- Open Printer challenges traditional printers with a serviceable open hardware design
- Raspberry Pi powers a printer built around user control
- Project rejects DRM restrictions via open firmware and designs
Printers have gained a reputation for frustrating their owners with DRM chips, subscription ink programs, and firmware that blocks unbranded cartridges entirely.
Paris-based Open Tools now wants to challenge this model with a repairable, open-hardware inkjet called Open Printer.
The printer runs on a Raspberry Pi Zero W, which manages the print server, while a separate STMicroelectronics STM32 microcontroller independently manages the cartridge board.
Equipment designed for repair, no restrictions
Users can interact with it via a 1.47-inch TFT LCD screen paired with a jog wheel, alongside USB-C, USB-A, Bluetooth 4.1, and 24V DC input.
Printing is done via CUPS, the open source Common Unix printing system, allowing the device to run on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS without vendor-specific drivers.
Printing resolution reaches 600 dpi for black and white output and 1200 dpi for color printing.
The prototype accepts HP 63 cartridges in the United States, HP 302 in Europe and HP 803 in Asia, with the black and color tanks operating independently.
Open Tools licenses its electronic components, firmware, mechanical files and bills of materials under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 agreement.
This non-commercial license allows owners to repair, modify and share the design, but it explicitly prohibits anyone from making and selling the printer for commercial purposes.
Relying on HP cartridge bodies raises a strange contradiction, given HP’s long association with cartridge locks through its HP+ and Instant Ink programs.
This means that Open Printer’s refill freedom is entirely dependent on HP’s ability to continue to sell these cartridges in a form that accepts third-party ink.
Progress continues, but key details remain unanswered
Beyond cartridge and licensing issues, Open Tools continues to refine several technical aspects of the machine’s core function.
Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity are still being integrated, according to the company’s latest development update shared with supporters.
Engineers are also perfecting ink drying, print head cleaning cycles, paper insertion mechanisms and screening algorithms used for color rendering.
The datasheet lists support for Wi-Fi 5, which surpasses the older 802.11n radio built into the Raspberry Pi Zero W.
This suggests that networking will likely depend on an additional module, although final implementation details are unconfirmed.
Open Tools has not released a funding target, saying the final price depends on production volume and component costs.
Certification requirements and remaining engineering work will also affect the final price once crowdfunding officially launches.
Nearly nine months after it first appeared on Crowd Supply, the project still has no confirmed price, release date, or print speed.
In a recent video, the company shared a working prototype of this device and revealed that it has earned two French Design Awards nominations.
However, prototypes and design award nominations do not guarantee product shipment, and open hardware crowdfunding projects often fail before reaching customers.
The real question hanging over its DRM-free promise is whether Open Printer will ever reach buyers.
Via Toms Hardware
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