Ink jet ink compositions and processes for high resolution and high speed printing

An ink jet ink composition which is suitable for high resolution ink jet printing, comprising water, a colorant a hydroxyamide derivative which has at least two hydroxyl groups and at least one amide group or a reaction product of oxyalkylene and said hydroxyamide derivative, and a sulfur-containing humectant selected from the group consisting of sulfoxide, sulfone, and thiol derivatives,

• wherein said hydroxyamide derivative is represented by the following formula:
• ##STR3## wherein R is independently selected from the group consisting of H, C.sub.n H.sub.2n+1, Cyclic C.sub.n H.sub.2n-1, C.sub.6 H.sub.5, C.sub.5 H.sub.4 N, OC.sub.n H.sub.2n+1, and substituted or unsubstituted aromatic groups and heterocyclic groups having from three to twenty carbon atoms wherein n is from one to forty;
• J and X are independently selected from the group consisting of H and C.sub. kH.sub.2k+1 wherein k is from zero to twenty;
• Q and P are independently from two to twenty;
• U and W are independently from one to twenty;
• Y and Z are independently from zero to forty where Y+Z must be one or greater than one;
• V and E are independently from zero to forty where V+E must be one or greater than one.