JP2011121334A - Inkjet recording apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve an inkjet recording apparatus and method that form a high-quality image by preventing density unevenness, even when a recording density difference occurs by variations of ink-discharge state between a used nozzle and an unused nozzle in a high image quality recording mode. <P>SOLUTION: In the high image quality mode, a recording width in at least one nozzle line is made to be an integral number of conveyance amount of a recording medium at a high-speed recording mode in which recording is performed by at least two times of scan to the same recording area. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method capable of obtaining a high-quality color image on a recording medium by ejecting different types of ink respectively by a plurality of recording heads.

  The ink jet recording method is widely used in printers, copiers, facsimiles, and the like because it can be configured with low noise and low running cost, and the size and color of the apparatus can be easily reduced. In general, in a color ink jet recording apparatus, color recording is usually performed using four color inks obtained by adding black ink to three color inks of cyan, magenta, and yellow. In a color ink jet recording apparatus, there is a recording method for forming a recorded image by performing one recording scan (one-pass recording) or a plurality of recording scans (multi-pass recording) for one recording area. Multi-pass printing is performed when high image quality is desired. Here, the number of printing passes refers to the number of times the carriage is scanned to complete one line. Also in multi-pass recording, in order to realize high-speed recording, recording (bidirectional recording) that eliminates unnecessary scanning by performing recording in the reciprocating scanning of the recording head is adopted.

  In a color ink jet recording apparatus, the order in which ink is applied to a recording medium may affect the image quality. One of these is uneven driving order. This is because when two-way printing is performed when nozzle rows of different inks are arranged in parallel in the main scanning direction, the density of ink in the forward pass and the backward pass is different because the ink drive order in the forward pass is different from that in the return pass. This is a phenomenon in which a difference or a color difference occurs. These inconveniences are conspicuous in 1-pass printing in which an image is completed by one scan and multi-pass printing with a small number of passes in which a relatively large amount of ink is recorded in one scan.

  In order to avoid this point, there is a method using a conventional technique (Patent Document 1) in which the width and the position of the used nozzle row of each ink are independently controlled. In one embodiment of the invention according to Patent Document 1, the set recording condition is acquired or referred to, and the width and position of a portion (used nozzle part) used in each nozzle row are respectively determined according to the set recording condition. It is set independently. For example, in a configuration in which a plurality of recording modes with different image quality can be set as recording conditions, when the high-quality recording mode for recording a high-quality image is set, the ink ejection order in each recording area is always constant. The nozzle width and position are set so that Further, when the high-speed recording mode in which the recording speed is more important than the image quality is set, the used nozzle width in each nozzle row is set as wide as possible.

  As in the high image quality recording mode, the conventional technique (Patent Document 1) that independently controls the width and position of the nozzle row used for each ink is used. This makes it possible to make the order of ink ejection between the recording areas constant, reduce color unevenness due to the ink ejection order, and obtain a high-quality image.

JP 2002-307672-A

  However, if the recording mode in which each nozzle row is separated into the used nozzle portion and the unused nozzle portion is used frequently and for a long time in order to uniformly control the ink ejection sequence, the following inconveniences may occur. Has been confirmed.

  Basically, the nozzles for ejecting ink in the recording head of an ink jet recording apparatus have a deterioration of the ejection mechanism (such as a heater) depending on the usage time and the number of ejections, and the ink ejection may not be normal with long-term use. It has been confirmed. This is a cause of a decrease in ink discharge amount and discharge speed. In addition, even in the unused nozzles, since the ink in the nozzles is left undisturbed for a long time, only the moisture evaporates from the discharge port, and in particular, the pigment concentration near the discharge port increases. It is done. Furthermore, when subjected to the influence (external stress) such as heat and humidity from the surroundings, depending on the characteristics of the ink, foreign matter may be generated in the nozzle and adhere to the periphery of the ejection port or the inner wall surface of the nozzle, thereby ejecting an appropriate ink droplet. Some have been confirmed to interfere with this. Therefore, if the used nozzle portion and the unused nozzle portion are separated into the nozzle row and only the used nozzle portion is used frequently for a long time, the ink in the nozzle is used between the used nozzle portion and the unused nozzle portion. There may be a difference in density, ink discharge amount, or discharge speed.

