Hi guys, The idea is to make a 2D printer of a special type: it would integrate a piezo printhead (or 4 of them for color prints), a tank for ink (or 4 ...), one or two computer mouse (mice) and a raspberry Pi for computing. Instead of common printers where image creation is done sequentially top to bottom and that have motors for paper feed, this printer would be handheld and the computing part would calculate the position and them decide if the printhead will (or will not) be activated depending on the position. I'd like to be able to print on a horizontal or a vertical surface. I'll try to explain a little deeper how it'd go: first, you have to load the image you want to print on a usb memory or directly in the RPi. You sure gotta fill the printer tank with ink. Then, to start the picture, you push a button when the printer is on the print surface. At this time, the mouse sensor will transfert to computing part the position (or difference of position). You can then move the printer and when you push a second button, it prints what it is supposed to print. The software part has to be fast enough and maybe anticipate a bit. Compared to a common printer, this one would be smaller and more convienient. With a small machine, you'd be able to print a surface as big as you wish. And also, you could print on a surface without having to put it inside a machine, for example, like directly on a wall or on the ground. To sum up, i think there's 2 quite big challenges: 1. make a working reprapable printhead Things have already been explored a bit by John RPM (see his reprap page here)) and by Adrian Bowyer himself (see his reprap page here) I have the intention to print with diluted acrylic paint and i'll be working with a quite larger noozle than these previous projects. Because i don't need big precision and i need the printhead to spit a lot. 2. programming the RPi I'm thinking of a RPi rather than an Arduino because the RPi is more powerfull and quicker and because it has more ram memory for loading the image to print. I've seen Gordon (@ Drogon) has made a kind port of Arduino's Wiring (see here) and i think that would be usefull. If you have any comments about this project or are willing to help (i'm first working on the printhead part, so if you can help to the software side...), please, make a post ! https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158248#msg-158248 Wed, 20 May 2026 17:56:05 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158849#msg-158849 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158849#msg-158849
The GraffitiPrinter with its punched cards is incredible. Reminds my of my old parent's washing machine...

And the PrintBrush really approaches what i'm willing to make. Except i wouldn't like to use market cartridges and would make it open source. Eleven years and ten milions USD to develop it !! I wonder when they'll be selling it. The latest news on their website is almost one year old.

Tom]]> hawaiandelicious Let's design something! (I've got an idea ...) Fri, 05 Oct 2012 09:04:52 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158766#msg-158766 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158766#msg-158766 PrintBrush.]]> MattMoses Let's design something! (I've got an idea ...) Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:34:40 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158734#msg-158734 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158734#msg-158734
[liatsegal.blogspot.co.uk]
[graffitiprinter.com]]]> johnrpm Let's design something! (I've got an idea ...) Thu, 04 Oct 2012 20:03:47 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158615#msg-158615 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158615#msg-158615
Thanks for posting, Viktor !]]> hawaiandelicious Let's design something! (I've got an idea ...) Thu, 04 Oct 2012 07:07:08 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158598#msg-158598 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158598#msg-158598 hektor.ch]]]> VDX Let's design something! (I've got an idea ...) Thu, 04 Oct 2012 06:07:38 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158595#msg-158595 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158595#msg-158595
I've search over the web several times and haven't found nothing close to such a thing. But if you (or somebody else) find something close, please let me know, by posting here. I'd be very interested.

Tom]]> hawaiandelicious Let's design something! (I've got an idea ...) Thu, 04 Oct 2012 05:58:33 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158572#msg-158572 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158572#msg-158572 johnrpm Let's design something! (I've got an idea ...) Thu, 04 Oct 2012 03:01:59 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158248#msg-158248 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?88,158248,158248#msg-158248
The idea is to make a 2D printer of a special type: it would integrate a piezo printhead (or 4 of them for color prints), a tank for ink (or 4 ...), one or two computer mouse (mice) and a raspberry Pi for computing. Instead of common printers where image creation is done sequentially top to bottom and that have motors for paper feed, this printer would be handheld and the computing part would calculate the position and them decide if the printhead will (or will not) be activated depending on the position. I'd like to be able to print on a horizontal or a vertical surface.

I'll try to explain a little deeper how it'd go: first, you have to load the image you want to print on a usb memory or directly in the RPi. You sure gotta fill the printer tank with ink. Then, to start the picture, you push a button when the printer is on the print surface. At this time, the mouse sensor will transfert to computing part the position (or difference of position). You can then move the printer and when you push a second button, it prints what it is supposed to print. The software part has to be fast enough and maybe anticipate a bit.

Compared to a common printer, this one would be smaller and more convienient. With a small machine, you'd be able to print a surface as big as you wish. And also, you could print on a surface without having to put it inside a machine, for example, like directly on a wall or on the ground.

To sum up, i think there's 2 quite big challenges:

1. make a working reprapable printhead
Things have already been explored a bit by John RPM (see his reprap page here))
and by Adrian Bowyer himself (see his reprap page here)
I have the intention to print with diluted acrylic paint and i'll be working with a quite larger noozle than these previous projects. Because i don't need big precision and i need the printhead to spit a lot.

2. programming the RPi
I'm thinking of a RPi rather than an Arduino because the RPi is more powerfull and quicker and because it has more ram memory for loading the image to print.
I've seen Gordon (@ Drogon) has made a kind port of Arduino's Wiring (see here) and i think that would be usefull.

If you have any comments about this project or are willing to help (i'm first working on the printhead part, so if you can help to the software side...), please, make a post !]]> hawaiandelicious Let's design something! (I've got an idea ...) Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:27:24 -0400