In recent years, pigment-based inks have become more and more attractive for office and wide format ink jet applications. This non-impact printing technology does pose special requirements, not only for pigment preparations, but also for the pigments themselves. Besides the exploration of new dispersants and the optimization of the dispersant system, tailoring the properties of the pigments, such as particle size distribution, surface charge and polarity, morphology, and especially purity, is key. As a result, the desired features of preparations and inks such as transparency, hue, viscosity and storage stability (no flocculation or sedimentation) can be improved, as well as the elimination of cogation or abrasion in the printhead. New test methods for ink jet applications and new concepts for production processes such as microreactor technology or finish treatment can significantly improve the suitability of specific organic pigments for ink jet printing and the performance of the resulting inks.