An image recording apparatus, comprising: an image recording device that records an image on a recording medium with a recording head (27, 172M, 172K, 172C, 172Y, 250) having a plurality of recording elements while moving the recording head and the recording medium relative to each other; a correction value generation device (29, 52, 67) that acquires characteristic information indicative of recording characteristics of the plurality of recording elements to generate, based on the characteristic information, a correction value for correcting an output of recording elements that are included in the plurality of recording elements and are to be used to correct non-uniformity in the image resulting from the recording characteristics; characterized by a first defective recording element detection device (53, 68, 79) that detects a defective recording element among the plurality of recording elements immediately before the correction value is generated by the correction value generation device (29, 52, 67); a second defective recording element detection device {53, 68, 79) that carries out detection of the defective recording element in a period after the detection of the defective recording element by the first defective recording element detection device (53, 68,79) and while the correction value is being generated by the correction value generation device (29, 52, 67); a third defective recording element detection device (53, 68, 79) that carries out detection of the defective recording element in a period after the detection of the defective recording element by the second defective recording element detection device (53, 68,79) and at least before the image is recorded; a stopping device (23a, 62a, 77a) that, when the defective recording elements are detected at any of the first defective recording element detection device (53, 68, 79), the second defective recording element detection device (53, 68,79), and the third defective recording element detection device (53, 68,79), causes the output from the detective recording elements to stop; and an output correction device (23b, 62b, 77b) that corrects the output of the recording elements other than the defective recording elements based on the correction value. an image recording device that records an image on a recording medium with a recording head (27, 172M, 172K, 172C, 172Y, 250) having a plurality of recording elements while moving the recording head and the recording medium relative to each other; a correction value generation device (29, 52, 67) that acquires characteristic information indicative of recording characteristics of the plurality of recording elements to generate, based on the characteristic information, a correction value for correcting an output of recording elements that are included in the plurality of recording elements and are to be used to correct non-uniformity in the image resulting from the recording characteristics; a first defective recording element detection device (53, 68, 79) that detects a defective recording element among the plurality of recording elements immediately before the correction value is generated by the correction value generation device (29, 52, 67); a second defective recording element detection device {53, 68, 79) that carries out detection of the defective recording element in a period after the detection of the defective recording element by the first defective recording element detection device (53, 68,79) and while the correction value is being generated by the correction value generation device (29, 52, 67); a third defective recording element detection device (53, 68, 79) that carries out detection of the defective recording element in a period after the detection of the defective recording element by the second defective recording element detection device (53, 68,79) and at least before the image is recorded; a stopping device (23a, 62a, 77a) that, when the defective recording elements are detected at any of the first defective recording element detection device (53, 68, 79), the second defective recording element detection device (53, 68,79), and the third defective recording element detection device (53, 68,79), causes the output from the detective recording elements to stop; and an output correction device (23b, 62b, 77b) that corrects the output of the recording elements other than the defective recording elements based on the correction value.