A plurality of recording heads for ejecting inks in different colors are aligned, and are reciprocally moved in the alignment direction, and an image is recorded by performing main scans in both the forward and backward paths of the reciprocal movement, and performing a sub-scan after each main scan. An area recordable in a single main scan is thinned out according to thinning arrangements having a complementary relationship therebetween, and thinned-out images are recorded in a plurality of main scans. During this interval, the sub-scan is performed in a direction opposite to the normal sub-scan direction at a predetermined period.