Open Printer Gives Makers a Fully Open Flexible Inkjet Platform - Yanko Design

"Traditional inkjet printers have become increasingly frustrating for anyone who values flexibility, repairability, or creative experimentation. Locked-down firmware prevents modifications, expensive proprietary cartridges drain budgets, and when something breaks, you're often better off buying a new printer than attempting repairs. This throwaway culture feels particularly wasteful when you consider how much useful technology gets discarded due to artificial limitations. What makes the Open Printer project particularly compelling is how it reimagines what an inkjet printer can be when freed from corporate constraints."

"This open-source platform puts control back in users' hands, offering a fully documented, hackable, and repairable alternative that encourages experimentation rather than discouraging it through proprietary barriers and planned obsolescence. Designer: Léonard Hartmann, Nicolas Schurando, Laurent Berthuel ( Open Tools) The hardware centers around a Raspberry Pi Zero W that serves as the printer's brain, enabling wireless connectivity and remote control through a simple web interface."

"The modular carriage system uses standard HP inkjet cartridges, keeping operating costs reasonable while ensuring replacement parts remain widely available. You get a printer built from 3D-printed components and off-the-shelf parts that anyone can source, assemble, and modify. The creative potential becomes apparent when you consider the flexible media support. Unlike consumer printers that restrict you to specific paper sizes and types, the Open Printer can handle everything from standard documents to envelopes, cardboard, wood, and even fabric."

Open Printer reimagines inkjet design as an open-source, hackable, and repairable platform that avoids proprietary restrictions and planned obsolescence. The design centers on a Raspberry Pi Zero W for wireless control and a simple web interface. A modular carriage accepts standard HP cartridges to keep operating costs low and replacement parts accessible. The frame and parts use 3D-printed components and off-the-shelf hardware for easy sourcing, assembly, and modification. Flexible media support enables printing on paper, envelopes, cardboard, wood, and fabric for art, prototyping, and experimental applications. All hardware designs, schematics, and firmware are hosted on GitHub to support community-driven evolution.

Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News