Patent ID: 8016932

Claim:
An aqueous ink to be used together with a black ink comprising a self-dispersion pigment, the aqueous ink comprising: a reactive component for destabilizing a dispersion state of the self-dispersion pigment; and a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether as a surfactant, wherein a dynamic surface tension, at 25° C., of the aqueous ink at a lifetime of 30 milliseconds is 41 mN/m or more and a dynamic surface tension, at 25° C., of the aqueous ink at a lifetime of 500 milliseconds is from 28 mN/m or more to 38 mN/m or less as determined by a maximum bubble pressure method, and wherein the content (% by mass) of the surfactant in the aqueous ink is from 0.10% by mass or more to 3.0% by mass or less based on the total mass of the ink.