(57) A specially prepared ink-jet paper comprising fibers containing pits filled with a slightly water-soluble metal salt by precipitation is disclosed for use with thermal ink-jet color printers, such as Hewlett-Packard Company's DeskJet® printers. An ink-jet ink containing a colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and a dispersant for dispersing the colorant when necessary, is printed onto the specially prepared paper. The dispersing ability of the dispersant is capable of being vitiated by particles of the metal salt precipitated in the pits contained in the ink-jet paper, thereby indirectly causing the colorant to precipitate on the surface of the paper when the ink-jet ink is printed on the ink-jet paper. In the case of dye-based inks the metal salt directly causes the dyes to precipitate. As a consequence, the ink-jet color printer is able to produce high-quality color images in a reliable manner with improved color gamut and water-resistance and reduced bleed between adjacent-printed colors.