Printer Manufacturers Hoist by Their Own Petard
Once upon a time, long, long ago, printers used ribbons on metal spools that looked much like typewriter ribbons. In fact, some of them were typewriter ribbons. Then manufacturers started to develop plastic cartridges to hold the ribbons. These cartridges made ribbon installation much easier, but they served another purpose as well. They were proprietary…
Source: eejournal.com