Abstract: A system and method for determining an optimal use of printing devices and printing device options in a network computer system or enterprise environment based upon typically usage characteristics of the printing devices and the options available to the printing devices.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a carriage having a recording head for jetting UV-curable ink onto a recording medium and a UV light emitter for projecting UV light onto ink having landed on the recording medium to cure the ink, and a maintenance unit for performing maintenance of the recording head. The apparatus further includes an input section for inputting a type of recording medium, a storage section for storing plural types of recording media and corresponding plural maintenance intervals, and a controller for controlling the maintenance unit such that the controller selects a maintenance interval, corresponding to the type of recording medium having been input through the input section, and performs maintenance, according to the selected maintenance interval. A method for maintenance of a recording head selects a maintenance interval, corresponding to the type of recording medium having been input, and performs maintenance, according to the selected maintenance interval.

Abstract: A first detaching step including (1) moving a nozzle cap from a position, where a sealing surface of the nozzle cap is entirely in contact with a nozzle surface of a recording head, to a first state, where a first end of the sealing surface is separated by a minute distance from the nozzle surface and a second end of the sealing surface is separated from the nozzle cap by a first distance, and (2) maintaining the nozzle cap in the first state. A second detaching step including (1) moving the nozzle cap from the first state to a second state, where the first end of the sealing surface is separated from the nozzle surface by a second distance and the second end is separated from the nozzle surface by a distance greater than the first distance, and (2) maintaining the nozzle cap in the second state.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus has a pick-up roller for supplying to a conveyor mechanism an uppermost one of record media on a supporter, an elevator for moving up and down the supporter, a pump for forcibly ejecting ink within an ink-jet head, a drive shaft that is rotated both in positive and negative directions by a drive source, and a driving force transmitter. The driving force transmitter is capable of switching its mode between a mode for transmitting rotating force of the drive shaft in the positive direction to the pump so as to drive the pump and a mode for transmitting rotating force of the drive shaft in the negative direction to the pick-up roller so as to drive the pick-up roller. After the elevator is controlled to bring the uppermost one of the record media on the supporter away from the pick-up roller, the drive source is controlled to rotate the drive shaft in the positive direction.

Abstract: When receiving a command to record an image on a recording medium, controlling means causes recovering means to execute a recovery operation, and then recording means to execute image recording when an elapsed time from the execution of a previous recovery operation measured by clocking means exceeds a predetermined time and a coverage rate of a recording part calculated by coverage rate calculating means exceeds a predetermined value. The controlling means causes the recording means to execute image recording without causing the recovering means to execute the recovery operation when the coverage rate of the recording part calculated by the coverage rate calculating means is not more than the predetermined value.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a printing apparatus capable of specifying the color material concentration in ink to discharge or suck the ink in a suitable amount for suppressing degradation in print quality or ink supply failure. The printing apparatus executes printing by scanning a printhead having an orifice to discharge ink. The printing apparatus includes a scanning unit which scans the printhead without discharging the ink to generate a discharge failure orifice, and a detection unit which detects the presence of the discharge failure orifice. The color material concentration in the ink is estimated on the basis of the number of times or the time of scanning without discharging the ink required until the detection unit detects the presence of the discharge failure orifice.

Abstract: A carriage, which moves an inkjet head group composed of a plurality of inkjet head arrays laid approximately perpendicular to a printing paper transport direction, carries a line charge-coupled device (CCD). The line CCD has a reader element array composed of a plurality of reader elements laid in the same direction as the printing paper transport direction. The line CCD has a width along the printing paper transport direction, which is greater than a width of the inkjet head group. When the carriage moves, the line CCD scans the printing paper in the secondary scanning direction. Ink ejection inspection is made based on an image read by the line CCD.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head member having a nozzle and a liquid-ejecting unit; a main controlling part that drives the liquid-ejecting unit based on ejecting data; a capping member relatively movable between a position away from the head member and a position in contact with the head member; a suction way communicated with an inside of the capping member; and a built-in slide-rotator type of positive displacement pump provided in the suction way. A state-quantity recognizing part recognizes a state quantity related to a dry state in an inside of the positive displacement pump. A judging part judges whether the inside of the positive displacement pump is dry, by comparing the state quantity with a standard state quantity. A preliminary-operation carrying-out part carries out a preliminary operation for wetting the inside of the positive displacement pump, when the inside of the positive displacement pump is dry.

