A process for printing an image includes printing a substrate with an aqueous inkjet ink and drying the printed image with a near-infrared drying system, wherein the inkjet ink is a yellow or magenta inkjet ink and comprises a yellow or magenta colorant and a distinct near-infrared absorbing compound. Inkjet ink sets for use with an inkjet printing system employing a near-infrared drying system in the process include at least a black ink and a yellow ink, wherein the yellow ink comprises a yellow colorant and dispersed nanoparticulate colloidal silica at a concentration of from 0.1 to about 10 wt %, and the black ink comprises a black colorant and dispersed nanoparticulate colloidal silica at a concentration of from 0 wt. % to at most ½ of the wt. % of the dispersed nanoparticulate colloidal silica in the yellow ink. Various embodiments provide a process for inkjet printing and drying inks with improved absorption in the near-IR region of the spectrum for improved drying performance of aqueous, hypsochromic inks, and an inkjet ink set with improved balanced near-IR drying of black and yellow inkjet inks.