Aqueous ink composition

An aqueous ink composition comprising:

• (1) 0.5 to 30 parts by weight of a dye having the formula ##STR6## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each represent hydrogen, an alkyl group, a phenyl group, an acyl group, an acetyl group or a phenylsulfonyl group,
• R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 each represent hydrogen, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, halogen, a sulfonic acid group,
• X represents hydrogen, Na, K, Li or an organic amine cation,
• m is an integer of 0 or 1;
• and
• when m is an integer of 0, n is an integer of 1 and Ar.sup.1 and Ar.sup.2 each represent a substituted phenyl group, a substituted naphthyl group, wherein the substituents on said phenyl or naphthyl groups are one or more selected from the group consisting of amino, --N(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 OH).sub.2, ##STR7## --SO.sub.3 Na, hydroxyl, --COOH, nitro, chloro, and methyl, ##STR8## wherein R.sup.6 represents an alkyl group, a phenyl group, a substituted phenyl group, a cyano group, an alkoxy group, a carboxyl group or a carbamoyl group, and R.sup.7 represents a substituted phenyl group or a substituted naphthyl group, and
• when m is an integer of 1, n is an integer of 1 or 2, and Ar.sup.1 and Ar.sup.2 each represent an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl group or naphthyl group wherein the substituents on said phenyl or naphthyl groups are one or more selected from the group consisting of amino, --N(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 OH).sub.2, ##STR9## --SO.sub.3 Na, hydroxyl, --COOH, nitro, chloro, and methyl;
• (2) 5 to 30 parts by weight of a humectant;
• and
• (3) water.