- Open Printer challenges traditional printers with a repairable open hardware design
- Raspberry Pi powers a printer built around user control
- The project rejects DRM restrictions through open firmware and designs
Printers have earned a reputation for frustrating owners through DRM chips, subscription ink schemes, and firmware that blocks non-branded cartridges entirely.
Paris-based Open Tools now wants to challenge that 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 manages the cartridge board.
Hardware built for repair, not restriction
Users can interact with it through a 1.47-inch TFT LCD screen paired with a jog wheel, alongside USB-C, USB-A, Bluetooth 4.1, and a 24V DC input.
Printing runs through CUPS, the open source Common Unix Printing System, letting the device work across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS without vendor-specific drivers.
The printing resolution reaches 600 dpi for black and white output and 1200 dpi when printing in colour.
The prototype accepts HP 63 cartridges in the U.S., HP 302 in Europe, and HP 803 in Asia, with black and colour 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 explicitly bars anyone from manufacturing and selling the printer commercially.
Relying on HP cartridge bodies raises an odd contradiction, given HP's long association with cartridge lockouts through its HP+ and Instant Ink programs.
This means that Open Printer's refill freedom depends entirely on HP continuing to sell those cartridges in a form that accepts third-party ink.
Progress continues, but key details remain unresolved
Beyond the cartridge and licensing questions, Open Tools continues refining 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 refining ink drying, printhead cleaning cycles, paper insertion mechanics, and dithering algorithms used for colour rendering.
The specification sheet lists 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, though final implementation details remain unconfirmed.
Open Tools has not published a funding goal, stating that final pricing depends on production volume and component costs.
Certification requirements and remaining engineering work will also affect the final price once crowdfunding formally begins.
Nearly nine months after first appearing 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 Award nominations.
However, prototypes and design award nominations do not guarantee a shipped product, and open-hardware crowdfunding projects frequently stall before reaching customers.
Whether Open Printer ever reaches buyers at all remains the real question hanging over its DRM-free promise.
Via Tomshardware
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