Provided is a black ink which provides an image with excellent color tone, little color tone change after a light fastness test and excellent balance of color tone change and light fastness. The black ink further provides an image with a gradation property having a color tone close to a neutral color tone even before and after a light fastness test. The ink contains at least a compound represented by the general formula (I) as a first coloring material, a compound represented by the general formula (II) as a second coloring material and a compound represented by the general formula (III) as a third coloring material.