Open Source Openprinter almost ready to launch
The Open Source Openprinter is almost ready to launch
If there is one word that’s commonly associated with printers, it’s frustration. The ink’s expensive, the products are cheaply made, and they are almost impossible to modify and repair. Consumer-grade printers are awful, and the OpenTools Openprinter plans to change that.
The Openprinter is “coming soon” to the crowdfunding platform Crowd Supply. The printer is designed to be compact, repairable, and widely compatible with easy-refill inks. The printer uses off-the-shelf parts and can print pages up to A3 in size, supporting standard printer paper and A3-edged paper rolls.
A new video has been released showcasing a fully functional prototype. The printer has no DRM, uses open-source firmware, and has an electronic and mechanical design licensed under the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. That means that people are allowed to freely use and adapt this printer’s design for their own projects. However, users must share their projects under the same license.
Broad ink compatability – No DRM
The Openprinter can print at up to 600 DPI in black and white and up to 1200 DPI in colour. The printer is compatible with various HP ink cartridges, including HP 63, HP 63 XL, HP 302, HP 302 XL, HP 803, and HP 803 XL. This includes compatible 3rd-party inks for this size, including refillable ink cartridges.
Note that this printer also avoids silly printer problems like “I can’t print black and white, I have no yellow”, and other similar issues. The printer can be used with just a black ink cartridge, or with just a colour cartridge.
(Refillable ink? Yes, please!)
The Openprinter uses a Raspberry Pi Zero W and an STM32 microcontroller on a cartridge board. It uses the open-source CUPS printer server, and does not require custom drivers or software to operate. Additionally, users can connect to the printer with USB Type-C, WIFI 802.11ac, and Bluetooth 4.1. The printer also has a USB Type-A port to connect flash drives for PC-less printing. The printer also has a small LCD screen and a jogger wheel to display and navigate menus.
Right now, the pricing of the Openprinter is unknown. The printer is expected to arrive on Crowd Supply soon, so you can expect to hear more about the Openprinter then.
You can join the discussion on the Openprinter on the OC3D Forums.
