Ink-jet apparatus employing ink-jet head having a plurality of ink ejection heaters corresponding to each ink ejection opening

An ink-jet apparatus employing an ink-jet head having a plurality of heaters corresponding to one ejection opening, and ejecting ink from the ink-jet head to a printing medium, comprising:

• driving means for applying pulses, including a preceding pre-pulse, which does not cause ink ejection, a subsequent main pulse, which followings the preceding prepulse and generates a bubble for ejecting the ink, or both the pre-pulse and the main pulse, to each of the plurality of heaters corresponding to the one ejection opening;
• ejection amount mode setting means for setting an ejection amount mode corresponding to selecting one or more heaters to be applied with the subsequent main pulse from among said plurality of heaters;
• pulse waveform setting means for setting a waveform of the pulses correspondingly to information relating to an ink temperature of the ink-jet head, in respective ejection amount modes set by said ejection amount mode setting means;
• and
• pulse control means for controlling said driving means to cause the pulses to be applied to the plurality of heaters, on a basis of the setting by said pulse waveform setting means.

An ink-jet method employing an ink-jet head having a plurality of heaters corresponding to one ejection opening, and ejecting ink from the ink-jet head to a printing medium, said method comprising the steps of:

• applying pulses, including a preceding pre-pulse, which does not cause ink ejection, a subsequent main pulse, which follows the preceding pre-pulse and generates a bubble for ejecting the ink, or both the pre-pulse and the main pulse, to each of the plurality of heaters corresponding to the one ejection opening;
• setting an ejection amount mode corresponding to selecting of one or more heaters to be applied with the subsequent main pulse from among the plurality of heaters;
• and
• setting a waveform of the pulses correspondingly to information relating to an ink temperature of the ink-jet head, in respective ejection amount modes set in said ejection amount mode setting step,
• wherein said pulse applying step causes the pulses to be applied to the plurality of heaters, on a basis of the setting in said pulse waveform setting step.