Abstract: A cleaning blade which comes in elastic contact with a nozzle plate to clean a recording head is subjected to ink-receptive treatment on the surface thereof which comes in contact with the nozzle plate, such as formation of grooves or the like which can retain an ink by a capillary force. In this arrangement, an ink can be retained on the blade regardless of the rebounding of the blade shortly after the termination of cleaning operation, making it possible to prevent the ink from flying toward the recording head when the blade rebounds.

Abstract: A sealing timer (25) for measuring the time in which the recording head (7) is sealed by the capping device (10); an opening timer (26) for measuring the time in which the recording head (7) is opened to the atmosphere; and a cleaning control means having a first cleaning mode in which a predetermined quantity of ink is sucked, a second cleaning mode in which a larger quantity of ink than the quantity of ink sucked in the first cleaning mode is sucked, and a third cleaning mode in which a quantity of ink substantially equal to the quantity of ink sucked in the second cleaning mode is divided into two portions and the two portions may be sucked at two separate times.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus include a photosensitive medium having light sensitive microcapsules thereon which are pressed against a receiving medium in order to transfer a latent image from the photosensitive medium to a developed image on the receiving image. A pressure developing device is employed which generates a load only during that period when the image is being developed on the receiving medium. A detachable container includes a cartridge for storing unexposed photosensitive medium and a cassette for storing the receiving medium includes detectors for determining the size of the receiving medium. A thermal treatment mechanism fixes the images formed on the receiving medium and imparts a glossy finish.