Wide format printer with aerosol collection from both sides of media path

1. A wide format printer comprising:

a media path;

a plurality of fixed inkjet printheads spanning across a width of the media path, said printheads being positioned on a first side of the media path for printing media fed along the media path;

a fixed vacuum platen positioned opposite the printheads, said fixed vacuum platen have a plurality of apertures defined therein, each aperture being positioned opposite a respective printhead; and

a plurality of service modules positioned on an opposite second side of the media path, each service module being positioned in a respective aperture and opposite a respective printhead, each service module having a vacuum opening,

wherein:

the media has a width less than a width of the media path;

a print zone has a width defined by the width of the media path; and

the media partially covers at least one vacuum opening such that a covered part of the vacuum opening functions as a vacuum platen for the media and an uncovered part of the vacuum opening functions as a spittoon for collecting non-printing ink droplets ejected from a printhead extending beyond the width of the print zone.

2. The wide format printer according to claim 1 wherein the service modules are configured to operate in a capped mode when the corresponding printhead is not required for printing the media, wherein a capper is presented to the printhead through the respective aperture by rotation of the service module.

3. The wide format printer according to claim 1 wherein the printheads are arranged into a group of leading printheads and a group of trailing printheads, the leading printheads being upstream of the trailing printheads with respect to the media feed direction.

4. The wide format printer according to claim 1 wherein the service modules are independently operable in a plurality of different modes.