Method and apparatus for ink-jet printing

An ink jet printing apparatus for ejecting an ink from an ink ejecting portion and a liquid from a liquid ejecting portion, comprising:

• ink ejection data setting means for separately setting ink ejecting data for ejecting the ink from the ink ejecting portion;
• liquid ejection data setting means for separately setting liquid ejecting data for ejecting the liquid from the liquid ejecting portion, in accordance with a setting manner different from a setting manner used by said ink ejection data setting means;
• and
• an ejection controller for ejecting the ink from the ink ejecting portion and the liquid from the liquid ejecting portion onto a recording medium, based on the ink ejecting data and the liquid ejecting data, respectively,
• wherein the liquid comprises a printing property improving liquid for improving at least one printing property of the ink ejecting portion,
• wherein the ink ejecting data and the liquid ejecting data correspond to image data for recording an image on the recording medium,
• wherein the ink ejecting portion and the liquid ejecting portion are moved across the recording medium, and the ink and the liquid are ejected thereon such that the liquid is ejected onto at least part of the same area on the recording medium where the ink is also ejected, and
• wherein the liquid ejection data setting means sets the liquid ejecting data so that a ratio of the number of printed pixels to which the liquid is ejected to a total number of printed pixels is less than 100%.