Show HN: NeverPrinter – find and use thousands of nearby printers

[heyfrommatt]

Hi all,

My friends and I have created a Chrome extension and we are looking for feedback on whether people find it useful or not.

The extension is intended to serve as a home printer substitute for people (like us) who don't want or need their own printer at home. It makes it easy to send documents to nearby office supply / shipping stores for printing and pickup.

Installing the extension adds a printer named NeverPrinter to your list of available printers in Chrome. When you print a document with NeverPrinter, a new tab opens allowing you to select which nearby store you want to send the document to.

This is the latest iteration in an ongoing project my friends and I have been working on. We would love to hear any positive or negative feedback.

You can get the extension by going to the Chrome Web Store and searching for "NeverPrinter." Or you can visit https://neverprinter.com, which will redirect you there.

[graypegg]

For a second I thought this was going to be a tool to print to random unsecured network printers.

[quickthrower2]

I thought it would be a peer to peer printing service, like an uber for printers.

[TopTheThaiGuy]

I thought the same thing. I might be good too if it allows that. But the ink cost for home printer might not be economical? I guess it's still better than buying a new printer.

[heyfrommatt]

The way we describe it "find and use thousands of nearby printers" does make it sound like Uber for printers. But would you use an Uber for printers? I couldn't imagine sharing any potentially sensitive document with a random person.

I wonder if there's a better way to describe it.

[quickthrower2]

Uber for printers might work if it is not a stranger. Like a community thing. Print to a neighbours PC. Most of what I print is not confidential at time of print (it will be once I fill in the form).

[heyfrommatt]

It might also work if it's somebody local who is supported by good reviews.

As an example, Costco and Target recently got rid of their in-store photo labs, which has created a void in the market for local photo printing, which could be filled by a local sidegigger. In this scenario, NeverPrinter would act as a marketplace for local printed items.

[heyfrommatt]

They don't call it Hacker News for nothin...

[leros]

I've used the Kinkos version of this. It installs as a normal printer driver, so you can print like normal, then you head to a Kinkos location, type a code into the printer, and it prints off your documents. Pretty nifty.

[heyfrommatt]

Thanks. The long term vision would be to create desktop and mobile versions that install like a normal printer driver, so you can print from any application (not just Chrome). And you could use it to print at any nearby store location, regardless of whether it's a Kinkos (do they still exist?), FedEx Office, UPS Store, Staples, or whatever. So if you live in an apartment in New York and there's a UPS Store across the street, why would you waste any of your 600 sqft on a printer when you can just print directly to the printer in the UPS Store?

[heyfrommatt]

Just wanted to mention that I am fully aware that printing isn't exactly the sexiest industry or product. HN, IH, Product Hunt, etc. are generally in love with AI at the moment. And printing is about as far away from AI as you can get.

But there is definitely a place for a product like this. Especially if it operates at the OS level, as you mentioned.

[swah]

This would work if Brother/HP wanted to sell fewer printers...

[heyfrommatt]

Printer manufacturers certainly don't do their customers any favors. A home printer is one of those purchases that most people dread.