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Open Printer is a fully open-source inkjet with DRM-free ink and no subscriptions
(www.techspot.com)
this post was submitted on 05 Oct 2025
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How they can say it's DRM free ink if they use non refillable HP cartridges? Ok, the built-in DRM isn't enforced, but HP has the worldwide exclusive in producing the cartridges, and its integrated printhead is literally the shittiest one you can find in the market. Yes, you can drill the tank and add ink, but that shitty printhead is not designed to last more than 1.5x the original life. And 100% of the "compatible" cartridges are refilled old ones, coming from ewaste, so they will break/clog even sooner.
If anyway they had to reverse engineer proprietary protocols to talk with the proprietary printhead, couldn't they use the printhead of a $50 Epson? Way more reliable and at least it has 4 colors instead of tricolor for black.
Ps: if I remember right on the box of HP cartridges there's some legal language like "licensed to be used only with approved HP® products", so can they sell a product that uses such cartridge?
@Wispy2891
This is the main problem. The #OpenPrinter project is cool, but depending on HP cartridges breaks it. Unless the team has a source of 'compatible' cartridges which are not refilled HPs. Then, it depends on the price and quality of those.
@ardi60