A method of establishing a time interval between maintenance actions expressed in pages for a printing device, includes determining the number of pages of an incoming print job, comparing the determined number of pages to a predetermined time interval between the maintenance actions expressed in pages, changing the predetermined time interval into at least one new time interval between the maintenance actions expressed in pages based on the comparison, printing the incoming print job, and carrying out at least one maintenance action after the start of printing of the incoming print job according to the at least one new time interval. A printing device includes a print unit and a print controller for planning maintenance actions on the print unit according to the method.