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CinTweak UNIVERSAL Keyboard Trays
CinTweak UNIVERSAL Keyboard Trays
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CinTweak UNIVERSAL Keyboard Trays - Size Comparison
CinTweak UNIVERSAL Keyboard Tray - Size Comparison
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CinTweak S•UNI for Standard Keyboards
CinTweak S•UNI for Standard Keyboards
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CinTweak S•UNI for Standard Keyboards
CinTweak S•UNI for Standard Keyboards
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CinTweak S•UNI for Standard Keyboards
CinTweak S•UNI for Standard Keyboards
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CinTweak S•UNI for Standard Keyboards
CinTweak X•UNI for Extended Keyboards
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CinTweak S•UNI for Standard Keyboards
CinTweak X•UNI for Extended Keyboards
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CinTweak S•UNI for Standard Keyboards
CinTweak X•UNI for Extended Keyboards

DO YOU HAVE A KEYBOARD PROBLEM?

Every interactive pen display user struggles with desk space and keyboard positioning. The size of your display eats up that real estate and dictates where you can place your keyboard. If your workflow is heavily dependent on key bindings and macros, having unfettered access to your keyboard is crucial to your productivity.

If you are twisting, turning, and stretching to access your keyboard, your productivity will take a hit each time you turn to your keyboard and away from your screen. By the end of your workday, you are going to feel it. Why not bring your keyboard back into your visual work zone, and reduce your physical stress while improving your creative hot-key workflow?

CINTWEAK - THE KEYBOARD TRAY SOLUTION

CinTweak keyboard trays bring your keyboard back into your visual workspace, eliminating the need to twist, turn, lift, bend, or stretch to access it. This positioning allows your keying hand to travel from rest position on the side of your display, or your tablet's hardware buttons / remote, to your keyboard with minimal effort as you work, reducing much of the physical shoulder neck and back stress that you would normally experience over the course of your workday accessing your key binds. Your focus can remain on your work instead of turning your head repeatedly to focus on your keyboard. Being able to see your keys as you work eliminates the need to ride your keyboard when not actively keying.

CinTweak keyboard tray on a Wacom Cintiq Pro 32

The original Legacy CinTweak Trays are made of acrylic and heat bent by hand to the profile of each specific Cintiq tablet and cannot be used with any other interactive pen display. Over the years, I have gone through 5 variants of tablets that I use regularly, from the Cintiq 21-UX, through the 24-HD, 27-QHD, Pro24, to the behemoth Pro32 with each requiring a new keyboard tray.

TIME FOR SOMETHING EVEN BETTER

What if there was a Keyboard Mounting Solution that would work on just about every interactive display on the market right out of the box. A tray that offered even better functionality and flexibility. Well, now there is.

CINTWEAK UNI - THE UNIVERSAL KEYBOARD TRAY SOLUTION

The new CinTweak Universal Trays, S•UNI for standard Keyboards and X•UNI for extended keyboards, are finally here.

CinTweak keyboard trays - a better workflow

These new trays offer even better function and value to a broader group of artists and enthusiasts; after all, not everyone uses a Cintiq, and many professional artists and enthusiasts will often change which interactive pen display they are using.

The new CinTweak UNI trays incorporate all the "Make It Better" goals for an updated keyboard mounting solution. The CinTweak UNI tray mounting arms can be adjusted to fit the depth profile (front to back) of nearly all interactive pen displays on the market - from as thin as the Cintiq PRO16 to the massive profile of the PRO32 with the PRO Engine Attachment. But the new CinTweak UNI Trays are not just for Wacom Cintiqs.

CinTweak UNI keyboard trays are adjustable for the following interactive pen displays:

The CinTweak UNI keyboard mounting surface is height adjustable up and down by 2cm from 1.5cm to 3.5cm overlap on the front of your display. If you have a minimum of 1.5cm (1/2 inch) distance from the top edge of your active display area to the top of your tablet (this is the minimum distance required to not have the tray interfere with your active display area), you are good to go.

