An ink set that affords high print quality and stable discharge, places a small
load on the apparatus, has a plurality of colors of ink jet recording ink, allows
a substantially uniform amount of each color of ink to be discharged, and yields
a recorded image with virtually no difference in the size of the dots between colors,
and a method for manufacturing this ink set, and an ink jet recording apparatus.
The ink set for ink jet recording of the present invention includes a plurality
of colors of ink containing pigments in which the aspect ratio () between
the major and minor axes of the pigment particles is 2 or less, and the value of
(1-n(-1)), which is calculated from the ink viscosity () as
measured at a shear rate of 200 S-1 and at 20 C., is within 5%
for said plurality of colors of ink. The method for manufacturing the ink set for
ink jet recording of the present invention is such that the value of (1-n(-1)),
as measured at a specific shear rate and a specific temperature, is within 5%
for said plurality of colors of ink. The ink jet recording apparatus of the present
invention makes use of the above-mentioned ink set for ink jet recording, and employs
a head whose drive system is electrostrictive or thermal.
