A printer includes a platen, a head which ejects light-curable ink to a printing object placed on the platen, a lamp which irradiates the printing object, on which the light-curable ink ejected from the head is adhered, with light, a carriage which supports the head and the lamp and which moves the head and the lamp in a main scanning direction, an ink recovering mechanism which faces a predetermined position within a predetermined area where the head is movable with movement of the carriage and which recovers the light-curable ink ejected from the head, and a controller which controls the head, the lamp, the carriage, and the ink recovering mechanism.

A printer includes a platen, a head which ejects light-curable ink to a printing object placed on the platen, a lamp which irradiates the printing object, on which the light-curable ink ejected from the head is adhered, with light, a carriage which supports the head and the lamp and which moves the head and the lamp in a main scanning direction, an ink recovering mechanism which faces a predetermined position within a predetermined area where the head is movable with movement of the carriage and which recovers the light-curable ink ejected from the head, and a controller which controls the head, the lamp, the carriage, and the ink recovering mechanism.

A holder assembly includes a base, a drive assembly coupled to the base, a motive source connected to the drive assembly, a vertical force applicator connected to the drive assembly along a connection edge thereof, and a gripping member coupled to the base, the gripping member having a contact surface coupled to a vacuum source, wherein the drive assembly has a first position with the flattening member engaged with the contact surface and a second position with the flattening member positioned away from the contact surface.

A holder assembly includes a base, a drive assembly coupled to the base, a motive source connected to the drive assembly, a vertical force applicator connected to the drive assembly along a connection edge thereof, and a gripping member coupled to the base, the gripping member having a contact surface coupled to a vacuum source, wherein the drive assembly has a first position with the flattening member engaged with the contact surface and a second position with the flattening member positioned away from the contact surface.

A platen includes: a plurality of supporting portions capable of supporting a sheet; negative pressure chambers, to which a negative pressure is supplied, so as to suck a sheet facing the supporting portions to the supporting portions; and ink receiver and that receive ink ejected from a printhead to the outside of the sheet supported by the supporting portions. The plurality of supporting portions are arranged in a sheet width direction (i.e., an X direction) transverse a sheet conveyance direction. The plurality of negative pressure chambers are disposed in a manner corresponding to the plurality of supporting portions, respectively.

A platen includes: a plurality of supporting portions capable of supporting a sheet; negative pressure chambers, to which a negative pressure is supplied, so as to suck a sheet facing the supporting portions to the supporting portions; and ink receiver and that receive ink ejected from a printhead to the outside of the sheet supported by the supporting portions. The plurality of supporting portions are arranged in a sheet width direction (i.e., an X direction) transverse a sheet conveyance direction. The plurality of negative pressure chambers are disposed in a manner corresponding to the plurality of supporting portions, respectively.

A method of manufacturing of an inkjet flatbed table including a large support layer with an area of at least 1.5 m.sup.2 to support an ink receiver in an inkjet printing system, the method including the steps of fixing a plate on top of a base unit by forming a part of or whole the support layer; and abrading the fixed plate to have a flatness on the top of the support layer less than 300 μm and wherein the plate is characterized by including a thermoplastic polymer resin.

A printing apparatus includes: a printing head configured to discharge ink onto a recording medium to form an image; a platen including a support surface that supports the recording medium; and a recording medium holding portion being configured to hold a plurality of star wheels configured to hold the recording medium toward the support surface in a direction perpendicular to the support surface. In a case in which a maximum value of a height of the recording medium from the support surface in the direction perpendicular to the support surface is less than 2.2 mm when the recording medium passes between the support surface and the recording medium pressing portion, a load of one of the star wheels for holding the recording medium with presence of the recording medium holding portion is equal to or less than 4.5 gf.

A printing apparatus includes: a head configured to discharge an ink onto a continuous sheet to form an image; a platen including a support face that supports the continuous sheet; a star-wheel-unit holding unit disposed at a position that is downstream of the head in a transport direction of the continuous sheet and is opposed to the support face; and a star wheel unit configured to be attachable to and detachable from the star-wheel-unit holding unit and to support a plurality of star wheels configured to press the continuous sheet on a side of the support face.

The printing apparatus (liquid discharging apparatus) is provided with a support section that supports a medium, a discharge section that discharges ink on the medium supported on the support section, and a transport unit that transports the medium in a transport direction. The support section includes a support structure including a liquid permeable portion that supports the medium and allows ink to pass therethrough, and a liquid holding portion that holds ink that has passed through the liquid permeable portion.