Abstract: Exemplary communication system 1 includes game devices 10, communication terminals 20, and game support server 30. Game devices 10 enable users to perform a multi-play activity. Each of communication terminals 20 runs an application associated with corresponding game device 10. Game support server 30 divides communication terminals 20 into separate communication groups in accordance with a situation of the multi-play activity performed by game devices 10 so that communication terminals 20 belonging to a same communication group can communicate with each other.

Abstract: An ink jet aqueous ink includes a pigment and a water-soluble organic solvent. The pigment includes a self-dispersible pigment having a carboxylic acid group directly bonded to a particle surface of carbon black having a DBP oil absorption of 120 mL/100 g or more to 150 mL/100 g or less, and has a surface charge amount of 0.20 mmol/g or more to 0.25 mmol/g or less, the water-soluble organic solvent contains a first water-soluble organic solvent having a relative dielectric constant of 28.0 or more at a temperature of 25° C., and a ratio of a content of the first water-soluble organic solvent to a total content of the water-soluble organic solvent is 50.0 mass % or more to 60.0 mass % or less.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method using an ink jet recording apparatus having a first ink storage portion, a second ink storage portion, a tube that supplies an aqueous ink from the first ink storage portion to the second ink storage portion, a mechanism that blocks the tube, and a recording head communicating with the second ink storage portion, the method including ejecting the aqueous ink from the recording head to record an image on a recording medium. The tube has an aeration amount (?L/day) of 10 ?L/day or more to 60 ?L/day or less at a temperature of 40° C. The aqueous ink contains a coloring material and a first water-soluble organic solvent having a dielectric constant of 34.0 or less at a temperature of 25° C.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method using an ink jet recording apparatus having a first ink storage portion, a second ink storage portion, a tube that supplies an aqueous ink from the first ink storage portion to the second ink storage portion, a mechanism that blocks the tube, and a recording head communicating with the second ink storage portion, the method including ejecting the aqueous ink from the recording head to record an image on a recording medium. The tube has an aeration amount (?L/day) of 10 ?L/day or more to 60 ?L/day or less at a temperature of 40° C. The aqueous ink contains a coloring material and a first water-soluble organic solvent having a dielectric constant of 34.0 or less at a temperature of 25° C.

Abstract: An ink jet aqueous ink includes a pigment and a water-soluble organic solvent. The pigment includes a self-dispersible pigment having a carboxylic acid group directly bonded to a particle surface of carbon black having a DBP oil absorption of 120 mL/100 g or more to 150 mL/100 g or less, and has a surface charge amount of 0.20 mmol/g or more to 0.25 mmol/g or less, the water-soluble organic solvent contains a first water-soluble organic solvent having a relative dielectric constant of 28.0 or more at a temperature of 25° C., and a ratio of a content of the first water-soluble organic solvent to a total content of the water-soluble organic solvent is 50.0 mass % or more to 60.0 mass % or less.

Abstract: Provided is an ink jet ink capable of recording an image having an unprecedentedly high level of scratch resistance and excellent glossiness while satisfying reliability of the ink such as ejection stability. The ink jet ink contains at least a pigment and a graft polymer, and is characterized in that the graft polymer includes at least a specific nonionic unit and a unit having a polysiloxane structure.

Abstract: An aqueous ink comprising water, a water-soluble organic solvent and at least two pigments. The aqueous ink is used together with a reaction liquid containing a reactive component that reacts with the aqueous ink to cause aggregation or gelation of the aqueous ink. The at least two pigments have a difference in precipitation value to the reaction liquid of 0.2 or less.

Abstract: An ink containing a first coloring material and a second coloring material, the sum total of these contents being 6.0% by mass or less. The first coloring material is a black coloring material exhibiting a difference ??max1 of 20.0 or more between a maximum absorption wavelength in a 20.0% by mass aqueous solution of 1,2-hexanediol and a maximum absorption wavelength in water, the second coloring material is a specific coloring material exhibiting a difference ??max2 of 12.0 or less between a maximum absorption wavelength in a 20.0% by mass aqueous solution of 1,2-hexanediol and a maximum absorption wavelength in water, and the sum of the ??max1 and the ??max2 is 35.0 or less.

Abstract: The invention provides an ink containing a coloring material and a water-soluble organic solvent, wherein the coloring material is a compound represented by the following general formula (1), and the water-soluble organic solvent includes an alkanediol having 4 to 6 carbon atoms: wherein rings A, B, C and D each indicated by a broken line are, independently of one another, a benzene ring or a nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic ring, the number of the nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic ring is more than 0.0 and 3.0 or less, the remainder is the benzene ring, R1 is an alkyl group, R2 is an alkylene group, X is an anilino group having one or more sulfonic groups, m is more than 0.0 and less than 3.9, n is 0.1 or more and less than 4.0, and the sum of m and n is 1.0 or more and less than 4.0.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet ink that is capable of recording an image excellent in light resistance and ozone resistance and has excellent intermittent ejection stability. The ink jet ink contains a coloring material and a water-soluble organic solvent. The coloring material contains a compound represented by the following general formula (I), the water-soluble organic solvent contains ethylene urea end an alkanediol having 4 to 6 carbon atoms, and a content A (% by mass) of the coloring material, a content B (% by mass) of the ethylene urea and a content C (% by mass) of the alkanediol having 4 to 6 carbon atoms based on a total mass of the ink satisfy relationships of 0.20?B/A?10.0 and 0.10?C/A?10.0.

