Patent ID: 7888406

Claim:
Ink containing at least a coloring material, water, and a saccharide-alkyleneoxy derivative comprising a compound represented by the following formula (1): A-(EP) n -OH (1) wherein A represents a skeleton of a saccharide selected from the group consisting of C 3 to C 12 aldoses, ketoses and sugar alcohols; EP represents an ethyleneoxy group and/or a propyleneoxy group; and n represents an average number of the repeating units, said ink further containing one or more C 3 to C 12 saccharides selected from the group consisting of: aldoses having 6 or fewer carbon atoms, aldoses having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms; ketoses having 6 or fewer carbon atoms, ketoses having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms; sugar alcohols having from 6 or fewer carbon atoms, and sugar alcohols having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms, wherein the compound represented by formula (1) is a sorbitol-ethyleneoxy compound and is present in the ink in an amount of from 4 to 10% by weight, wherein the ink contains at least one glycol ether selected from the group consisting of 5% to 20% by weight of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, 5% to 20% by weight of triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, 3% to 10% by weight of dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether and 3.5% to 10% by weight of propylene glycol monobutyl ether, each based on the weight of said ink, wherein the ink also contains 3% to 10% by weight of 1,2-pentanediol or 0.5% to 5% by weight of 1,2-hexanediol, and wherein the coloring material is a water-soluble pigment that is made water-dispersible.