Patent ID: 7204575

Claim:
An ink-jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording head which has a discharge surface formed with nozzle holes for discharging an ink; a moving unit which moves the recording head to a predetermined position; a purge unit which purges the ink from the nozzle holes of the recording head; a wiper which wipes out the discharge surface of the recording head; an ink-receiving member which receives flashed ink and is used for flashing of the recording head; and a control unit which controls the recording head and the moving unit to perform the flashing and recording operation on a recording medium, wherein: the control unit judges, when the control unit receives an instruction signal to start the recording operation, whether or not a purge process with the purge unit and a wiping process with the wiper have been performed before the signal is received, the control unit controls the recording head and the moving unit to perform the flashing if the purge process and the wiping process have been performed, and the control unit starts the recording operation thereafter, and the control unit starts the recording operation without executing the flashing for the recording head if it is judged that the purge process and the wiping process have not been performed.