Printers are a weird kind of beast. They were unusual back in the '90s, and they remain somewhat unusual today. They jam, they have super expensive ink, and if they break somehow, you're pretty much out of luck.

Fortunately, there are people out there who want to make it easier for people to tinker with and repair their own printers. Such is the case of Open Printer, which aims to squash a lot of issues people have with traditional printers. And at the heart of it all is the humble Raspberry Pi Zero W doing all of the heavy lifting.

The Open Printer is a Raspberry Pi tinkerer's dream

In a new project listed on Crowd Supply (thanks for the spot, Hackster.io!), the Open Printer does what it says on the can. It's a printer where nothing is hidden behind a curtain. If something breaks, you can figure out exactly what component has gone kaput and replace it yourself. If a cartridge runs out of ink, you can fill it up yourself. And, of course, the code itself is open-source.

Here's how its creators describe the project:

Open Printer is an open-source, repairable inkjet printer designed for makers, artists, and anyone tired of throwaway hardware. Built with standard mechanical components and modular parts, it’s easy to assemble, modify, and repair. You can print on standard sheets or paper rolls and choose between black or color cartridges, refillable at your convenience.

This project aims to reclaim our everyday tools. As such, it features no proprietary drivers, no cartridge DRM that locks you to a single vendor and is designed to never become obsolete. The Open Printer is built for longevity and customizability, ensuring that it remains fully under your control.

Yeah, the printer can just print on a paper roll and cut off the amount you need. That's a pretty cool feature in itself, regardless of all the open-source goodness that's going on in this project.

The good news is that Open Printer is opening itself up to crowdfunding, hence why it's listed on Crowd Supply. The bad news is that it's not quite ready for funding yet. However, you can enter your email into the Crowd Supply page for updates when the project goes live. Just remember that crowdfunding campaigns come with their own risks, so never pledge more than you're willing to lose.

If you want to learn how to bring your old printer up to modern standards, check out these dust-collecting devices that you can breathe life into with a Raspberry Pi.