Example implementations relate to a method to manage printhead operational life; the method comprising firing at least one nozzle of a printhead according to an associated firing parameter to produce a respective drop of print liquid, measuring a parameter associated with the drop of print liquid, and adjusting the firing parameter in response to the measuring to reduce the measured parameter associated with the drop of print liquid on a subsequent firing while maintaining the firing parameter at or above a predetermined parameter limit to maintain print image quality.

A fluid ejection device includes a fluid slot, at least one fluid ejection chamber communicated with the fluid slot, a drop ejecting element within the at least one fluid ejection chamber, a fluid circulation channel communicated with the fluid slot and the at least one fluid ejection chamber, and a fluid circulating element communicated with the fluid circulation channel. The fluid circulating element is to provide on-demand circulation of fluid from the fluid slot through the fluid circulation channel and the at least one fluid ejection chamber.

Provided are a liquid ejection apparatus, an ejection control method, and a liquid ejection head capable of suppressing shortening of the life of a liquid ejection head and maintaining stable ejection operation. For this purpose, voltage is applied to upper electrodes and counter electrodes so as to make the voltage at the upper electrodes lower than the voltage at the counter electrodes before heat generating resistive elements are driven, and voltage is applied to the upper electrodes and the counter electrodes so as to make the voltage at the upper electrodes higher than the voltage at the counter electrodes at the same time as or after the start of driving of the heat generating resistive elements.

Various embodiments disclose a method for operating a printer apparatus. The method comprising monitoring a utilization rate of each heating element in a first set of heating elements defined by a print head arrangement. Further, the method comprises generating a utilization dataset based upon monitoring of the utilization rate of each heating element in the first set of heating elements print head arrangement. Furthermore, the method includes analyzing the utilization dataset to identify one or more overutilized heating elements of the first set of heating elements. Additionally, the method includes identifying a second set of heating elements defined by the print head arrangement. The second set of heating elements comprises a portion of the first set of heating elements exclusive of the one or more overutilized heating elements. The method further includes processing a print job. The processed print job utilized the second set of heating elements during printing.

A printing apparatus includes a transfer member configured to cyclically pass through a formation area of an ink image and a transfer area where the ink image is transferred to a cut sheet, the transfer member including a plurality of areas that allow printing on a plurality of cut sheets in one rotation. A control unit controls a print head so as to use some areas of the transfer member for the formation of the ink image, and decides, in accordance with a use count of each of the plurality of areas for printing, an area on which an ink image based on print data is formed so as to use, for printing, an area having a use count that is lowest, among the plurality of areas of the transfer member, more often than other areas of the plurality of areas of the transfer member.

According to an embodiment, an inkjet head includes a piezoelectric element that is configured to change the volume of a pressure chamber from which a liquid is dispensed. A first switch is configured to connect the piezoelectric to a first power line at a first voltage when turned on, and a control circuit is configured to turn on the first switch at a first change time and then turn off the first switch after the voltage of the piezoelectric element reaches the first voltage and then turn on the first switch before a second change time. The control circuit applies a drive waveform to the piezoelectric element in which the voltage of the drive waveform is a second voltage before the first change time, the first voltage after the first change time, and the second voltage after the second change time.

Various embodiments disclose a method for operating a printer apparatus. The method comprising monitoring a utilization rate of each heating element in a first set of heating elements defined by a print head arrangement. Further, the method comprises generating a utilization dataset based upon monitoring of the utilization rate of each heating element in the first set of heating elements print head arrangement. Furthermore, the method includes analyzing the utilization dataset to identify one or more overutilized heating elements of the first set of heating elements. Additionally, the method includes identifying a second set of heating elements defined by the print head arrangement. The second set of heating elements comprises a portion of the first set of heating elements exclusive of the one or more overutilized heating elements. The method further includes processing a print job. The processed print job utilized the second set of heating elements during printing.

A printing apparatus includes at least one transfer section, a print unit forming an ink image on the transfer section, a transfer unit performing a transfer operation of transferring, to a print medium, and a liquid absorbing unit absorbing a liquid component from the ink image. The liquid absorbing unit includes a liquid absorbing sheet moved cyclically, and a displacing unit displacing the sheet between a contact state and a retracted state. The printing apparatus further includes an acceleration control unit controlling, if the sheet is displaced from the retracted state to the contact state, an acceleration operation of the transfer section and the sheet, and a determination unit determining an acceleration operation start portion which is located at a liquid absorbing position where the sheet contacts the transfer section when the acceleration control unit starts the acceleration operation.

An element substrate, comprises: a plurality of printing elements configured to discharge liquid; a plurality of first driving elements disposed in correspondence with the plurality of printing elements and configured to drive the plurality of printing elements; a plurality of heating elements configured to heat the element substrate; a plurality of second driving elements disposed in correspondence with the plurality of heating elements and configured to drive the plurality of heating elements; and a delay unit that delays timing of driving the plurality of second driving elements to drive the plurality of second driving elements at a predetermined time difference when driving the plurality of second driving elements simultaneously.

An ink-jet head driving circuit includes: PMOS transistors each of which has an Nwell area, a drain terminal and a source terminal, the PMOS transistors connected to a piezoelectric element for jetting ink from a nozzle; and an NMOS transistor connected to the drain terminals of the PMOS transistors. The source terminals and Nwell areas of the PMOS transistors are connected respectively to power sources, and voltage of one of the power sources connected to the Nwell area of each of the PMOS transistors is equal to or higher than the highest voltage of the power sources connected to the source terminals of the PMOS transistors.