A method of operating an ink jet printer with an included printer controller, where the ink jet printer prints using a replaceable print head that includes a nozzle plate and an ink reservoir. The printer controller tracks a usage of ink from the ink reservoir and a number of completed nozzle plate wiping operations. The print controller determines, prior to initiating each nozzle plate wiping operation, whether to initiate an inter-layer spitting operation instead of the nozzle plate wiping operation. The printer controller initiates the determined one of the wiping operation and the spitting operation.

Provided are a recording apparatus and a motion unit drive method that determines a stop rotation torque of a CR motor indicating stop of a carriage by a stopper and, within a predetermined period after the determination of the stop rotational torque, supplies to the CR motor the drive signal that causes a rotational torque of the drive motor to be a low rotational torque having a smaller torque value than the stop rotational torque.

A printhead maintenance module is configured as a replaceable unit. The module includes a frame, at least two rollers detachably mounted within the frame, at least two electric motors, a platen, an optical sensor, and a controller. Each electric motor is operatively connected to one of the rollers in a one-to-one correspondence. The controller is configured to operate one of the electric motors to rotate one of the rollers to move media from a position opposite a printhead where a test pattern is printed on the media to a position opposite the optical sensor, receive image data of the printed test pattern generated by the optical sensor, and identify inoperative ejectors with reference to the image data of the test pattern.

There is provided an inkjet printing apparatus capable of performing a printing operation to eject ink from an ejection port provided for a print head to a print medium while covering the ejection port with a capping portion in a standby state in which the printing operation is not performed, the apparatus including: a humidifying unit configured to perform a humidification operation to humidify a space formed between the capping portion and the print head in the standby state; and a control unit configured to cause the humidifying unit to perform the humidification operation on the space in the standby state, wherein the control unit suspends the humidification operation at a predetermined timing after performing the humidification operation multiple times.

To operate a printing apparatus with small power, the printing apparatus for printing an image on a print medium using power of an electric storage charged by power input from an external power supply performs the following control. An operation sequence for printing on the print medium is divided into a plurality of sequences. Each of the divided sequences is executed by discharging power charged in the electric storage. Next, power is charged in the electric storage during a standby time of the operation sequence after execution of one divided sequence ends. An electric storage amount charged in the electric storage is compared with a predetermined threshold. Then, control is performed to execute the next sequence in a case where the electric storage amount becomes larger than the predetermined threshold.

A liquid discharge apparatus records dots of liquid on a medium by interlace recording. The liquid discharge apparatus includes a head, a mover, a tilt adjuster, and control circuitry. The head discharges the liquid from nozzles. The mover relatively moves the head and the medium in each of main-scanning and sub-scanning directions. The tilt adjuster changes a tilt of the head with respect to the medium. The control circuitry controls recording on the medium. The control circuitry causes the mover to relatively move the head and the medium in the main-scanning direction with the head tilted to at least a first angle or a second angle. An interval between adjacent nozzles in the sub-scanning direction is a first interval in a state where the tilt is the first angle. The interval is a second interval different from the first interval in a state where the tilt is the second angle.

A maintenance device includes a plurality of heads that discharges liquid for printing. A cleaner selectively cleans the heads. A cleaning controller controls the cleaner. A determiner determines a cleaning time when the cleaner cleans one of the heads. An interruption-resumption controller controls the heads to interrupt printing at the cleaning time and resume printing when the cleaner finishes cleaning the one of the heads. The cleaning controller controls the cleaner to clean the one of the heads whenever the interruption-resumption controller controls the heads to interrupt printing at the cleaning time.

A recording portion has a nozzle surface. A first movement portion moves the recording portion in a first direction intersecting the nozzle surface. A second movement portion moves a first maintenance portion in a second direction along the nozzle surface. The recording portion is movable to a recording position at which recording is performed on a medium, and a first retreated position where the recording portion is retreated from the recording position. The first maintenance portion is movable to a maintenance position at which maintenance of the nozzle surface is performed and a second retreated position retreated from the maintenance position. When an error occurs, a control portion causes the recording portion to retreat away from the first maintenance portion in a first direction. Then, the first maintenance portion is caused to retreat in a second direction.

An example apparatus includes a gear comprising a gear hub; a swing-arm rotationally engaged with the gear hub; and a spring circumferentially engaged with the gear hub and the swing-arm to apply a radial clamping force between the swing-arm and the gear hub. Torque is frictionally coupled from the gear hub to the swing-arm to lock a capped print head assembly (PHA) in a non-printing location.

A liquid discharge apparatus is provided that includes a transport unit configured to transport a medium, a discharge unit configured to discharge a liquid onto the medium, a housing including therein the discharge unit, a humidifying unit configured to humidify an interior of the housing, and a humidity detection unit configured to detect a humidity. When the humidity detection unit detected a humidity less than a lower limit value (one example of a first predetermined value) (positive determination in step S12), the interior of the housing is humidified by the humidifying unit during transport by the transport unit or during discharge by the discharge unit (step S16).