Patent ID: 6039433
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink jet recording apparatus wherein a printhead includes a plurality of ink-ejecting elements by which black ink drops and ink drops of different colors are ejected to a recording medium in accordance with print data when the printhead is moved relative to a recording medium in first and second directions perpendicular to a direction in which the recording medium feeds, the first and second directions being opposite to each other, the plurality of ink-ejecting elements being aligned in a predetermined order in the first direction, wherein each of the plurality of ink-ejecting elements ejects ink drops of a corresponding one of black ink and colored inks, the colored inks including inks of at least three different colors, the ink jet recording apparatus comprising:a print data identifier, separating the print data for a line into black print data indicative of printing black dots by ejecting black ink on the recording medium and color print data indicative of printing colored dots by ejecting colored inks on the recording medium; anda print data selector, providing only the black print data to the printhead to cause the printhead to eject black ink drops when the printhead is moved relative to the recording medium in the first direction, and providing either only the color print data to the printhead to cause the printhead to eject colored ink drops or only the black print data to the printhead to cause the printhead to eject black ink drops, when the printhead is moved relative to the recording medium in the second direction.