Water-Based Ink For Ink-Jet Recording And Ink-Jet Recording Method

Abstract

A water-based ink for ink-jet recording and an ink-jet recording method allow the formation of sharp text and lines in high density black, and the formation of a high quality gradation image in which the graininess is reduced in a black image of a medium lightness to a high lightness (e.g., an achromatic image in dark gray to light gray) in ink-jet recording. The water-based ink combination for ink-jet recording comprises a black ink, and a color ink (A) and a color ink (B) that satisfy a color relationship of the following expression (I): about 120°≦|α-β|≦about 240°  (I) wherein α is the hue angle of the color ink (A) and β is the hue angle of the color ink (B).

1 . A water-based ink combination for ink-jet recording comprising a black pigment ink, and a color ink (A) and a color ink (B) that satisfy a color relationship of the following expression (I):
   about 120°≦|α-β|≦about 240°  (I)   
     wherein α is the hue angle of the color ink (A) and β is the hue angle of the color ink (B). 
   
   
       2 . The water-based ink combination according to  claim 1  wherein the color ink (A) and the color ink (B) satisfy a color relationship of the following expression (II):
   about 150°≦|α-β|≦about 220°  (II).   
   
   
       3 . The water-based ink combination according to  claim 1  wherein the color ink (A) is at least one of a yellow ink, a magenta ink and a cyan ink. 
   
   
       4 . The water-based ink combination according to  claim 3  wherein the color ink (A) is the yellow ink. 
   
   
       5 . The water-based ink combination according to  claim 4  wherein the color ink (B) is a blue ink or a violet ink. 
   
   
       6 . The water-based ink combination according to  claim 1  comprising at least a yellow ink, a magenta ink and a cyan ink wherein one of the yellow ink, magenta ink and cyan ink is the color ink (A). 
   
   
       7 . A water-based ink set for ink-jet recording comprising a black ink, and a color ink (A) and a color ink (B) that satisfy a color relationship of the following expression (I):
   about 120°≦|α-β|≦about 240°  (I)   
     wherein α is the hue angle of the color ink (A) and β is the hue angle of the color ink (B). 
   
   
       8 . The water-based ink set according to  claim 7  wherein the color ink (A) and the color ink (B) satisfy a color relationship of the following expression (II):
   about 150°≦|α-β|≦about 220°  (II).   
   
   
       9 . The water-based ink set according to  claim 7  wherein the color ink (A) is at least one of a yellow ink, a magenta ink and a cyan ink. 
   
   
       10 . The water-based ink set according to  claim 9  wherein the color ink (A) is the yellow ink. 
   
   
       11 . The water-based ink set according to  claim 10  wherein the color ink (B) is a blue ink or a violet ink. 
   
   
       12 . The water-based ink set according to  claim 7  comprising at least a yellow ink, a magenta ink and a cyan ink wherein one of the yellow ink, magenta ink and cyan ink is the color ink (A). 
   
   
       13 . An ink-jet recording apparatus comprising ink cartridge receivers for receiving designated ink cartridges and nozzles for application of the inks to a recording material, wherein the cartridge receivers receive at least one black pigment ink cartridge, at least one color ink (A) cartridge and at least one color ink (B) cartridge, wherein the color ink (A) and the color ink (B) satisfy a color relationship of the following expression (I):
   about 120°≦|α-β|≦about 240°  (I)   
     wherein α is the hue angle of the color ink (A) and β is the hue angle of the color ink (B) wherein the apparatus can overprint color ink (A) and color ink (B). 
   
   
       14 . The ink-jet recording apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein the color ink (A) and the color ink (B) satisfy a color relationship of the following expression (II):
   about 150°≦|α-β|≦about 220°  (II).   
   
   
       15 . The ink-jet recording apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein color ink (A) is at least one of a yellow ink, a magenta ink and a cyan ink. 
   
   
       16 . The ink-jet recording apparatus according to  claim 15  wherein the color ink (A) is the yellow ink. 
   
   
       17 . The ink-jet recording apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein the color ink (B) is a blue ink or a violet ink. 
   
   
       18 . The ink-jet recording apparatus according to  claim 13  comprising at least a yellow ink, a magenta ink and a cyan ink wherein one of the yellow ink, magenta ink and cyan ink is the color ink (A). 
   
   
       19 . Water-based ink cartridges for ink-jet recording comprising a black ink cartridge containing black pigment ink, and a color ink (A) cartridge containing the color ink (A) and a color ink (B) cartridge containing the color ink (B) that satisfy a color relationship of the following expression (I):
   about 120°≦|α-β|≦about 240°  (I)   
     wherein α is the hue angle of the color ink (A) and β is the hue angle of the color ink (B). 
   
   
       20 . The water-based ink cartridges according to  claim 19  wherein the color ink (A) and the color ink (B) satisfy a color relationship of the following expression (II):
   about 150°≦|α-β|≦about 220°  (II).   
   
   
       21 . The water-based ink cartridges according to  claim 19  wherein the color ink (A) is at least one of a yellow ink, a magenta ink and a cyan ink. 
   
   
       22 . The water-based ink cartridges according to  claim 21  wherein the color ink (A) is the yellow ink. 
   
   
       23 . The water-based ink cartridges according to  claim 22  wherein the color ink (B) is a blue ink or a violet ink. 
   
   
       24 . The water-based ink cartridges according to  claim 19  comprising at least a yellow ink cartridge containing yellow ink, a magenta ink cartridge containing magenta ink and a cyan ink cartridge containing cyan ink, wherein one of the yellow ink, magenta ink and cyan ink is the color ink (A).