Patent ID: 7441855

Claim:
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording head provided with a pressure generating element; a scanning mechanism for moving the recording head in a main scanning direction; a data developer for developing print data into multi-bit jetting data; a drive signal generator for generating a drive signal including a plurality of drive pulses, on every unit print cycle; a translator for translating the multi-bit jetting data into pulse select information associated with the respective drive pulses; a drive pulse supplier for selectively supplying at least one of the drive pulses to the pressure generating element in accordance with the pulse select information to drive the pressure generating element; a basic recording mode for recording through use of a basic unit pixel which is associated with a unit recording area corresponding to the unit print cycle; a high-resolution recording mode for recording through use of a fine unit pixel, a plurality of fine unit pixels being arranged within the unit recording area in the main scanning direction; and a mode selector for selecting one of plural recording modes including the basic recording mode and the high-resolution recording mode, wherein a number of gradation levels that can be recorded in the basic recording mode is larger than a number of gradation levels that can be recorded in the high-resolution recording mode, wherein the same drive signal is used in each of the basic recording mode and the high resolution recording mode.