Patent ID: 6652065
Filing Date: 2003-11-25
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printing apparatus for printing by discharging ink from an inkjet printhead to a printing medium by using the inkjet printhead on which a plurality of nozzle arrays each having a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink are arranged in a direction different from an array direction of the nozzles while reciprocally moving a carriage on which the inkjet printhead is mounted in a direction in which the plurality of nozzle arrays are arranged, comprising:scanning means for reciprocally moving the carriage; an ink receptor, being arranged on at least one end of a reciprocal movement area of the inkjet printhead, for receiving the ink discharged from the inkjet printhead; preliminary discharge driving means for performing preliminary discharge from the inkjet printhead to said ink receptor when a carriage moving direction in the reciprocal movement is reversed by said scanning means; scanning control means for controlling the carriage to stop in the preliminary discharge, accelerate from zero speed to a predetermined speed after the preliminary discharge is completed, and move at the predetermined speed; and control means for controlling movement of the carriage by said scanning means and the preliminary discharge performed by said preliminary discharge driving means such that the preliminary discharge is sequentially performed with regard to the plurality of nozzle arrays from a nozzle array arranged outside the reciprocal movement area to another nozzle array inside the area.