A recording ink set comprising: a black ink, a cyan ink, a magenta ink, and a yellow ink, each of which comprises water, a water-insoluble color material, a water-soluble organic solvent, and a surfactant, wherein the black ink and at least one of the inks other than the black ink respectively comprise a different water-soluble organic solvent; and the surface tension of the water-soluble organic solvent(s) used only for the inks other than the black ink is higher than that of the water-soluble organic solvent used only for the black ink, wherein the recording ink set includes a combination of the color ink containing 1,4-butanediol with the black ink containing 1,5-pentanediol or N-methylpyrrolidone or 1,3-butanediol or 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol or propylene glycol or tripropylene glycol or 2,3-butanediol or 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol or dipropylene glycol or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, a combination of the color ink containing 1,3-butanediol with the black ink containing 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol or propylene glycol or tripropylene glycol or 2,3-butanediol or 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol or dipropylene glycol or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, a combination of the color ink containing triethylene glycol with the black ink containing 1,3-butanediol, a combination of the color ink containing 1,5-pentanediol with the black ink containing 1,3-butanediol or 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol or propylene glycol or tripropylene glycol or 2,3-butanediol or 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol or dipropylene glycol or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, a combination of the color ink containing propylene glycol with the black ink containing tripropylene glycol or 2,3-butanediol or 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol or dipropylene glycol or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, a combination of the color ink containing 2,3-butanediol with the black ink containing 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol or dipropylene glycol or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, or a combination of the color ink containing 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol with the black ink containing dipropylene glycol or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, and wherein the contact angle between the each ink and a recording medium when measured 100 ms after 2 μL of the each ink of the recording ink set is dropped on a recording medium is 15 degrees to 35 degrees, the recording medium is provided with a coating layer on at least one surface of a support and has a transfer amount of pure water to the recording medium measured by the use of a dynamic scanning absorptometer for a contact time of 100 ms is 3mL/m 2 to 15mL/m 2. a black ink, a cyan ink, a magenta ink, and a yellow ink, each of which comprises water, a water-insoluble color material, a water-soluble organic solvent, and a surfactant, wherein the black ink and at least one of the inks other than the black ink respectively comprise a different water-soluble organic solvent; and the surface tension of the water-soluble organic solvent(s) used only for the inks other than the black ink is higher than that of the water-soluble organic solvent used only for the black ink, wherein the recording ink set includes a combination of the color ink containing 1,4-butanediol with the black ink containing 1,5-pentanediol or N-methylpyrrolidone or 1,3-butanediol or 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol or propylene glycol or tripropylene glycol or 2,3-butanediol or 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol or dipropylene glycol or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, a combination of the color ink containing 1,3-butanediol with the black ink containing 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol or propylene glycol or tripropylene glycol or 2,3-butanediol or 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol or dipropylene glycol or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, a combination of the color ink containing triethylene glycol with the black ink containing 1,3-butanediol, a combination of the color ink containing 1,5-pentanediol with the black ink containing 1,3-butanediol or 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol or propylene glycol or tripropylene glycol or 2,3-butanediol or 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol or dipropylene glycol or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, a combination of the color ink containing propylene glycol with the black ink containing tripropylene glycol or 2,3-butanediol or 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol or dipropylene glycol or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, a combination of the color ink containing 2,3-butanediol with the black ink containing 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol or dipropylene glycol or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, or a combination of the color ink containing 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol with the black ink containing dipropylene glycol or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, and wherein the contact angle between the each ink and a recording medium when measured 100 ms after 2 μL of the each ink of the recording ink set is dropped on a recording medium is 15 degrees to 35 degrees, the recording medium is provided with a coating layer on at least one surface of a support and has a transfer amount of pure water to the recording medium measured by the use of a dynamic scanning absorptometer for a contact time of 100 ms is 3mL/m 2 to 15mL/m 2.