Abstract: A thermal inkjet printer is provided. The printer has a sensor that detects the operating temperature of its printhead. If the temperature of the printhead is below the printhead's normal operating temperature when the printer is going to start to print an image or document, the operating temperature of the printhead is set at a temperature higher than its normal temperature. This is to ensure that the drop-volume of the printer stays at an optimum level when the printer is beginning to start to print the image or document after a period of non-use. Shortly after the printer has started the printing task, the operating temperature of the printhead is reduced to its normal operating temperature.

Abstract: A collection spittoon with a vacuum connection draws air and ink ejected during service spitting through an opening in the top of the spittoon. The collected ink includes main ejected drops and aerosol generated during the service process. A method for servicing an inkjet printhead comprises positioning the printhead over an opening in a spittoon chamber, establishing an air flow into the chamber through the opening, actuating the printhead to spit ink droplets in a service mode, and collecting the ink droplets and associated aerosol by drawing the ink droplets and aerosol into the chamber with the air flow.

Abstract: The present invention includes as one embodiment a method of controlling an inkjet printhead assembly, including providing the printhead assembly having ink ejection elements that eject ink from a firing chamber through a nozzle and being energizable by an electrical pulse having a first predetermined energy, monitoring the printhead assembly to determine elapsed time since each ink ejection element on the printhead assembly has been fired, calculating a predetermined maximum amount of time that an ink ejection element is not operating using ink formulation and geometry of the nozzle and the firing chamber, comparing the elapsed time for each ink ejection element on the printhead assembly with the predetermined maximum amount of time and initiating high energy spitting at a second predetermined energy for the printhead assembly if the predetermined maximum amount of time has been exceeded for at least one of the ink ejection elements on the printhead assembly.

Abstract: A method for minimizing cross-contamination of print cartridges in an inkjet printing system due to aerosol drift by employing a bi-directional spitting scheme coupled with a configuration of the print cartridges. The method includes a carriage for traversing across a print medium and a spittoon, the carriage having a plurality of N receptacles, the receptacles identified from left to right as positions 1 through N, includes mounting a reactive print cartridge in either positions 1 and N, or both, on the carriage, the reactive print cartridges having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting reactive droplets and mounting a plurality of print cartridges in the remaining positions on the carriage, the print cartridges having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink droplets.