Patent ID: 7648224

Claim:
An inkjet recording apparatus that records an image on a recording medium comprising: at least one recording head for unused-ink having a nozzle array made of a plurality of nozzles that only ejects unused-ink; at least one recording head for recycled-ink having a nozzle array made of a plurality of nozzles that ejects recycled-ink of an equivalent color to the unused-ink ejected from the at least one recording head for unused-ink; a collector that collects ink discharged from the at least one recording head for unused-ink and the at least one recording head for recycled-ink; and a recycled-ink supplier that supplies the ink, collected by the collector, to the at least one recording head for recycled-ink as the recycled-ink, wherein the collector separately collects ink, discharged from the at least one recording head for unused-ink, and ink, discharged from the at least one recording head for recycled-ink, and discards the ink discharged from the at least one recording head for recycled-ink.