Review of the UUNA TEK 3.0 Plotter (A1 Size)

I reached out to Uuna Tek because I loved their iDraw 2, and found I was out growing it.  They offered to send me a UUNA TEK 3.0 Plotter (A1 Size) plotter in return for my providing a review of my experience. My goal with this larger machine is to produce detailed pen plots copying architectural renderings of historical buildings that capture both the structural accuracy and aesthetic character of historic buildings, some of which are no longer standing. 

Disclosure: UUNA TEK provided me with a UUNA TEK 3.0 plotter for review. I purchased my iDraw 2.0 independently several years prior to this review.  Some of the images here were created with the iDraw 2.  UUNA TEK has had no editorial input or approval over the content of this review. All observations, evaluations, images, and opinions are entirely my own, based on extended hands-on use.  

Unboxing and Setup

Condition of the crate on arrival.  Notice the packing tape and broken off support under the crate.

When I recieved the crate it was in very poor condition; it appeared to have been opened and resealed with packing tape. Inside, the mounting hardware had broken or come unscrewed on three of the four corners of the machine. The plotter was rotating around the one corner that had not completely broken off and was banging one of the motors into the wall of the plywood. 

The plotter had been opened prior to arrival at my home and resealed with packing tape.

Of the four mounting points only one was still attached to the crate.  

Even with all of the damage to the crate and mounting hardware the plotter looked to be in good condition. Upon arrival I contacted Uuna Tek support and sent photos of the packaging condition. Their response was prompt and professional. They explained that customs often opens and "re-packs" machines for inspection. Uuna Tek provided helpful setup videos and a link to schedule one-on-one support with an engineer if I had problems with any of the hardawre. I didn't end up needing time with their engineer, but it was a nice offer. Their communication was fast and courteous throughout the setup process.

Even with all of the damage to the crate, the plotter still worked flawlessly. This says a lot about their build quality; setup was simple. There was no assembly or calibration required. Shortly after getting it into my home (which is a two-person job) and set up, the plotter was producing amazing prints.

The plotter is very large at 31x37.5 inches.  It takes two people to carry it.  Here it is sitting on a twin bed. With that size comes the ability to plot huge plots.  The text of each of these plots used the full bed of my A3.  Here I can plot two of them with plenty of room to spare.

Here it is on a twin mattress.  It takes up the full width and the majority of the length.

Software and Workflow

My biggest complaint with the Uuna Tek 3 is the included software.  It is less intuitive than what I have used for many years with my smaller A3 iDraw 2. The Uuna Tek 3 relies on G-code, whereas the iDraw 2 integrates directly with Inkscape through an extension. The Uuna Tek program feels designed primarily for their handwriting robots, which makes its interface unnecessarily complex for plotting.

Size comparison between the A3 iDraw 2 and the Uuna Tek 3.0 (A1 size)

In particular, I was frustrated by the software failing to recognize the individual layers I created in Inkscape for multi-color drawings. However, switching to Uuna Tek’s Inkscape extension solved that issue and allowed me to control colors and layers more effectively.

An example of a multi color plot.  This one only used two colors.

For my plots with lots of short strokes the total plotting time of the Uuna Tek 3.0 is longer than the plotting time of the iDraw 2 when using the default settings. While the Uuna Tek 3.0 has a higher maximum speed there seems to be a ramp up to that maximum speed. In plots where I have lots of short strokes it doesn't get to the maximum speed in the length of the stroke. While the Uuna Tek 3 has a higher theoretical maximum speed, its acceleration ramp means that for plots with many short strokes, it takes longer than the iDraw 2 at default settings. The internal path-optimization algorithm also feels less efficient to me.  In plots with hundreds of long lines that cross the entirety of the page it plots very quickly.

This plot has thousands of short strokes, each letter is made up of at least three strokes.  This plot takes longer on the A1 than on the A3 with the default settings.Each color was done with a different pen and layer on my drawing.  Alignment is a key part of ensuring a proper outcome.  I was able to swap out different colors of the same pen and not need to adjust the alignment at all.  It is amazing.

Where it excels is in mechanical design. The H-frame eliminates the cantilever droop found in smaller plotters, ensuring uniform line thickness—especially noticeable with brush pens. The base is also flatter, removing “dead zones” that could previously cause missed lines or failed plots.

Line loss due to cantilever droop and bed warping.

Consistent line thickness across the entire bed due to the H-frame design.

Performance and Reliability

The accuracy and repeatability of the Uuna Tek 3.0 A1 are outstanding. I can run multiple plots with 0.1 mm pens, and each stroke lands precisely on top of the last. The pen pressure is consistent across the entire bed, thanks to the rigid H-frame geometry. I’ve never experienced skipped steps, stalls, or communication drops, which has occasionally happened with the iDraw2.

Noise levels are moderate; It is not too loud, I have watched movies in the same room with my kids while the plotter was plotting and while we could hear it, it was not annoying or distracting.

This plot with thousands of small lines took over 2 hours.

Customer support continues to be responsive and friendly, though I find the software documentation somewhat lacking.

Creative and Professional Use

Working at A1 scale is transformative. Fine architectural details remain crisp instead of muddy, allowing both technical precision and expressive linework. I’ve used the Uuna Tek 3 for detailed reproductions and more artistic pieces alike, including experiments with brush pens, markers, fineliners, paint pens, and even mechanical pencils.

Because the plotter can handle unconventional media, it’s a superb tool for creative architectural presentations, such as producing artistic renderings of completed buildings as gifts for clients.  I have drawn on watercolor paper, handmade paper, and I’ve even adapted it for engraving brass by fitting a tungsten-carbide scribe into the pen holder.

Engraving brass on the iDraw 2.

Pros and Cons

Pros

I love the exceptional mechanical precision and repeatability, the large, perfectly flat A1 drawing area, the rigid H-frame eliminates droop and maintains consistent pen pressure, the pen holder that works with a wide variety of pens and even engraving tools, and the excellent customer support.

Cons

The ways that I think they could improve include changing the proprietary software because it is unintuitive and poorly documented.  With my plots created in Inkscape I couldn't figure out how to use the multi-color control without using the Inkscape extension.  Lastly, the path optimization is slower for drawings with many short segments.

Final Thoughts

I really love the Uuna Tek 3.0 (A1).  It delivers an amazing professional-grade performance with its mechanical precision, consistency, and build quality, 10/10.   While I feel the software is less polished, 6/10, the overall experience earns a solid 9/10.

If I ever needed another plotter I would absolutely buy another Uuna Tek plotter. My single wish for a future model is improved Z-axis control, allowing variable pen height during strokes to create expressive line-width variations with brush pens or paint brushes