  When recording is performed by switching to a recording mode (high-speed recording mode) that uses the entire nozzle row in a nozzle row in which a difference in ink density or ejection amount or ejection speed occurs between the used nozzle portion and the unused nozzle portion. To do. In this case, even if recording is performed with a uniform driving amount over the entire nozzle array, the nozzle portion that was used and the nozzle portion that was not used in the previously selected recording mode (high-quality recording mode) In between, the recorded image density is not uniform and density unevenness occurs.

  Such image defects may occur not only in one-pass recording with the fastest recording speed but also in multi-pass recording with two or more passes that require a certain level of high image quality. Here, in the high image quality recording mode, for example, in the cyan (C) nozzle row that is controlled to use only one third of the downstream side, the ejection failure of the used nozzle portion as described above occurs, and the It is assumed that the ink discharge amount is clearly lower than the ink discharge amount of the unused nozzle portion. After that, a case where the high-speed recording mode using the entire nozzle array is selected will be described as an example. Hereinafter, for the sake of simplification, a case where only cyan ink is recorded in a single color will be described.

  FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a state of recording by multi-pass recording. FIG. 1A shows a recorded image when a cyan solid image having a uniform density is recorded by two-pass printing and FIG. 1B is four-pass multi-pass printing. In both 2-pass printing and 4-pass printing, the boundary between the normal density portion and the density-decreasing portion due to ink ejection failure is located between the print areas in each main scan. Density unevenness occurs in a recorded image completed by main scanning. As a result, an image with a uniform density should be recorded, but the density becomes a striped unevenness in which the density is continuous in the sub-scanning direction, which deteriorates the image quality. In particular, multipass printing of two or more passes where image quality is more important than printing speed is a printing mode in which a high quality image is required. Therefore, the occurrence of density unevenness becomes a further problem.

  Therefore, the present invention prevents the occurrence of density unevenness and forms a high-quality image even if a recording density difference occurs due to a change in the ink discharge state between the used nozzle and the non-used nozzle in the high image quality recording mode. An object of the present invention is to realize an ink jet recording apparatus and method that can be used.

  Therefore, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of nozzle rows that are formed by a plurality of nozzles forming a plurality of rows and are associated with different color inks for each of the rows, and from the nozzles to the recording medium. A recording unit that performs recording by ejecting the ink; a driving unit that scans the recording unit in a direction in which the plurality of nozzle rows are arranged; and the recording unit that applies the same recording area to the recording medium. A control unit that controls to perform printing by scanning a plurality of times; a transport unit that transports the recording medium as the recording unit scans; and a second unit that performs recording by discharging the ink from all the plurality of nozzles. In the one recording mode and the ejection ports arranged in the direction in which the plurality of nozzle rows are arranged, the ink is ejected from the ejection ports of any one of the plurality of nozzle rows and recorded. In the ink jet recording apparatus having the second recording mode to be performed, the recording width of at least one of the nozzle rows in the second recording mode performs recording by scanning at least twice for the same recording area. It is an integral multiple of the transport amount of the recording medium in the first recording mode.

  In the inkjet recording method of the present invention, the plurality of nozzles form a plurality of rows, and the ink is ejected from the nozzles of the plurality of nozzle rows corresponding to the inks of different colors for each row to the recording medium. A recording process for recording, a control process for controlling the same recording area of the recording medium to perform recording a plurality of times in the recording process, and transporting the recording medium along with scanning in the recording process In the transport process, the first recording mode in which recording is performed by discharging the ink from all the plurality of nozzles, and the discharge ports arranged in the direction in which the plurality of nozzle arrays are arranged, any of the plurality of nozzle arrays And a second recording mode in which recording is performed by ejecting the ink from the ejection ports of the one nozzle row, in the second recording mode. The recording width of at least one of the nozzle rows is an integral multiple of the conveyance amount of the recording medium in the first recording mode in which recording is performed with at least two scans on the same recording area. Features.

  According to the present invention, an ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a recording medium in a first recording mode in which recording is performed by scanning at least twice with respect to the same recording area with a recording width of at least one nozzle row in the second recording mode. It is an integral multiple of the transport amount. As a result, even if a recording density difference occurs due to a change in the ink ejection state between the used nozzle and the unused nozzle in the high image quality recording mode, density unevenness can be prevented and a high quality image can be formed. An ink jet recording apparatus and method can be realized.

