A printing system comprising: a plurality of print head cartridges (1-20a-e), each extending across a direction of print media propagation and spaced apart along the direction of print media propagation; a print head chassis for supporting the plurality of print head cartridges; a lift mechanism for lifting and lowering the print head chassis between a printing position, a transition position, and a maintenance position; a maintenance chassis supporting a chassis sub-frame having a corresponding plurality of maintenance cradles (3-20a-e) mounted thereon, the maintenance chassis being manoeuvrable from a storage position to an operational positional under the print head chassis; and a sub-frame movement mechanism for slidably moving the chassis sub-frame relative to the maintenance chassis; wherein: each of the plurality of print head cartridges is held stationary with respect to a platen on which print media is propagated to effect printing on the print media; each of the plurality of print head cartridges is a monochrome print head cartridge; and in the transition position, the print head chassis is held at a height, relative to the platen, that allows the maintenance chassis to be manoeuvred from the storage position to the operational positional under the print head chassis; characterized in that: the print head chassis, the maintenance chassis and the chassis sub-frame are movable in three mutually orthogonal directions. a plurality of print head cartridges (1-20a-e), each extending across a direction of print media propagation and spaced apart along the direction of print media propagation; a print head chassis for supporting the plurality of print head cartridges; a lift mechanism for lifting and lowering the print head chassis between a printing position, a transition position, and a maintenance position; a maintenance chassis supporting a chassis sub-frame having a corresponding plurality of maintenance cradles (3-20a-e) mounted thereon, the maintenance chassis being manoeuvrable from a storage position to an operational positional under the print head chassis; and a sub-frame movement mechanism for slidably moving the chassis sub-frame relative to the maintenance chassis; wherein: each of the plurality of print head cartridges is held stationary with respect to a platen on which print media is propagated to effect printing on the print media; each of the plurality of print head cartridges is a monochrome print head cartridge; and in the transition position, the print head chassis is held at a height, relative to the platen, that allows the maintenance chassis to be manoeuvred from the storage position to the operational positional under the print head chassis; characterized in that: the print head chassis, the maintenance chassis and the chassis sub-frame are movable in three mutually orthogonal directions. each of the plurality of print head cartridges is held stationary with respect to a platen on which print media is propagated to effect printing on the print media; each of the plurality of print head cartridges is a monochrome print head cartridge; and in the transition position, the print head chassis is held at a height, relative to the platen, that allows the maintenance chassis to be manoeuvred from the storage position to the operational positional under the print head chassis;