A printer for printing on a recording material using a printing head which ejects ink, the printer being communicably connectable with an information processing apparatus, the printer comprising: printing means for executing a printing operation on the basis of a communication comprising print data from the information processing apparatus; and cleaning operation effecting means for effecting a cleaning process comprising determining whether a cleaning operation is to be performed on the printing head and effecting a cleaning operation on the printing head when it is determined that a cleaning operation is to be performed; characterised by: analysing means for analysing a communication received from the information processing apparatus to determine whether the communication is print data or is a notification of preparation before printing; wherein the cleaning operation effecting means is arranged to effect the cleaning process prior to execution of the printing operation by the printing means in response to a communication from the information processing apparatus comprising notification of preparation before printing; and the printing means is arranged to effect the printing operation, in response to a communication from the information processing apparatus comprising print data, subsequent to the communication comprising notification of preparation before printing such that the cleaning operation and the printing operation are sequentially performed printing means for executing a printing operation on the basis of a communication comprising print data from the information processing apparatus; and cleaning operation effecting means for effecting a cleaning process comprising determining whether a cleaning operation is to be performed on the printing head and effecting a cleaning operation on the printing head when it is determined that a cleaning operation is to be performed; characterised by: analysing means for analysing a communication received from the information processing apparatus to determine whether the communication is print data or is a notification of preparation before printing; wherein the cleaning operation effecting means is arranged to effect the cleaning process prior to execution of the printing operation by the printing means in response to a communication from the information processing apparatus comprising notification of preparation before printing; and the printing means is arranged to effect the printing operation, in response to a communication from the information processing apparatus comprising print data, subsequent to the communication comprising notification of preparation before printing such that the cleaning operation and the printing operation are sequentially performed analysing means for analysing a communication received from the information processing apparatus to determine whether the communication is print data or is a notification of preparation before printing; wherein the cleaning operation effecting means is arranged to effect the cleaning process prior to execution of the printing operation by the printing means in response to a communication from the information processing apparatus comprising notification of preparation before printing; and the printing means is arranged to effect the printing operation, in response to a communication from the information processing apparatus comprising print data, subsequent to the communication comprising notification of preparation before printing such that the cleaning operation and the printing operation are sequentially performed