CinTweak keyboard tray Height Adjustment

The lagacy CinTweak trays are Acrylic, which by nature can be fragile if handled improperly. With a solid ABS injection molded construction, the new CinTweak UNIVERSAL trays are tough and durable. Add rubber bumpers to protect all direct contact points with your display, small Velcro stickies on the back of your tablet to secure the mounting arms and ensure your keyboard tray will not slip, and a custom lock down mechanism that adjusts to the spectrum of tablet depth profiles, and you have a rock solid mounting solution that is durable, stable, functional and adjustable.

The CinTweak UNI design incorporates 2 Pen Holders. Some artists use more than one pen during their workday and can benefit from easy storage and accessibility. Or if you are a one pen person ("penogamous"?), use the other Pen Holder to bundle up and manage your Keyboard cable, or anything else that fits.

CinTweak keyboard tray Pen Holder Functions

OPTIMIZE YOUR WORKFLOW & IMPROVE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY

CinTweak keyboard trays are a simple, elegant solution to a vexing keyboard positioning issue. By having your keyboard at the top of the display area, your eyes more easily shift between your active drawing surface and your keyboard with minimal refocusing and visual depth changes.

CinTweak keyboard tray on the Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 Interactive Pen Display

CinTweak Keyboard Trays allow you to maintain your focus on your drawing area, minimizing much of the unnecessary ocular, head, and upper body adjustments needed when shifting between your tablet's active display area and traditional keyboard placements, whether off to the side, in front of, or under your tablet. Your keying hand travels a much shorter distance to access hot keys and macros, reducing back, neck, and shoulder strain over the course of your workday.

Maintaining better focus by staying in your work zone, and improving your comfort level by reducing the amount of twisting and turning needed to access your key binds and macros, will help you be an even more creative you.
If you are struggling with your keyboard or other keying peripheral, why not integrate it into your visual work zone and experience a better workflow.

ADDITIONAL INFO: POSITIONS - LEFT RIGHT OR CENTER

CinTweak Universal and Legacy keyboard trays can be positioned left, right, or center to accommodate your preferred keying hand.

CinTweak keyboard tray on the Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Interactive Pen Display

Center positioning is ideal for workflows such as rigging and video production, where you often key formulas, names, and other content with both hands. Workflows where you tend to key primarily with one hand such as drawing, modeling, sculpting, texturing, and animation will benefit more from side positioning. I recommend that you install both center and your preferred side position during installation so that you can easily switch depending on your current workflow for the very best ergonomics.

ADDITIONAL INFO: OPTIONS - THE STANDARD OR THE EXTENDED TRAY

CinTweak Universal and Legacy keyboard trays are available for interactive pen displays in two variants depending on the size of your keyboard:

Standard or Extended CinTweak keyboard tray options

CinTweak S•UNI & LEGACY Model-S TRAYS for Standard Keyboards

The New S•UNI & Legacy Model-S trays are designed for use with Standard Keyboards. Standard keyboards have integrated numeric keypad functions on the keys and are generally less than 13 inches long. If you intend to use a standard keyboard, you should purchase one of these trays for your setup.

CinTweak X•UNI & LEGACY Model-X TRAYS for Extended Keyboards

The New X•UNI & Legacy Model-X trays are designed for use with Extended Keyboards. Extended keyboards have a separate numeric keypad on the right side and are generally 13 inches or longer. If you intend to use an extended keyboard, you should purchase one of these trays for your setup.

ADDITIONAL INFO: NOT ONLY FOR KEYBOARDS – OTHER KEYING PERIPHERALS

CinTweak Universal and Legacy keyboard trays are not o ly for keyboards. You can mount your Stream Deck, Loupedeck, dedicated touch screens running Touch Portal hot key app interfaces, and other keying peripherals...bring them into your visual work zone to improve your comfort level and your keying workflow.

Side and Bottom mounting positions are Tablet and Stand dependent. Not all stands are suitable. These mounting configurations are best used with Monitor Arms. Try it out with your first tray before ordering additional CinTweaks. You are welcome to contact me with your tablet and stand details, and I will let you know if your setups is a viable candidate for side or bottom mounting.

