An ink contains water, a coloring material, a resin, two or more types of organic solvents, and a surfactant, wherein the ink is horizontally discharged to a substrate.

Provided is an aqueous ink for ink jet containing a pigment and a resin particle that disperses the pigment. The cumulative 50% particle size of the resin particle in a volume-based particle size distribution is 10 nm or less. The resin particle has a crosslinking structure. The ratio of the cumulative 50% particle size of the pigment in a volume-based particle size distribution to the cumulative 50% particle size of the resin particle in a volume-based particle size distribution is 3.0 times or more to 8.0 times or less. Also, provided are an ink cartridge and an ink jet recording method using this aqueous ink.

Provided is an aqueous ink for ink jet containing a pigment and a resin particle that disperses the pigment. The cumulative 50% particle size of the resin particle in a volume-based particle size distribution is 10 nm or less. The resin particle has a crosslinking structure. The ratio of the cumulative 50% particle size of the pigment in a volume-based particle size distribution to the cumulative 50% particle size of the resin particle in a volume-based particle size distribution is 3.0 times or more to 8.0 times or less. Also, provided are an ink cartridge and an ink jet recording method using this aqueous ink.

A water-based ink for inkjet recording contains a pigment, water, organic solvents, at least one compound selected from urea compounds, and a binder resin. The organic solvents include at least (1) a water-soluble organic solvent having a boiling point of from 100° C. to 200° C. inclusive and a vapor pressure at 20° C. of 0.5 hPa or more, (2) propylene glycol, and (3) glycerin, diglycerin, and/or a derivative thereof serving as an organic solvent. Preferably, the water-based ink further contains a polymer (A) serving as a pigment dispersant. The polymer (A) has an anionic group and has a solubility in water of 0.1 g/100 mL or more, a number average molecular weight within the range of 1,000 to 6,000, and an acid value within the range of 40 to 190 mg KOH/g.

A water-based ink for inkjet recording contains a pigment, water, organic solvents, at least one compound selected from urea compounds, and a binder resin. The organic solvents include at least (1) a water-soluble organic solvent having a boiling point of from 100° C. to 200° C. inclusive and a vapor pressure at 20° C. of 0.5 hPa or more, (2) propylene glycol, and (3) glycerin, diglycerin, and/or a derivative thereof serving as an organic solvent. Preferably, the water-based ink further contains a polymer (A) serving as a pigment dispersant. The polymer (A) has an anionic group and has a solubility in water of 0.1 g/100 mL or more, a number average molecular weight within the range of 1,000 to 6,000, and an acid value within the range of 40 to 190 mg KOH/g.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an actinic radiation curable inkjet ink which has less color mixing, which can obtain white ink with fewer surface irregularities and excellent smoothness, which has excellent actinic radiation transmittance and curability, and which enables sol-gel phase transition by temperature change, and to provide an inkjet image forming method, and a recording medium on which an image has been formed using the inkjet ink. This purpose is achieved by an actinic radiation curable inkjet ink that contains a photopolymerizable compound, a photo initiator, a gelling agent, and a white pigment, wherein the white pigment contains titanium oxide, the gelling agent contains at least one type of gelling agent A that contains an alkyl chain comprising a straight chain portion with 12-26 carbon atoms, wherein the content of the gelling agent A is 5-35 mass % of the content of the titanium oxide.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an actinic radiation curable inkjet ink which has less color mixing, which can obtain white ink with fewer surface irregularities and excellent smoothness, which has excellent actinic radiation transmittance and curability, and which enables sol-gel phase transition by temperature change, and to provide an inkjet image forming method, and a recording medium on which an image has been formed using the inkjet ink. This purpose is achieved by an actinic radiation curable inkjet ink that contains a photopolymerizable compound, a photo initiator, a gelling agent, and a white pigment, wherein the white pigment contains titanium oxide, the gelling agent contains at least one type of gelling agent A that contains an alkyl chain comprising a straight chain portion with 12-26 carbon atoms, wherein the content of the gelling agent A is 5-35 mass % of the content of the titanium oxide.

Disclosed is a recording method including attaching a reaction solution which forms a recording region S1 by attaching a reaction solution which includes an aggregating agent which is able to aggregate components of a color ink composition to a target recording medium with an attachment amount of 100 nmol/inch.sup.2 to 1500 nmol/inch.sup.2 of the aggregating agent, and attaching a color ink composition which forms a recording region S2 by attaching the color ink composition which includes a coloring material and a resin to the recording region S1 within 30 seconds of attaching the reaction solution.

Disclosed is a recording method including attaching a reaction solution which forms a recording region S1 by attaching a reaction solution which includes an aggregating agent which is able to aggregate components of a color ink composition to a target recording medium with an attachment amount of 100 nmol/inch.sup.2 to 1500 nmol/inch.sup.2 of the aggregating agent, and attaching a color ink composition which forms a recording region S2 by attaching the color ink composition which includes a coloring material and a resin to the recording region S1 within 30 seconds of attaching the reaction solution.

Provided are a water dispersion of gel particles in which the gel particles which have a three-dimensional crosslinked structure including a thioether bond and an ethylenic double bond, have a hydrophilic group, and include a photopolymerization initiator are dispersed in water, a producing method of the water dispersion, and an image forming method using the water dispersion.