Abstract: A droplet discharge device is provided in which for a head having a plurality of nozzles, nozzle rows having clogged nozzles are detected in advance and suction is performed on the nozzle rows having clogged nozzles independently, thereby recovering the nozzles, while measures against the thickening of a liquid in nozzles can be carried out. A droplet discharge device includes: a head having a plurality of nozzle rows including a plurality of nozzles on a nozzle surface in order to discharge droplets of a supplied liquid; a non-discharge nozzle detector that detects which nozzle row of the plural nozzle rows has nozzles that are clogged so as to be a non-discharge nozzle; a suction device to seal a nozzle row including detected non-discharge nozzles on the nozzle surface and performing suction to eliminate the clogging of the non-discharging nozzles; and a moisture retaining device to seal the plural nozzle rows on the nozzle surface to retain the moisture of the nozzle surface.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes: a recording head which includes jet openings for jetting ink; a sensor for detecting a jet opening causing jetting failure among the jet openings; a sucking mechanism for sucking the ink from each jet opening; a comparing section for comparing number of the detected jet opening causing jetting failure with predetermined number; and a control section for performing a sucking process where the sucking mechanism performs a sucking operation, for performing an examination process to count the jet opening causing jetting failure by the detection of the sensor and by simulated jetting of each jet opening, for performing a comparing process where the comparing section performs a comparing operation after the examination process, and for re-performing the examination process without performing the sucking process when judged in the comparing process that the number of the jet opening causing jetting failure is more than the predetermined number.

Abstract: If any change, which appears on a display for displaying the situation of the operation, is detected, it is judged whether or not an elapsed time, which elapses from the previous execution of the restoring operation for the discharge state of nozzles, exceeds a predetermined time period. If the elapsed time exceeds the predetermined time period, the control is made by a controller so that the restoring operation is executed for the recording head. The restoring operation is executed before the instruction of the recording operation for a recording medium in a multi function device which has various functions including, for example, the copy function, the facsimile function, the scanner function, and the printer function in combination and which is provided with the functions in a multifunctional manner. Therefore, the waiting time for a user, which is required until the completion of the recording, can be shortened.

Abstract: A method of controlling an inkjet mechanism having an inkjet head movable between a capped position and a print position comprises the steps of receiving a first switch signal indicative of the inkjet head moving into the vicinity of one of the positions of the inkjet head as the inkjet head is moving towards the one of the positions of the inkjet head, and moving the inkjet head a learned amount towards the one of the positions of the inkjet head after the first switch signal has been received. The method may further comprise the steps of receiving a second switch signal indicative of the inkjet head moving into the vicinity of the other one of the positions of the inkjet head as the inkjet head is moving towards the other one of the positions of the inkjet head, and moving the inkjet head another learned amount towards the other one of the positions of the inkjet head after the second switch signal has been received. The learned amounts may be substantially the same.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for printing includes selecting a nozzle for printing a pixel, determining a time since the nozzle was last actuated, and, if the time since the nozzle was last actuated exceeds a threshold time, then, before actuating the nozzle to print the pixel, actuating the nozzle a number of actuations corresponding to the time since the nozzle was last actuated.

Abstract: Ejection of a clear-ink nozzle is inspected with ease. When forming an ejection-test pattern for a clear ink, for example, the clear ink is ejected toward a medium from a clear-ink nozzle to form the ejection-test pattern, and a color ink is ejected toward a region in which the clear ink is to adhere from at least two color-ink nozzles to form the ejection-test pattern.

Abstract: The invention provides a configuration capable of judging whether an ink jet head is exchanged or whether it is replaced, and changing an amount of recovery operation when the ink jet head is exchanged or replaced. Thus a recording apparatus capable of avoiding a defective ink supply in case the ink jet head is exchanged or replaced, and not wasting the ink by unnecessarily excessive recovery operation, can be provided.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head, having nozzle orifices for ejecting liquid therefrom and a controller which performs a recovery operation for removing liquid having a changed liquid property, the liquid being on the nozzle orifices and the vicinities thereof. The recovery operation is performed by using at least a flushing operation in which the liquid drops are ejected from the nozzle orifices and a cleaning operation in which a negative pressure is applied to the nozzle orifices. An operation condition of the cleaning operation is set in accordance with an operation history of the flushing operation performed before the cleaning operation.

