Liquid ejection apparatus and control method for liquid ejection apparatus

A control method for a liquid ejection apparatus including a liquid ejection head, an absorbing member and a control unit;

• the liquid ejection head having a nozzle surface on which a plurality of nozzle arrays are formed by a plurality of nozzles configured to eject liquid, each of the plurality of nozzle arrays extending in a sub-scanning direction being a medium width direction, the plurality of nozzle arrays disposed at predetermined intervals in a scanning direction that is perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction, the absorbing member configured to receive liquid ejected, for flushing, from the plurality of nozzles to a receiving area, the liquid ejection head and the absorbing member being movable relative to each other in the scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction, the absorbing member being advanceable in the sub-scanning direction and a control unit,
• the control method comprises the control unit causing a single flushing operation by:
• flushing on a plurality of first divided receiving areas by, for each of at least some of the nozzle arrays, causing the nozzle array to flush on a respective receiving area of the plurality of first divided receiving areas, each of the first divided receiving areas also extending in the sub-scanning direction and being disposed at the predetermined intervals in the scanning direction;
• and
• while the absorbing member is at a position that is not further advanced in the sub-scanning direction, flushing on a plurality of second divided receiving areas when there is a first divided receiving area that exceeds a reception limit by, for each some of the nozzles arrays, causing the nozzle array to flush on a respective receiving area of the plurality of second divided receiving areas, the plurality of second divided receiving areas being at a same position as the plurality of first divided receiving areas in the sub-scanning direction, but being offset from the plurality of first divided receiving areas in the scanning direction.