Patent ID: 7837322

Claim:
A printing apparatus which forms images on a print sheet by an image forming unit, comprising: a transportation route including an ordinary transportation route through which a print sheet can be transported through the image forming unit and discharged through a discharge route, and a circulation transportation route which is connected to the ordinary transportation route as a branch and operable to receive the print sheet from the ordinary transportation route and return the print sheet to the ordinary transportation route in order that the transportation route is configured as an annular route around which the print sheet can be circulated a plural number of times; a print coverage detecting unit operable to calculate the print coverage of an image to be printed on the print sheet by analyzing a characteristic of the image including at least one of the amount and density of ink to be ejected for forming the image on the print sheet by the image forming unit; a circulation repeat number determination unit operable to determine the number of circulations for the print sheet in accordance with the print coverage calculated by the print coverage detecting unit; a paper discharge control unit operable to transfer the print sheet transported on the transportation route to the discharge route with a timing in accordance with the number of circulations determined by the circulation repeat number determination unit; a sheet interval detecting unit operable to detect the interval between print sheets transported on the transportation route; and a paper feed control unit operable to feed print sheets to the transportation route in the order of printing in accordance with the interval between print sheets detected by the sheet interval detecting unit.