REVIEW - New PEN PLOTTER iDraw 2.0 A3 by UUNA TEK® (XY CNC Drawing Machine) 

Hi Joyce, you don’t need to program to use it. You simply can draw anything you like in any software and then press the button to plot any vector/line drawing. It works almost like a regular printer.

@@thedotisblack Sounds a lot like my Incendia app. I need not program it there are fractals ready to be used but I made my own using new shapes. I guess I am doing what you are doing without letters or numbers. I can make virtually a million different fractal and non fractal shapes. Yours is cool because you can do signs. That might pay off.

@@JJDigitalartStudio I've actually taught people 45 who were a real estate agent before goe to code. Don't give up

@@ArtNowCoding I am a little long in the tooth to be learning now. I finally have enough money to get my degree in college. Not just an Associate Degree but a BA. But what would I do with it? Line my casket with it? I am being cremated so even that won't work. If I do this for another year I may stop when my hands get so bad I cannot even mouse. Old age might all be in one's head but arthritis lands anywhere it wants to. And it has landed. All over. When I want to I make art. When I don't want to I don't have another machine around that I don't use. We bought a bread machine 10 years ago. It took me forever to learn how to use it. I made 2 loaves of bread which cost us $4.50 a loaf. Today that is not much but 10 years ago it was. We gave it to my daughter who now uses it all the time. I am almost ready for the pasture but not quite there yet. Thank you though. You have more faith in my abilities than I do.

I currently use the iDraw H only. I find it very easy to handle, pretty much plug and play device. It is also great for high speed drawings. The iDraw 2.0 is also fine, but iDraw H has the additional y axis that adds more stability in case you’d like to use heavy pens and I find it better looking. The baseplate is extremely useful. I simply place my A3 paper on it and instantly plot, without it, I’d have to calibrate always. But you can of course make your own, however fur the iDraw H it’s only 20 USD more. Worth the price. And if you don’t want, you can always remove it and change the location of the microcontroller. Quite easy to do.

I added the download link in the description. Please share your tests, I'd like to see the comparison.

Yes, I do plot directly from InkScape, it's the easiest way, sort of plug&play or similar to a regular printer. (Sorry, for late reply.)

Hi Lionel, I agree with you. The iDraw is a valid competitor to the AxiDraw. However, in my opinion there are lots of great plotters these days (especially in the Chinese/Asian market) but unfortunately not enough thorough reviews. From what I can see, many utilize the same hardware, same stepper motors, frames, etc. the biggest difference is however the interface or how to plot instantly. And in this case, UUNATEK did the right decision to use and adapt AxiDraw’s plugin for InkScape. This makes it highly accessible to the majority of users. How the art community will respond to new plotters is difficult to say. It’s mainly about exposure but since the AxiDraw was one of the first that developed a balanced plotter, it will be difficult to gain fast a large market share. Lots of great artists use the AxiDraw. That has an impact on exposure of course. But the support of iDraw is great. They always replied almost instantly and helped with issues. But to be fair, I didn’t have any issues with the iDraw. When I asked about the Bluetooth and lack of instructions, within a week they published a video how to set it up. It actually works with GRBL. The video link is in the description. No need for cables anymore! So, as you said, it is a fairly new company that needs a lot of input of the community to improve their products. I don’t have the laser module for the iDraw right now. But you are right, I should ask them and review it as well. It’s not only because of the duality of the machine but actually more about the working area. A3 laser engravers are rare or expensive. The height of the z motor you can control precisely, in mm instead of %. I like that actually. However, the z motor does not add pressure on the pen, a spring adds additional pressure. The z motor is great for speed, it lifts up/down quickly the pen without delay. That is extremely important to avoid ink bleeding and drawings with shorts lines can be achieved faster. Likewise, a stepper motor is more durable than a plain servo motor.

Hi! It supposed to work the same way with a Mac. But I did not test it, I don’t have a Mac. If you work with InkScape, you should have vector drawings and saved as PDF or SVG files. There are plugins in InkScape that can translate raster images to vectors though.

@@thedotisblack thanks - that's helpful :)

You’re most welcome!

