this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2026
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The big thing here is this printer is repairable, there no spyware or vendor lock in for specific ink cartridges.
This is hardware that if you buy you truly own.
Honestly for these reasons alone I am going to buy this.
I went immediately "they started making opensource print heads.... since that is huge effort"... Oh it is just a carrier assembly for HP inkcartridges. Sure hack refillable ones, but still the main printing part is from big corporate. Waiting for the moment of "HP implemented backward DRM on their cartridge. HP cartridge only works, if it hears correct attestation from the printer."
This all is based on them hacking a corporate part and that is newer sustainable open hardware route.
Using a print head a maker sells as just "We make printheads, what you do with it after is your business. We exactly sell these as industrial parts from people to build printer around (or whatever other device you have use for ink depositing thingie in)" fine. That is normal.
But "hey we made open inkjet printer". "So you figured the vast tasks of designing and manufacturing inkjet print heads?" "No" "You found a suitable standard industrial part to build around, less amazing, but still okay?" "No" "So what did you figure out or provide to table?" "We hacked HPs part". Soooo everyone using this is still paying HP tax and who knows HP might shut this whole thing down one way or another.
edit: Not to mention it is not like it is some impossible task to get inkjet printheads, like all legit and so on. One web search later leads for example to KonicaMinolta industrials website for their catalog of "Here we sell just the Inkjet heads, incase you want to make a printer. Here is the spec sheet how to run it."
So in the end is just another open project goin to fail :(
Fair, and I admire them for trying. I was just pointing out that these specs are closer to a 10-15 yo laser printer, which is likely cheaper to buy and print with.
If they were producing q laser printer of similar specs with open firmware I'd be first in line to get one.
A 10 to 15 year old laser printer is going to have its fuser fail in a year and that replacement part costs as much as a new printer.