The open-source, DRM-free Open Printer shows off a working prototype

[midian182]

Something to look forward to: Remember the Open Printer, the fully open-source inkjet printer with DRM-free ink and no subscriptions that was announced last year? A working prototype has now appeared. And while we still don't know details such as pricing or a release date, it's supposedly "coming soon."

It's been many years since printing from a PC involved little more than buying a printer and some ink, then purchasing extra cartridges when needed. Today, the industry is filled with DRM-locked ink cartridges, subscriptions, and other unsavory tactics.

That's why the open-source Open Printer received so much attention when it was announced late last year. Designed by Paris-based firm Open Tools, the printer's electronics, mechanical design files, firmware code, and bill of materials are licensed under Creative Commons, allowing anyone to provide custom enhancements or replacement parts. It doesn't allow people to build and sell the printer, though.

That repairability, combined with the lack of DRM chips and subscriptions, makes the Open Printer an enticing prospect.

Now, Open Tools has released a short video of the printer in action, along with the promise that it's coming soon.

The update on Crowd Supply shows the prototype printing and cutting a page. Open Tools says the core functions are now working, including media handling for standard sheets and continuous rolls, plus the integrated cutter that slices roll paper to the desired length.

There is still work to do before it lands in users' hands. The team says it is optimizing the ink-drying system, refining printhead cleaning cycles, improving paper insertion, and trying to boost print speeds. On the software side, work continues on Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, as well as dithering algorithms designed to improve image quality.

The Open Printer is built around a Raspberry Pi Zero W, with an STM32 microcontroller handling the cartridge board. It uses refillable HP cartridge bodies – HP 63 in the US and HP 302 in Europe – and supports 600 dpi black-and-white printing and 1,200 dpi color. It connects over USB-C, USB-A, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, and uses the open-source CUPS print server, so it should work across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS without proprietary drivers.

The project has also picked up some design-world attention. Open Tools says Open Printer has been nominated for the French Design Awards in the Production and Teaching & Learning categories.

The big missing detail remains price. Open Tools says the final number depends on production volume, bill-of-materials costs, certification, and remaining engineering work, so it won't be revealed until the crowdfunding campaign goes live.

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The open-source, DRM-free Open Printer shows off a working prototype

 

[OortCloud]

Looks good - not sure about the roll of paper though... Will printouts all try and curl up when they come out because the paper has been rolled for so long?

 

[yRaz]

Can't wait for this to become illegal in several countries

 

[Taroo]

We need this to be a real success. And say "go f... yourself" to the companies that put all those "technologies" in their cartridges to suck every penny we got left.

 

[Axeia]

That actually seems like a really neat space saving design.
Reminds me of the holder/cutters you can get for rolls of aluminum foil and clingfilm to use in the kitchen in the wall mounted photo. The amount of space taken up by a printer has always been a bit of a problem in my experience, just having it on the wall and it being pretty small is great.

The downside I suppose is that you probably can't print on envelops directly? (my handwriting is terrible, to the point of being unreadable)

Funny how printer companies are so anti-consumer that we reached the point of an 'open' alternative arising that doesn't try to squeeze every penny out of ya.

Meanwhile HP will try to sell you a subscription, puts DRM on their non-refillable cardridges, seems to spray away more ink than is needed to 'clean' the inkhead and mixes in colored ink even when you print in black (printer ink being one of the most expensive things on the planet, and colors even more so).

I'm still not a fan of inkjet for home use, ink drying out / cleaning the printhead just seems wasteful regardless and you'll always run out of ink right when you need it due to their small size. Not to mention I've had many driver issues and paper jams.
I've had none of those issues getting a (second hand) laser printer.

Nowadays I print so little all it really needs to do is print a postage label every now and then for which thermal printers seem to fit the bill just fine (and never need ink for those).

 

[axiomatic13]

I love the FU to HP by using their e-trash cartridges. Serves them right.