Inkjet recording apparatus and maintenance method thereof

A maintenance method of performing a maintenance of an inkjet recording apparatus comprising a recording unit having at least two recording element substrates, each recording element substrate having at least one recording element group configured to discharge a liquid, the method comprising:

• obtaining, for each of the two recording element substrates, information indicative of an amount of the liquid discharged from the at least one recording element group;
• and
• determining a performance of the maintenance of the two recording element substrates based on the information obtained in the obtaining step;
• wherein in the determining step,
• (i) if the amount indicated by the information obtained for one recording element substrate of the two recording element substrates is equal to or more than a first amount and the amount indicated by the information obtained for another recording element substrate of the two recording element substrates is equal to or more than the first amount, the performance of the maintenance of the one and another recording element substrates is determined,
• (ii) if the amount indicated by the information obtained for the one recording element substrate is equal to or more than the first amount and the amount indicated by the information obtained for the another recording element substrate is less than the first amount and is equal to or more than a second amount less than the first amount, the performance of the maintenance of the one and another recording element substrates is determined, and
• (ii) if the amount indicated by the information obtained for the one recording element substrate is equal to or more than the first amount and the amount indicated by the information obtained for the another recording element substrate is less than the second amount, the performance of the maintenance of the one recording element substrate except for the another recording element substrate is determined.