Abstract: The present invention provides an ink set, in which in ink jet recording, an ejection stability is enhanced, hues, light resistance and water resistance of an image obtained are made excellent, and image keeping quality under severe conditions is improved, wherein the color ink set comprising a plurality of inks different in hues in order to record on a recording medium, the ink set comprising as a black ink at least a specified coloring agent, which has a ?max of 500 nm to 700 nm and a half value width in an absorption spectrum of a dilute solution normalized to an absorbance of 100 nm or more, an ink cartridge containing the same, an ink jet printer carrying them, and an image recording method.

Abstract: A black ink for ink-jet recording, which is excellent in durability of image (including durability of image quality) and discharging property, obtained by dissolving and/or dispersing at least one black azo dye having a particular property or structure in an aqueous medium, wherein a transition metal ion content of the black ink is 0.1 mmol/l or less.

Abstract: An ink for ink jet recording which provides high-quality images excellent in weather fastnesses is provides, which is an ink for ink jet recording, comprising a yellow dye having a specific characteristic wherein the total amount of a cation other than a monovalent metal ion, a hydrogen ion, an ammonium ion, an organic quaternary nitrogen ion and an ion formed by proton addition to the nitrogen atom in basic organic material is not more than 0.5 wt % based on the amount of the ink.

Abstract: An ink set of a plurality of inks each including at least a dye, a water miscible organic solvent and water, wherein: (1) each of the water miscible organic solvents permits all of the dyes to have a solubility at 25° C. of less than 10 (g/100 g); or (2) at least one of the water miscible organic solvents permits at least one of the dyes to have a solubility at 25° C. of 10 (g/100 g) or greater, but a total amount of the at least one of the water miscible organic solvents is 10% by weight or less based on each one of the inks.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording ink ensuring excellent ejection stability even after aging of the ink and also exhibiting excellent weather resistance; provide an inkjet recording ink ensuring less blurring of the image drawn, in addition to excellent ejection stability and weather resistance; and provide a yellow ink and a dark yellow ink, which can contribute to realization of a pictorial quality with excellent color balance as a constituent ink of an ink set. These objects of the present invention can be achieved by an inkjet recording ink comprising an aqueous medium containing a yellow dye, particularly, a yellow dye represented by formula (1), having spectral absorption characteristics such that the maximum absorption wavelength is in the region from 390 to 470 nm and the absorption long-wave end has a tailing of a specified value or less, and antioxidative characteristics such that the ozone enforced discoloration rate constant is 5.0×10?2 [hour?1] or less.

Abstract: To provide an image-forming material, an image formation method and a method for manufacturing a color proof, where even when laser recording is performed with a higher energy by multi-beam laser light, a light-to-heat conversion substance or a decomposition product thereof is prevented from transferring to the image-forming layer and at the same time, a transfer image having sufficiently high image density, high resolution, and no layer fogging can be formed on an image-receiving sheet. An image-forming material comprising an image-receiving sheet having at least an image-receiving layer and a thermal transfer sheet comprising a support having thereon at least a light-to-heat conversion layer and an image-forming layer, wherein the light-to-heat conversion layer of the thermal transfer sheet comprises a homopolymer and/or a copolymer of vinylpyrrolidone.

Abstract: To provide an ink stock solution excellent in handleability, a method for producing the same, an ink composition using the ink stock solution, particularly suitable for an ink for inkjet recording, and a method for producing the same, the ink stock solution includes a dye and a viscosity reducing agent, wherein the ink stock solution has a solid concentration of the dye of 7% or more by weight; the method for producing the ink stock solution includes adding a dye to a water and dissolving the dye in the water, and then, adding a viscosity reducing agent to control the viscosity; the method for producing the ink stock solution includes dissolving a dye, a water and a viscosity reducing agent all together; and the ink composition includes the ink stock solution and has a viscosity of 1 to 30 mPa·s.

Abstract: The ink set for ink jet recording of the present invention, which exhibits a high recorded image quality, an excellent image preservability (heat stability, light fastness, oxidation resistance) and little change of color balance with time, and an ink jet recording method using same, and which comprises a plurality of inks containing a dye, a water-miscible organic solvent and water, wherein the ink set comprises at least yellow, magenta, cyan, black and dark yellow inks, and the dark yellow ink contains at least one of a magenta-azo dye having a specific structure having a 6-membered heterocyclic group connected to diazo group and a cyan dye having a specific structure.

Abstract: An ink, which contains at least one dye of formula (1): A—N?N—BX1n1B?—N?N—A???Formula (1) wherein A and A? each independently represent an aryl group or a monovalent heterocyclic group; B and B? each independently represent an arylene group or a divalent heterocyclic group; X1 represents a divalent linking group; n1 is 0 or 1; and at least one of A, B, A?, and B? is a heterocyclic group.

