Patent ID: 7845757
Filing Date: 2010-12-07
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A printing apparatus comprising: printheads being arranged along a transport path of a printing medium transported in a transporting direction and having a plurality of nozzles arranged in a direction of arrangement which intersects the transporting direction; a printhead control unit configured to print an image on the printing medium by discharging ink from the plurality of nozzles on the basis of given image data; and a discharge inspection unit configured to detect any discharge-defective nozzle present in the plurality of nozzles, the printhead control unit specifying specific nozzles which discharge ink for printing the image, determining whether any discharge-defective nozzle is included in the specific nozzles or not, and starting printing of the image when it is determined that no discharge-defective nozzle is included in the specific nozzles, wherein the printhead control unit determines which nozzles are not determined as the specific nozzles and include discharge failures as non-output defective nozzles, and causes the non-output defective nozzles to discharge ink which does not form any image in parallel with the printing of the image, and wherein the printhead control unit determines whether the position of the non-output defective nozzle would cause the non-output defective nozzle to discharge ink on the printing medium or not on the basis of the image data and data on the size of the printing medium and, when the position of the non-output defective nozzle corresponds to the position on the printing medium, does not cause the non-output defective nozzle to discharge ink in parallel with the printing of the image and, when the position of the non-output defective nozzle corresponds to the position out of the printing medium, causes the non-output defective nozzle to discharge ink in order to clear the discharge failure in parallel with the printing of the image.