Patent ID: 8628168
Filing Date: 2014-01-14
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an ejection device having a first nozzle and a second nozzle to eject a first liquid and a second liquid, respectively, the first liquid containing pigment particles dispersed in a dispersion medium and the second liquid containing a color material; a suction device to selectively suction one of the first liquid from the first nozzle and the second liquid from the second nozzle to perform a recovery operation for recovering ejection performance of the ejection device; and a controller to control ejection of the first liquid and the second liquid by the ejection device and suctioning of the first liquid and the second liquid by the suction device, wherein, in a first image formation mode in which the ejection device forms an image on a recording medium by ejecting the second liquid from the second nozzle to the recording medium without ejecting the first liquid from the first nozzle, the controller controls the suction device so as not to suction the first liquid for the recovery operation, and when the first image formation mode is switched to a second image formation mode in which the ejection device forms an image on a recording medium by ejecting at least the first liquid from the first nozzle to the recording medium, the controller controls the suction device so as to suction a predetermined amount of the first liquid determined based on solidification of the first liquid to perform the recovery operation.