Abstract: An ink containing a first coloring material and a second coloring material, the sum total of these contents being 6.0% by mass or less. The first coloring material is a black coloring material exhibiting a difference ??max1 of 20.0 or more between a maximum absorption wavelength in a 20.0% by mass aqueous solution of 1,2-hexanediol and a maximum absorption wavelength in water, the second coloring material is a specific coloring material exhibiting a difference ??max2 of 12.0 or less between a maximum absorption wavelength in a 20.0% by mass aqueous solution of 1,2-hexanediol and a maximum absorption wavelength in water, and the sum of the ??max1 and the ??max2 is 35.0 or less.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet ink that is capable of recording an image excellent in light resistance and ozone resistance and has excellent intermittent ejection stability. The ink jet ink contains a coloring material and a water-soluble organic solvent. The coloring material contains a compound represented by the following general formula (I), the water-soluble organic solvent contains ethylene urea end an alkanediol having 4 to 6 carbon atoms, and a content A (% by mass) of the coloring material, a content B (% by mass) of the ethylene urea and a content C (% by mass) of the alkanediol having 4 to 6 carbon atoms based on a total mass of the ink satisfy relationships of 0.20?B/A?10.0 and 0.10?C/A?10.0.

Abstract: The invention provides an ink containing a coloring material and a water-soluble organic solvent, wherein the coloring material is a compound represented by the following general formula (1), and the water-soluble organic solvent includes an alkanediol having 4 to 6 carbon atoms: wherein rings A, B, C and D each indicated by a broken line are, independently of one another, a benzene ring or a nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic ring, the number of the nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic ring is more than 0.0 and 3.0 or less, the remainder is the benzene ring, R1 is an alkyl group, R2 is an alkylene group, X is an anilino group having one or more sulfonic groups, m is more than 0.0 and less than 3.9, n is 0.1 or more and less than 4.0, and the sum of m and n is 1.0 or more and less than 4.0.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an ink set which enables to improve image density and scratch resistance of the images recorded using an ink containing a self-dispersion pigment and an ink containing a modified siloxane compound. An ink set to be used for ink jet recording including plural inks having a first ink and a second ink independently, wherein the first ink contains at least a pigment having functional groups on surface of pigment particles and a compound having adsorptivity to the pigment and the functional group density on the surface of the pigment particles is 1.5 ?mol/m2 or more and less than 2.6 ?mol/m2 and the second ink contains at least a pigment and a modified siloxane compound.

Abstract: Provided are an ink jet ink set, an ink jet recording method, and an ink jet recording apparatus each of which can reduce the graininess of an image to be recorded and improve the water fastness of the image even in a recording medium such as plain paper. The ink jet ink set has a first ink and a second ink independently, and is used so that the first and second inks overlap each other at least partly upon application of the inks to a recording medium. The first ink contains at least a pigment and a silicone oil. The second ink contains at least a pigment and a graft polymer that includes at least a nonionic unit represented by the general formula (I) and a unit having a polysiloxane structure.

Abstract: A liquid composition which can achieve superior scratch resistance of images at such a level that coloring materials are hardly scraped off even when images are scratched with finger nails under application of such strong pressure as to scratch a recording medium at its non-recorded areas. The liquid composition contains at least a modified siloxane compound having specific structure and a polymer whose acid value and hydrogen bond parameter (?h) are specified.

Abstract: A pigment ink is provided which has good ink reliability and storage stability and can achieve superior scratch resistance of images at such a level that coloring materials are hardly scraped off even when images are scratched with finger nails under application of such strong pressure as to scratch a recording medium at its non-recorded areas. The pigment ink contains a pigment, a modified siloxane compound having a specific structure, and a polymer whose acid value and hydrogen bond parameter (?h) are specified.

Abstract: An aqueous ink to be used in an ink jet recording method that an ink is ejected from a recording head by the action of thermal energy, wherein the ink contains a pigment, a polymer and a water-soluble organic solvent, the hydrophilicity ?m of the pigment falls within a range of from 21.5 or more to 23.5 or less, and the content (mass %) of the water-soluble organic solvent is from 5.0 mass % or more to 17.5 mass % or less with respect to the whole mass of the aqueous ink.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an ink set which enables to improve image density and scratch resistance of the images recorded using an ink containing a self-dispersion pigment and an ink containing a modified siloxane compound. An ink set to be used for ink jet recording including plural inks having a first ink and a second ink independently, wherein the first ink contains at least a pigment having functional groups on surface of pigment particles and a compound having adsorptivity to the pigment and the functional group density on the surface of the pigment particles is 1.5 ?mol/m2 or more and less than 2.6 ?mol/m2 and the second ink contains at least a pigment and a modified siloxane compound.

Abstract: Provided is an ink jet ink capable of recording an image having an unprecedentedly high level of scratch resistance and excellent glossiness while satisfying reliability of the ink such as ejection stability. The ink jet ink contains at least a pigment and a graft polymer, and is characterized in that the graft polymer includes at least a specific nonionic unit and a unit having a polysiloxane structure.