Abstract: A printer having storing means storing time information indicating the time at which cleaning operations were last performed, with the initial value of time information stored in the storing means being set to a time later than the shipment of the printer. Elapsed time between the time information stored in the storing means and the current time is calculated when a user gives the printer an instruction to start printing operations. The printer performs suitable cleaning operation for a case wherein the calculated value of the elapsed time is negative.

Abstract: A device for cleaning the nozzles of a printhead of a printer which includes scraper means, recording means for recording which nozzles require cleaning, and a control unit coupled to the recording means for actuating the printhead and/or the scraper means in order to clean the section(s) of the printhead having nozzles(s) requiring cleaning.

Abstract: An ink composition is produced using a water-soluble substance that undergoes condensation polymerization in the absence of water (e.g., a hydrolyzable silane compound), which includes fluoroalkyl groups. Alternatively, a water-repellent film of a nozzle plate is subjected to a surface treatment with a trialkyl silane compound.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a droplet ejection apparatus and a method of detecting an ejection failure in droplet ejection heads capable of detecting an ejection failure in the droplet ejection heads by counting the number of reference pulses generated for a predetermined time period after a droplet ejection operation. The droplet ejection apparatus of the invention includes: a plurality of droplet ejection heads, each of the droplet ejection heads including a diaphragm, an actuator which displaces the diaphragm; a driving circuit which drives the actuator of each droplet ejection head; pulse generating means for generating reference pulses; a subtraction counter for counting the number of reference pulses generated for a predetermined time period; and ejection failure detecting means for detecting an ejection failure of the droplets on the basis of the count value of the counter counted for the predetermined time period.

Abstract: A capping apparatus including: a sealing unit that seals at least nozzle apertures of a liquid droplet ejection head that ejects liquid droplets; a heating unit that heats at least a vicinity of the nozzle apertures; and a negative pressure supplying unit that supplies an interior of the sealing unit with negative pressure that causes liquid droplets to be ejected from the nozzle apertures.

Abstract: A method is provided for inspecting a recording head including a plurality of electrothermal conversion elements and a temperature detection element placed above or below each of the plurality of electrothermal conversion elements. The method includes driving the electrothermal conversion element, determining whether there is a change in slope of a temperature fall process in temperature detected by the temperature detection element during a predetermined time, if it is determined that there is a change in slope of the temperature fall process, obtaining a timing of the change in slope, and determining whether ink is discharged normally based on the obtained timing of the change in slope and a predetermined timing of a change in slope of the temperature fall process.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head is caused to eject liquid droplets at a region where no target medium is placed, such that such that a first prescribed number of liquid droplets are flushed from each of the nozzle orifices in the nozzle arrays of the first group, and a second prescribed number of liquid droplets are flushed from each of the nozzle orifices in the nozzle arrays of the second group. At least a part of the first prescribed number of liquid droplets and at least a part of the second prescribed number of liquid droplets are flushed by alternately performing a first unit operation for flushing a third prescribed number of liquid droplets which is smaller than the first prescribed number and a second unit operation for flushing a fourth prescribed number of liquid droplets which is smaller than the second prescribed number.

Abstract: The printer reads a capacity number of printed sheets and a accumulated number of printed sheets of a toner cartridge stored in a cartridge memory of toner cartridge and compares them to determine whether toner cartridge's service life has expired. Similarly, it reads toner cartridge's product information stored in the cartridge memory, and compares it with an authorized product's product information to determine whether the toner cartridge is an authorized product. If it is determined that toner cartridge's life has expired or the toner cartridge is not an authorized product, the printer executes printing process in the safety mode with an increased frequency compared to that of the standard mode. Thus, the printer allows continuation of printing without deteriorating printing quality and without halting instantly even when a toner cartridge, whose service life has expired, or an unauthorized product is used.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for depositing a soluble material, such as an organic polymer, onto a substrate uses an inkjet print head. The substrate is viewed from the underside by a CCD microscope during the deposition of an organic polymer droplet onto a well provided in a bank structure. As the organic polymer droplets are viewed when in wet condition they are more clearly visible and any offset or deviation detected between the deposited droplet and the well can be used to reposition a platen supporting the substrate. The substrate is viewed with light having a wavelength to which the substrate is transparent and, preferably, which does not include a wavelength component within the absorption region of the polymer.

