Active-energy-ray-curable composition including: monofunctional monomers; and polymerization initiator, cured material of the composition satisfying 0.30D0.85, where D is difference between peak-area-ratios A and B in infrared-ATR and obtained by: the composition is coated on polycarbonate substrate to form coated film having average thickness of 10 m; the film is irradiated with active energy rays having light quantity of 500 mJ/cm.sup.2 at UV intensity of 1.0 W/cm.sup.2 for curing; the A is obtained from Formula (1) by infrared-ATR at one portion present from the cured material surface through 1 m away therefrom toward the substrate, the B is obtained from Formula (1) by infrared-ATR at one portion present from the substrate-cured material interface through 1 m away therefrom toward the cured material surface,
Peak-area (from 1,679 m.sup.1 through 1,751 m.sup.1/peak-area (from 1,096 m.sup.1 through 1,130 m.sup.1)Formula (1), and
the A and B obtained are used to obtain D from Formula (2):
D=peak-area-ratio Apeak-area-ratio BFormula (2).

An ink including a self-dispersible pigment, acrylic resin particles, a water-soluble organic solvent, and water. The self-dispersible pigment includes a phosphonic-acid-based self-dispersible pigment having a phosphonic acid group bonded directly or via another atomic group to a surface of particles of the pigment. The acrylic resin particles are formed of an acrylic resin containing a constituent unit derived from an ester-bond-containing monomer. The content of the constituent unit derived from the ester-bond-containing monomer in the acrylic resin is 60 mol % or more based on the total of the acrylic resin.

An ink including a self-dispersible pigment, acrylic resin particles, a water-soluble organic solvent, and water. The self-dispersible pigment includes a phosphonic-acid-based self-dispersible pigment having a phosphonic acid group bonded directly or via another atomic group to a surface of particles of the pigment. The acrylic resin particles are formed of an acrylic resin containing a constituent unit derived from an ester-bond-containing monomer. The content of the constituent unit derived from the ester-bond-containing monomer in the acrylic resin is 60 mol % or more based on the total of the acrylic resin.

A radiation-curable ink jet composition contains at least one monomer A represented by general formula (I): CH.sub.2CR.sup.1COOR.sup.2OCHCHR.sup.3, wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R.sup.2 represents a divalent organic moiety having a carbon number of 2 to 20, and R.sup.3 represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic moiety having a carbon number of 1 to 11. The composition also contains a cyclic, linear, or branched monomer B containing a (meth)acryloyloxy or (meth)acryloyl group in which the total number of nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms other than the oxygen atoms contained in the (meth)acryloyloxy or (meth)acryloyl group is at least 2, and at least one monomer C represented by the following general formula (II):

##STR00001##

wherein n represents an integer of 2 to 6. The total content of monomer A is 10% by mass or more relative to the total mass of the ink jet composition.

There is provided a carbon material dispersion in which a carbon material containing a carbon nanotube is dispersed favorably without substantially producing a coarse aggregate irrespective of liquid compositions and dispersion methods, the carbon material dispersion excellent in viscosity stability. The carbon material dispersion excluding one that contains a volatile salt contains: a carbon material containing a carbon nanotube; a liquid medium; and a dispersant. The content of the dispersant in terms of solid content based on 100 parts by mass of the carbon material is 204 parts by mass or less, and when a dilute dispersion is obtained by diluting the carbon material dispersion with a diluent comprising the liquid medium such that absorbance at a wavelength W.sub.M, which is a median value of an arbitrary wavelength W.sub.L within a range of 350 to 550 nm and an arbitrary wavelength W.sub.H within a range of 650 to 850 nm, is 1.80.02, a ratio of absorbance A.sub.L at the wavelength W.sub.L to absorbance A.sub.H at the wavelength W.sub.H, (A.sub.L/A.sub.H), is 1.60 or more for the dilute dispersion.

A free radical curable inkjet ink containing a colour pigment, a photoinitiator and polymerizable composition, wherein the polymerizable composition includes more than 88.0% of monofunctional polymerizable compounds based on the total weight of the polymerizable composition; wherein more than 13.0 wt % of a monofunctional polymerizable compound having a double bond density DBD of more than 7.00; wherein more than 35.0 wt % of a polyfunctional alkoxylated acrylate having a molecular weight MW of more than 310 based on the total weight of the polyfunctional polymerizable compounds; wherein non-aromatic cyclic monofunctional acrylates in an amount such that the ratio of the wt % of polyfunctional alkoxylated acrylate having a molecular weight MW of more than 310 to the wt % of non-aromatic cyclic monofunctional acrylates is larger than 0.35; and wherein the polymerizable composition has a double bond density DBD of no more than 5.55 mmol double bonds/g.

A free radical curable inkjet ink containing a colour pigment, a photoinitiator and polymerizable composition, wherein the polymerizable composition includes more than 88.0% of monofunctional polymerizable compounds based on the total weight of the polymerizable composition; wherein more than 13.0 wt % of a monofunctional polymerizable compound having a double bond density DBD of more than 7.00; wherein more than 35.0 wt % of a polyfunctional alkoxylated acrylate having a molecular weight MW of more than 310 based on the total weight of the polyfunctional polymerizable compounds; wherein non-aromatic cyclic monofunctional acrylates in an amount such that the ratio of the wt % of polyfunctional alkoxylated acrylate having a molecular weight MW of more than 310 to the wt % of non-aromatic cyclic monofunctional acrylates is larger than 0.35; and wherein the polymerizable composition has a double bond density DBD of no more than 5.55 mmol double bonds/g.

An ink jet recording method is provided that can record high quality images over a long period of time while suppressing a decrease in optical density at the edge of a black image adjacent to a color image, even in the case where an ink jet recording apparatus having a large capacity ink storage portion having an openable and closable ink inlet port is used. The method is an ink jet recording method including, using an ink jet recording apparatus having a first ink storage portion, a second ink storage portion and a recording head that ejects an aqueous ink, recording an image. The aqueous ink includes a black ink, and a color ink containing an organic pigment, and the content P.sub.1 of the carbon black in the black ink and the content P.sub.2 of the organic pigment in the color ink satisfy P.sub.1P.sub.2.

An ink jet recording method is provided that can record high quality images over a long period of time while suppressing a decrease in optical density at the edge of a black image adjacent to a color image, even in the case where an ink jet recording apparatus having a large capacity ink storage portion having an openable and closable ink inlet port is used. The method is an ink jet recording method including, using an ink jet recording apparatus having a first ink storage portion, a second ink storage portion and a recording head that ejects an aqueous ink, recording an image. The aqueous ink includes a black ink, and a color ink containing an organic pigment, and the content P.sub.1 of the carbon black in the black ink and the content P.sub.2 of the organic pigment in the color ink satisfy P.sub.1P.sub.2.

A combination of: a) piezoelectric through-flow print heads having nozzles with an outer nozzle surface area NS smaller than 500 pm2; and b) aqueous inkjet inks from an aqueous inkjet ink set for manufacturing decorative panels, wherein the aqueous inkjet ink set comprises specific cyan, red, yellow and black aqueous inkjet inks containing water in an amount of A wt % defined by Formula (I): 100 wt %sqrt(NS)3.8 wt %/mA wt %100 wt %sqrt(NS)2.2 wt %/m wherein the wt % is based on the total weight of the aqueous inkjet ink; wherein sqrt(NS) represents the square root of the outer nozzle surface area NS; and wherein A wt %40 wt %.