OpenPrintTag 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.
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:
Instantly identifies the material type and color, significantly reducing user error and leading to a simpler, more reliable workflow.
Real-time data tracking, such as the amount of remaining filament, so you always know the exact status of your material.
Enables effortless inventory management and full traceability by allowing you to log custom data.
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.
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.
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.
A single, universal, open standard for everyone. Built on the features you actually need.
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.
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.
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.
The entire standard is published as open-source. Anyone can implement and build upon it, complete with documentation and practical examples.
Instantly read or write in any orientation. This eliminates the need to rotate the spool to find the "correct" position.
Stick a blank tag on any filament spool you own, flash it using your printer or a phone app, and simply re-use it once the spool is empty.
A single tag works even for 2kg spools, ensuring live data is always perfectly in sync. Two-tag designs cannot guarantee this.
A 3D printer or any compatible device instantly reads all data the moment the spool is loaded.
Instantly read or write in any orientation. This eliminates the need to rotate the spool to find the "correct" position.
Stick a blank tag on any filament spool you own, flash it using your printer or a phone app, and simply re-use it once the spool is empty.
A single tag works even for 2kg spools, ensuring live data is always perfectly in sync. Two-tag designs cannot guarantee this.
A 3D printer or any compatible device instantly reads all data the moment the spool is loaded.
Whether you're a manufacturer, developer, or 3D printing enthusiast, OpenPrintTag makes your workflow smarter.
Complete data format and protocol specification for NFC tag implementation
Physical implementation guidelines and hardware requirements
Want to integrate OpenPrintTag or become a partner?
Get in touch at info@openprinttag.org
Explore the specification, examples, and SDKs to integrate OpenPrintTag into your projects.
Complete specification, Python utilities, and implementation examples
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