Arduino-based inkjet printer slowly but surely gets the job done

As a prototype for a continuously printing art project, Norbert (AKA “HomoFaciens”) has built an inkjet printer that uses an Arduino and the mechanics of a discarded 3D printer to slowly generate black and white images. 

The hacked together assembly mounts the Uno, associated electronics, and an HP 6602 cartridge onto a piece of hardboard, which is attached to the X-axis assembly of the former 3D printer. 

– Werbung –

Print height is set by manual manipulation of the Z-axis. The Arduino can then move the printer in the X/Y direction via the two steppers, and print by passing current to the cartridge’s nozzles in short bursts. 

“The electronics consist of a computer power supply that provides 12V DC, a boost-up converter that raises this voltage to 18V, an Arduino UNO that generates the control pulses and two ULN2803 chips that convert the 5V of the GPIOs to 18V level.”

– Werbung –

As seen in the video below, the contraption appears to work well after some experimentation.