Disclosed is an ink set for use in an ink jet recording process, wherein at least two aqueous inks A and B having different hues are superimposed to form a color image. The ink set can give a clear color image by high speed printing having good resolution without bleeding in the boundaries between two colors. Disclosed also are a method, an ink cartridge and an apparatus for ink jet recording using the above ink set. The ink set is characterized in that, of the two aqueous inks A and B, one ink A includes a coloring material A having an anionic group and in that the other ink B includes a coloring material B and a quaternary ammonium salt having at least one alkyl group which has 6 or less carbon atoms and which has a hydroxyl group.