4 ms·

It would be cool that someone made a crowdsourced, open-hardware, open-source printer that people can self-service using refillable cartridges.

pxeboot 4y ago
I think the overlap between people with the skills to do this and who care about printing is close to zero. I suspect this is also why printer software/firmware is so terrible to begin with. The best, or even just decent developers are not working on printers.
- bediger4000 4y ago
  I've long noted that NOBODY says they are proud to work on printer soft or hard ware.
midoridensha 4y ago
You don't need a crowdsourced, open-source, open-hardware printer. Just buy a decent laser printer off-the-shelf with proprietary hardware and firmware. You can buy 3rd party cartridges (or even just toner to refill your existing carts) for dirt cheap on Ebay.
- elcomet 4y ago
  This works if you're just trying to solve the problem for yourself. The suggestion from the parent is if you're trying to help other people
  - matkoniecz 4y ago
    I advise anyone who asked or commented about printers to buy laser printer instead of ink one.
  - midoridensha 4y ago
    Again, very very easy: tell them to buy a laser printer instead. Problem solved. There is simply no valid reason to buy a consumer inkjet printer.
    - elcomet 4y ago
      This is nonsense, cost of the printer is a very valid reason if you don't print very often. And what if you already bought the printer? Your solution involves trashing all existing printers, not very economical or ecological.
      - midoridensha 4y ago
        Laser printers can be bought for $100 now. Cost is not a valid reason. Your solution involves getting an army of unpaid volunteers to take on a pet project that you think is important. That's not even realistic. If you think it's so important, I look forward to seeing your github page about it.
buildbot 4y ago
This would be a huge deal for more rare/advanced types of printing such as Piezography Oddly it seems like a simpler problem than 3d printers? You could literally even expose a sheet of photo paper pretty well with a formlabs printer if the paper was UV sensitive.
userbinator 4y ago
You can buy something like that; they're just a few orders of magnitude more expensive than the majority of people would be willing to pay for a printer. I'm referring to industrial machines using bulk ink (by the barrel), which come with full service literature and have parts availability. Unfortunately, besides the price, they are also relatively low resolution and designed for volume instead of print quality.
petra 4y ago
Modifying some printers to use an external ink waste bottle is possible, and using the counter reset software is easy too. If there was demand I'm sure you could get that from China. But it comes at a price.

pxeboot 4y ago

I think the overlap between people with the skills to do this and who care about printing is close to zero. I suspect this is also why printer software/firmware is so terrible to begin with. The best, or even just decent developers are not working on printers.

bediger4000 4y ago
I've long noted that NOBODY says they are proud to work on printer soft or hard ware.

midoridensha 4y ago

You don't need a crowdsourced, open-source, open-hardware printer. Just buy a decent laser printer off-the-shelf with proprietary hardware and firmware. You can buy 3rd party cartridges (or even just toner to refill your existing carts) for dirt cheap on Ebay.

elcomet 4y ago
This works if you're just trying to solve the problem for yourself. The suggestion from the parent is if you're trying to help other people
- matkoniecz 4y ago
  I advise anyone who asked or commented about printers to buy laser printer instead of ink one.
- midoridensha 4y ago
  Again, very very easy: tell them to buy a laser printer instead. Problem solved. There is simply no valid reason to buy a consumer inkjet printer.
  - elcomet 4y ago
    This is nonsense, cost of the printer is a very valid reason if you don't print very often. And what if you already bought the printer? Your solution involves trashing all existing printers, not very economical or ecological.
    - midoridensha 4y ago
      Laser printers can be bought for $100 now. Cost is not a valid reason. Your solution involves getting an army of unpaid volunteers to take on a pet project that you think is important. That's not even realistic. If you think it's so important, I look forward to seeing your github page about it.

buildbot 4y ago

This would be a huge deal for more rare/advanced types of printing such as Piezography Oddly it seems like a simpler problem than 3d printers? You could literally even expose a sheet of photo paper pretty well with a formlabs printer if the paper was UV sensitive.

userbinator 4y ago

You can buy something like that; they're just a few orders of magnitude more expensive than the majority of people would be willing to pay for a printer. I'm referring to industrial machines using bulk ink (by the barrel), which come with full service literature and have parts availability. Unfortunately, besides the price, they are also relatively low resolution and designed for volume instead of print quality.

petra 4y ago

Modifying some printers to use an external ink waste bottle is possible, and using the counter reset software is easy too. If there was demand I'm sure you could get that from China. But it comes at a price.