Patent ID: 7300503

Claim:
A dye mixture comprising a plurality of different dyes represented by formula (I): wherein M represents a hydrogen atom or a metal atom or an oxide, a hydroxide or a halide thereof; Pc represents a (k+l+m+n) valent phthalocyanine nucleus represented by formula (II); X 1 , X 2 , X 3 and X 4 each independently represents a substituent selected from the group consisting of —SO—R 1 , —SO 2 —R 1 , —SO 2 NR 2 R 3 , —CONR 2 R 3 , —CO 2 —R 1 and —CO—R 1 , and at least one of the substituents exists on each of four benzene rings A, B, C and D in formula (II) of the phthalocyanine nucleus, provided that X 1 , X 2 , X 3 and X 4 are not the same simultaneously, that at least one of X 1 , X 2 , X 3 and X 4 is a substituent having two or more carbon atoms, that a total number of carbon atoms included in the substituents represented by X 1 , X 2 , X 3 and X 4 is 8 or more and that the dye does not contain an ionic hydrophilic group in a molecule thereof; R 1 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; R 2 represents a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; R 3 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; k represents an integer of 0<k<8; l represents an integer of 0<l<8; m represents an integer of 0≦m<8; n represents an integer of 0≦n<8 provided that k, l, m and n satisfy 4≦k+l+m+n≦8; and Y 1 , Y 2 , Y 3 , Y 4 , Y 5 , Y 6 , Y 7 and Y8 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent substituent, which may have a substituent.