Abstract: A multicolor image-forming material comprises: an image-receiving sheet having an image-receiving layer; and at least four thermal transfer sheets each including a support, a light-to-heat converting layer and an image-forming layer, in which each of the thermal transfer sheets has a different color, wherein an image is formed by: superposing the image-forming layer in each of the at least four thermal transfer sheets on the image-receiving layer in the image-receiving sheet, in which the image-forming layer is opposed to the image-receiving layer; irradiating the image-forming layer in the thermal transfer sheet with a laser beam; and transferring the irradiated area of the image-forming layer onto the image-receiving layer in the image-receiving sheet, and each of the light-to-heat converting layers in the at least four thermal transfer sheets has a ratio of an optical density (OD) to a layer thickness: OD/layer thickness (&mgr;m unit) of 0.57 or more.

Abstract: A multicolor image-forming material which comprises an image-receiving sheet comprising a support having thereon a coating layer including at least an image-receiving layer, and a plurality of heat transfer sheets each comprising a support having coating layers including at least a light-to-heat converting layer and an image-forming layer, wherein the ratio of the optical density (OD) of the image-forming layer in each heat transfer sheet to the layer thickness, OD/layer thickness (&mgr;m unit), is 1.50 or more, the recording area of a multicolor image of the heat transfer sheet is 515 mm or more multiplying 728 mm or more, the definition of a transferred image is 2,400 dpi or more, the coating layer in the image-receiving sheet and/or the coating layers in each heat transfer sheet has at least one layer containing a dispersant and a matting layer having an average particle size of from 0.

Abstract: An inkjet ink comprising at least one dye having a heterocyclic ring and a metal ion in an aqueous medium, wherein the ink jet ink further comprises a compound capable of accelerating aggregation of the dye in the aqueous medium.

Abstract: An image-forming material comprising: an image-receiving sheet comprising a support and an image-receiving layer and; a thermal transfer sheet comprising a support, alight-to-heat conversion layer and an image-forming layer, wherein an outermost surface of the side of the thermal transfer sheet in which the image-forming layer is provided has a scratch resistance of from 50 g to 200 g at the time that the surface is scratched with a stylus having a radius of curvature of 0.25 mm at a velocity of 1 cm/sec and a method using the image-forming material.

Abstract: An ink obtained by dissolving at least one specific dye in an aqueous medium, wherein the dyes contained in the ink all have a solubility of 15 g or more in 100 g of water at 25° C. under atmospheric pressure; and an ink set formed from the ink. The dye is preferably a dye having an oxidation potential of 1.0 V (vs SCE) or more, more preferably a specific azo dye having a heterocyclic group of a specific structure or an aromatic group which is bound directly to an azo group, or a specific phthalocyanine dye having a water-soluble group as a substitunet. According to the present invention, an ink, specifically an inkjet ink, and an ink set, which can print an image without disorder or beading due to ejection failure and ensure excellent ejection stability and durability, is provided.

Abstract: An ink comprising at least one dye in an aqueous medium, wherein the dye satisfies a relation of &egr;1/&egr;2>1.2 wherein &egr;1 represents a molar extinction coefficient obtained from absorbance at the maximum wavelength of a spectral absorption curve obtained by measuring an aqueous solution of the dye having a concentration of 0.1 mmol/liter using a cell having a light pass length of 1 cm and &egr;2 represents a molar extinction coefficient obtained from absorbance at the maximum wavelength of a spectral absorption curve obtained by measuring an aqueous solution of the dye having a concentration of 0.2 mmol/liter using a cell having a light pass length of 5 &mgr;m.

Abstract: An inkjet recording ink includes at least one yellow-azo dye having specific properties or a specific structure dissolved and/or dispersed in an aqueous medium and containing a water-miscible organic solvent having a specific solubility with respect to dye.

Abstract: An ink, which contains at least one dye of formula (1):

Abstract: The ink set for ink jet recording of the present invention, which exhibits a high recorded image quality, an excellent image preservability (heat stability, light fastness, oxidation resistance) and little change of color balance with time, and an ink jet recording method using same, and which comprises a plurality of inks containing a dye, a water-miscible organic solvent and water, wherein the ink set comprises at least yellow, magenta, cyan, black and dark yellow inks, and the dark yellow ink contains at least one of a magenta-azo dye having a specific structure having a 6-membered heterocyclic group connected to diazo group and a cyan dye having a specific structure.

Abstract: An inkjet color ink comprising: an aqueous medium; at least one yellow dye having a &lgr;max of from 390 nm to 470 nm and an [I(&lgr;max+70 nm)/I(&lgr;max)] ratio of an absorbance I(&lgr;max+70 nm) at &lgr;max+70 nm to an absorbance I(&lgr;max) at &lgr;max of not more than 0.4; and at least one dye having a &lgr;max of longer than 470 am and not longer than 750 nm, the at least one yellow dye and the at least one dye being at least dissolved or dispersed in the aqueous medium, wherein both of the rate constants defined herein are not more than 5.0×10−2 hour−1.

Abstract: A black ink for ink-jet recording, which is excellent in durability of image (including durability of image quality) and discharging property, obtained by dissolving and/or dispersing at least one black azo dye having a particular property or structure in an aqueous medium, wherein a transition metal ion content of the black ink is 0.1 mmol/l or less.