An ink jet apparatus comprises plural adjacent ink discharge openings arranged in a line, each opening having associated therewith an energy generator for generating energy to discharge ink from the associated opening. The energy generators are selectively driven in a first mode wherein ink is simultaneously discharged from every other opening in a first cycle and from remaining openings in a second cycle immediately following the first cycle, the first and second cycles being repeated, and in a second mode wherein ink is simultaneously discharged repeatedly from a group of adjacent openings in a first cycle and is simultaneously discharged repeatedly from the group of adjacent openings in a second cycle beginning a predetermined time after the end of the first cycle.