A printing device includes a printing unit configured to use ink stored in an ink cartridge to perform printing on a medium, a remaining amount detector configured to detect a remaining amount of the ink stored in the ink cartridge, a maintenance unit configured to perform maintenance on the printing unit, and a display unit configured to perform predetermined notification regarding either replacement of the ink cartridge or refilling of the ink cartridge with the ink. Either the printing device or a server device includes a selector configured to select either the maintenance to be performed or the predetermined notification based on the remaining amount of the ink when an amount of the ink used for a predetermined time period is equal to or smaller than a defined amount based on information on the amount of the ink used.

A method for operating a printing material processing machine by using a computer includes acquiring print job parameters from print jobs for the printing material processing machine and machine parameters by using the computer, evaluating the acquired parameters to determine the machine state by using the computer, and requesting and providing fluid consumable materials for optimizing the operation of the machine on the basis of the determined machine state by using the computer. Maintenance measures carried out on the machine are optimized on the basis of the determined machine state, by using the computer.

An apparatus may include an electrical interface to access a memory. Based on data receivable from the memory, an actuator may allow fluid flow from a print fluid supply external to the apparatus to a print fluid reservoir of the apparatus.

To provide a control device and a control method with which a consumed amount of ink can be calculated with higher accuracy, a processing unit configured to execute image processing to image data, based on a reference value according to a state of a print head of a printing apparatus, and a calculating unit configured to calculate a consumed amount of ink during printing, based on print data and a parameter indicating a condition of printing, the print data being generated based on the image data to which the image processing has been performed by the processing unit, are included.

An image forming system includes a recording processing portion, an acquirement processing portion, and an output processing portion. The recording processing portion records a consumed amount of a consumable consumed by an image forming apparatus per predetermined unit time. The acquirement processing portion acquires prediction data that indicates a predicted consumed amount of the consumable per the unit time for a time period from a predetermined standard time, based on a comparison result between: a first record result corresponding to a first time period extending to a reference time; and a second record result corresponding to a predetermined second time period extending to the standard time, among a record result recorded by the recording processing portion, the reference time being a predetermined specific time period earlier than the standard time. The output processing portion outputs the prediction data acquired by the acquirement processing portion.

An inkjet recording apparatus includes a tank, a recording head, a cover, a monitor, a cover sensor, an operation panel, and a controller. The cover is movable to cover a plurality of injection inlets associated with a plurality of ink chambers and to expose the plurality of injection inlets. The cover sensor outputs signal depending on position of the cover. The controller controls the monitor to display one of inquiry information and notification on the monitor depending on receipt of the signal from the cover sensor.

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a fluid interface device (106) is described. The device includes a collar (110) to receive a fluid container (104). The collar has an aperture in one end surface. A needle (108) of the fluid interface device passes through the aperture and allows fluid to pass from the fluid container (104) into a reservoir (102). The needle is slideable within the aperture from a dosed position to an open position upon reception of the fluid container. A seal (212) is radially disposed around the needle (108) and seals against the end surface of the collar (110) when the needle is in the dosed position.

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a method of determining a printing fluid level is described. According to the method, an on-time of a pump is determined. The pump maintains a fixed pressure in a pressurized reservoir. From the on-time, a fluid level in the pressurized reservoir is determined.

A printing apparatus that includes: a first obtaining unit that obtains a usage amount of an expendable from a time point of detection of a situation where a remaining amount of the expendable in an expendable replenishment container is lower than a predetermined value; a second obtaining unit that obtains a remaining amount in a tank; a first determination unit that determines a state of the remaining amount of the expendable by comparing the usage amount obtained by the first obtaining unit and the remaining amount in the tank obtained by the second obtaining unit with thresholds set respectively for the usage amount and the remaining amount; and a detection unit that detects the situation where the remaining amount of the expendable is lower than the predetermined value, in a case where the state determined by the first determination unit is a remaining amount low state.

A liquid supply device includes a first liquid supply path that supplies ink to a first liquid supply port corresponding to a cartridge, a second liquid supply path that supplies ink in a second liquid container to a second liquid supply port corresponding to a cartridge, a selector that selects either the first liquid supply path or the second liquid supply path, an on-off valve and a pump that, when the first liquid supply path is selected by the selector, supplies ink via the first liquid supply path to the cartridge, and an on-off valve and the pump that, when the second liquid supply path is selected by the selector, supplies ink via the second liquid supply path to the cartridge.