A printing apparatus that discharges droplets on a recording medium like a long strip transferred in a longitudinal direction, the printing apparatus comprising: a transferring mechanism that transfers said recording medium while holding said recording medium on a transfer path; at least one head unit having a plurality of recording heads with a plurality of nozzles from which said droplets are discharged to an upper surface of said recording medium; a plurality of caps used for cleaning on ones of said recording heads, the caps being located on one side in a width direction relative to said transfer path; a moving mechanism that changes a relationship in terms of location among said transferring mechanism, said head unit, and said caps between a printing position and a cleaning position by moving at least said head unit; and a controller for operational control on said transferring mechanism, said head unit, said caps, and said moving mechanism, wherein said recording heads include: a target head as a target of cleaning in a cleaning step; and a terminal head located nearest the other side in the width direction among said recording heads, said target head and said terminal head are located above said transfer path in said printing position, said target head is located above one of said caps and said terminal head is located above said transfer path, in said cleaning position, and a gap in a vertical direction between said head unit and said transfer path for said recording medium in said cleaning position is larger than a gap in the vertical direction between said head unit and said transfer path for said recording medium in said printing position. a transferring mechanism that transfers said recording medium while holding said recording medium on a transfer path; at least one head unit having a plurality of recording heads with a plurality of nozzles from which said droplets are discharged to an upper surface of said recording medium; a plurality of caps used for cleaning on ones of said recording heads, the caps being located on one side in a width direction relative to said transfer path; a moving mechanism that changes a relationship in terms of location among said transferring mechanism, said head unit, and said caps between a printing position and a cleaning position by moving at least said head unit; and a controller for operational control on said transferring mechanism, said head unit, said caps, and said moving mechanism, wherein said recording heads include: a target head as a target of cleaning in a cleaning step; and a terminal head located nearest the other side in the width direction among said recording heads, said target head and said terminal head are located above said transfer path in said printing position, said target head is located above one of said caps and said terminal head is located above said transfer path, in said cleaning position, and a gap in a vertical direction between said head unit and said transfer path for said recording medium in said cleaning position is larger than a gap in the vertical direction between said head unit and said transfer path for said recording medium in said printing position. a target head as a target of cleaning in a cleaning step; and a terminal head located nearest the other side in the width direction among said recording heads, said target head and said terminal head are located above said transfer path in said printing position, said target head is located above one of said caps and said terminal head is located above said transfer path, in said cleaning position, and a gap in a vertical direction between said head unit and said transfer path for said recording medium in said cleaning position is larger than a gap in the vertical direction between said head unit and said transfer path for said recording medium in said printing position.