I personally find the backplate very useful, it makes plotting extremely fast, no need to calibrate or set up a drawing surface on the desk. Almost a plug&play device. Also with the backplate you can take advantage of the high speed, especially when you have a drawing with many short lines or curves. The backplate is fixed with the frame, so even your desk is shaking, the paper will always remain in place. This is definitely great! Without the backplate, it is easier to work with larger than A3 papers, like A2. But then you’ll need a stable desk and set up always the machine (same as Axidraw). So, if you plan to work always with paper not much larger than A3, get the model with backplate.

To add, in case you want to make project with a very large canvas, you can always remove the backplate. I show in the video how to move the motherboard to the back of the frame. That is fairly easy.

@@thedotisblack thank you so much for such a detailed reply. I’ll get the version with the base plate then as soon as my next salary comes through. THANK YOU

Yes, you can draw on pretty much anything. But if you have the model with the baseplate you will need to remove it temporary to get more height. Not a big deal though.

Thanks for your reply good sir!@@thedotisblack

Yes, I would buy the iDraw 2.0 with the basement/drawing surface. It is very easy to operate, almost a plug&play device.

Just to clarify, it is not about money. There is simply no perfect pen plotter. Every machine is a compromise and a trade-off to find a perfect balance. The AxiDraw is not perfect either. It has limitations. For example: the AxiDraw is very gentle to fine pens, it only works with gravity and is thus very slow. If you use pens (pencils, etc.) that need pressure, you need to use rubber bands on the pen holder plate. It’s not always neat and not always accurate, also it damages over time the servo motor of the pen holder plate. Likewise, I found the legs of the AxiDraw too short. At high speeds and curves, the AxiDraw tends to slide. Equally, if I mount a camera on top of the pen holder plate, the additional weight becomes critical and the AxiDraw can tilt. It needs to work very slow. And, lastly, my AxiDraw also broke down once. One of the wheels on the y-axis cracked. I had to replace it. That said, the AxiDraw is a great plotter but also had its flaws. I should make a video of the AxiDraw perhaps.

I would need to see your SVG file to give you a precise answer. Otherwise it is impossible to know why or how you created the text. But few suggestions that you should check and do: 1) If it is double layered, please select one layer of the text, and delete it. In case it is a group, first "ungroup" then delete one layer. 2) Zoom in, check whether it is a single stroke or an outline of the letters. If it is an outline, then of course the plotter draws two lines. (This happens if you only transform the text to outline. You need to use specific single-stroke fonts. Or Hershey Text.) 3) In InkScape, translate your regular text with the function Hershey Text. Copy/paste your text to InkScape. Select it and go to... Extensions > iDraw Utilities > Hershey Text Or Extensions > Text > Hershey Text Let me know if any of these apply. No 3 should definitely work. But why do you have three pen plotters?

@@thedotisblack Hey, thanks for the response. Yes i noticed that most fonts get a outline when you transform them into svg. Im right now looking for a good handwriting font which is single stroked. Can you maybe recommend me one? Another struggle is that the pen is going lower and lower the more it goes to the right side, which is due to the weight i assume. Do you know how to fix this? I bought 3 because i want to write "handwritten" cards for my customers since im in ecom :) Thanks for your help already

@XMiniProX font can be expensive. I don’t work with hand writing, I usually use the provided Hershey fonts in Inkscape. Have a look at these first. Otherwise, just google “Hershey fonts single stroke”. You will find countless types that will fit your needs. Regarding the pen going lower on the right side: Actually there shouldn’t be a problem. It’s very difficult to help without seeing the machine. But I assume you have the iDraw 2.0 with the baseplate. First, please check the x-axis how it is mounted on the y-axis. Check the screws and washers, especially the position of the washers. They should be above the metal plate, just below the nuts. Second, check whether the baseplate is flat, use the narrow side of a ruler and slide across the baseplate. Perhaps, send me a photo of your machine on instagram or Facebook.