Abstract: In an ink jet printer in which preliminary ejection is performed onto printing paper, unnecessary ink consumption due to the preliminary ejection is suppressed. More specifically, the paper preliminary ejection is designed to be performed only for a printing head of cyan ink. For this cyan ink the longest duration of its non-ejection state, in which the printer can attain high printing quality when restarting printing after continuation of the non-ejection state in the case of not performing the paper preliminary ejection, is shorter than 1.6 seconds of the duration which is necessary for the reciprocal printing. This eliminates the paper preliminary ejection for the printing heads of the other colors of ink, thereby avoiding unnecessary ink consumption due to the paper preliminary ejection performed uniformly for every color of ink.

Abstract: A power management control method of a printing apparatus, which can reduce power consumption of the printing apparatus during a sleep mode and maintain an excellent state of the printing apparatus in a sleep mode, and enables high-quality printing when the printing apparatus returns from the sleep mode to a normal mode.

Abstract: A method and recording apparatus including discharging ink to record an image, storing a parameter relating to a cumulative recording amount of the recording apparatus, setting a detection interval based on the parameter relating to the cumulative recording amount, and detecting a discharge state of the ink discharged from the recording head based on the set interval.

Abstract: The information processing apparatus of the present invention comprises alarm means for informing an alarm to expedite the delivery of an expendable to a communication address assigned to a person in charge of distribution, in response, after the instruction for delivery according to the information on the expendable of predetermined type included in the inventory absence information received from a user base side and information for specifying the user, to reception of information indicating a decrease or absence of the inventory of the expendable of the predetermined type.

Abstract: A printhead cartridge for a printer is provided comprising a page width printhead, a media transport mechanism for transporting media past the printhead and a capping assembly for capping the printhead. The capping assembly has a movable, page width elastomeric seal, a cam connected to the seal and a drive wheel engaged with the cam. The seal is normally biased into abutment with the printhead. The drive wheel is coupled to the media transport mechanism such that, when the media transport mechanism is operated to transport media past the printhead, the drive wheel is driven so as to rotate the cam in a first direction which moves the seal away from the printhead.

Abstract: An ink jet printer has a white ink recording head for jetting white ink onto a recording medium; a color ink recording head for jetting color ink onto the recording medium; a sucking device for providing ink nozzles of the white ink recording head and ink nozzles of the color ink recording head with sucking forces to suck ink in a white ink supply path and in a color ink supply path respectively, the paths communicating with the ink nozzles of the respective recording heads; and a controlling section for controlling sucking forces, wherein, the controlling section controls the sucking forces in such a manner that a sucking force applied to white ink is greater than a sucking force applied to color ink.

Abstract: Air from a pressurizing pump is supplied to a plurality of ink jet heads through an air tank and a plurality of ink tanks, and head inner pressures of the respective ink jet heads are raised. Accordingly, ink liquids are discharged from the respective ink jet heads. Thereafter, the desired ink tank among the respective ink tanks is allowed to communicate with the air tank. Moreover, the desired ink tank and at least one or more air tanks are opened to the atmosphere. In consequence, pressure in the desired ink tank is averaged.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a self-diagnostic process for determining a print shaft contamination condition such as debris build up on the guide shaft in a shuttle head printer is described. The process can be carried out at several points in time including automatically when the printer is powered-up, at a periodic schedule, and/or at the initiation of a user. The process includes a measurement of the print head speed over a travel distance along the guide shaft. If the speed is lower than a predetermined threshold value, the user is notified that a print shaft contamination condition exists.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a recording head, a conveyance mechanism, a shutter, a storage portion, and a moving mechanism. The recording head includes an ejection surface in which an ejection port for ejecting ink is defined. The conveyance mechanism conveys a printing medium while the printing medium is facing the ejection surface. The shutter covers the ejection surface. The storage portion stores the shutter. The moving mechanism moves the shutter from the storage portion to a facing position while the shutter is separate from the ejection surface. The shutter faces and covers the ejection surface at the facing position.

Abstract: An inkjet recording device according to the present invention performs preliminary ejection, not at an interval of fixed time but at a time detected by the inkjet recording device, to reduce the number of preliminary ejection for high-quality image recording or to reduce the number of preliminary ejection and the required time for higher throughput and faster image recording. A setting data count unit 1009 counts the number of occurrences of consecutive count patterns predetermined for each nozzle block according to the count patterns that are set in a preliminary ejection setting unit 1008 and the analysis result of the command analysis unit 1003. A preliminary ejection control unit checks, for each block, if the count value has reached a predetermined value and, if the count value has reached the predetermined value in at least one block, starts preliminary ejection for the recording head.

