The present invention achieves formation of a 2n-value image with data of n bits, thereby reducing the amount of image information to be transferred and processed, while improving the tonal rendition, and thereby realizing a high-quality recording system for dot matrix recording suitable for personal use. For this purpose there is disclosed an ink jet recording apparatus and a method therefor, comprising an image process unit for generating multi-value information, an identification unit for identifying that the image data are multi-value information, an identification unit for the recording head, and an analysis unit for decoding the n-bit information, and featured by effecting multi-value recording while processing the n-bit data as multi-value information.