this post was submitted on 14 Mar 2026
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HP's long-running use of firmware updates that block third-party ink and toner cartridges is drawing scrutiny again – this time under a new global sustainability standard that explicitly forbids the practice.

The International Imaging Technology Council (Int'l ITC), a trade group for cartridge remanufacturers, says HP's latest printer firmware rollout conflicts with the requirements of the General Electronics Council's (GEC) updated Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or EPEAT 2.0.

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[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 3 hours ago

EPSON is probably the second worst printer system. we use laser printer instead now. any expensive color pictures, words we need, we just go to a kiosk/print store to do it, or large number of pages at once.

[–] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 hours ago

New rule: printer cartridges, ink, paper, drums, or any supply needed to operate the device may not be sold with authentication features. The printer can not know any detail about what’s put into it aside from is or is not present. Done.

[–] trewq@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

Hp printer is in my banned list for decades already.

[–] raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago

it's been at least 15 years that I've known better than to buy any HP products. Still - fuck their CEO(s) with a rusty rebar.

[–] rainbowbunny@slrpnk.net 5 points 7 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Sir_Simon_Spamalot@lemmy.world 3 points 3 hours ago

HP: "just some business cost."

[–] NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 2 points 6 hours ago

Only? What about all the other right to repair and freedom of choice laws?

Imagine bricking a car because it filled up at a competitive brands gas station.

Honey I am going to do fill up the Honda and the Honda station!

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 50 points 14 hours ago

If a third-party ink cart can introduce a "cyber threat," your unbelievably shoddy firmware would be the problem, you disingenuous Hamburglars.

[–] daychilde@lemmy.world 21 points 12 hours ago (3 children)

I did tech support for HP DeskJet printers in 1996 - the 600, 600C, and 660C. I had a DeskJet around that time, but that was the last one I got because they started screwing around with the drivers.

Back in the 80s/90s, HP made some great printers. Had a LaserJet 4 that lasted a long long time.

But not long after I moved on to another job - I never bought HP again. And that's now been a recommendation for literally 30 years.

Do not buy HP!

Also, unless you print a LOT of pictures, don't buy inkjets. The ink has so many issues. Get a laserjer. Brother is a good simple brand. I have had a Brother color laser since 2018 and it's still chugging along perfectly. I'm on around my second set of cartridges because I don't print a lot. But whenever I do print, it's there and ready to go.

There's a couple of other brands that are alright, too.

But do not buy HP. Jesus, people, it's been a full generation of people since this has been true! Nobody should be buying HP inkjet crap!

[–] pupbiru@aussie.zone 1 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

idk about the don’t but inkjet… i don’t print much but got an epson surecolor (large format; prints up to a1 off a roll of paper… i got it because i think the idea of being able to do that is excellent more than actual use case) and it’s been absolutely glorious… the ink doesn’t dry out fast, and because it’s a borderline professional printer they don’t gouge you on the ink: they just sell you the printer for what it’s worth, and then sell the ink for what it’s worth

i think there are reasonable arguments for ink, but i guess that if you have to give 1 recommendation (outside of a brand to go with), laser is probably a safe bet

[–] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

HP used to make a lot of great stuff. Their spectrum analyzers were the best in the business. At some point they flipped a switch and went into full enshittification mode. They burned all their bridges with their most loyal and informed customers.

[–] daychilde@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Seems like it's a consistent recurring issue with....... capitalism? Whatever you want to blame it on. Profit-taking instead of consistent quality. Some assholes take over and trade on the previously good name of a company while killing it. It's so stupid and short-sighted.

[–] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

I would say that, but… there are a lot of, for example, Japanese companies that have been around for decades or centuries making great stuff the way they always had. Unless you’re saying Japan isn’t a capitalist country (I’d love to see how that argument plays out), I’d say there’s some difference in company culture that leads to enshittification.

I’ve heard in some cases it happens when a new CEO takes over and they have no respect for the existing culture, and just want to “make their mark” by chasing short term profits.

[–] ickplant@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Give me Brother printers or give me death.

[–] daychilde@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Hmm. Not sure that's a line I'm willing to draw… but they are certainly pretty decent. hehe

[–] GreyEyedGhost@piefed.ca 3 points 6 hours ago

Brother has also started down the proprietary toner road. Source.

