Substrate cleaning apparatus and method

A printer configured to print on substrates that undesirably tend to collect debris before being printed, comprises a print station including a printhead, and a printer body configured to receive a replaceable cartridge that holds a printer consumable (such as a ribbon) and a substrate cleaning structure. The printer body is constructed and arranged so that when a cartridge is received in the body, the cleaning structure is operable to at least assist in removing debris from a substrate. The cleaning structure may comprise a tacky or sticky belt, web or roller. The cleaning structure may be configured to present a sticky surface to a primary cleaning member that engages and cleans the substrates. Alternatively, the cleaning structure may be configured to directly engage and clean the substrates. Preferably, the useful lives of the cleaning structure and the printer consumable are commensurate. Also disclosed is a replaceable cartridge that holds both a printer consumable and a substrate cleaning structure, the cartridge being configured so that when it is received in a printer it is operable to at least assist in removing debris from a substrate. Also disclosed are a method of cleaning an information-receiving surface of a substrate and a method of cleaning a substrate-cleaning member of a substrate printer.