A printing apparatus includes: a flushing determination unit, and a storage unit, wherein the flushing determination unit is configured to: calculate a temporary return position, a temporary reciprocating movement time that is necessary when the carriage is returned at the temporary return position, and a threshold value that is a longest non-ejection time during which printing can be performed in a stable manner at an environmental temperature measured by a thermometer, based on print data to be printed in reciprocating movement of the carriage; and determine whether the temporary reciprocating movement time exceeds the threshold value, wherein when the temporary reciprocating movement time exceeds the threshold value, the flushing determination unit sets a position at which the one reciprocating movement time becomes longer than the temporary reciprocating movement time as a return position in the reciprocating movement, and determines to perform the flushing in a return path.

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.

There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including: a liquid discharge head, a carriage, a carriage moving mechanism, a carriage motor, an output unit outputting a discharge determination signal, and a controller configured to carry out a determination of whether or not a liquid is discharged normally from the nozzle, based on the discharge determination signal outputted from the output unit when the liquid discharge head carries out an inspection driving. If a first condition is satisfied, then after a carriage drive in order to move the carriage to a predetermined position, the inspection driving is performed. If a second condition other than the first condition is satisfied, then the inspection driving is performed without performing the carriage drive.

The amount of ink in a cap at the time of end of printing initiated by a print command is estimated, and it is determined whether an open suction action is to be performed based on the estimated post-printing ink amount to prevent spillover of the ink and reduce downtime due to the open suction action.

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).

A nozzle surface wiping device capable of using a plurality of types of wiping members in a state where discharge deterioration is suppressed regarding the respective wiping members is provided. In the nozzle surface wiping device that wipes a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head with a wiping member to which a cleaning liquid is applied, information on cleaning liquid application conditions for applying respective saturated liquid amounts of the cleaning liquid to a plurality of types of wiping members, respectively, according to the types of the respective wiping members is held in advance. The type of a wiping member to be used for the wiping of the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head is specified, and a saturated liquid amount of the cleaning liquid is applied to the wiping member according to the determined cleaning liquid application conditions corresponding to the type of the specified wiping member.

An aqueous ink set for ink jet including a combination of a first ink and a second ink. The first ink includes a self-dispersible pigment to a particle surface of which a functional group that includes a phosphonic acid group is bonded, wherein the redispersion viscosity of the first ink is 5 mPa.Math.s or less. The second ink includes an anionic dye, a lithium ion, and a sodium ion, wherein the total concentration of the lithium ion and the sodium ion in the second ink is 0.050 mol/L or more, and the proportion of the concentration of the lithium ion in the total concentration of the lithium ion and the sodium ion in the second ink is 45% or more to 85% or less.

A liquid ejection apparatus is disclosed. One apparatus includes a nozzle through which fluid is ejected or purged, and a pressure regulating valve arranged upstream of the nozzle. The pressure regulating valve is configured to open in response to an open/close pressure differential of the fluid across the pressure regulating valve. The pressure regulating valve is configured to controllably regulate the open/close pressure differential. The apparatus further includes a controller configured to, when a suction pump is being operated to perform a first purging operation comprising creating a first negative pressure through suctioning by the suction pump to purge the fluid through the nozzle, control the pressure regulating valve to set the open/close pressure differential of the pressure regulating valve to a first value.

A print device includes a processor and a memory. The memory storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, perform processes. The processes include covering processing controlling a cap into a covering state in which the cap covers a nozzle. The processes include first purge processing purging, in a state in which the cap is in the covering state and a supply valve is closed, an ink from the nozzle by operating a pump at a first rotation speed. The processes include injection processing injecting, after the first purge processing and in a state in which the cap is in the covering state and the supply valve is open, the cleaning liquid into the interior of the cap by operating the pump at a second rotation speed to cause the cleaning liquid to soak a nozzle face.

An inkjet printing and an inkjet printing method are provided. The inkjet printing device includes a stage comprising a substrate mounting part configured to receive a target substrate mounted thereon, a print head unit located above the stage and configured to spray an ink including a plurality of particles, and a suction device located at a side of the substrate mounting part and configured to generate negative pressure thereon.