A printing apparatus comprising: a transfer drum including a transfer member on its outer peripheral surface with a transfer section (TR) and including a non-transfer section (NR) adjacent to the transfer section in a circumferential direction, and rotating so as to move the transfer section and the non-transfer section cyclically in the circumferential direction; a pressurizing drum arranged to perform a transfer operation of transferring with the transfer drum, to a print medium passing between the transfer drum and the pressurizing drum, an ink image formed on the transfer section; print means arranged to form the ink image on the transfer section by discharging ink to the transfer section and not to form an ink image on the non-transfer section; liquid absorbing means arranged to absorb a liquid component from the ink image on the transfer section by contacting with the transfer section in the course of the cyclical movement of the transfer section and the non-transfer section at a liquid absorbing position (A) before the transfer operation, the liquid absorbing means including a liquid absorbing sheet , driving means arranged to move the liquid absorbing sheet cyclically, and displacing means arranged to displace the liquid absorbing sheet between a contact state in which the liquid absorbing sheet can contact the transfer section at the liquid absorbing position and a retracted state in which the liquid absorbing sheet is separated from the transfer section; and control means configured to cause the displacing means to displace the liquid absorbing sheet from the retracted state to the contact state so that the liquid absorbing sheet is displaced so as to reach the contact state in a state in which the non-transfer section is located at the liquid absorbing position. a transfer drum including a transfer member on its outer peripheral surface with a transfer section (TR) and including a non-transfer section (NR) adjacent to the transfer section in a circumferential direction, and rotating so as to move the transfer section and the non-transfer section cyclically in the circumferential direction; a pressurizing drum arranged to perform a transfer operation of transferring with the transfer drum, to a print medium passing between the transfer drum and the pressurizing drum, an ink image formed on the transfer section; print means arranged to form the ink image on the transfer section by discharging ink to the transfer section and not to form an ink image on the non-transfer section; liquid absorbing means arranged to absorb a liquid component from the ink image on the transfer section by contacting with the transfer section in the course of the cyclical movement of the transfer section and the non-transfer section at a liquid absorbing position (A) before the transfer operation, the liquid absorbing means including a liquid absorbing sheet , driving means arranged to move the liquid absorbing sheet cyclically, and displacing means arranged to displace the liquid absorbing sheet between a contact state in which the liquid absorbing sheet can contact the transfer section at the liquid absorbing position and a retracted state in which the liquid absorbing sheet is separated from the transfer section; and a liquid absorbing sheet , driving means arranged to move the liquid absorbing sheet cyclically, and displacing means arranged to displace the liquid absorbing sheet between a contact state in which the liquid absorbing sheet can contact the transfer section at the liquid absorbing position and a retracted state in which the liquid absorbing sheet is separated from the transfer section; and control means configured to cause the displacing means to displace the liquid absorbing sheet from the retracted state to the contact state so that the liquid absorbing sheet is displaced so as to reach the contact state in a state in which the non-transfer section is located at the liquid absorbing position. <EOS>