1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an ink composition and a recording method and recorded article using the same, and more particularly, to an ink composition having little foaming and satisfactory defoaming properties, and therefore having superior reliability (such as clogging recoverability and discharge stability), while enabling attractive color development as well as having superior image durability (such as light resistance and moisture resistance) and being able to maintain printer performance for a long period of time, an ink jet recording method that uses an ink composition having these properties, and a recorded article that maintains a state of attractive color development obtained with that recording method for a long period of time.
2. Related Art
The ink jet recording method is a printing method whereby printing is carried out by projecting droplets of ink and causing them to adhere to a recording medium such as paper. Improvement of printing quality and storage of printed articles has been proposed by using for the ink a colorant in the form of a pigment or dye as a composition used together with a surfactant and resin fine particles.
However, since the use of such a surfactant causes the ink to have high foaming and low defoaming properties due to the properties thereof, ink compositions containing a surfactant had the problem of lacking reliability in terms of discharge stability, clogging recoverability and the like (see JP-A-2004-315739). Therefore, there has been a need for a technology that inhibits foaming and improves defoaming properties for ink compositions containing a surfactant.
On the other hand, studies have also been conducted on a diverse range of surfactants (such as betaine-based surfactants) and resin fine particles in response to a growing demand for higher printing quality and greater stability of printed articles being placed on ink jet printers in recent years (see JP-A-2005-187790).