<h2>No</h2>
<ul>
<li>Most 2D printers use very different motor setups - 3D Printers use steppers, Paper printers usually use simple motors and encoders.</li>
<li>Printers take input in special data formats. These can be pretty much normal Text files of what characters to print but a print job sent from the printer driver also contains specific orders and might not even be readable to humans. This file of instructions and pattern to print then is <em>processed</em> into the actual movement of the printhead and paper only in the printer itself.</li>
<li>2D Printer software is super locked down. You can only get the firmware of a paper printer in formats that are absolutely nonreadable. Compare how hard it was for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLCE8spVX9Q" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Itkin and Balmas to reverse engineer just the fax protocol of modern printers</a>. Then, amplify that by a few notches because the fax protocol has a known standard it needs to uphold but the printer itself does not.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-03T09:42:15.377Z
2022-02-03T09:42:15.377Z
Trish
<p>Probably barely on-topic, but I'm wondering if there's any way to control a 2D inkjet/laser printer similar to 3D printer. Specifically:</p>
<ul>
<li>Shifting the XY axis by a certain amount</li>
<li>Controlling the paper feeder by small increments</li>
<li>Dispelling ink at defined amounts</li>
</ul>
<p>2D printers have a very high resolution and can be useful for some things, which is why I'm asking.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-02T17:26:56.073Z
Do you imply to fit it with a controller board other than the circuit board that is in the printer already? Or do you want to control the printer through the original circuit board?
0scar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-02T17:42:22.653Z
As far as I'm aware, modern printers take in documents in some form and print from there. As a 3D printing analogy, the "slicing" is done on the printer, not the computer.
BillThePlatypus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-02T17:48:56.753Z
I think that there are options for using a new controller board integrated with the 2D printer that would best answer this question. I found some YouTube videos of people selling homemade boxes with custom controllers (for too much money). But I don't know what they are or how to make them
K Mmmm
<2d>
Control a 2D printer like a 3D printer
K Mmmm
# Control a 2D printer like a 3D printer

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-02-02)

Probably barely on-topic, but I'm wondering if there's any way to control a 2D inkjet/laser printer similar to 3D printer. Specifically:

* Shifting the XY axis by a certain amount
* Controlling the paper feeder by small increments
* Dispelling ink at defined amounts

2D printers have a very high resolution and can be useful for some things, which is why I'm asking.

**Tags:** 2d

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Do you imply to fit it with a controller board other than the circuit board that is in the printer already? Or do you want to control the printer through the original circuit board?  
> **username_2**: As far as I'm aware, modern printers take in documents in some form and print from there. As a 3D printing analogy, the "slicing" is done on the printer, not the computer.  
> **username_0**: I think that there are options for using a new controller board integrated with the 2D printer that would best answer this question. I found some YouTube videos of people selling homemade boxes with custom controllers (for too much money). But I don't know what they are or how to make them  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-02-03. Score: 1

## No

* Most 2D printers use very different motor setups - 3D Printers use steppers, Paper printers usually use simple motors and encoders.
* Printers take input in special data formats. These can be pretty much normal Text files of what characters to print but a print job sent from the printer driver also contains specific orders and might not even be readable to humans. This file of instructions and pattern to print then is *processed* into the actual movement of the printhead and paper only in the printer itself.
* 2D Printer software is super locked down. You can only get the firmware of a paper printer in formats that are absolutely nonreadable. Compare how hard it was for [Itkin and Balmas to reverse engineer just the fax protocol of modern printers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLCE8spVX9Q). Then, amplify that by a few notches because the fax protocol has a known standard it needs to uphold but the printer itself does not.


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