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Open Printer is a fully open-source inkjet with DRM-free ink and no subscriptions
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this post was submitted on 05 Oct 2025
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As people on HN correctly pointed out, it's not fully open source as their license only permits them to manufacture parts for the printer
Open source is generally about the code, not the hardware, even less manufacturing. OSHW (hence the clarification even though a bit longer) is about the hardware and has specific requirements in order to get the label and ID, e.g https://certification.oshwa.org/de000008.html and process https://certification.oshwa.org/process.html
AFAIK there is no terms that means open source + OSHW but I'd love to learn if there is one and apologize in advance if I missed that.
Anyway as I'm interested in the project, which part is proprietary exactly? In theory as they sell via CrowdSupply https://www.crowdsupply.com/apply it should be both OSHW and open source but I didn't dig.
It states the code and files will be CC-NC licensed, which isn't open source.
Thanks, I just checked https://www.crowdsupply.com/open-tools/open-printer and its says "Open Printer will use the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license for all of its files, including electronics and mechanical design files, firmware code, and the bill of materials." so I don't think that's related to the source code but rather the resulting binary of the built firmware.
The latest CrowdSupply project I bought was the PGB-1 and they did realize their firmware source code https://github.com/wee-noise-makers/WNM-PGB1-firmware/ and as GPL3 so I assume they will clarify that before starting the crowd funding campaign. I don't think they can, even if they wanted to, have a CS project without releasing the source code.
Edit: to be safe I asked on the CS Discord for clarification.
So a closed open printer. I mean, is it at least, like, see-thru? I don't get the name.
That’s weird. Opening your stuff but not allowing others to make stuff commercially for it?
Make something free for it then? The stuff is open and the license makes it so that it stays that way legally (though, in real life, it's different but that's another discussion) and any and all other contributions made to the project stays open source.
Can’t give away free ink, but can’t compete either. That was my point.
Can’t sell spare parts for a good price