Ink, ink jet recording method, ink cartridge, recording unit, and ink jet recording apparatus

An ink comprising at least two coloring materials of a first coloring material and a second coloring material,

• wherein the first coloring material is a compound represented by the following general formula (I):
• wherein A, B, C, and D each independently represent a six-membered ring having aromaticity and at least one of A, B, C, and D in the general formula (I) is a pyridine ring or a pyrazine ring, M's each independently represent a hydrogen atom, alkali metal, ammonium, or organic ammonium, E's each independently represent an alkylene group, X's each independently represent a sulfo-substituted anilino group, a carboxyl-substituted anilino group, or a phosphono-substituted anilino group, and the substituted anilino groups may have 1 to 4 of at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of a sulfonic acid group, a carboxyl group, a phosphono group, a sulfamoyl group, a carbamoyl group, a hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group, an amino group, an alkylamino group, a dialkylamino group, an arylamino group, a diarylamino group, an acetylamino group, an ureido group, an alkyl group, a nitro group, a cyano group, halogen, an alkylsulfonyl group, and an alkylthio group, Y's each independently represent a hydroxyl group or an amino group, and 1, m and n satisfy 0≦1≦2, 0≦m≦3 and 0.1≦n≦3, and 1+m+n=1 to 4, and
• wherein the second coloring material is a compound represented by the general formula (II):
• wherein X1, X2, X3 and X4 each independently represent —SO-Z, —SO2-Z, —SO2NR1R2, a sulfonic acid group, —CONR1R2, or CO2R1, wherein Z's each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6, Y7 and Y8 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a cyano group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, an amide group, an ureido group, a sulfonamide group, a substituted or unsubstituted carbamoyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted sulfamoyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxycarbonyl group, a carboxyl group or a sulfonic acid group, and a1, a2, a3 and a4 represent the numbers of substituents of X1, X2, X3 and X4, respectively, and each independently represent an integer of 1 or 2.