(A), (b) is the figure which showed the mode of the recording by multipass recording. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the structure of a color inkjet recording device. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of main parts of the recording head illustrated in FIG. 2. It is a block diagram of an inkjet recording device. (A) is a flowchart showing an example of a nozzle setting switching sequence, and (b) is a table showing recording modes that can be selected in the present embodiment. (A) is a diagram showing how to use the nozzles in the high image quality recording mode, and (b) is a diagram schematically showing the order of ink placement during image recording. (A) to (c) are diagrams showing a recording state and a recording result when recording is performed in a state where an ejection abnormality has occurred.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments described below, a printer is taken as an example of a recording apparatus using an inkjet recording method.

(Basic configuration)
(Description of color recording device)
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of an embodiment of a color inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention can be applied. The ink cartridge 202 is In this figure, it is composed of an ink tank in which four color inks (black, cyan, magenta, yellow) are respectively placed, and a recording head 201. The auxiliary roller 104 with the paper feed roller 103 rotates in the direction of the arrow in the drawing while pressing the recording paper 107 to feed the recording paper 107. The carriage 106 supports four ink cartridges, and moves the mounted ink cartridge 202 and the recording head 201 together with recording (recording process). The carriage 106 is driven by a drive unit (not shown), and is controlled to stand by at the home position indicated by the dotted line in the drawing when the recording apparatus is not performing recording or when the recording head 201 is performing recovery operation. Is done.

  Prior to the start of recording, when a recording start command is received, the carriage 106 positioned at the position shown in the figure (home position) drives the recording element provided in the recording head 201 while moving in the x direction to move the recording head onto the paper surface. An area corresponding to the recording width is recorded. When recording is completed up to the end of the sheet along the scanning direction of the carriage, the carriage returns to the original home position and performs recording in the x direction again. The paper feed roller 103 rotates in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure after the previous print scan is finished and before the next print scan is started to feed the paper in the y direction by the required width. In this way, recording on one sheet is completed by repeating main scanning and sheet feeding for recording. A recording operation for ejecting ink from the recording head is performed based on control from a recording control means (not shown).

  In addition, in order to increase the recording speed, recording is not performed only during main scanning in one direction, but recording is also performed in the return path when the main scanning recording in the x direction ends and the carriage returns to the home position side. There may be.

  Also, at the position where the recovery operation is performed, a capping means (not shown) for capping the ejection port surface of the recording head, and a head recovery operation such as removing thickened ink and bubbles in the recording head in the capped state by the capping means. A recovery unit (not shown) is provided. Further, a cleaning blade (not shown) or the like is provided on the side of the capping unit and is supported so as to protrude toward the recording head 201 so that it can come into contact with the front surface of the recording head. Thus, after the recovery operation, the cleaning blade is projected into the moving path of the recording head, and unnecessary ink droplets and dirt on the front surface of the recording head are wiped off as the recording head moves.

(Description of recording head)
Next, the recording head 201 described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of the recording head 201 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the recording head 201 has a plurality of discharge ports 300 each formed at a predetermined pitch, and along the wall surface of each liquid passage 302 that connects the common liquid chamber 301 and each discharge port 300. A recording element 303 for generating ink discharge energy is provided. Further, the discharge ports 300 are provided in a row as shown in the figure to form a nozzle row. Further, in the actual recording head 201, a plurality of such nozzle rows are arranged and divided for each ink color. The recording element 303 and its circuit are made on silicon using semiconductor manufacturing technology. Further, a temperature sensor (not shown) and a sub-heater (not shown) are collectively formed on the same silicon by the same process as the semiconductor manufacturing process. A silicon plate 308 on which these electrical wirings are made is bonded to a heat radiating aluminum base plate 307. In addition, the circuit connection portion 311 on the silicon plate and the printed board 309 are connected by an extra fine wire 310, and a signal from the recording apparatus main body is received through the signal circuit 312. The liquid path 302 and the common liquid chamber 301 are formed of a plastic cover 306 made by injection molding. The common liquid chamber 301 is connected to the above-described ink tank (see FIG. 2) via the joint pipe 304 and the ink filter 305, and ink is supplied to the common liquid chamber 301 from the ink tank. . The ink supplied from the ink tank to the common liquid chamber 301 and temporarily stored enters the liquid path 302 by capillary action and forms a meniscus at the discharge port 300 to keep the liquid path 302 filled. At this time, when the recording element 303 is energized through the electrodes (not shown) and generates heat, the ink on the recording element 303 is rapidly heated to generate bubbles in the liquid path 302, and the bubbles expand to discharge ports. Ink droplets 313 are ejected from 300.

