Ink composition and image forming method

An ink composition for ink jet recording in which a non-absorbent or low absorbent recording medium is used, the composition comprising:

• water;
• a color material;
• a surfactant;
• a compound I represented by general formula (I) below;
• and
• substantially not including alkyl polyols with a standard boiling point of 280° C. or higher;
• wherein the surfactant includes a fluorine-based surfactant and a siloxane-based surfactant with 5 or more siloxane units,
• wherein in general formula (I), n represents an integer in the range of 45 to 230, each R1 independently represents an unmodified, an ether-modified, a polyester-modified, an epoxy-modified, an amine-modified, a carboxyl-modified, a fluorine-modified, an alkyloxy-modified, a mercapto-modified, a (meth)acryl-modified, a phenol-modified, a phenyl-modified, a carbinol-modified or an aralkyl-modified hydrocarbon group;
• and
• wherein the siloxane-based surfactant with 5 or more siloxane units includes a compound represented by general formula (II) below:
• wherein, in general formula (II), k represents an integer of 1 or higher to 5 or lower, n represents an integer of 1 or higher, m represents an integer of 0 to 15, p represents an integer of 1 or higher, q represents an integer of 5 to 30, the value of p/(q+p) is 0.2 to 0.8, and R2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 5 hydrogen atoms or carbon atoms;
• and
• wherein the fluorine-based surfactant is selected from the group consisting of perfluoroalkyl sulfonates, perfluoroalkyl carboxylates, perfluoroalkyl phosphoric acid esters, perfluoroalkyl ethylene oxide adducts, perfluoroalkyl betaines, and perfluoroalkylamine oxide compounds.