Phase change inks

A process which comprises (1) incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus a phase change ink composition comprising a phase change ink carrier and a colorant compound comprising two or more moieties of the formula

• wherein R, R1, R2, R3, and R4 each, independently of the others, is an alkyl group, including saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, and unsubstituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group, an aryl group, including unsubstituted and substituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl group, an arylalkyl group, including unsubstituted and substituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the alkyl portion and the aryl portion of the arylalkyl group, or an alkylaryl group, including unsubstituted and substituted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the alkyl portion and the aryl portion of the alkylaryl group, and wherein R, R1, R2, R3, and R4 each can be joined to a phenyl moiety to form a ring, each R′a, R′b, and R′c, independently of the others, is a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, a nitrile group, a nitro group, an amide group, or a sulfonamide group, z1, z2, and z3 each, independently of the others, is an integer of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, n is an integer representing the number of carbon atoms in each repeat alkylene oxide unit, x is an integer representing the number of repeat alkylene oxide units, D is an anion, and g is the charge on the anion, wherein said moieties each contain no —OH groups, —SH groups, or primary or secondary amino groups, said moieties being linked by a central atom or group of atoms or bonded to a polymer;
• (2) melting the ink;
• and (3) causing droplets of the melted ink to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto a substrate.