Patent ID: 6846057
Filing Date: 2005-01-25
Classification: B41J,G06K

Abstract:
1. A printing apparatus performing, according to an input print start signal, a preparing operation for a print head used to print on a printing medium and a supplying operation of supplying the printing medium to a printing enabled position which is opposite the print head and at which a printing process can be executed using the print head, said apparatus comprising: control means for controlling the preparing operation for the print head and the supplying operation of the printing medium so that one of these operations is started before the other operation is completed and the one operation and the other operation temporally overlap each other; conveying means for conveying the printing medium supplied in the supplying operation; printing means for printing by discharging ink from the print head without moving the print head during a conveying operation of the printing medium by said conveying means, the print head comprising a plurality of nozzles arrayed in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction; and a cap unit for capping the nozzles of the print head during a non-printing period, wherein the preparing operation includes a releasing operation for releasing the print head from said cap unit and a moving operation for moving the print head to a print enabled position by moving the print head downward.