Patent Document ID: 6099102
Application ID: 08424968
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. An ink jet recording method for recording an image consisting of a plurality of pixels on a recording medium by using recording means that ejects at least one ink droplet to form one pixel on the recording medium, where the image is a multi-leveled image having a gradation which is determined by a number of ink droplets placed on top of one another at the substantially same location for a pixel on the recording medium, said method comprising: selecting between and performing one of (i) a normal pixel recording step for forming the image in a normal mode that uses a number of ink droplets for each pixel to be required for obtaining the gradation, wherein, when more than one ink droplet is used to achieve a gradation for a pixel, the ink droplets are placed on top of one another at the substantially same location for the pixel, and (ii) a draft pixel recording step for forming the image in a draft mode that uses one ink droplet for each pixel regardless of the number of ink droplets for each pixel to be required for obtaining the gradation in the normal mode, wherein, when one or more than one ink droplet is used to achieve a gradation for a pixel in the normal mode, one ink droplet is placed on the recording medium for the pixel in the draft mode, and when no ink droplet is required for a pixel no ink droplet is placed on the recording medium for the pixel.