Why do printers never work?
Great innovations are being made in the field of digital cultures. From elaborate landscapes in virtual realities dreamed by CEOs of monopoly platforms and gigantic energy-hungry quantities of data immortalized in blockchain, to applications of artificial intelligence trying to solve non-existing problems. Blinded by this sublime use, which is deeply rooted in the occidental consciousness, it has not been possible to create a printer that remains functional in the long term. Such devices have the task to transform text or/and images onto paper, however this process seems to be so difficult that printers are known for not working most of their time. The reasons for this are manifold: Printers have planned obsolescence deeply engraved in their low-level firmware which leads to piles of waste, well-intentioned rampant service or error warnings, which leads to frustration, or proprietary and short-lived ink cartridges, which leads to spending a lot of money. All of these problems are familiar in everyday life and don't exist to make anything easier. The ordinary user could list more and more of these classical printing problems. The printer is the most pervasive (and frustrating) example of non-working technology in everyday digital culture.
Since January 2024, the artist and designer Joseph Knierzinger has been on a quest to bring us closer to an end of this question.
The project is kindly supported by:
Outcome
🚧 [Experiment] 1-pin dot matrix printer
2024/10 - current
Inspired by the BT100 1-pin dot matrix printer, I'm currently building a 1-pin dot matrix printer from a discarded inkjet printer. The aim of this project is firstly to modify the hardware of the existing printer and secondly to write a raster printer driver. I expect to publish further results here in June 2025.
[Prototyping] Dot-Matrix-Board
2024/04 - 2024/11
The dot-matrix-board is a prototyping board developed in the “Why do printers never work?” project. It makes it possible to use discarded dot-matrix printers with a microcontroller without connecting a computer. Based on this, the board can be used for games, installations or other applications. The prototyping area can be used for further components. Send me an email if you would like to get one.
[Project] Printar
2024/03 - 2024/11
Printar combines an old midi keyboard with an equally old dot-matrix printer. When a key is pressed, the associated character is printed on the printer. Dot-matrix printers produce a different sounds depending on the characters they print. The device can therefore be used for writing text on paper as well as for generating sound. The aim of this instrument is to create an interface between poetry, instrument and performance.
[Resarch] TESLA Přelouč BT100
2024/03 - 2024/10
Public activities
Upcoming
[Lecture] "Why do printers never work?
2025/04/30 @ Snackbar Frieda
The next radio show will be on Tuesday the 30th of April between 19 and 20 o'clock. This time with a printer special and everything you need to know about the upcoming extratonal special event called "puzzling printers camp"! Get ready and tune in.
[Podcast] Why do printers never work?
2025/05/01 @ online
More infos soon.
[Podcast] Why do printers never work? with Knoflook
2025/05/15 @ online
More infos soon.
Past
[Organisation and participation] Puzzling Printers Camp
2024/05/04 @ Varia
Printers are one of the biggest frustrations that modern technology has brought us. During the second Extratonal Special event, the platform for extratonality turns these frustrations upside down. Artisans are invited to bring modified fragile printing devices that print in poetic ways, form a unity with their operators, are repaired on the fly, will be played like a musical instrument, connect people to form friendships, and so on, and so forth... Together we explore the hedonic performative aspect of exceptional printers.
There will be printing, not only for the print, but also for the sake of printing itself. Printing devices themselves are radicalized through modification and imagination. Come to this must-attend printer camp full of DIY&DIWO action, and printing by/with unique printers!
[Radio] Radio Extratonality #6 with Kaue Werner
2024/04/30 @ Radio Worm
printers devil a play list dedicated to songs about non-functional printers documentation
[Workshop] dumped printers modding workshop
2024/04/25 @ xpub
In this dumped printers modding workshop, we investigate the inner workings of a printer. With a DIY and DIWO approach we disassemble and reassemble printers "differently". Why? We all are frustrated by the fact that printers often do not work!
No previous knowledge is necessary. The printer will be opened and explored step by step. If you have an old abandoned printer then bring it to the workshop.
