In an ink jet printing apparatus wherein an ink ejection head is loaded on a carriage and, while the carriage moves relative to a sheet of paper, ink droplets are ejected from the head to be charged and deflected to impinge on the sheet of paper, a shape or a position of a conductive member carried on the carriage is varied to develop an electric field which is asymmetrical with respect to a predetermined plane in which charged ink droplets coming out from a charging electrode are to be deflected. The conductive member is constituted by a cover of the carriage, a shield plate, a gutter, a compensating electrode plate, a deflection electrode or the like.