Patent ID: 6238034
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink-jet recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium in accordance with an image data including data representing printing dots and data representing non-printing dots by a recording head having a plurality of recording elements for ejecting ink droplets in response to energy supplied by an energy source to the recording elements in accordance with the image data, wherein the recording head performs a recording operation while moved by a drive unit in a direction of main-scanning, said direction of main-scanning being substantially perpendicular to a transport direction that said recording medium is moved by a feed unit, and an image corresponded with a predetermined amount of image data is formed by performing a single main-scanning movement of the recording head in the direction of main-scanning every time a print command is generated, said apparatus comprising:computing means for computing a number of printing dots associated with the predetermined amount of the image data corresponding to the single main-scanning movement before the predetermined amount of image data is recorded;selecting means for selecting a first recording mode or a second recording mode to record the predetermined amount of image data, in accordance with a computed value obtained from the computing means before starting a recording of the predetermined amount of image data, and wherein when the computed value exceeds the predetermined value, the selecting means selects the second recording mode; andcontrol means for controlling operations of the recording head to record the predetermined amount of image data in the recording mode selected by the selecting means, so that in the first recording mode, the control means allows a constant amount of energy to be supplied to the recording elements during the main-scanning movement of the recording head, and in the second mode, the control means stepwise reduces the amount of energy to be supplied to the recording elements from an initial value to a final value smaller than the initial value during the main-scanning movement of the recording head.