In some examples, a printing press includes a printing unit having at least four nozzle bars, each including a print head. The printing unit includes at least two cleaning devices. At least two of the nozzle bars are configured to make contact with at least one of the cleaning devices. At least one of the cleaning devices has at least one storage position and at least one usage position. In the storage position, the at least one cleaning device is arranged along a transport direction of a printing substrate. The at least two cleaning devices may include at least one guide system configured as a shared guide system, and the at least two cleaning devices may further include at least one guide element configured as a shared guide element. For example, the shared guide element may be configured as at least one of a linear guide or a rail.

There is provided an ink jet recording apparatus that can correct bending of an ink jet head with a compact structure. First supporting frames 122 that support ink jet heads 110C, 110M, 110Y, and 110K and second supporting frames 170 that support a part of ink supply sections supplying ink to the ink jet heads 110C, 110M, 110Y, and 110K are mounted on a mount 300. The first supporting frames 122 are mounted on the mount 300 while both end portions of the first supporting frames 122 in a longitudinal direction are supported. Each of the second supporting frames 170 is provided with a bending correction mechanism 340 that applies a pressing force to the first supporting frame 122 to correct the bending of the first supporting frame 122.

A maintenance operation can be executed by ejecting a liquid when a time measured with reference to displacement of a cap from a maintenance position to a separation position exceeds a defined time. Before start of a recording operation in a recording job, a first medium waits at a standby position where the medium can wait upstream of a liquid ejection head. The cap is located at the separation position when a first medium in the recording job is waiting at the standby position. During an initial control period, in parallel with the maintenance operation, a post-processing operation can be executed on a second number of media that is smaller than a first number of media, and a post-processing operation can be executed on the first number of media in parallel with the maintenance operation after end of the initial control period.

A printing system includes a print bar, a plurality of printheads installed on the print bar and an auxiliary printhead moveable parallel to the print bar. A number of first nozzles of the auxiliary printhead substitute for a number of second nozzles of the printheads during a nozzle servicing operation performed on the second nozzles.

A method of operating a printer analyzes a printed test pattern in a low-contrast printing configuration. The method includes forming a printed test pattern having a plurality of rows of negative marks on an image receiving member, each negative mark in the plurality of rows of negative marks being surrounded by ink from at least a portion of the plurality of inkjets. The method further includes generating scanned image data of the test pattern and identifying a plurality of locations in the cross-process direction for the negative marks in at least one row of negative marks in the scanned image data of the test pattern.

A liquid ejecting device includes a base portion, a liquid ejecting portion movably provided at the base portion, a medium supporting portion provided at the base portion and configured to support a printing medium in a printing region where the liquid ejecting portion performs printing, and a maintenance portion disposed in a region on the +X direction side of the printing region in the X-axis direction in the base portion. The maintenance portion includes a moisturizing portion that can form a closed space to which nozzle opens, a cleaning portion that can forcibly discharge liquid from the nozzle, and a wiper that can wipe a nozzle surface where the nozzle is provided. The moisturizing portion, the cleaning portion and the wiper are disposed side by side in the Y-axis direction.

An image recording apparatus, including: a main body; an image recorder; a sheet supporter movable between an opposed position and a retracted position; a cap movable between a contact position and a distant position; a distance-defining member movable between a first position and a second position and configured to define a distance between an upper surface of a sheet and a lower surface of the recorder, the first position being a position where the member partially overlaps a region of the cap at the contact position, the second position being a position where at least a part of the member does not overlap the region; and a controller to control the cap to move from the distant position to the contact position after the supporter has been moved from the opposed position to the retracted position and the member has been moved from the first position to the second position.

A single pass inkjet printer that utilizes a modular printing system with one or more self-contained printing modules, where each printing module is easy to remove and replace from a large printing machine, thus resulting in an overall system that is easy to service and maintain Each module is a self-contained printer including an ink supply, printhead drive electronics, and printhead assembly in order to provide one color or fluid of inkjet printing capability. Each module includes a precise three-point compliant self-aligning mount system to obtain accurate printhead positioning, and a unique integrated printhead tending system that includes a compact movable vacuum knife for cleaning the printheads, and a printhead capping station for sealing and protecting the printheads from the ambient environment when not in use.

Both end parts of a cord are fixed to a maintenance mounting frame, and an intermediate part of the cord is laid on a first body-side rotating member, a head-side rotating member and a second body-side rotating member. Here, when a motor is driven, the movement restriction of the cord is released and a movement of a head mounting frame is restricted, whereby only the maintenance mounting frame moves together with a maintenance part while the movement of the head mounting frame is restricted. Further, when the motor is driven, a movement of the cord is restricted and the movement restriction of the head mounting frame is released, whereby only the head mounting frame moves together with a discharge head while a movement of the maintenance part is restricted.

A printhead maintenance system includes: an elongate inkjet printhead having a nozzle face containing a plurality of inkjet nozzles; a carriage movable longitudinally along the printhead in a cleaning direction, the carriage including a maintenance member having: a fluid bath having a mouth opposing the nozzle face of the printhead, a primary fluid inlet at an upstream end of the fluid bath relative to the cleaning direction and a fluid outlet at a downstream end of the fluid bath relative to the cleaning direction; and a traversing mechanism for traversing the carriage longitudinally along the printhead in the cleaning direction. The maintenance member does not contact inkjet nozzles of the printhead, and the fluid bath is configured to provide a greater fluid velocity at the downstream end relative to the upstream end.