Coming: a Repairable Printer with Refillable Ink Cartridges
Posted3 months agoActive3 months ago
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SustainabilityPrinter TechnologyRight to Repair
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Sustainability
Printer Technology
Right to Repair
A new printer with refillable ink cartridges and repairable design is coming, sparking interest in the HN community for its potential environmental benefits and cost savings.
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Oct 7, 2025 at 9:42 AM EDT
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In practical terms, this means there is no "second supplier" - you can only get the printer or its parts from Open Printer Team; and if the Open Printer Team decides to disband, then the printer will no longer be available. Third parties cannot even sell replacement parts or unassembled devices, the "NC" part of the license explicitly prohibits this. You might be able to print the parts on your own personal 3D printer (if you have one), but sending them to fab house for manufacturing is against the license.
This is great for Open Printer Team's bottom line, but not so great for consumer - don't expect the printer to be available for a long time, and I bet there won't be cheap replacement parts either.
Off the shelf ink jet is one of the most anti-consumer products imaginable.