MBrush / PrinCube Review - Mobile Mini Printer

Introduction: MBrush / PrinCube

In October 2019, the PrinCube appeared on the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform. The project was financed within just 20 minutes and has raised more than 4 million euros to date. The first backers received their PrinCube in December. The second batch is currently being distributed to almost 30.000 backers.

In addition to the PrinCube, there is also the structurally identical MBrush. Even the packaging is identical except for the product name.

Design and functionality

Both in size and weight, the MBrush is tiny. With dimensions of 72 x 68 x 51 mm, it fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. It belongs there, because to print the printer has to be picked up and moved over the surface to be printed. The print head is not controlled by the printer itself, but by the user.

The orientation takes place with the help of an optical sensor, which is located directly next to the print head. This allows the printer to know where it started printing, whether it has been paused and when it has finished printing. For a clean, undistorted result, different drawing speeds are of course taken into account. Two rubberized rollers ensure that the MBrush glides better over surfaces.

The build quality is good overall. The scope of delivery includes the printer, a color cartridge, a USB-C cable, a tattoo attachment and two guide strips.

OPERATION

Like a conventional printer, the MBrush also requires a printer cartridge. So-called print head cartridges of the type HP 62XL are suitable. The print head is therefore directly connected to the ink tank and is also replaced when it is changed. According to the manufacturer, one cartridge can print up to 400 A4 pages. You don't have to worry about the availability of the cartridges. The type is widespread and is priced between 15 and 45 euros.

The printer cartridge is installed in no time. Open the transparent door of the MBrush, insert the cartridge and close the door again. The mobile printer is ready to go.

MBrush interface

The MBrush is operated via a web interface. You don't need an app and you don't have to download any software. All that is required to call up the web interface is a WLAN-enabled device with a web browser. For access, the MBrush sets up its own WLAN, which you have to connect to. A QR code on the inside of the printer automatically redirects to the web interface. Alternatively, the web interface can be called up via the local IP 192.168.44.1.

The interface certainly does not win a design award, but is clearly structured. The numerous functions and setting options seem a bit overwhelming at first glance. But you get used to it pretty quickly. Most of the setting options do not have to be touched for a simple print.

You have to create a new project for printing. Images, texts or emojis can be added to this. However, the images should already be on the smartphone. There is no internet access in the WLAN of the MBrush. As soon as you have created the project and selected the print area, you can transfer it to the printer at the push of a button. Incidentally, projects are not lost. A click on Save and the project is saved on the internal memory of the MBrush. The setting options are extensive. There are general print settings, color settings and device settings, among other things for the security of the WLAN.

Print with the MBrush

The push button is located on the top of the MBrush. If you press this for a second, the printer switches to control print mode. Only test strips (cyan, magenta, and yellow) are printed in this mode.

To print a project, the button only needs to be pressed very briefly. On the side of the button there are LEDs that change from white to green. The printer is ready to print. Now place the printer on the surface to be printed and move it evenly from left to right. If you prefer to print from right to left, you can swap the print direction in the settings. The printing width is 14 mm. Up to 1.3 m in length can be printed.

print quality

 Printing with the MBrush is not child's play and requires a lot of practice! The first printing attempts were either streaked with stripes, frayed at the edges, distorted or wrong in color. The problem is the printhead, which dries up very quickly despite the cover. It can even dry out between two printing processes.

This is what it looks like when you print on paper with the MBrush.

To get a clean result, you should clean the printhead before each printing process. This works either with the cleaning tool, which is located in the removable cover of the printer, or with a slightly dampened cloth. In stubborn cases, it is worth soaking the printhead on a damp cloth for a long time.

The best results are achieved on light-colored, uncoated surfaces, especially on materials such as paper, cardboard and wood. The color does not come into its own on dark surfaces. Reflective surfaces confuse the optical sensor, which usually results in a distorted print. You should also pay attention to which ink you are printing with. There is water-soluble ink in the enclosed printer cartridge. The paint does not absorb on smooth, non-absorbent surfaces.

Printing tattoos requires even more practice and only in the rarest of cases does one get a reasonably recognizable print result. A "tattoo attachment" is included for this purpose, but even this does not lead to a better result. Multi-line photo printing of larger images is supported. But it is very difficult to get a complete picture.

Battery

Finally, a few words about the battery. A non-replaceable 900 mAh battery is installed. The MBrush can be charged with a conventional 5V smartphone charger. There is a USB-C socket on the printer. A fully charged battery is enough to print for 6 hours at a time. The battery lasts up to a year in standby, which we couldn't check for reasons of time. The battery is charged in about 2 hours.