Ink jet inks having IR-absorbing dye

An ink jet ink comprising:

• water;
• a water-soluble organic solvent;
• a resin;
• and
• an anionic heptamethine cyanine dye including a substituted or unsubstituted five or six membered ring in a chain of the anionic heptamethine cyanine dye, the anionic heptamethine cyanine dye having a maximum absorption between 800 nm and 1200 nm and including a structural moiety according to formula I or formula II:
• wherein
• L1 and L2 independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group;
• R1 is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkaryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl group, a halogen, a hydroxyl, an alkoxy group, a thioether, a sulfoxide, a sulfone, a sulfonic acid or salt thereof, a carboxylic acid or salt thereof, an ester, an amide, and an amine;
• M represents a hydrogen or a counterion that compensates for a negative charge of the sulfonate group MO3S;
• R2 and R3 are independently selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkaryl group, and a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl group, and R2 and R3 may represent atoms necessary to form a substituted or unsubstituted five to eight membered ring;
• and
• R4 and R5 are independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkaryl group, a substituted or aryl or heteroaryl group, a halogen, a hydroxyl, an alkoxy group, a thioether, a sulfoxide, a sulfone, a sulfonic acid or salt thereof, a carboxylic acid or salt thereof, an ester, an amide, and an amine, and R4 and R5 may represent atoms necessary to form a substituted or unsubstituted five to eight membered ring.