PLEASE NOTE:
If you are purchasing a tray for Side Mounting with the following Tablet/Stand configurations:

S•UNI Trays are NOT COMPATIBLE for Side Mounting with these configurations due to the size/position of the Ergo Stand's Tilt Paddles.

Standard Configuration X•UNI Trays are NOT COMPATIBLE for Side Mounting with these configurations due to the size/position of the Ergo Stand's Tilt Paddles.

Modified X•UNI Trays with Additional Holes for Wider Mounting ARE COMPATIBLE for Side Mounting with these Tablet/Stand configurations.

CinTweak UNIVERSAL Keyboard Tray - Back View

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WILL I EXPERIENCE AN IMPROVEMENT IN MY COMFORT AND WORKFLOW?

No solution is perfect for every person. I designed the CinTweak Keyboard Tray solution for myself first. I am a pretty demanding individual when it comes to ergonomics.

I use my interactive pen display consistently throughout the workday for long stretches at a time with a number of Autodesk and Adobe applications. If this solution didn't meet my expectations of enhanced comfort and improved productivity, I would not be using it and I certainly would not be selling it.

CinTweak Keyboard Trays are a solid solution to a keyboard positioning challenge that you will experience with the large footprint of many Interactive Pen Displays.

Will the CinTweak Keyboard Tray enhance your comfort level and improve your productivity? It certainly did mine.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO ADJUST TO THE NEW KEYBOARD PLACEMENT?

It depends on your work flow. It took me about a week to get out of the habit of twisting and turning to access my keyboard on the side of my tablet.

But I noticed every time I turned to that old spot, just how much stress I was applying to my lower back and how disruptive it was to my work flow.

Since you have been using a non-optimal keyboard placement for quite some time, your muscles have been conditioned to move your arm to that spot to key. You are going to need a few days to retrain them.

WILL THE CINTWEAK TRAY WORK WITH A VESA MOUNTED TABLET?

CinTweak Keyboard Trays will not interfere with the VESA mounting area used for your monitor arm.

You will experience all of the benefits of the CinTweak keyboard tray whether you use the tablets by themselves, with the manufacturers’ stand, or an aftermarket monitor arm.

WHAT KEYBOARD ARE YOU USING IN THE WEBSITE PHOTOS?

The keyboards used in the website photos are not wireless. I cut the cables off of them for cleaner photo work.

The standard keyboard used is the GMYLE Compact Wired USB Mini Keyboard for PC - Charcoal Black by GMYLE

The extended keyboard used is the I-Rocks Black Aluminum X-Slim Keyboard for PC (KR-6402-BK)by I-Rocks

Both are solid reliable chicklet style keyboards. The I-Rocks is exceptionally well built and has Mac quality key responsiveness. It was my go to keyboard for several years - I absolutely loved it.

Now that I find myself often working late at night in dimmer lighting conditions, I recently switched to a lit mechanical keyboard to reduce eye strain. It took me quite a while to find one that I actually liked. The Z-88 is the first one I am happy with; not too bulky with a consistent brightness, and a smooth solid key response. Long term reliability? Too soon to know.

Z-88 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, Red Switch - Linear & Quiet, Programmable RGB Back-lit, Water Resistant, 104 Keys Anti-Ghosting for Mac PC, Blackby HUO JI

WON'T MY ARM GET TIRED
REACHING UP TO KEYSTROKE?

That depends on how you work. Your hand travels a much shorter distance from your tablet's programmable keys / remote to the CinTweak Keyboard Tray than it would if you had your keyboard on the side of your display, on your lap, or below your tablet.

Shoulder rotation is also reduced and oblique rotation is minimized, unlike when accessing your keyboard on the side of your display.

When I work, my non-drawing hand is resting on the side of the tablet and accessing the tablet's programmable keys or tablet Remote. As I need to keystroke, my hand travels to the keyboard and then back to the resting position. My touch dependency (the need to ride the keyboard so that you know where your fingers are) for blind key stroking has been eliminated by having the keyboard positioned back into my visual workspace.

