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Wacom 40th Anniversary

We are proud to announce that Wacom celebrates its 40th anniversary starting July 2023

To celebrate, Nobutaka Ide, Representative Director, President and CEO, said this: “We would like to express our sincerest gratitude for the support from our customers, partners, and many others who helped us continue our business and celebrate this milestone.”

He added, “Writing and drawing are a very important part of our daily lives, both in our work and hobbies because we use them for idea creation, learning, and communicating. Wacom will continue to support everyone’s journey of ‘writing and drawing’ through its digital pen and ink technology and pass it on to future generations. We are excited to work with new and existing partners into the future.”.

Wacom CEO Nobu
Old Wacom Logo

From the early days to becoming a global player

The 1980s marked the dawn of personal computers, and keyboard-based text input was the norm. In 1984, Wacom launched the world’s first pen tablet with cordless stylus input, the “WT Series,” and took the first step in developing and providing an intuitive interface using a digital pen. In 1987, Wacom commercialized the “SD Series” wireless pen tablet, using electromagnetic resonance (EMR®) technology, which forms the basis of Wacom’s digital pen technology today.

Wacom pen tablets have been used in the design process of a variety of products since 1988. While global sportswear brands and European car manufacturers were among the first to adopt this new technology in their design processes, they were soon followed by leading film and animation studios, bringing our favorite movies, television programs and video games to life. This paved the way for a wider adoption of Wacom pen tablets by artists and designers at every stage of their creative development.

During this period, Wacom also expanded its business worldwide, establishing a sales company for Europe in Neuss, Germany in 1988 and another in Vancouver, Washington, USA in 1991.

Wacom’s pen tablet business has grown over the years thanks to widespread support from designers and creators around the world. While it has continued to refine its technology with numerous digital pen patents, Wacom began providing digital pen components for personal computers on an OEM basis in the late 1990s. Today, Wacom provides digital pen solutions for the products of many IT manufacturers, including Samsung and Lenovo, as well as various stationery manufacturers.

Our commitment to “writing and drawing” through digital technology

In April 2018, Wacom positioned itself as a “technology leadership” company in the field of digital pens and digital ink and adopted the vision of “Life-long Ink” based on the idea and commitment of supporting people’s “writing and drawing” experiences throughout their lives. The act of “writing and drawing” can be seen throughout our daily lives, and there are many businesses, companies, and organizations that form ecosystems. Wacom continues to refine its digital pen and ink technologies, and together with its partners, make the experience of “writing and drawing ” more enjoyable, convenient, and meaningful in our lives through digital technology.

In the coming years, Wacom will also deliver new experiences based on digital pen and ink technologies around artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR), and security applications. By continuing to collaborate with partners in respective fields, Wacom strives to offer attractive experiences with its product lines and services that support the creativity of designers and creators, as well as businesspeople and students, providing digital pen and ink experiences that fully integrate into people’s daily lives.

Wacom 40th Anniversary

Wacom through the years

1983
1983

Happy birthday

Wacom is born in Saitama, Japan! The company’s name stems from combining the Japanese word “Wa,” meaning “harmony,” and “Com” for computer, demonstrating Wacom’s mission: creative harmony between users and their technology.

1984
EMR
1984

EMR to the forefront

Wacom’s first tablet with a cordless “digitizer,” the WT Series, is released, which demonstrates Wacom’s crucial innovation: electro-magnetic resonance. EMR allows a precise and seamless input experience.
1987
Wacom_1987
1987

Under pressure

Wacom’s SD Series of pen tablets introduce crucial tech, pressure sensitivity. This device is the ancestor of all modern Wacom pen tablets and pen displays.
1994
Wacom Art Pad
1994

Taking digital art to the next level

Wacom releases the ArtPad, designed specifically for creatives. Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter had been released a few years earlier, and the ArtPad made it possible to take full advantage of them.
1996
1996

Wacom in the White House

The U.S. Communications Act of 1996 is signed by President Bill Clinton using a Wacom pen, a global first. This major overhaul attempted to bring U.S. law into the 21st century, so a Wacom pen was the perfect tool to finalize it.

1998
The first Wacom Intuos pen tablet
1998

The pen tablet of choice for 25 years

Wacom Intuos is released, and 25 years later, it’s still the creative pen tablet of choice for students, hobbyists, and professionals worldwide.
2001
Wacom 2001.09
2001

A revolutionary digital art experience

Seamlessly making digital input directly on one’s display is made possible with the release of Wacom Cintiq. It immediately becomes the go-to device for serious creative professionals.
2007
The first Wacom Bamboo
2007

Beginners need tools, too

Wacom Bamboo brings Wacom’s professional-level quality to the everyday artist. This pen tablet gave beginners and hobbyists an affordable entry point into digital creation.
2011
Wacom 2022.01
2011

Powerful partners

Samsung and Wacom collaborate to incorporate Wacom technology into Samsung devices. This partnership continues into the present, including in Samsung’s flagship 2023 device models.
2014
2014

Leading the way

Wacom continues its digital ink industry leadership by introducing Wacom Ink Layer Language (WILL), a universal digital ink standard, and Active ES, an update to Wacom’s patented EMR technology that allows for even more precision and functionality.
2016
2016

Tech influencing culture

Connected Ink, an annual event series highlighting progress and technology improvements in digital ink as well as artistic and educational breakthroughs taking place due to Wacom’s technology, takes place for the first time.
2016
Wacom Cintiq Pro pen display
2016

Only the best for pros

Wacom makes a major performance upgrade to its pen display technology with the release of the Wacom Cintiq Pro 13 and 16 and the Pro Pen 2, bringing the highest-end pen display experience to professional creatives.

2018
Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 pen display
2018

Sometimes, bigger is better

Wacom releases the Cintiq Pro 24 and 32, its largest, highest-performance pen displays ever, for professional users who need plenty of active area on a high-end pen display for complex creative projects.
2019
Wacom Cintiq 16 pen display
2019

The sequel surpasses the original

Nearly 20 years after it was first introduced, Wacom re-launches the Cintiq line with the new Cintiq 16, a high-end, but more-affordable pen display for art students and serious hobbyists.
2020
Wacom One Pen display promotions and refurbished
2020

Performance + accessibility

Wacom One, a creative pen display for beginners, students, and hobbyists, is released. Its entry-level price point makes creative possibilities more accessible than ever before.

2021
One by Wacom
2021

Creativity in the classroom

Building on the Wacom One’s success, Wacom introduces the One by Wacom. Aimed at classrooms and budget-conscious users, it retains Wacom’s quality and performance standards while being extremely affordable.
2022
Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 creative pen display
2022

The height of creative perfection

Wacom Cintiq Pro 27, a complete redesign of the Cintiq Pro pen display, makes a major splash in the digital art world! It comes with the new Pro Pen 3 as well as a slew of design and performance improvements for professional creatives.
2023
2023

Keeping your art yours

Modern artists face a difficult landscape when it comes to digital rights management. That’s why Wacom launched Yuify, a program intended to help creators maintain ownership over their creations.
Wacom Logo
Here’s to the next 40 years of technology innovation with Wacom!