Abstract: A printing apparatus having a printhead for printing by discharging liquid on a printing medium performs a toggle preliminary discharge operation of alternately performing discharge from main nozzles and dummy nozzles in order to establish a good discharge state of the liquid from the main nozzles. The main nozzles and the dummy nozzles communicate with liquid chambers, which in turn communicate with a common liquid chamber. A control circuit for the printhead and a control method are also provided.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus is provided which includes an ink-jet head having a plurality of ink chambers and a common ink chamber which communicates with each of the plurality of ink chambers to supply ink to the plurality of ink chambers, the ink-jet head maintaining the plurality of ink chambers at a negative pressure in image recording, selecting one of the plurality of ink chambers on the basis of printing data and causing change in volume of the selected ink chamber, and thereby performing image recording by discharging the ink from a nozzle, and a pressure section which applies a positive pressure to the plurality of ink chambers when the ink-jet head is in a left state, the positive pressure being a pressure at which the ink is not discharged from the nozzle.

Abstract: To provide a liquid droplet ejection method which can detect abnormality of a nozzle, an ejection head including a plurality of nozzles has, for the respective nozzles, a camera unit that images from the inside of a nozzle to its peripheral portion. A captured image processing unit converts the captured image into an image which can recognize at least one of a state of a meniscus inside the nozzle, the shape of a nozzle opening and states of surface films formed inside and outside the nozzle, and sends the converted image to a comparison determination unit. The comparison determination unit compares the converted image with a reference image which is previously stored in a determination condition storing unit. As a result, for an objective nozzle, the quality (nozzle abnormality) of ejection performance is determined.

Abstract: An automatic maintenance-performing method to determine whether a first and a second power supply are operational, and performing a periodic maintenance operation at a predetermined time by supplying an electric power to the second power supply when the first power supply is in an ‘on’ state and the second power supply is in an ‘off’ state, and at the predetermined period without supplying the electric power to the second power supply when both the first and second power supplies are in the ‘on’ state, as a result of the decision.

Abstract: Ink type information is read by a read and write system (62) from a semiconductor storage system mounted on ink cartridges (9a to 9d) attached to a cartridge holder (8). A decision control system (61) decides whether or not ink type information has already been stored in ink type storage system (63), and stores the ink type information thus read when the ink type information is not stored. In the case in which the ink cartridge is exchanged, the ink type information is similarly read and it is decided whether or not the same ink type information is identical to the ink type information stored in the ink type storage system (63). If they are not identical to each other, the operation of the recording apparatus is inhibited and a display system (68) is caused to display an error message thereon.

Abstract: An inkjet imaging device is provide with a recording head that ejects ink toward a recording medium, a maintenance system that performs a recovery procedure consisting of a plurality of operations which include (1) a purging operation to remove ink from the recording head and (2) a wiping operation to wipe out the ink adhered oh a nozzle surface of the recording head after the purging operation is executed, a determining system that determines whether a currently executed operation of the recovery procedure can be interrupted when interruption of the currently executed recovery procedure is instructed, and an interrupting system that interrupts the recovery procedure when the determining system determines that the currently executed operation of the recovery procedure can be interrupted.

Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus comprises: a recording head including nozzles which discharge ink droplets onto a recording medium for printing; a computing device which computes a non-operational time period for one of the nozzles; a calculating device which calculates a predicted non-operational time period until a next operation of the one of the nozzles; and a preliminary discharge control device which performs control whereby preliminary discharge of the one of the nozzles is carried out if a total of the non-operational time period and the predicted non-operational time period exceeds a reference time period.

Abstract: An ink-jet line printer (30) is constituted by multiple ink-jet heads (1-1 to 1-3). Actuators (3-1 to 3-3) are arranged so as to be moved between a home position and a print position, and backup mechanisms (2-1 to 2-3) are arranged at home positions. In this ink-jet line printer, the ink-jet heads can be protected and recovered by backup mechanisms, thus making high-speed continuous printing possible. Even though the backup mechanisms are incorporated, a compact apparatus can still be achieved.