If you hot key heavily and can't see your keyboard as you work, you have become conditioned to always keep your hand on the keyboard. This dependency on touch results from not being able to see what you are keying as you work, so you keep your hand there to avoid having to reorient each time to minimize miss clicks.

But you are not keystroking 100% of the time even if your hand is on the keyboard. If you could see your keyboard without having to turn your focus away from your work zone, there would be no need to ride it continuously to avoid keying mistakes and you could work with your keying hand in a more comfortable resting position.

WON'T MY ARM BLOCK MY DRAWING AREA WHEN I ACCESS MY KEYBOARD?

Not unless your arm sprouts from the center of your chest. Your arms pivot from your shoulders and the interference to your drawing area when reaching to hot key is minimal.

MY HAND IS ALWAYS ON MY KEYBOARD. IS THIS SOLUTION RIGHT FOR ME?

While you can position the keyboard tray towards the left or right side of your display to minimize the distance your hand travels from the tablet's programmable buttons, if your keying hand is humping your keyboard non-stop all day long, and you just can't work any other way, the CinTweak trays are not the solution you are looking for.

However, if you use your drawing tablet at a flatter angle off the edge of your desk (like a drafting table) while riding your keyboard, it is likely that you would find the CinTweak Keyboard Tray far more comfortable than having your keyboard on the side or on your lap.

Ultimately, you know your workflow and your comfort level best. What works for everyone else may not necessarily work for you - one of the annoying side effects of being unique & creative.

DO I HAVE TO ATTACH THE VELCRO TO MY KEYBOARD AND TABLET?

Absolutely! If you do not plan to use the supplied Velcro tethers to secure your keyboard tray to your tablet, and your keyboard to the CinTweak tray, please do not order this product.

I would prefer to hear that you love the tray and are enjoying your improved workflow, as opposed to hearing that you drowned in a pool of your salty tears when your keyboard fell and scratched your drawing surface because you chose not to follow the proper installation and usage guidelines.

WILL THE TRAY SCRATCH MY
TABLET'S DRAWING SURFACE?

No. All Legacy CinTweak keyboard trays have a synthetic felt backing that cushions the tray against your tablet. The new Universal trays utilize rubber instead of felt. The actual tray should never come in contact with your Cintiq directly if installed properly.

WILL THE TRAY BLOCK THE VENTS
ON THE BACK OF MY TABLET?

No. I designed the Legacy trays for each Cintiq model to pitch off the back surface of the Cintiq and allow for continued airflow from the vents. The new Universal trays are even less obstructive. Airflow blockage is not an issue.

DOES THE CINTWEAK TRAY COME IN ANY OTHER COLORS?

No. I assume the last thing you would want is a bright colored strip of acrylic at the top edge of your display to distract your eyes and potentially affect your color and value perception as you work.

You may also want to choose a black backlit keyboard. Having your keyboard as unobtrusive as possible will help you focus on your drawing area.

WHY DON'T YOU MAKE
A BOTTOM MOUNT TRAY?

I made several actually and, in all honesty, I hated them. The concept was great but when put into a production setting, the limitations were undeniable.

They have all the disadvantages of having the keyboard between you and the drawing surface and none of the benefits of being attached to your display for ease of accessibility.

I found the positioning cramped, with the keyboard making drawing at the bottom area of the screen nearly impossible, and the keyboard options very limited due to the riser. It was neither a workable nor a comfortable design. That is why I will not make them available.

WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE IT.
CAN I RETURN IT?

Please keep the original packaging.

I am confident that you will benefit from the improved work flow of having your keyboard in your creative work zone.

If after using it for 30 days, you decide the CinTweak is not for you, just let me know and send it back undamaged for a refund of the purchase price.

You will be responsible for return shipping costs.

I HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS!

If you have any questions, I am happy to help. Contact me at your convenience:

email:sales@CinTweak.com
phone: 702 818 3964

CinTweak keyboard trays are used by artists at many major studios

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