Aqueous ink composition

An aqueous ink composition comprising (i) a water-soluble dye having the formula (I) in an amount sufficient for ink printing and (ii) water, ##STR28## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each represent hydrogen, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group or halogen;

• R.sup.3 represents hydrogen, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, halogen, a sulfonic acid group or a sulfonate group;
• Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 each represent hydrogen, a lower alkyl group, a phenyl group, an acetyl group, an alkyl sulfonyl group, a benzoyl group which may have a substitutent selected from the group consisting of a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group and halogen, a benzenesulfonyl group which may have a substituent selected from the group consisting of a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group and halogen, or a 1,3,5-triazine group which may have a substituent selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, a hydroxyl group, halogen, a hydroxyalkyl amino group, an alkyl amino group and an aromatic amino group;
• M represents hydrogen, an alkali metal or NH.sub.4.sup.+ ;
• and n is an integer of 1 or 2.