(Description of control configuration)
Next, a control configuration (control process) for executing recording control of each part of the apparatus configuration will be described with reference to a block diagram shown in FIG. The recording control unit 500 includes a gate array 400 connected to an external interface 400, an MPU 401, a ROM 402, and a DRAM 403. A ROM 402 is a program ROM that stores a control program executed by the MPU 401, and a DRAM 403 is a dynamic RAM (DRAM) that stores various data (recording data and the like). The number of exchanges can also be stored. The gate array 404 is a gate array that controls the supply of print data to the print head, and also controls the transfer of data among the interface 400, MPU 401, and DRAM 403. The carriage motor 406 is a carrier motor (CR motor) for conveying the recording head, and the paper feed motor 405 is a conveyance motor (LF motor) for recording paper conveyance (conveyance process). Motor drivers 407 and 408 are motor drivers that drive the transport motor 405 and the carrier motor 406, respectively. A head driver 409 is a head driver that drives the recording head 201.

(Characteristic configuration)
Hereinafter, a characteristic configuration in the present embodiment will be described. In the embodiment of the present invention, the width of a portion (used nozzle portion) used in the nozzle row of each ink according to the set recording condition by acquiring or referring to the recording condition set in the printer driver or the printer main body. And the position are set independently. For example, in a configuration in which a plurality of recording modes with different image quality can be set as recording conditions, when the high image quality recording mode is set, the nozzles used are always fixed so that the ink ejection order between the recording areas is fixed. The width and position of the part are set. When a recording mode for recording an image at high speed is set, each ink is recorded by one-pass recording in which the nozzle width used is set as wide as possible, or by multiple scanning of two or more passes. It is set to perform multi-pass recording.

  The present invention makes extensive use of a high-quality recording mode in which the width and position of the nozzles used are set so that the ink ejection order is always fixed. As a result, even if a difference in ink density, discharge amount, discharge speed, or the like occurs between the used nozzle portion and the non-use nozzle portion of at least one kind of ink, it affects the recording quality in multipass printing of two or more passes. The width of the used nozzle portion in the high image quality recording mode is determined so as not to reach the above. In this regard, a specific embodiment will be described below.

  FIG. 5A is a flowchart illustrating an example of a nozzle setting switching sequence for executing the present embodiment. Hereinafter, it demonstrates along this flowchart. First, when the nozzle setting switching sequence is started, data to be recorded is read in step S001. Next, in step S002, information on the recording mode to be recorded is obtained from the header information attached to the recording data. Next, in step S003, a determination is made according to the recording mode. If the high-speed recording mode, the process proceeds to step S004 to set the nozzle for the high-speed recording mode. If the high-quality recording mode, the process proceeds to S005. Set the nozzle for the image quality recording mode.

  FIG. 5B is a table showing recording modes that can be selected in this embodiment. The high-speed recording mode is 2-pass, 4-pass, 8-pass multi-pass recording, and the high-quality recording mode is 12-pass. A total of four types of recording modes are set. These recording modes have higher speeds as the number of passes decreases, higher image quality as the number of passes increases, and can be freely set for the recording purpose and required image quality.

  FIG. 6A shows nozzles in a high image quality recording mode (second recording mode) (12-pass recording) in an ink jet recording apparatus equipped with inks of three colors of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). It is the figure which showed how to use. In each nozzle row having a total length of 1 inch, 1200 nozzles are arranged at equal intervals, and nozzle rows for three colors are arranged in the main scanning direction. In the ink jet recording apparatus of this embodiment, the nozzles of each nozzle array are arranged at the same position in the sub-scanning direction so that the high-speed recording mode using the entire area of each nozzle array can be selected and executed. Recording is possible at a resolution of up to 1200 dpi in the direction.

