Printer for printing by discharging ink droplets from a plurality of nozzles, and whose ink discharge surface can be easily recovered

A printer comprising:

• a printer head which is capable of conducting full-line printing on a printing paper without scanning in a width direction of said printing paper, and which is provided with a plurality of nozzles;
• a transportation belt disposed opposite an ink discharge surface of said printer head for transporting said printing paper in a transportation direction perpendicular to the width direction of said printing paper;
• printing control means for conducting printing by controlling discharge of fine ink droplets from said printer head synchronously with transportation of said printing paper;
• and
• recovery means for recovery of discharge function of said nozzles of said printer head, said recovery means being insertable and retractable with respect to said printer head in a lateral direction,
• wherein said transportation belt is retractable so as to expand a gap defined with respect to said printer head, and said recovery means is inserted into the gap and conducts a recovery treatment within a period from beginning of said insertion of said recovery means to completion of retraction.