Inkjet recording apparatus, inkjet recording method

An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:

• a nozzle from which ink is ejected;
• a piezoelectric element provided in correspondence with the nozzle, and configured to, upon input of a predetermined first drive signal, cause the ink to be ejected from the nozzle;
• an extraction processing portion configured to, when a continuous print process is executed, extract a non-ejection period during which a non-ejection state continues for more than a predetermined reference time period, from an execution period of the continuous print process based on a plurality of pieces of image data that are printed in the continuous print process, the non-ejection state being a state in which the ink is not ejected from the nozzle;
• a drive control portion configured to input a predetermined second drive signal to the piezoelectric element during a partial or a whole period of the non-ejection period extracted by the extraction processing portion, the second drive signal causing the piezoelectric element to stir the ink in the nozzle and causing the piezoelectric element not to eject the ink from the nozzle;
• a setting processing portion configured to set a start timing at which to start inputting the second drive signal during the non-ejection period, based on a length of the non-ejection period extracted by the extraction processing portion;
• and
• a storage portion storing table data in which a plurality of lengths of the non-ejection period are associated with a plurality of start timings, wherein
• the setting processing portion obtains a start timing associated with the length of the non-ejection period by consulting the table data stored in the storage portion, and sets the obtained start timing as the start timing at which to start inputting the second drive signal, and
• the drive control portion inputs the second drive signal to the piezoelectric element during a period from the start timing set by the setting processing portion to an end of the non-election period.