Hi. In my review on the iDraw H, I talk about the pen holder plate and the spring with which you can change the pressure. If you want to use a pen with very little pressure or gravity only, it will be rather difficult. The weight of the pen holder plate is already adding pressure. However you can control the speed of lowering the pen in the plugin. That could help but limited and it won’t be gravity only. That said, I do like the pressure because most of the pens that I use, require pressure to interact with the paper and release ink. The lines have more clarity. Eventually, it depends on the type of drawings you’d like to produce.

Oh that is indeed annoying. I don’t have this issue but heard of it already. As I remember, Uunatek has a video on their channel how to fix it. And if it is not possible, then contact them directly and ask for a replacement of the baseplate. Take a long ruler and move it along the baseplate to find out where it is uneven. It’s thick metal but you can remove it and perhaps it’s possible to bend it back. If the base plate is even, it might also be the y-axis. Perhaps the y-axis is not properly installed. One side might be higher then the other. Check this as well. Additionally, in the plug-in you can change the height of the pen holder. But that should only vary by around 0.5mm.

There are two washers included, please place them properly toward the inside side. This is very important actually. (In case you haven’t done.)

@@thedotisblack thank you so much for the reply, i found the video on Uunatek's channel, i will try to follow it and see if it works

No, this plotter is A3 size. It is not the same but you could create A3 tiles and assemble them to a larger art work. However, Unatek has also A1 plotters on sale.

Hi! I don’t know whether this motherboard can work on a Linux OS. But you can simply email to UUNA Tek and ask, they will reply to you and perhaps also find a solution. Just visit their website for their contact or message directly on Instagram.

Hi! This basement comes with the iDraw, you need to select the option when you purchase it. But you can also get it without and plot directly on your desk. However, I find the basement extremely useful, the plotter becomes a plug&play device and because the basement is screwed to the frame, the plotter is always precise at high speeds. If there is a need, you also can remove the basement. Yes, the iDraw 2.0 is much better than 1.0! Day and night difference. 2.0 has a much better frame, doesn’t bend. 1.0 has metal rods that bend with additional weight and when extended. 2.0 has higher speeds, and the pen holder plate has a stepper motor which is faster for plotting. Also, 2.0 can hold a laser module. 1.0 cannot. The question is rather whether iDraw H is better than iDraw 2.0.

@@thedotisblack thx for the response and the code saved me a bunch, do you know where I can possibly get a feeder that is already made to possibly attach to this device? Also, I plan on just using it for the "handwriting" of 5x5 index cards so where did you locate the hershey fonts?

@@thedotisblack hey again, I got it and it's just like you said. Just wondering if you know how to simply write on a postcard then scan it in Inkscape and have the plotter write it out? Tried asking Uunatek but they don't seem to understand what I want to use it for. Any help would be appreciated.

Hi! The plotter is limited to A3 size, the frame cannot be extended. A larger plot area would be an issue. You’d need to work with tiles, but the transitions will not look great.

@@thedotisblack thank you for responding. Do you know of a kit for larger drawings?

​@@Zickafoose2024 There are a lot of plotters for A1 and even A0 for up to 500 USD. You can find many on Alibaba but I have not reviewed any of them. I guess, all of them will work properly. The differences will be in the details of course, mainly the speed, setup, and the interface/pluginor how to communicate with the plotter. On a side note, AxiDraw is also available in A1. Very expensive though.

@@thedotisblack Thank you for replying! I found the AXIDRAW, but nothing on alibaba. I am trying to do large scale drawings...maybe modify something?

@@Zickafoose2024 Here is one on Alibaba with sizes from A4 to A0. But again, I don't know anything about its performance. www.alibaba.com/product-detail/DIY-Disassembled-LY-Frame-Type-Antirust_1600564028213.html

That depends on the paintbrush, thickness, length etc. It’s not a standard drawing utensil, so you will need to test. If you have a baseplate, you might want to remove it to get more height between the brush and canvas.

@@thedotisblack thanks for the help🙏

Hi Jay, I am not sure whether I understand your problem/question. Is it the paper orientation? Select auto rotate in the plug-in. Also try different settings for plot optimization. Both you can find it in the plugin options. Let me know whether that solves your problem.

