Patent ID: 7101013

Claim:
A method of determining abnormality of nozzles in an imaging apparatus having a plurality of ejection nozzles, comprising: a first step of performing a function liquid droplet ejection confirming operation to determine whether or not function liquid droplets are normally ejected from the respective ejection nozzles by using liquid droplet detection means before performing the imaging operation; a second step of performing the function liquid droplet ejection confirming operation once again, prior to performing a maintenance work, when the ejection of the function liquid droplets from any of said ejection nozzles is determined to be abnormal in the first step; a third step of judging said ejection nozzle to be abnormal when the ejection of the function liquid droplets from an identical ejection nozzle is determined to be abnormal also in the second step; a fourth step of performing the maintenance work when any of the ejection nozzles is judged to be abnormal, thereby restoring said ejection nozzles to a state in which the function liquid droplets are ejected normally; a fifth step of performing the function liquid droplet ejection confirming operation once again after the fourth step; and a sixth step of transferring to the imaging work when the function liquid droplets are determined to be ejected normally from all of said ejection nozzles in the fifth step.