Abstract: A yellow ink composition and a magenta ink composition are provided which have good properties satisfying requirements for a color ink jet recording ink, particularly a requirement that the color ink composition is less likely to cause clogging of nozzles, and can realize a printed image having excellent tone, waterfastness, storage stability, and lightfastness. Further, a color ink set comprising the above ink compositions in combination with a particular cyan ink composition and a particular black ink composition are also provided. A yellow ink composition comprising a dye represented by the following formula (XI) in combination with a dye represented by the following formula (XII) is a fundamental color ink composition: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.101 and R.sup.102 represent phenyl or naphthyl substituted by a hydroxyl group, --SO.sub.3 M, or --COOM.

Abstract: A magenta ink composition comprising C.I. Direct Red 227 in an amount of 0.3 to 3.5% by weight, a water-soluble high boiling low volatility organic solvent and water is disclosed. A set comprising the magenta ink composition, a yellow ink composition comprising a 1:3 to 3:1 by weight mixture of C.I. Direct Yellow 86 and C.I. Direct Yellow 132 in an amount of 0.3 to 3.0% by weight and a cyan ink composition comprising at least one of C.I. Direct Blue 86 and C.I. Direct Blue 199 in an amount of 1.0 to 4.0% by weight is also disclosed. An ink jet recording method using the foregoing ink set is further disclosed. The ink composition provides an excellent color reproducibility range and causes no deterioration of printed matter.

Abstract: A yellow ink composition, a magenta ink composition and cyan ink composition and a solvent system which are suitable for a color ink jet printing method are disclosed. These ink compositions can realize ideal color tones without limitation of properties of paper. Moreover, these ink compositions are excellent in intermittent jetting stability. The color ink jet printing method is also disclosed. In this method, ink compositions are overprinted to mix colors. Colors obtained by the color mixing have an ideal color tone.

Abstract: An ink composition for ink jet recording comprising a dye, 1 to 10% by weight of glycerin, 1 to 5% by weight of a monohydric alcohol having 4 or less carbon atoms, 0.5 to 10% by weight of 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone and 75 to 95% by weight of water. The ink composition of the present invention can offer a good balance of properties required of the ink jet recording ink, especially quality of the print, dryability of the print, water-resistance of the print, storage stability and a property that does not attack members constituting a recording head and an ink passage.