A recording medium is moved to a transfer printing station and print images are transfer-printed. The recording medium is transported to a fixing station. A print stop is initiated whereby the recording medium is halted, a further transfer printing is prevented, and a fixing is deactivated. It is checked whether a transfer-printed but unfixed page is still located in the printing apparatus. If so, a warning notification is automatically generated. A query is made as to whether an operating command has been input. If so, it is checked whether the unfixed page would also be output unfixed. If no, the operating command is executed. If yes, the print stop is automatically maintained. It is also inspected as to whether the unfixed page would be output upon execution of an additional operating command. If no, the additional operating command is executed. If yes, an error message is automatically generated.