Abstract: This invention is related to an ink cleaning device, wherein this device comprises a cartridge stand, a driving mechanism, a printing control device and a cleaning cartridge. The feature of this invention is when the cleaning cartridge is put in the cartridge stand to replace the ink cartridge; the cleaning cartridge will be driven to guide cleanser into the guide tube and the printing head for cleaning purpose. Besides, the cartridge stand can accommodate the ink cartridge and the cleaning cartridge at one time. When ink cleaning function is required, the cleaning cartridge will be driven directly to clean the ink out by printing control device which is driven by an external device. The function of cleaning will also be approached.

Abstract: The cleaning process best suited to the condition of an inkjet printer is selected and run, thereby removing nozzle clogging without wastefully consuming ink. The first time a cleaning switch 7 is operated a CL1 cleaning process is run. If the cleaning switch 7 is pressed a second time and the print pass count is less than e.g., 400, a CL2 cleaning process that uses more ink than the CL1 process is used to clean the recording head, but if the print pass count is 400 or more, the CL1 cleaning process is used. If the print pass count is less than 400 the third time the switch is operated, the CL2 cleaning process is used, but the CL1 cleaning process is used if the print pass count is 400 or more. If the cleaning switch 7 is operated four or more times and the print pass count is less than 400, a YCL cleaning process that consumes substantially no ink is used to clean the recording head, but if the print pass count is 400 or more, the CL1 cleaning process is used.

Abstract: The droplet ejection apparatus of the invention includes a plurality of droplet ejection heads 100 each having a diaphragm, an actuator that displaces the diaphragm, and a nozzle through which a liquid in a cavity is ejected in the form of droplets in response to the increase and decrease of the internal pressure of the cavity, ejection selecting means 182 for selecting the nozzle of the ink jet head 100 in the plurality of ink jet heads 100 through which a ink droplet is to be ejected, ejection failure detecting means 10 for detecting a residual vibration of the diaphragm and detecting an ejection failure of the droplets on the basis of a vibration pattern of the detected residual vibration, and switching means 23 for switching a connection of the actuator from a driving circuit to the ejection failure detecting means 10 after carrying out a droplet ejection operation by driving the actuator.

Abstract: An ink ejection nozzle constituting section for performing printing with a high image quality and an ink ejection nozzle constituting section for performing full-color printing at a high speed are separately disposed in one ink jet head. A recovery system is capable of performing suction recovery only in each of the nozzle constituting sections, and the suction recovery optimized for each constituting section is carried out. Accordingly, an increase in size of a recording apparatus can be restrained, and total ink consumption can be suppressed at the time of maintenance.

Abstract: The inkjet head comprises: a nozzle which discharges droplets of ink through an ink discharge port to perform recording onto a recording medium, the ink being supplied through a supply duct, at least partial cross section of the nozzle on a side of the ink discharge port broadening toward the ink discharge port; and a device which moves a position of a boundary surface of the ink between a first boundary surface keeping position inside the nozzle at which the boundary surface of the ink is kept for recording and a second boundary surface keeping position inside the nozzle at which the boundary surface of the ink is kept for cleaning the nozzle under pressure less than or equal to ink discharging pressure, wherein fouling around the nozzle is collected by moving the position of the boundary surface of the ink between the first boundary surface keeping position and the second boundary surface keeping position.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus periodically performs the purge process and the wiping process. When the instruction is made to start the recording operation, a control unit judges whether or not the purge process and the wiping process have been performed after the previous recording operation. If it is judged that the purge process and the wiping process have been performed, the recording operation is started after executing the flashing process. Bubbles generated by the purge process are decreased by being dissolved in the ink during the period until the recording operation is started. Therefore, it is possible to avoid any occurrence of the discharge failure which would be otherwise caused by the bubbles contained in the ink. The purge process and the wiping process are separated from the flashing. Therefore, the period of time required for the processes is scarcely inhibits the demand of the user to start the printing.

Abstract: There is provided a small, low-cost, and highly reliable ink jet printing apparatus capable of performing a recovery operation smoothly and forming an image with a stabilized quality. More specifically, when a suction recovery operation for a printing head for ejecting ink is performed, an ejection port surface of the printing head is covered with a cap member, and a cap opening help operation that facilitates the cap opening operation is performed when performing a cap opening operation that separates the cap member from the ejection port surface.