Open Printer is an open source inkjet printer with DRM-free ink and roll paper support

The Open Printer, recently unveiled by Paris-based startup Open Tools, is a unique inkjet printer envisioned as the answer to constraints on repairability and cartridge compatibility imposed by all the big brands. Think of it as the printer-equivalent of the Fairphone 6. So, how exactly does it bring the open-source ethos to the printer world?

For starters, the creators claim that it's "built with standard mechanical components and modular parts", which should simplify assembly, modification, and repair. In fact, the printer runs on a Raspberry Pi W board. There are also no proprietary drivers or cartridge DRM. The Open Printer is designed to use the widely used HP 63 (or HP 302 in Europe) cartridges in both black and colour. You can use both together, or either one.

Printer companies (and HP is most notorious for this) embed chips and firmware in their printers and cartridges, which help authenticate whether a cartridge is genuine and disable use if it isn't. Third-party suppliers who make identical cartridges (or provide refillable modifications thereof) try to find workarounds to thwart these locks with varying levels of success, and that issue is precisely what the Open Printer will sidestep.

The other—and arguably more striking—feature is that it can print not only on standard A4 and A3 sheets, but also on 27 mm wide paper rolls. There's an integrated cutter that'll cut the roll into A4 size, but if you have a longer longer format printing job like a banner, then that's possible too. 

By way of interface, there's a small LCD screen and jog wheel for basic controls, but wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are available, so you can send print jobs from any laptop or phone without tangling with those pesky cables.

The design of the Open Printer is no less unique than the philosophy behind it. Measuring at 19.7 x 3.9 x 4.3 inches (50 x 10 x 11 cm), it's elongated shape allows it to be either placed on a desktop or wall mounted. In the latter form, it really just looks like a very futuristic kitchen-roll dispenser, specially with the paper roll mounted atop.

Sadly, details on pricing and availability have not been shared yet. As a new concept, the Open Printer will be launched soon through a crowdfunding campaign on Crowd Supply. You can visit the page to register your interest and get notified when the campaign goes live.