Gaomon PD156 Pro Pen Display: Review
This review covers the Gaomon PD1560 (PD156) Pro pen display: an unboxing, setting up the stand and drivers, a pressure test in Photoshop, and impressions after a few days. It is a 15.6 inch, 1080p portable display.
In the box
- The 15.6 inch HD display with shortcut hotkeys and a centre control wheel, about 1.8 kg and 12.5 mm thin
- A soft leather-style carry case and an adjustable fold-out stand
- A battery-free pen, a pen holder with spare nibs inside
- Cables for a single connection to the computer, plus an extra power lead if the computer’s USB does not supply enough power
- Power plugs for different countries, a drawing glove, cleaning cloth and warranty card
Setup
Set up the stand latches to your preferred angle and rest the display on it. Connect either directly (USB power plus HDMI in one cable) or, if the screen flickers or lacks power, connect HDMI to the computer and the second cable’s USB to a separate power source; the video used the second method. Download the driver from Gaomon’s site (choose the PD1560 Windows driver). In the driver you pick which monitor the pen controls, set the express keys, and tune the pressure curve with a test area. You can also remap the pen buttons.
Drawing test
With 8192 pressure levels, the brush thickness and flow change with pressure in Photoshop, provided pressure sensitivity is enabled in the brush; turn it off and the pen behaves like a mouse. Pressure works for any tool, including the eraser and the smudge/blend tool, which is very useful for blending. The centre wheel gives quick access to brush size, hardness, flow and more without the keyboard.
Pros and cons
Pros: a laptop-sized screen that is easy to carry and matches a laptop’s own resolution, a slim and light body, a single connecting cable, a light battery-free pen with spare nibs, and the handy hotkeys and centre wheel. Cons: a slight offset delay between the pen tip and the cursor (which becomes unnoticeable with use), and it is only an HD panel, which can look pixelated if you are used to 4K. Overall it is good value, and many of the channel’s speed art videos were drawn on it.
Links from the video
- Gaomon PD156 Pro (Singapore): https://www.amazon.sg/dp/B08DJ262KT
- Gaomon PD156 Pro (UAE): https://www.amazon.ae//dp/B08DK1VHVY
- Gaomon store: http://www.gaomon.net/store
