Printing apparatus performing print registration

A printing apparatus for performing printing on a printing medium by using a print head, comprising:

• scanning means for relatively moving the print head and the printing medium;
• control means for controlling the print head to perform a first printing and a second printing which are a subject of printing registration so as to form a plurality of patterns, said plurality of patterns being formed in correspondence with a plurality of offset amounts in relative printing locations between said first printing and said second printing, respectively, and showing optical characteristics corresponding to said plurality of offset amounts, respectively;
• optical characteristics measuring means provided on a location in the vicinity of said scanning means to measure the optical characteristics of each of the plurality of patterns formed by means of the print head controlled by said control means;
• and
• printing registration means for performing printing registration processing of said first printing and said second printing based on respective the optical characteristics of a plurality of patterns measured by said optical characteristics measuring means.