@@thedotisblack hey appreciate the reply back! after some more troubleshooting yesterday i believe my issue is that the text i'm trying to have it write is in the form of an image so it's trying to "draw" not "write" and I can't choose the starting location. i tested using another image with the same text and the pen was moving across the board left to right as I wanted.

Ah that makes sense. In this case, I highly recommend you to transform the text on the image to vector lines. You can do it simply with Adobe Illustrator or use any free online tool. That will make a huge difference.

@@thedotisblack appreciate the advice. i will take a look into that and give it a go! thank you again!

Hi Richard, this pen plotter is great for writing, it has the speed and the necessary pressure by the pen holder plate. You can write on any materials as long as it is smooth. The size is A3 but I think iDraw also has now an A1 plotter. Of course, to create hand writing you will need select and use Hershey fonts (Vector fonts) in InkScape. Here is a Certificate of Authenticity all text is written by this pen plotter: www.reddit.com/r/thedotisblack/comments/zcpulc/thedotisblack_logo_with_the_idraw20/?context=3

That’s not supposed to be. I don’t have that warning… perhaps check your antivirus settings.

The steeper motor on the pen holder plate does not push down the pencil. There are two springs, one adds stability to the belt, the other pulls the pen down. The spring adds additional pressure on the pen, together with gravity. It’s very useful for pencils. The stepper motor adds speed to the pen holder plate. Which is relevant for high speed drawings with precision. This is especially useful when you have drawings with lots of short lines. Also, the stepper motor is more durable than a regular servo motor and can hold heavier pens/drawing utensil.

@@thedotisblack If the laser purchase option is selected does that mean the pen attachment hardware is missing in the box? Or is the laser an 'addon' to the default pen plotter attachment. I want to use the plotter more than the laser but having both options available would be nice, even if it involves some work to swap hardware attachments! The iDraw website has no answers or PDF showing how to switch between pen and laser hardware attachments. ☹

@@graphosxp Yes, it is an addon and the pen holder plate is always included. But you are right, there is no documentation on the laser engraver (yet), however, do email iDraw and ask them. They always respond quickly and actually might do a video on how install the laser modules. I do quite enjoy to work with lasers, it is a great addition.

Btw, stand-alone laser engravers/cutters are quite expensive, especially with a large working area. With the iDraw 2.0 you can get an A3 working area. But again, I did not test it. However the frames and motors are based on laser cutting machines, such as Ortur, Atomstack, etc.

It’s a very good plotter. This week, I will release a new review on the iDraw H.

I am not sure what you mean by photocopy. It is not a scanner. It is a plotter that uses a pen to draw and write and you need vector images or text.

@@thedotisblack can you feed it a jpg, or it takes only svg?

Yes, pen plotters require vector images. No pixel images, such as Jpgs that are raster images. Certain image editing software can translate photos into vectors though. InkScape has some plugins for that or there various online sources to do but it’s not as good as you’d like it. Again, any pen plotter requires vector graphics (that are coordinates and lines).

Sure, you can do. This plotter is actually great for pencils. The pen holder plate adds pressure on the pencil. I talked about it in the review video on the iDraw H. (It’s the same pen holder plate as this plotter.)

Thank you for responding. Do you know where I can buy one

@@rodolfojronofre2613 You can buy it here: idrawpenplotter.com/ Use the coupon code ( THEDOTISBLACK ) to get 15% off on any purchase. (This way you can support this channel.)

Yes, you can. But you will need to find a nice Hershey font first. Or optionally, scan your hand written letter, scan and translate the writing to vector paths.

So you can actually program it to use your own handwriting?

@@thedotisblack This is the exact feature I'm looking for! Do you have any videos showcasing this handwritten scan feature?

You cannot program the plotter directly. You will need to write a separate algorithm to do it and then either save it as SVG file (vectors) or directly feed the plotter with g code.

I don’t have a video on how to translate handwriting into vectors but it’s a great suggestion. I put it on my list and will record a video.

I usually write my own algorithms for these kind of drawings. But you can use this website: mitxela.com/plotterfun/

@@thedotisblack many thanks

Depends on the font type and font size, and pen of course. I can’t really say.. but usually it is quick.