Dye and ink compositions

An ink jet printing process which comprises (1) incorporating into an ink jet printer an aqueous ink composition which comprises water, a humectant, and a colorant of the formula ##STR27## wherein (a) X and X' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, ester, or amide;

• (b) R and R' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, ester, amine, amide, ether, thioether, or --(O(CH.sub.2).sub.y).sub.z OH wherein y is an integer of from 1 to 3 and z is an integer of from 1 to about 50;
• (c) A, A', B, and B' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, --COOH, --SO.sub.3 M, wherein M is a cation, or --NR"R"', wherein R" and R"' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, alkyl, or aryl, wherein at least one of A, A', B, and B' is not hydrogen;
• or ##STR28## wherein (a) X and X' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, ester, or amide;
• (b) R and R' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, ester, amine, amide, ether, thioether, or --(O(CH.sub.2).sub.y).sub.z OH, wherein y is an integer of from 1 to 3 and z is an integer of from 1 to about 50;
• (c) A, A', C, C', D, D', E, E', F, and F' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, --COOH, --SO.sub.3 M, wherein M is a cation, or --NR"R"', wherein R" and R"' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, alkyl, or aryl, wherein at least one of A, A' C, C', D, D', E, E', F, and F' is not hydrogen;
• or ##STR29## wherein (a) X and X' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, ester, or amide;
• (b) S and S' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen or --(O(CH.sub.2).sub.y).sub.z OH, wherein y is an integer of from 1 to 3 and z is an integer of from 1 to about 50, wherein at least one of S and S' is not hydrogen;
• (c) J, J', K, and K' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, --COOH, --SO.sub.3 M, wherein M is a cation, or --NR"R"', wherein R" and R"' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, alkyl, or aryl;
• or ##STR30## wherein (a) X and X' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, ester, or amide;
• (b) S and S' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen or --(O(CH.sub.2).sub.y).sub.z OH, wherein y is an integer of from 1 to 3 and z is an integer of from 1 to about 50, wherein at least one of S and S' is not hydrogen;
• (c) J, J' L, L', N, N', P, P', Q, and Q' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, --COOH, --SO.sub.3 M, wherein M is a cation, or --NR"R"', wherein R" and R"' each, independently of one another, are hydrogen, alkyl, or aryl;
• and (2) causing droplets of the ink composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto a substrate.