[–] Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world 36 points 14 hours ago (1 children)
[–] A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip 2 points 3 hours ago

From the article:

According to the GEC's published criteria, printer vendors have three compliance paths. They can avoid firmware changes that disable remanufactured cartridges, offer approved cartridge solutions that maintain device functionality, or make remanufactured options available for purchase through their own channels. Each route is meant to encourage a model in which printing components are reused rather than discarded.

So far, more than 38,000 products remain listed under the older EPEAT 1.0 registry, while only 163 have transitioned to the new 2.0 standard – none of them printers.

It's not binding. Maybe articles like this one will shame hp into stopping that bs one day ☀️ (only joking)

[–] atropa@piefed.social 31 points 14 hours ago (5 children)

Nobody buys HP anymore , HP stands for Has Problems

[–] W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 12 hours ago

I thought it stood for Horrible Product.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 9 points 13 hours ago

Yeah, the problem is that they're anti-consumer.

[–] 69420@lemmy.world 4 points 11 hours ago

I used to work with a lot of HP's industrial printers. The automated maintenance routines always take so damn long, and they break all the time. We always said HP stands for Have Patience.

[–] Bahnd@lemmy.world 6 points 13 hours ago

Nah... My office does, and then pays a vendor to handle the issues (I work in IT, fixing those problems is literally my job) and they still cheap out on knock off toner (some of which works). It makes me sad...

[–] ozymandias117@lemmy.world 3 points 12 hours ago

The last time we tried using them, the computer came with Windows 98...

They were horrible back then, not really sure how they are still in business.

[–] Jackhammer_Joe@lemmy.world 7 points 10 hours ago

Never buy HP! Never! They are scum!

[–] EpicFailGuy@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago

Do yourselves a favor ... lookup chipless firmware

[–] robber@lemmy.ml 2 points 9 hours ago

Global sustainability rules???

[–] TomMasz@lemmy.world 7 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

It's also rampant assholery, but that's harder to legislate.

[–] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 2 points 12 hours ago

But it would make a good law outlawing corporate assholery as a whole and might make a difference. Imagine a world in which corpos are not allowed to fuck over anyone, not their supplier, their partners or the customer... the world would be different.

[–] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 8 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

HP's next step: Degrade print quality just enough to make 3rd party cartridges unusable while blaming the cartridge manufacturers for the problem.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 6 points 13 hours ago (1 children)
[–] A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip 1 points 3 hours ago

They probably have a team of idea finders scouring the fediverse as we speak! Am I joking? Who knows.

[–] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 3 points 12 hours ago

Yeah, the colors will always be off in a random direction in the RGB spectrum, this is easy to blame on the cartridge manufacturer

[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

I've started thinking recently about business practices and printing and "Apple printer" jokes, and, well, Apple was making printers in the olden days when I was a baby.

So, they could be making very expensive, but good printers, with no cartridge DRM whatsoever, now.

That would possibly be a good thing, and with such regulations pressing at the opposing business model, could even be a financially good variant.

OK, I think I'm starting to show fanboyish traits. I sort of really liked Apple when I was a kid, but later I started seeing iPhones around and I didn't like their change from home computers and iPods to that.

[–] NinjaTurtle@feddit.online 5 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

The way apple is now, you would only be able to print (wirelessly) through Apple products. And probably also DRM ink cartridges on a "security" basis.

Old Apple is not the same as current Apple.

[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 3 hours ago

Depends. If that printer were very expensive, the first part could be true, but they could make ink officially rechargeable, something like that.

[–] heiligerbimbam@lemmy.wtf 2 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

One reason I have no printer anymore.. this fucking ink scam.

[–] W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 12 hours ago

Switch to laser and that problem goes away.

[–] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Me too - the print shop can deal with the issues, i have no problem paying a little extra for not having the headache of troubleshooting printer crap. Although I might get myself a B/W Brother printer for the everyday stuff - my ex sadly got my old one.

[–] daychilde@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

I have a Brother color laser - was cheap and it just works.

[–] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 2 points 6 hours ago

I know that they are fine - but i haven't had the need for color prints for ages now outside of 2 occasions where i needed like 5 copies each. For myself i prefer digital only either way. Just in case i really need something like return tickets a b&w printer is enough.

The B&W one costs under 100€, the cheapest brother color laser 300€; the 200€ difference should last decades in the print shop, and the toner cartridges are a lot cheaper for b&w only.