Patent ID: 8349064

Claim:
A water-based ink for ink jet recording, comprising: a coloring agent; water; and a water-soluble organic solvent, wherein the coloring agent comprises a phosphate group-modified self-dispersing pigment, and the water-based ink further comprises (i) a calcium ion and (ii) at least one of a reducing sugar and a sugar alcohol; wherein at least one of the following Condition 1 and Condition 2 is satisfied: Condition 1 The amount of the reducing sugar with respect to the total amount of the water-based ink is in the range of 0.05 wt % to 20 wt %, and the amount of the calcium ion with respect to the total amount of the water-based ink is in the range of 5 ppm to 300 ppm; Condition 2 The amount of the sugar alcohol with respect to the total amount of the water-based ink is in the range of 0.05 wt % to 12 wt %, and the amount of the calcium ion with respect to the total amount of the water-based ink is in the range of 5 ppm to 300 ppm.