Patent ID: 7425233

Claim:
A cyan ink for ink-jet recording, comprising a coloring agent, water and a water soluble organic solvent, wherein the coloring agent contains a dye (1) represented by the general formula (1) and at least one dye selected from the group consisting of a dye (2) represented by the general formula (2), a dye (3) represented by the general formula (3) and C. I. Direct Blue 86, wherein, in the general formulas (1) to (3), Pc(Cu) represents a copper phthalocyanine nucleus represented by the general formula (4), wherein, in the general formula (1), k is a number satisfying 0<k<8; l is a number satisfying 0<l<8; m is a number satisfying 0≦m<8; n is a number satisfying 0≦n<8; k, l, m and n satisfy 4≦k+l+m+n≦8; R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 each independently represent a substituent selected from the group consisting of —SO 2 —R a , —SO 2 NR b R c and —CO 2 —R a , provided that R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are not simultaneously the same, that at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 has an ionic hydrophilic group as a substituent, and that at least one or more of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 is present on each of four benzene rings A, B, C and D of the copper phthalocyanine nucleus represented by the general formula (4), wherein R a represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group; R b represents a hydrogen atom, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group; and R c represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, wherein, in the general formulas (2) and (3), each of an SO 3 M group, an SO 2 NH 2 group and an SO 3 NH 4 group is present on any of the four benzene rings A, B, C and D of the copper phthalocyanine nucleus represented by the general formula (4); M represents a monovalent metal cation selected from the group consisting of a lithium ion, a sodium ion and a potassium ion; x is a number satisfying 0<x<4; y is a number satisfying 0<y<4; and x and y satisfy 2≦x+y≦5.