Colour Index International


Colour Index International is a reference database jointly maintained by the Society of Dyers and Colourists and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. It currently contains over 27,000 individual products listed under 13,000 Colour Index Generic Names. It was first printed in 1925 but is now published solely on the World Wide Web. The index serves as a common reference database of manufactured colour products and is used by manufacturers and consumers, such as artists and decorators.
Colorants are listed using a dual classification which use the Colour Index Generic Name and Colour Index Constitution Numbers. These numbers are prefixed in Brazil and various other countries with C.I. or CI, for example, CI 15510. This abbreviation is sometimes thought to be CL, due to the font used to display the information. A detailed record of products available on the market is presented under each Colour Index reference. For each product name, Colour Index International lists the manufacturer, physical form, and principal uses, with comments supplied by the manufacturer to guide prospective customers.
For manufacturers and consumers, the availability of a standard classification system for pigments is helpful because it resolves conflicting historic, proprietary, and generic names that have been applied to colours.

Colour index numbers

The colour index numbers are 5-digit numbers grouped into numerical ranges according to the chemical structure.
StructureRangeCategory
Nitroso10000-10299
Nitro10300-10999
Monoazo11000-19999:Category:Azo dyes
Diazo20000-39999:Category:Azo dyes
Triazo30000-34999:Category:Azo dyes
Polyazo35000-36999:Category:Azo dyes
Azoic37000-39999:Category:Azo dyes
Stilbene40000-40799
Carotenoid40800-40999
Diarylmethane41000-41999:Category:Diarylmethane dyes
Triarylmethane42000-44999:Category:Triarylmethane dyes
Xanthene45000-45999
Acridine46000-46999:Category:Acridine dyes
Quinoline47000-47999:Category:Quinoline dyes
Methine48000-48999
Thiazole49000-49399:Category:Thiazole dyes
Indamine49400-49699
Indophenol49700-49999:Category:Indophenol dyes
Azine50000-50999:Category:Azin dyes
Oxazine51000-51999:Category:Oxazine dyes
Thiazine52000-52999:Category:Thiazine dyes
Sulfur53000-54999
Lactone55000-55999
Aminoketone56000-56999
Anthraquinone58000-72999:Category:Anthraquinone dyes
Indigoid73000-73999
Phthalocyanine74000-74999:Category:Phthalocyanines
Natural dyes75000-75999:Category:Natural dyes
Oxidation bases76000-76999
Inorganic pigments77000-77999:Category:Inorganic pigments

Print editions