A multicolor ink jet printing process employs an ink jet ink composition comprising water, a colorant of pigment, dye, or mixtures thereof, and a low boiling point additive to produce high quality multicolor ink jet images with minimal intercolor bleed and lines with sharp edges as characterized by a relatively low mid frequency line edge noise (MFLEN) number. The additive is an alcohol or thiol having a boiling point less than or equal to about 115° C. The aforementioned ink jet ink composition can further include an optional additive of alcohol or thiol with a boiling point less than or equal to about 135° C. if necessary. The desired additive increases the ink's drying rate with fast evaporation and an accelerated penetration into a print substrate (e.g. paper) upon printing. As a result, little or minimum residual ink (e.g. carbon black ink) comprising the aforementioned additive is available on the surface of the print substrate to intermix with a previously or subsequently printed ink (e.g. a color ink). As a result, the ink composition and multicolor ink jet printing process of the present invention can produce high quality images with minimal intercolor bleed and low MFLEN.