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# Wacom Art Pen 2 (ACP-500) vs Art Pen 1 (KP-701E)

## Summary

Both the Art Pen 2 and Art Pen 1 are fantastic pens in terms of performance. In addition, the Art Pen 2 improves upon the formula with a more ergonomic design and three buttons. However, the Art Pen 2 loses an eraser and does not have the low IAF I found in the Art Pen 1. The Art Pen 2 is also compatible with far fewer tablets.

Note the Art Pen 1 (KP-701E) is also referred to as the Intuos 4 Art Pen because it was launched along with the Wacom Intuos 4 tablet series.

## Links to main articles

* [Wacom Art Pen 2 (ACP-700) notes](/drawtab/catalog/pens/wacom-pens/wacom-acp700-notes.md)
* [Wacom Art Pen 1 (KP-701E) notes](/drawtab/catalog/pens/wacom-pens/wacom-kp701e-notes.md)

## IAF

WINNER: Art Pen 1 has reliably lower IAF in my testing, where I compared three units of each model.

* The Art Pen 1 has an IAF of \~1.5gf.
* The Art Pen 2 has an IAF of \~3.4gf.

## MAX Pressure

WINNER: Art Pen 2 has a higher maximum pressure but the Art Pen 1's MAX pressure is still good.

* The Art Pen 1 has a maximum pressure of \~370gf.
* The Art Pen 2 has a maximum pressure of \~575gf.

## Ergonomics

WINNER: Art Pen 2

I found the Art Pen 2 easier to hold. The narrower tip worked better for more angled strokes. With the Art Pen 1, the tip is thick enough that it can contact the tablet surface before you achieve maximum tilt.

<figure><img src="/files/sDHzgHsp8yAlh09SOyD5" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="/files/Yur6PawnDbDdlkyX83am" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Eraser

WINNER: Art Pen 1

Only the Art Pen 1 has an eraser. Wacom removed the eraser from the Art Pen 2.

## Buttons

WINNER: Art Pen 2

The Art Pen 1 has two buttons, and the Art Pen 2 has three buttons. I found the buttons on the Art Pen 2 to be better and less prone to accidental clicking.

<figure><img src="/files/eQVSEuy2jzysCa2MuNPB" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Pointer lag

NO DIFFERENCE — this is expected. Pens do not influence the amount of pointer lag experienced.

## Tilt compensation

NO DIFFERENCE.&#x20;

I noticed no difference in tilt compensation - both were had excellent tilt compensation which is normal for Wacom professional tablets/pens.&#x20;

## Barrel rotation

NO DIFFERENCE.

Barrel rotation behaved exactly the same with both pens.&#x20;

Someone asked if there was any additional lag in barrel rotation with the new pen - and I can confirm there isn't. Both pens were exactly the same.

## Look & Feel

WINNER: Art Pen 2

Easier to hold because of its shape. The slightly rubberized texture feels nice.

## Tablet compatibility

WINNER: Art Pen 1

The Art Pen 1 is compatible with about 30 Wacom tablets. The Art Pen 2 is compatible with about seven tablets as of July 2026. That number is expected to increase to about nine by the end of 2026.

## Nibs

The pens use different nibs that are not cross-compatible.

<figure><img src="/files/ecaC2V4Q9EHqKxnZHO6L" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>