Patent ID: 7270409

Claim:
An ink jet printing apparatus comprising: liquid applying means, which is provided with an applying member that applies a liquid to a medium and a holding member that abuts against the applying member to form a liquid holding space to hold the liquid, for applying the liquid held in the liquid holding space to the medium through the applying member by rotating the applying member; a print head for ejecting ink on the medium to which the liquid has been applied by the liquid applying means; storage means for storing the liquid; a first path that allows the storage means and the holding member to communicate with each other; a second path that allows the storage means and the holding member to communicate with each other; and switching means for switching whether the storage means and the holding member communicate with each other or the air and the holding member are communicated with each other for the first or second path; and liquid moving means for generating a flow of the liquid in a channel including the first path, the liquid holding space, and the second path; and wherein the switching means is switched to allow the air and the holding member to communicate with each other, and the liquid moving means causes the liquid to flow from the first path to the second path or from the second path to the first path to collect the liquid from the holding member to the storage means.