PURPOSE: To obtain a means for changing a printing density or conducting gradation recording in an ink jet recording in which ink is changed in phase by heat and delivered out of a fine orifice for conducting recording.

CONSTITUTION: An ink container 33 or an ink cartridge as an ink supply means is appropriately changed in height with respect to a recording head H, whereby the position of an ink meniscus in an orifice 24 is moved forward and backward, and a mass of ink to be delivered by a bubble formed by a heating element 29 is controlled. In this manner, the recording head H functions so as to handle a multi-valued recording image other than a binarized recording image which can be formed by a basic delivery ink amount.