- Open Printer challenges traditional printers with an open, repairable hardware design
- The Raspberry Pi runs a printer built around user control
- The project rejects DRM restrictions through open firmware and design
Printers have earned a reputation for frustrating owners through DRM chips, subscription ink schemes, and firmware that completely blocks unbranded cartridges.
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 handles the print server, while a separate STMicroelectronics STM32 microcontroller independently controls the cartridge board.
Hardware built for repair, not limitation
Users can interact with it via a 1.47-inch TFT LCD screen paired with a jog wheel along with USB-C, USB-A, Bluetooth 4.1 and a 24V DC input.
Printing runs through CUPS, the open source Common Unix Printing System, which lets the device work across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS without vendor-specific drivers.
Print resolution reaches 600 dpi for black and white output and 1200 dpi for color printing.
The prototype accepts HP 63 cartridges in the US, HP 302 in Europe, and HP 803 in Asia, with black and color tanks operating independently.
Open Tools licenses its electronics, firmware, mechanical files, and bill 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 expressly prohibits anyone from making and selling the printer commercially.
Relying on HP cartridge housings 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 continuing to sell these cartridges in a form that accepts third-party inks.
Progress continues, but key details remain unclear
Beyond the cartridge and licensing issues, Open Tools continues to refine several technical aspects of the machine’s core functionality.
Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity are still being integrated, according to the company’s latest development update shared with supporters.
Engineers are also refining ink drying, printhead cleaning cycles, paper feeding mechanics and dithering algorithms used for color reproduction.
The spec sheet shows Wi-Fi 5 support, which exceeds 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 remain unconfirmed.
Open Tools has not released a funding target, indicating that final pricing will depend on production volume and component costs.
Certification requirements and remaining engineering work will also affect the final price when crowdfunding formally begins.
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 won two French Design Award nominations.
However, prototypes and design award nominations do not guarantee a shipped product, and open hardware crowdfunding projects often stall before reaching customers.
Whether Open Printer will even reach buyers remains the real question hanging over its DRM-free promise.
Via Tomshardware
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