  Due to frequent use of the high-quality recording mode (12-pass recording), a recording density difference due to a difference in ink discharge amount or discharge speed occurs between the used nozzle portion and the unused nozzle portion. Therefore, for ink that is known (or expected) to have such characteristics, the width of the used nozzle portion in the nozzle row is set to a recording mode other than the high-quality recording mode (that is, the high-speed recording mode). Is an integral multiple of the length of one sub-scan (recording medium feed amount). Here, since the high-speed recording mode (first recording mode) is set to three types of 2 pass, 4 pass, and 8 pass, in this case, the width of the used nozzle portion is set to these 2 pass, 4 pass, and 8 pass. It is necessary to set the number of passes to be the greatest common divisor, that is, an integral multiple of the length of one sub-scan of 2-pass printing.

  Here, if only the cyan ink is an ink in which a recording density difference occurs, the nozzle width of the cyan ink used for recording must be an integral multiple of the length of one sub-scan in “2-pass recording”. Since the length (recording medium feed amount) for one sub-scan at the time of two-pass printing is one half of the nozzle row length (for 600 nozzles), this embodiment is set as an integral multiple of the length for 600 nozzles. Then, the nozzle width is two patterns having a length corresponding to 600 nozzles or 1200 nozzles. However, if 1200 nozzles corresponding to the total number of nozzles in the cyan nozzles are set as the used nozzles, it becomes impossible to control the ink ejection order. Therefore, the used nozzle width in this case is inevitably 600 nozzles. Determined with length.

  For magenta (M) and yellow (Y) where no difference in recording density occurs between the used nozzle portion and the unused nozzle portion, the remaining 600 nozzles are divided into two so as not to overlap the cyan (C) used nozzle portion. The used nozzle width is used for every 300 nozzles. However, the magenta (M) and yellow (Y) use nozzle parts are not limited to the method shown in FIG. 6A unless the use nozzle parts overlap each other.

  FIG. 6B is a diagram schematically illustrating the order of ink placement during image recording in the nozzle use method in the high image quality recording mode in the present embodiment determined in FIG. 6A. According to this, in each recording area, a cyan image by 6-pass printing is first formed by the used nozzles for the lower 600 nozzles, and then a magenta image by 3-pass printing is formed by the used nozzles for the intermediate 300 nozzles. Finally, a yellow image by three-pass printing is formed by the used nozzles for the upper 300 nozzles, and the image printing is completed. That is, image formation is performed in the order of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) in all the recording areas, and the ink ejection order is constant.

  Here, in the present embodiment, a case is considered in which an abnormal discharge occurs only in the used nozzle portion of the cyan nozzle row because the high image quality recording mode is frequently used for a long time. In this case, even if a uniform solid image is recorded by one-pass printing using the used nozzle portion and the unused nozzle portion at the same time in the high image quality recording mode, the recorded nozzle includes the used nozzle portion and the unused nozzle portion. Appears as a density difference. In this case, it is assumed that the recorded image of the used nozzle portion is clearly a higher brightness than the recorded image of the unused nozzle portion.

  In the cyan nozzle row in the high image quality recording mode of this embodiment, 600 nozzles in the lower half of the nozzle row are used nozzles, and the remaining 600 nozzles are unused nozzles. For this reason, when a discharge abnormality occurs in the used nozzle portion, the boundary line of the density difference that can be obtained as a recording result is at a position that is exactly half of the nozzle row.

  FIGS. 7A to 7C show a recording state and a recording result when multi-pass printing is performed using the entire nozzle row in a state where ejection abnormality has occurred in half of the nozzle rows used in the nozzle row. FIG. FIG. 7 (a) shows two-pass printing, FIG. 7 (b) four-pass printing, and FIG. 7 (c) eight-pass printing. 7A to 7C, the boundary line due to the density difference between the used nozzle portion and the unused nozzle portion matches the boundary line of the recording area for each main scan. That is, since the boundary line due to the density difference generated in the first pass in the two-pass printing hits the recording end portion of the second pass, there is no density unevenness. Further, since the boundary line due to the density difference generated in the first pass in the 4-pass printing hits the recording end portion of the third pass, there is no density unevenness. Further, since the boundary line due to the density difference generated in the first pass in 8-pass printing hits the recording end portion of the fifth pass, density unevenness does not occur. Thus, in any number of passes, density unevenness that appears as light and shade stripes does not occur in the completed image.

  As described above, the recording width in at least one nozzle row in the high-quality recording mode is an integral multiple of the conveyance amount of the recording medium in the high-speed recording mode in which recording is performed with at least two scans on the same recording area. To do. As a result, even if a recording density difference occurs due to a change in the ink ejection state between the used nozzle and the unused nozzle in the high image quality recording mode, density unevenness can be prevented and a high quality image can be formed. An ink jet recording apparatus and method could be realized.

