nibs covered above have been specifically designed to mimic a brush, the Wacom felt nibs have been designed to mimic the stroke of a market when used. If you do prefer to use markers when drawing then the felt nib is definitely the option for you.
Due to the main difference between the felt nib and the standard nib being their material and not requiring a spring system like the stroke nibs, they tend to be a similar price to the standard nibs. As they are the second most popular type of Wacom pen nib, the majority of local art and stationery stores tend to carry them but you will almost always get a price with an online retailer.
The Flex Nib
Finally, we have the flex nibs that are the least common Wacom nib type at the time of writing but are slowly growing in popularity with each passing month. The flex nib is a hybrid between a standard nib and the felt nib offering artists a more rigid feeling marker texture when using the nibs that is not as rigid as the standard nib.
Although the idea of the flex nib is good, the majority of people will either opt for the standard nib or the felt nib over the flex nib as it tends to be a better option than a hybrid. That said though, more and more people are taking to the flex nibs but they can be harder to pickup at a local stationary store due to being less popular.
Frequently Asked Questions For Wacom Pen Nibs
Conclusion
That brings our article going over the Wacom pen nib differences to a close and we hope that you have found it helpful. As we mentioned, the standard nib is by far the most popular followed by the felt nib with the stroke and flex nibs being the least popular. Each nib has been designed to have their own unique purpose but the standard and flex nibs do tend to have a fair bit of cross over with other drawing styles so opting for either of those will tend to be more of a general nib for more drawing styles.
