HACKER Q&A
📣 aswinmohanme

Why are there no mainstream startups producing printers?


Most of the commercially available printers are manufactured by Big Brands and almost none by Startups. Why is that ?

* Are there any patents blocking innovation in this sector ?

  👤 matsemann Accepted Answer ✓
Think this discussion from a few weeks ago can shed light on much of this:

Ask HN: Why are there no open source 2d printers?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24786721

👤 gostsamo
I can come up with at least two reasons:

1. There is no that much to innovate which would bring value.

2. The value of printing is falling overtime due to the move toward paperless society. It is not modern to invent more efficient ways to cut trees for fun.

👤 matt_s
Traditional printers are commoditized. A few of the Big Brands, as you call it, have models that actually are the same exact printer with a different make/model attached to it.

That business has been in a downward spiral for years where the margins are tiny and they make it up on service/supplies. I'm not talking personal printers - the office sized 50 pages/min printer is what I'm referring to. Personal/Consumer grade printers are probably sold at a loss rather than a tiny margin.

Outside of 3d printing, what innovations would there be for a startup to tackle in the traditional printing sector?

Also patents aren't blocking, sufficient capital will get you a license if you want to leverage existing patents. I'm sure those Big Brand companies would take the money.

👤 fsflover
Another relevant discussion:

Why do printers still suck? (wired.com)

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24977699

👤 samfisher83
You don't make money on the printers. You make money on the ink.