The Ultimaker 2+ ($2,499) is an upgraded version of the Ultimaker 2, which was our Editors' Choice high-end 3D printer when we tested it in 2014. The new model features a revamped filament feeder, four extruder nozzles in various diameters, and a modified airflow system that, according to the company, can produce smoother prints. Indeed, the Ultimaker 2+ provides very good print quality and overall solid performance despite some glitches in testing. It costs less than the MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer, our current Editors' Choice high-end 3D printer, but isn't as problem-free in its operation and lacks the Replicator's wide range of connection choices.

A Dutch company, Ultimaking Ltd., manufactures the Ultimaker 2+. In the United States, Ultimaker printers, even the models sold by Amazon, are distributed primarily by Dynamism, which provides service and support. 

Design and Features
A single-extruder 3D printer with an attractive, boxy, white frame, the Ultimaker 2+ is nearly identical in appearance to the Ultimaker 2. It has an open front and top, translucent sides, and an interior that is well lit by strings of lights running down each of the front inside edges. The Ultimaker 2+ measures 23.2 by 19.9 by 13.4 inches (HWD), and weighs 24 pounds. Its build area measures 8.1 by 8.8 by 8.8 inches, about average for a 3D printer at its price. It can print with either polylactic acid (PLA) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic filaments.

The build platform is a sheet of glass, which is heated before each print job to keep the corners of ABS plastic objects from curling up. Unlike most 3D printers, which use 1.75mm-thick plastic filament, the Ultimaker 2+'s extrusion system uses a thicker 2.85mm filament. Other than Ultimaker, Aleph Objects, the maker of Lulzbot printers such as the Editors' Choice Mini 3D Printer, is the only other brand we've seen that uses this filament thickness.

The new feeder, which pulls the filament from the spool into the extruder by means of a gear system, proved reliable in our testing, which wasn't the case with the Ultimaker 2 Extended or the Ultimaker 2 Go. When we tested those two models last year, we experienced significant problems with both of their filament feeders, which required extensive troubleshooting with Ultimaker's support team. The original Ultimaker 2, however, fared fine with the old filament-feeding system.

The Ultimaker 2+ comes with the 0.4mm extruder nozzle in place, and the other three nozzles—0.2mm, 0.6mm, and 0.8mm—in a small cardboard box that also contains a hex wrench and screwdriver. The nozzles are easy enough to switch out. First, you remove the filament from the extruder, using a process that heats up the extruder and nozzle. When it's cooled down, unscrew the nozzle from the extruder with the hex wrench, select a new nozzle, and screw it into place. Then change the nozzle size setting in the software, and you're ready to print with the new nozzle.

Setup
Setup is fairly simple. It consists of snapping the filament spool holder in place in back of the printer, affixing the build plate to the build platform with metal clips, attaching the Power supply, turning the printer on, and then following the instructions on the five-line display on the front panel, which is controlled by a dial next to it. It first guides you through leveling the build plate, which involves moving the extruder to three different positions above the build plate and lowering the extruder at each position, by means of the dial or set screws until a sheet of paper fits, with slight resistance, between the extruder and build plate.

Next, you put a filament spool in place in its holder, and push the free end of the filament into a tube until it's grabbed by the gear system. Once the filament catches, it is guided through a tube into the extruder, and soon it melts and comes out of the nozzle. You then select one of the test 3D object files from the memory card, press Print, and the extruder should heat up and then print out the test object.

SD Card and Software
The printer has an SD card slot, and comes with a 4GB SD card with a few test files already loaded. Ultimaker offers a free software package, Cura, for download. The software is easy to use, and lets you resize and move objects, load multiple objects for printing, and change the resolution and other settings. I installed Cura on a laptop running Windows 8.1. I then loaded a number of files into the Cura software, saved them to an SD card on my computer, transferred the card to the printer, and began printing. The process took 15 to 20 seconds longer than it would have had I been able to print directly from my laptop over a USB connection.

There is a USB port on the back of the printer, but it's just for firmware updates. It's unusual that any printer, 3D or otherwise, lacks the ability to print from a PC over a USB connection, and many models offer multiple connection methods. The MakerBot Replicator can't print from SD cards, but it can print from a USB thumb drive or over a USB, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi connection. Being limited to SD card printing may not be ideal, but I didn't find it particularly bothersome, and it does have one advantage over USB: You don't have to worry about a print failing because you accidentally disconnect a cable.

Dynamism offers comprehensive solutions for higher-end clients that may include software-based methods of printing via USB. For most Ultimaker 2+ users, though, printing from an SD card is the only option.

Resolution and Print Quality
We perform most of our 3D printer testing at the printer's default resolution, with at least one print at the fastest preset. The Ultimaker 2+ offers three preset resolutions: High (60 microns), Normal (100 microns), and Fast (150 microns). With 3D printers, resolution is a measure of layer height, so the lower the number of microns, the higher the resolution. With the 0.4mm nozzle, you can set a custom resolution anywhere between 20 and 200 microns. With the 0.2mm nozzle, the lowest resolution is 150 microns; with the 0.6mm nozzle, it is 400 microns; and with the 0.8mm nozzle, it is 600 microns.

With the standard 0.4mm nozzle, the Ultimaker 2+'s default Normal setting is a higher resolution than the default of most 3D printers. Although a higher resolution can translate into better print quality, its downside is longer print times. It took about twice as long for the Ultimaker 2+ to print the same test objects as the Makerbot Replicator at each printer's default settings. Even the Ultimaker 2+'s Fast preset is slower (and of higher resolution) than the Makerbot Replicator's default Standard (200-micron) setting. The difference in print quality between Ultimaker 2+'s 150mm and 100mm settings are barely perceptible, and relatively minor even between the 150mm and 60mm settings. We test mostly at default settings because users tend to stick to them. Although you can change presets, or use custom settings or different nozzles, I would have preferred that the Ultimaker 2+ have a lower default resolution with faster print times.

Print quality in my tests was generally very good to excellent, with its best prints rivaling those of the Ultimaker 2 and the Ultimaker 2 Extended, as well as the MakerBot Replicator Desktop. The printer did botch several prints, however, including one file that we printed twice with the same issues. At Dynamism's request, I sent the file to a technician, who encountered the same problem, also on an Ultimaker 2+ using the same default settings. She was able to get a better print by reducing the print speed, and suggested lowering the fan speed as well. However, few users would think to do these things, and might well assume that the problem was with the file itself.

The Ultimaker 2+ is quieter than most 3D printers, and is unlikely to disturb people sitting close by. As with any open-frame 3D printer, there is some risk of being burned by the hot extruder, so you  have to be careful to keep the printer beyond the reach of young children and advise anyone using it to avoid touching the extruder. Also, be sure to use it in a well-ventilated place, particularly when using ABS, as it can emit a burnt-plastic odor.

Conclusion
The Ultimaker 2+ offers some improvements over previous-gen Ultimaker 3D printers, thanks to a more dependable filament-feed system and the switchable filament nozzles. Overall print quality is strong, although the printer had its share of misprints in our testing. Like older Ultimaker models, but unlike most 3D printers, it is limited to printing from an SD card. The MakerBot Replicator Desktop, which has an unusually wide range of connection choices, consistent operation, and very good print quality, remains our top choice for high-end 3D printers. But with the Ultimaker 2+ you can save a few hundred dollars and get an easy-to-use model with very good print quality.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.