June 2020 Update: As this is one of my more popular posts, here's an update: after using this tablet for over six months, I'm happy to say that I haven't faced any major problems. Still comes highly recommended!
In this article, I am going to have a look at the new Huion Inspiroy Ink H320M, and see how it performs. I will look at how it draws, included accessories, software, and more.
I have owned a graphics tablet in the past (specifically a Wacom Intuos 3), so I am fairly used to working with them. However, it has been quite a while since I used one so it took a little while to get the hang of things again!
To help me ease back into things, I decided to buy a budget priced graphics tablet from Huion, a relatively new player in the graphics tablet realm.
What you get in the box
Included in the box are a set of rather generous accessories – a slip case to put your tablet in when out and about, a cleaning cloth, and a pen stand. Also included is a USB type C to USB cable for connecting to your computer. And of course, the tablet and pen itself.
Design
There are two colours you can choose from with Huion’s H320M – “Quartz Black” or “Coral Red”. I went with the red version. This can only be seen on the edge however; both colours have the tablet surface in a matte black.
The design itself is very basic – six regular express keys and directional keys on the left, with the main tablet surface on the right. This of course can be flipped or rotated in the software. As I am left-handed I have set it to flip 180°, but if you are, for example, using it with a smartphone or tablet device without active pen support, rotating it 90° is something you can do too.
On the right side as well is a loop to store your pen into when you’re not using it.
Coming to the back, only a single button can be found to the right – an eraser button. This erases anything you draw on the “whiteboard”. Anything drawn comes out in a neon blue colour, which is a little less vibrant than the marketing material suggests. However it is still perfectly viewable.
Main Features
One feature that sets the H320M apart from other similarly priced graphics tablets is the “whiteboard” feature. Basically, you can use the back of the tablet as a memo pad, which can be erased using the single button found to the side.
At first, I though it would be a fun feature to have – writing down to-do lists or even just doodling for fun. However, the size of the tablet makes it a little large to just be keeping around for writing lists on. Plus, it doesn’t allow for partial erasing, meaning it’s only good for quick doodles. So it ended up just feeling gimmicky for me.
Now for the main part: how does it work doing what it’s supposed to do – being used as a graphics tablet? Fortunately, I was very impressed with its performance here. It boasts pressure sensitivity up to 8192 levels, in addition to tilt support to 60°. Also on the front face are 11 programmable express keys, although no scroll wheel or strip can be found in this model. The buttons are a little hollow sounding, however functionality wise they work just as expected.
Drawing performance is up to expectations, with virtually no jitter and zero lag to speak of. The software can be slightly buggy at times, which is unfortunate. This can usually fixed by restarting the Huion software though.
Conclusions
So, what do I think of the H320M? Due to its low price, I can highly recommend this graphics tablet to someone starting out doing digital art. The software does leave a little to desire, and the whiteboard feature is gimmicky at best, but drawing performance is superb, especially for something so inexpensive.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Highly responsive
- Plenty of express keys
- Tilt support
Cons
- Whiteboard feature is gimmicky
- Drivers can be unstable
- Buttons feel cheap
- No scroll wheel/touch wheel
Other Choices
Not for you? Have a look at my article on how to choose a graphics tablet below.