Printing apparatus and printing method with measurement of a carrier thickness

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a print section that patterns a coating layer to form a pattern layer on a carrier and then transfers the pattern layer to a substrate, the coating layer patterned by pressing a part of the carrier into contact with a printing plate with the coating layer carried on the carrier and the printing plate facing each other, the pattern layer transferred by pressing a part of the carrier into contact with the substrate with the pattern layer on the carrier and the substrate facing each other;
• wherein the print section includes a first holder that alternately holds the printing plate and the substrate, and a second holder, spaced from the first holder in a first direction, that holds the carrier;
• a meter that measures a thickness of the carrier;
• wherein the meter includes a sensor that measures the thickness of the carrier from a measurement position distant from the second holder in a second direction and a sensor moving mechanism that moves the sensor between the measurement position and a retracted position distant from both the first and second holders;
• a mover that relatively moves the printing plate and the substrate with respect to the carrier;
• and
• a controller that obtains a first carrier thickness by measuring the thickness of the carrier carrying the coating layer by the meter and adjusts a gap between the carrier carrying the coating layer and the printing plate by controlling the mover based on the first carrier thickness immediately before the coating layer is patterned, and obtains a second carrier thickness by measuring the thickness of the carrier carrying the pattern layer by the meter and adjusts a gap between the carrier carrying the pattern layer and the substrate by controlling the mover based on the second carrier thickness immediately before the pattern layer is transferred;
• wherein the controller causes the sensor moving mechanism to move and position the sensor to the measurement position to measure the thickness of the carrier and causes the sensor moving mechanism to move and position the sensor to the retracted position before patterning the coating layer and transferring the pattern layer by controlling the sensor moving mechanism before bringing a part of the carrier into contact with the substrate.