A printing device includes a printing portion, a maintenance portion, and a controller. The printing portion includes an ejection head and prints using ink. The maintenance portion performs maintenance on the ejection head. The maintenance involves consumption of ink. The controller has a manual maintenance mode and an automated maintenance mode. In the manual maintenance mode, the controller executes a maintenance using the maintenance portion in response to a maintenance command signal based on a manual operation. In the automated maintenance mode, the controller automatically executes a maintenance using the maintenance portion in response to a maintenance execution condition being met. Based on control information acquired, the controller switches an operating mode of the printing device from a first operating mode of selectively executing the manual maintenance mode and the automated maintenance mode to a second operation mode of executing the automated maintenance mode without executing the manual maintenance mode.

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a liquid ejecting head including a wiped surface that includes a first region including nozzles and a second region outside the first region; and a wiping mechanism that wipes the wiped surface, in which a first wiping operation in which the wiping mechanism moves relative to the wiped surface in a first direction to thereby wipe the first region and the second region is performed, and a second wiping operation in which, before the first wiping operation, the wiping mechanism moves relative to the wiped surface in a direction different from the first direction to thereby wipe a region including an upstream portion of the second region, the upstream portion being arranged, with respect to the first region, in a second direction opposite to the first direction, is performed.

In image forming apparatus, a recording head is configured to eject ink corresponding to an image to be printed, using arranged nozzles. A control unit is configured to determine nozzles corresponding to the image to be printed, correspondingly to a position of a print sheet, and cause the recording head to eject ink from the nozzles. A correction processing unit is configured to perform a correction process corresponding to each of the plural ink ejection malfunction positions in the image. A head cleaning processing unit is configured to perform head cleaning for the recording head. Further, if the number of the detected ink ejection malfunction positions exceeds a predetermined upperlimit value when using a predetermined ink droplet size, the correction processing unit causes the head cleaning processing unit to perform head cleaning for the recording head and thereby decreases the number of the ink ejection malfunction positions.

Disclosed is a method of controlling an inkjet printing process. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of controlling an inkjet printing process by using an inkjet print system, the method including a printing operation of moving a first support chuck or a second support chuck in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction and performing the inkjet printing process of discharging an ink onto a substrate and a first suction operation of suctioning remaining ink from a nozzle formed on a first head or a second head using a first suction unit, wherein a controller controls the printing operation for a first substrate, the first suction operation for the second head or the printing operation for a second substrate, and the first suction operation for the first head to be sequentially performed.

Provided are an inkjet printing apparatus and a recovery method capable of suppressing ink thickening in the ejection openings in the suction process for the ejection openings. A vacuum wiper is moved being in contact with the ejection opening surface of the print head to perform a vacuum wiping process for the arrayed ejection openings sequentially. Ink is circulated in flow paths including the flow paths communicating with the ejection openings for which the vacuum wiping process has been finished.

A controller includes a second controller that periodically performs a flushing operation of injecting a predetermined amount of ink from a nozzle, a third controller that repeatedly performs the flushing operation until a remaining amount of the ink in a storage chamber after the flushing operation is detected by a detector to be a first amount, a first counter that counts a first operation number of times of the flushing operation, and a fourth controller that performs a first cleaning operation of absorbing a fluid in a sealed space by a suction pump when the first operation number of times counted by the first counter reaches a first threshold value.

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.

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.

An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance part, a head unit, a distance changing part, three blocks and three pins. The distance changing part moves the head unit between a printing position where a printing operation is performed and a retreat position separated away from the conveyance part farther than the printing position. The three blocks are provided in one of the conveyance part and the head unit at intervals in the conveyance direction and a width direction crossing the conveyance direction. The three pins are provided in the other of the conveyance part and the head unit at positions facing the three blocks. Each of the three blocks has a positioning groove having a pair of inclined surfaces. The pins come into two-point contact with the inclined surfaces of the blocks in a state where the head unit is positioned in the printing position.

In order that the interior of a cap member, in a case where the cap member abuts to a cover member, is allowed to have improved airtightness so that the cap member can sufficiently function, a sealing member is used to seal between the cover member and first and second flow path members for retaining the cover member.