Patent ID: 8177315
Filing Date: 2012-05-15
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A printing apparatus, comprising: an ejection unit that ejects a fluid from nozzles onto a target; a nozzle inspection unit that performs nozzle inspection to inspect whether or not the fluid is ejected from the nozzles; an automatic print setting unit that, when printing based on print data to be printed is to be performed, sets a check pattern automatic print mode in which a check pattern for confirming whether or not the fluid is ejected from the nozzles is printed, together with the print data; an automatic inspection setting unit that, when a predetermined automatic inspection condition is established, sets an automatic nozzle inspection mode in which the nozzle inspection is performed; a cleaning unit that, when the result of the nozzle inspection indicates that there is an abnormal nozzle, performs nozzle cleaning to clean the nozzles; and a control unit that, when the automatic nozzle inspection mode is set, if the automatic inspection condition is established while printing based on the print data is being performed in the check pattern automatic print mode, controls the nozzle inspection unit so as not to perform the nozzle inspection during a period from when one of printing based on the print data and printing of the check pattern is started until the other is finished, wherein, when printing based on the print data is to be performed in a state in which the automatic nozzle inspection mode is set, and when a predetermined midstream inspection condition is established while print data consisting of multiple pages is printed, if printing of the check pattern is to be performed before printing based on the print data, the control unit controls the ejection unit so as to pause printing at a point of time at which printing of a page being printed is completed and controls the nozzle inspection unit so as to perform the nozzle inspection, and subsequently controls the ejection unit so as to print the check pattern and resume printing based on the print data, and if printing of the check pattern is to be performed after printing based on the print data, the control unit controls the ejection unit so as to print the check pattern after printing of the page being printed is completed, then controls the ejection unit so as to pause printing at a point of time at which the check pattern is printed and controls the nozzle inspection unit so as to perform the nozzle inspection, and subsequently controls the ejection unit so as to resume printing based on the print data and print the check pattern.