How artists use tablets as a laptop

Built for artists: touchscreens and flexibility

Surface Pro's high-resolution touchscreen responds to your every touch and gesture. This enables a more direct, intuitive creative process. You can pinch to zoom into intricate details, rotate your canvas with a simple two-finger twist, and use touch to quickly select tools or adjust brush sizes.

The flexibility offered by the 2-in-1 design of Surface Pro benefits artists. Easily convert to a powerful laptop by attaching a Surface Pro keyboard² for intensive design work or detach the keyboard to transform Surface Pro into a portable tablet for sketching on the go. This flexibility means your workflow is no longer tied to a desk. The Surface Pro's built-in kickstand allows you to adjust the screen to the perfect angle for drawing, mirroring the experience of an easel or a drafting table.

Top choice for digital art in 2025

Surface Pro is one of the best laptops for digital art in 2025. Why?

To begin with, Surface Pro offers options tailored to support different requirements:

• Surface Pro, 12-inch is a great choice for artists who need maximum flexibility and speed. Compact, lightweight, and perfect for mobile content creators and illustrators who work frequently away from a studio.
• Surface Pro, 13-inch is best for creatives or professionals working with large files, AI tools, or heavy multitasking—think video editing, coding, or data analysis on the go.
• Surface Pro, 13-inch with 5G⁴ is best for free-spirit artists who are on the go and need reliable connectivity anywhere.

Additionally, Surface Pro is powered by Snapdragon® X Elite and Plus processors, which means it’s lightning-fast, packed with industry-leading AI experiences, and all-day battery power¹—features you can depend on when working across layers, textures, and complex files. And with built-in AI experiences built into Windows 11, like Cocreator and Windows Studio Effects, Surface Pro enhances your favorite creative apps with intelligent tools that support and accelerate your ideas.

Real-world use cases

Whether you're working in high-resolution illustration, motion design, or concept art, Surface Pro adapts for you and your creative work. For example:

• Illustrators and animators: Use Surface Pro in tablet mode for sketching and digital painting. Grab a Surface Slim Pen and experience precision that allows for expressive lines and shading, making it perfect for character design and storyboarding.
• Designers: For UX/UI design, branding, and concept art, use Surface Pro to create wireframes and mockups directly on the screen. Attach a Surface Pro keyboard to handle more intensive tasks in programs like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Creative inspiration: Become a better artist with the help of Cocreator, the generative AI tool in Paint. Describe or draw your vision and watch Cocreator generate it for you. Simply start your thoughts with a prompt, add a few swipes of a brush, and the generative AI technology in Paint helps co-create the design along with you.

Laptop vs. tablet: which is better for artists?

No need to debate: Surface Pro is a versatile laptop and super powerful tablet.

• Performance and software compatibility: Unlike many dedicated tablets, Surface Pro runs the full version of Windows 11. This means you have access to the same professional-grade software, next-level AI experiences, and the advanced security capabilities of Windows 11.
• Ergonomics and workflow: The built-in kickstand and detachable Surface Pro keyboards allow you to adjust your workspace to whatever is most comfortable. Using a Surface Slim Pen, you can draw at a natural angle on the screen or prop it up like a standard laptop. Purchase a Surface Pro keyboard bundled with a Surface Slim Pen. You can also purchase a Surface Slim Pen separately.
• Storage, battery life, and connectivity: With options for removable⁵ solid-state drives (SSDs) and all-day battery life¹, you have the storage and power to work on large projects anywhere. Surface Pro also offers robust connectivity with multiple ports and Wi-Fi 7⁶, ensuring you can connect all your necessary accessories and stay online.

Tips for choosing the right device

When choosing the best laptop for digital art, consider the following specs:

• AI-accelerated processing power: Run the apps you love at the speed you need—especially the ones you use the most for creative work by choosing a device with a CPU capable of running AI-intensive processes locally.
• RAM and GPU: For complex illustrations and video editing, aim for at least 16GB of RAM and a powerful GPU.
• Display resolution: Choose a device with high-resolution touchscreen to ensure your artwork looks crisp and vibrant while you work.
• Stylus support: Be sure your device integrates seamlessly with a precise stylus pen to deliver a true pen-on-paper feel.
• Software compatibility: Confirm that the device you choose runs preferred software optimized for Windows 11 and stylus input.

Surface Pro: 2-in-1 laptop and a great tool for digital art

Surface Pro devices combine the flexibility of a tablet with the performance of a laptop to deliver a seamless, powerful, and adaptable tool for creating art. With a Surface Slim Pen and Surface Pro keyboards to complete the experience, you have the tools to bring creative visions to life.

Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting your journey, a Surface Pro is a fantastic choice and encourages you to explore your ideas, experiment with new techniques, and create something truly unique. Go where your creativity takes you with a Surface Pro. Choose a Surface Pro today.