(Other embodiments)
The ink configuration, the ink ejection order, and the set recording mode described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto. As the recording mode is used, a recording density difference occurs between the used nozzle portion and the unused nozzle portion, and density unevenness occurs during recording in other multi-pass printing modes that use the used nozzle portion and the unused nozzle portion at the same time. The present invention is effective when it is generated.

  The present invention is applicable to all devices using recording media such as paper, cloth, leather, non-woven fabric, OHP paper, and metal. Specific examples of applicable equipment include office equipment such as printers, copiers, and facsimile machines, and industrial production equipment. In addition, the present invention is particularly effective for devices that perform high-speed recording on large recording media.

106 Carriage 201 Recording head 300 Discharge port 500 Recording control unit

Claims (8)

A plurality of nozzles are formed by forming a plurality of rows, each of the rows is provided with a plurality of nozzle rows associated with different colors of ink, and recording is performed by ejecting the ink from the nozzles onto a recording medium. A recording unit, a driving unit for scanning the recording unit in a direction in which the plurality of nozzle arrays are arranged, and the recording unit scans the same recording area of the recording medium a plurality of times to perform recording. Control means for controlling; conveying means for conveying the recording medium as the recording means scans; a first recording mode for performing recording by ejecting the ink from all the plurality of nozzles; and the plurality of nozzles In the ejection ports arranged in the direction in which the rows are arranged, an ink jet comprising: a second recording mode in which recording is performed by ejecting the ink from the ejection ports of any one of the plurality of nozzle rows. In door recording device,
In the second recording mode, the recording width of at least one of the nozzle arrays is an integral multiple of the transport amount of the recording medium in the first recording mode in which recording is performed with at least two scans on the same recording area. An ink jet recording apparatus characterized by the above.   In one scanning of the recording unit in the second recording mode, the recording width recorded by any one of the plurality of nozzle rows is recorded in one scanning of the recording unit in the first recording mode. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording width is smaller than a recorded recording width.   The conveyance amount of the recording medium conveyed by the conveyance unit in one scan of the recording scan in the second recording mode is determined by the conveyance unit in one scan of the recording scan in the first recording mode. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inkjet recording apparatus is less than a conveyance amount of the recording medium to be conveyed.   When recording in the second recording mode, the number of times the recording unit scans the same recording area of the recording medium is the same as that for the same recording area of the recording medium when recording in the first recording mode. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording means is more than the number of times of scanning. A recording step in which a plurality of nozzles form a plurality of rows, and recording is performed by discharging the ink from the nozzles of the plurality of nozzle rows corresponding to the different colors of ink in each row to a recording medium; and the recording step A control process for controlling the same recording area of the recording medium to perform recording a plurality of times, a transport process for transporting the recording medium in association with scanning in the recording process, and all the plurality of nozzles In the first recording mode in which the recording is performed by discharging the ink from and the discharge ports arranged in the direction in which the plurality of nozzle rows are arranged, the discharge ports of any one of the plurality of nozzle rows are A second recording mode for performing recording by discharging the ink, and an inkjet recording method comprising:
In the second recording mode, the recording width of at least one of the nozzle arrays is an integral multiple of the transport amount of the recording medium in the first recording mode in which recording is performed with at least two scans on the same recording area. An ink jet recording method, wherein:   In one scanning of the recording stroke in the second recording mode, the recording width recorded by any one of the plurality of nozzle rows is recorded in one scanning of the recording stroke in the first recording mode. 6. The ink jet recording method according to claim 5, wherein the recording width is smaller than a recorded recording width.   The conveyance amount of the recording medium conveyed in the conveyance stroke in one scan of the recording scan in the second recording mode is the conveyance stroke in one scan of the recording scan in the first recording mode. The inkjet recording method according to claim 5, wherein the recording medium is less than a transport amount of the recording medium transported by the step.   When recording in the second recording mode, the number of scans in the recording process for the same recording area of the recording medium is the same as that for the same recording area of the recording medium when recording in the first recording mode. 8. The ink jet recording method according to claim 5, wherein the number of times of scanning is larger than the number of times of scanning in the recording process.

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