UoWPrint is an up-to-date device created to bring wireless capabilities to older printers, scanners, and all-in-one devices.
It is designed as an easy-to-use add-on appliance and allows you to:
Contrary to older-generation print server hardware or home routers with printer-sharing functions, UoWPrint does not require to install any printer-specific drivers or applications on your devices but uses universal standard drivers available in any contemporary operating system.
In other words, with UoWPrint you can use AirPrint and Mopria protocols to print and scan over the network.
✅ Compatible with MacBook M1/M2/M3 (ARM)
✅ Compatible with Windows on ARM (Qualcomm Snapdragon)
UoWPrint is best compatible with consumer devices manufactured before
the year 2018 and supports a very wide range of ink and laser printers
and scanners, however, some of the printers are not supported well or at
all.
In general, HP devices work very well, Samsung and Xerox support is also
pretty robust, while Canon compatibility depends on the device
generation and may be not as fast or reliable.
Check almost full list of supported devices.
The following non-exhaustive list provides a brief overview of the available drivers and popular supported models:
… and many others.
Device-specific driver is not required for every OS.
After buying used old USB-only printer, I was looking for a modern
retail print server which would allow me to use the printer without
installing drivers on every device, but could not find any good
ones!
Reducing e-waste, improving convenience, and re-using substandard
single-board computers for good is the main motivation of this
project.
Old printers could be great, many of them are more reliable, serviceable, and cheaper to operate than the current retail models. They do not offer subscription service or annoying firmware updates which block third-party toner cartridges.
UoWPrint is based on well-known Linux-world open source software: CUPS for printing and print
sharing over AirPrint/Mopria, SANE for scanning support, AirSane for scanner
sharing over Mopria.
box86 emulator allows to use
proprietary printer and scanner drivers for x86 machines on ARM
architecture, which enables wide compability in the absence of an open
driver.
Some of the printer drivers have been updated for better compatibility
or received upstream bug fixes by me during the project development. The
operating system of the device is based on Debian 12 and has been
optimized for memory constraints.
No Internet connection required. The device does not
use the Internet for anything besides time synchronization. No
telemetry, no automatic updates.
Secure by default. Network firewall blocks all
connections from the outside of your network. No hard-coded passwords.
IPv6 support.
Open for enthusiasts and modification. Comes with
source code and full build system of the firmware.
The device works as Wi-Fi access point or connects to your Wi-Fi network as a client. It incorporates simple web interface to configure Wi-Fi connection and printer, while scanners usually do not require special configuration and work out-of-the-box.
The physical button on the device provides switching between access point and client modes, and also used to factory reset the device.
Warning: this project may not be suitable for professional printing. Due to the various quality of the drivers, the printouts may not present accurate colors or the highest quality. Some printer and scanner drivers have bugs and don’t work reliably. UoWPrint has undergone limited testing only, this is a low-scale holiday project. Ask to check your printer support in advance by email.
UoWPrint is based on OrangePI 3G-IoT-A single-board computer. Key specifications:
| Size |
56.5 mm × 74 mm in acrylic case 51.5 mm × 69 mm the board itself |
|---|---|
| Weight | 25 g |
| CPU |
Mediatek
MT6572M ARMv7 Cortex-A7 Dual Core, 1 GHz |
| RAM | 256 MiB DDR2 |
| Flash memory | 512 MiB NAND |
| USB |
1× USB 2.0 Host for printer connection 1× USB 2.0 MicroUSB OTG for 5V power supply Only one simultaneous connection (shared data lane), not possible to share printer over USB-OTG to the PC |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11n 2.4 GHz, Wi-Fi hotspot and client modes |
| Operating system |
Based on Debian 12 Linux kernel 3.4.67 |
| Software |
OpenPrinting CUPS SANE AirSane Box86 |
What you get:
All you need is a MicroUSB cable and a power supply (any cellphone charger).
Price: $25 USD or 2000₽ (Russian Ruble), shipping cost not
included.
Payments using cryptocurrency, PayPal, or Russian SBP.
Order by email: uowprint@valdikss.org.ru
For each sold device, CUPS and AirSane developers receive $2 donation each. The profit of selling the device is to be spent on improving open source drivers support.