Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus has a plurality of ink jet recording heads, a cartridge mounting mechanism having cartridge detectors 124 and 125 and levers for the insertion/removal of ink cartridges, cap members covering each recording head but disposed outside the printing area, and a pump effecting a negative pressure within the caps. An ink cartridge replacement status determiner 130 detects the mounting condition of ink cartridges according to a signal from ink cartridge detectors 124 and 125. A pump controller 135 controls the pump which supplies a negative pressure for a prescribed period to a cap member of a recording head which has had an ink cartridge replaced (in the case where the mounting of an ink cartridge is detected by determiner 130). Ink is supplied only to a recording head which has had a cartridge replaced.