A printing device for performing printing on a recording medium, comprising: a head part that ejects ink toward the recording medium; a driving source that causes the head part to move in a predetermined direction with respect to the recording medium; an encoder that outputs a pulse signal corresponding to a position of the head part in the predetermined direction; a counter that counts a count value based on the pulse signal from the encoder; a control part that performs a first control for driving the driving source to determine in advance whether or not there is an abnormality in the encoder and a second control for driving the driving source to cause the head part to move after the first control, wherein the first control is performed to drive the driving source by applying a voltage to the driving source for a first time, and the second control is performed to control the driving source by applying a voltage to the driving source for a second time longer than the first time based on the count value from the counter; and a determination part which in the first control determines that the encoder is normal when the counter counts to a count value equal to or greater than a predetermined number, and determines that the encoder is abnormal when the counter counts to a count value less than the predetermined number, wherein the control part shifts from the first control to the second control when the determination part determines that the encoder is normal, and the control part does not shift from the first control to the second control when the determination part determines that the encoder is abnormal, wherein the encoder outputs a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal which have a predetermined phase difference; and the printing device being characterized in that the counter counts the count value based on a combination of transitions of a rise and a fall of the first pulse signal and a rise and a fall of the second pulse signal. a head part that ejects ink toward the recording medium; a driving source that causes the head part to move in a predetermined direction with respect to the recording medium; an encoder that outputs a pulse signal corresponding to a position of the head part in the predetermined direction; a counter that counts a count value based on the pulse signal from the encoder; a control part that performs a first control for driving the driving source to determine in advance whether or not there is an abnormality in the encoder and a second control for driving the driving source to cause the head part to move after the first control, wherein the first control is performed to drive the driving source by applying a voltage to the driving source for a first time, and the second control is performed to control the driving source by applying a voltage to the driving source for a second time longer than the first time based on the count value from the counter; and a determination part which in the first control determines that the encoder is normal when the counter counts to a count value equal to or greater than a predetermined number, and determines that the encoder is abnormal when the counter counts to a count value less than the predetermined number, wherein the control part shifts from the first control to the second control when the determination part determines that the encoder is normal, and the control part does not shift from the first control to the second control when the determination part determines that the encoder is abnormal, wherein the encoder outputs a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal which have a predetermined phase difference; and the printing device being characterized in that the counter counts the count value based on a combination of transitions of a rise and a fall of the first pulse signal and a rise and a fall of the second pulse signal.