Printer having rotatable service modules embedded in fixed vacuum platen

1. A printing system comprising:

a fixed printhead assembly having an array of printheads; and

a vacuum platen assembly comprising:

a fixed vacuum platen; and

a plurality of rotatable service modules embedded in the fixed vacuum platen,

each service module being positioned opposite a respective printhead,

wherein each service module comprises a respective vacuum platen module.

2. The printing system according to claim 1 , wherein the service modules are independently rotatable.

3. The printing system according to claim 1 , wherein each service module further comprises a capper module and a wiper module.

4. The printing system according to claim 3 , wherein each service module is rotatable into any one of: a capping mode, a wiping mode and a platen mode.

5. The printing system according to claim 1 , wherein each service module comprises a mechanism for urging the service module towards and away from a respective printhead.

6. The printing system according to claim 1 , wherein the service modules are configured to cross the media path to engage a respective printhead in a capping or wiping mode.

7. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the fixed vacuum platen and one or more of the vacuum platen modules together define a contiguous platen surface in a platen mode.

8. The printing system according to claim 1 , wherein the printheads are positioned in a staggered overlapping arrangement and the service modules are positioned in a corresponding arrangement.

9. The printing system according to claim 1 , further comprising a media encoder wheel embedded in the fixed vacuum platen.