Using MacBook Air as display for graphics tablet

doopydug · 12 Sep 2021 at 23:06

Guys - I have never dealt with Apple hardware before but my daughter is going to study art at uni and is wondering if her drawing tablet can be connected to output on to the Macbook Air screen.

Currently, the tablet has a proprietary cable which is USB-C at one end and HDMI at the other - this allows her to display her tablet workscreen on to her Windows PC screen.

The only input I can see on the MacBook air is USB-C however, we have tried connecting the Apple hardware and tablet together with a USB cable and no display is visible.

Would there be a setting that needs changed firstly or is it just not possible to display over USB-C cable?

whitecrook · 12 Sep 2021 at 23:11

what tablet is it ? Does the PC output normally connect to the hdmi in of the tablet ?

doopydug · 12 Sep 2021 at 23:21

Its an XP Pen 13.3 Artist Pro.

The connection seems to go from USB C in the tablet to the HDMI port on the PC and from there, to the monitor - it has a three cable adapter - Artist 13.3 Pro affordable drawing tablet with screen | XP-Pen UK official store (storexppen.co.uk)

whitecrook said:
what tablet is it ? Does the PC output normally connect to the hdmi in of the tablet ?

whitecrook · 12 Sep 2021 at 23:52

doopydug said:
Its an XP Pen 13.3 Artist Pro.

The connection seems to go from USB C in the tablet to the HDMI port on the PC and from there, to the monitor - it has a three cable adapter - Artist 13.3 Pro affordable drawing tablet with screen | XP-Pen UK official store (storexppen.co.uk)

Looks like quite a neat device.

It might work with a USBC to HDMI adapter widely available on amazon.

I assume the HDMI is purely to act as a secondary/mirroed display, and all the smarts goes down the USB wire. Do these tablets talk standard protocols so will phoshop on the mac work with this ? I last used a UD1212 tablet from about 20+years ago on my computer. Wacom.

and may need to plug into secondary power or, get a USB C -> A adapter

EDIT: this guy https://youtu.be/gOFrikC1Ucg?t=314 has it running a a mac so i assume its totally doable

doopydug · 13 Sep 2021 at 22:16

Yes, my daughter uses the HDMI as a secondary display currently on her windows PC so she can get a bigger screen AND see what it looks like on screen.

However, she wants to use it on a macbook air now which doesn't have HDMI - the only input I can see is a USB C port

It is, indeed, a neat device, though :-)

whitecrook said:
Looks like quite a neat device.

It might work with a USBC to HDMI adapter widely available on amazon.

I assume the HDMI is purely to act as a secondary/mirroed display, and all the smarts goes down the USB wire. Do these tablets talk standard protocols so will phoshop on the mac work with this ? I last used a UD1212 tablet from about 20+years ago on my computer. Wacom.

and may need to plug into secondary power or, get a USB C -> A adapter

EDIT: this guy https://youtu.be/gOFrikC1Ucg?t=314 has it running a a mac so i assume its totally doable

whitecrook · 13 Sep 2021 at 22:44

doopydug said:
Yes, my daughter uses the HDMI as a secondary display currently on her windows PC so she can get a bigger screen AND see what it looks like on screen.

However, she wants to use it on a macbook air now which doesn't have HDMI - the only input I can see is a USB C port

It is, indeed, a neat device, though

Yes, so just buy a HDMI -> USBC adaptor there's dozens to choose from on amazon. I bought a few over the last few years. Works great with ipad and various mac books. If its straight standard hdmi then i'd expect it to work on the Air as well.

englishpremier · 15 Sep 2021 at 09:52

It sounds like the OP is trying to use the display on the Air to show the content of an external device. I didn't think that was possible since HDMI is output only from the Macs.

whitecrook · 15 Sep 2021 at 12:16

englishpremier said:
It sounds like the OP is trying to use the display on the Air to show the content of an external device. I didn't think that was possible since HDMI is output only from the Macs.

No its the opposite. This tablet is a display not a signal generator

englishpremier · 15 Sep 2021 at 12:23

whitecrook said:
No its the opposite. This tablet is a display not a signal generator

That's what makes sense. It's not what the OP said though. So I wanted to make sure he doesn't buy adapters for something that isn't possible.

doopydug said:
... is wondering if her drawing tablet can be connected to output on to the Macbook Air screen.

...this allows her to display her tablet workscreen on to her Windows PC screen.

These all point to trying to get whatever is on the tablet to be displayed onto her MacBook Air screen.

I'm guessing it just bad wording.

whitecrook · 15 Sep 2021 at 13:17

englishpremier said:
That's what makes sense. It's not what the OP said though. So I wanted to make sure he doesn't buy adapters for something that isn't possible.

These all point to trying to get whatever is on the tablet to be displayed onto her MacBook Air screen.

I'm guessing it just bad wording.

sure . Yeah the op wasnt very coherent. Hence why i asked about the specific tablet model. I looked it up and also i found a video i have told the op what he should do 2x now. Do it or dont do it whatever