Printing apparatus

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a carriage for moving a nozzle;
• and
• an electrode that moves with the carriage, the electrode being adapted to attract an electrically-charged ink droplet ejected from the nozzle but not landing on a medium,
• wherein the electrode is provided on a side surface of the carriage in a moving direction of the carriage,
• wherein a main ink droplet and a satellite ink droplet are ejected from the nozzle,
• wherein the satellite ink droplet is attracted by the electrode,
• wherein the printing apparatus further comprises
• a driving signal generating section for generating a driving signal that drives an element for causing an ink droplet to be ejected from the nozzle, and
• a charging circuit for charging the electrode using the signal output from the driving signal generating section,
• wherein the charging circuit has a filter that cuts a DC component of the signal output from the driving signal generating section,
• wherein the charging circuit has a transformer that converts a voltage of the signal whose DC component has been cut,
• wherein the charging circuit has a rectifier circuit provided on a secondary side of the transformer,
• wherein the charging circuit has a switch for controlling on/off of a charging operation which uses the signal output from the driving signal generating section,
• wherein the switch is turned off when an ink droplet is to be ejected from the nozzle,
• wherein the switch is turned on when the element is to be driven to such a degree that no ink droplet is ejected from the nozzle,
• wherein the electrode is charged before an ink droplet is ejected from the nozzle,
• wherein the electrode is covered, and
• wherein the printing apparatus further comprises an ink absorbing material that moves with the carriage.