OpenPrintTag

3 days ago 2

Ending the Wild West of Smart Spools

An open-source initiative by Prusa Research creating a single smart spool standard that works across all brands and ecosystems. This allows printers and users to read and write data directly on any spool, making 3D printing more reliable and intuitive for everyone.

Why Do We Need Smart Spools?

3D printers have become incredibly user-friendly, but interaction with filament is still a very manual process. To improve the user experience and streamline the workflow, we need smart spools.

A smart spool carries all the important information about the material and its workflow, unlocking key features:

The Few "Smart" Spools Today

Some smart spools already exist, but they lack the core principles of universality and interoperability. It's like every brand suddenly decided to use a different filament diameter.

🔒

Locked Proprietary Ecosystems

Smart spools are often locked to their specific hardware and filament. This makes them unusable with any third-party machines, forcing users into a closed ecosystem.

Many smart spools just refer to an online database, forcing you to rely on the manufacturer's cloud service. No internet? Your "smart" spool becomes dumb.

🗑️

Read-Only & One-Time-Use

Current Smart Spools offer little to zero reusability. This read-only design prevents any updates to live data, and once the filament is depleted, you have no choice but to throw the 'smart' spool away.

The Answer is OpenPrintTag

A single, universal, open standard for everyone. Built on the features you actually need.

💡

Truly Smart & Rewritable Spools

Live data, such as the exact remaining filament amount, can be written directly back to the spool. This active, two-way communication ensures you always have the latest information.

Stick a blank tag on any spool and make it smart. Once the material is depleted, update the tag data and use it with a new spool or refill. No vendor lock-in, no waste.

Designed for easy adoption by both filament producers and hardware manufacturers. Easy to implement with zero licensing fees and fully extensible, allowing you to add custom data such as batch numbers and material properties.

No Cloud

Offline by Design

Every tag carries all the data within itself. Your printer doesn't need to be connected to Wi-Fi or any cloud service to recognize a spool. Everything works locally, always.

🧩

Universal Compatibility

Works across all brands and ecosystems. This universal standard guarantees compatibility on all supported devices, eliminating proprietary walled gardens. Designed to be used with filament spools, resin containers, and other applications.

Open Source