Diarylide pigment
A family of yellow organic pigments widely used in printing inks
No single value: Diarylide pigment is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, yellow.
Diarylide pigments are yellow to yellow-green powders made from organic compounds. They are the most common yellow pigments in printing, valued for their stability and widespread use in inks, coatings, and plastics. Their colour can be subtly adjusted by changing their chemical components.
- Most common yellow pigment in printing inks
- Colour ranges from yellow to yellow-green
- Made from organic compounds, not minerals
- Stable and widely used in packaging and plastics
- Non-toxic but can release hazardous substances at high temperatures
What colour is Diarylide pigment?
Diarylide pigments are a group of organic pigments that appear as yellow or yellow-green powders. They are known for their low solubility in water and their thermal stability. These pigments are widely used because they can be produced in large quantities and their colour can be finely tuned by changing their chemical structure. They are similar to arylide yellow pigments but have a more complex structure.
Where does Diarylide pigment come from?
The name 'diarylide' refers to their chemical structure, which includes two aryl (aromatic) groups linked by azo bonds. These pigments were developed to provide a stable, bright yellow alternative to mineral pigments like cadmium sulfide. Their use has grown as printing and packaging industries have expanded, especially since they can be made in large quantities and tailored for specific needs.
How is Diarylide pigment made?
Diarylide pigments are made by reacting doubly diazotized aromatic diamines, often derived from benzidine, with acetoacetanilides. By varying the specific diamine and acetoacetanilide used, manufacturers can produce pigments with slightly different shades. The resulting compounds are insoluble powders, and their structure is confirmed by techniques such as X-ray crystallography.
Where Diarylide pigment is used
These pigments are most commonly found in printing inks, where they are a standard yellow used in the four-colour process for both commercial and home printers. They are also used in textile printing, coatings, and as colourants for plastics. Their stability and insolubility make them suitable for many industrial applications.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
The yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.
Sacred and holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.
Weddings and marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudOn Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, young women wear yellow and orange saris, a shade called basanti, with flowers in their hair.
Festival and celebrationNature and renewalJoySource: Pohela FalgunThe Flemish flag is a black lion on yellow, and the Walloon flag a red cockerel on yellow. The language communities are often shown by these colours.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of FlandersThe flag is yellow, the colour of the Sultan. By custom, ordinary people did not wear yellow in the ruler's presence.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: Flag of BruneiThe national football team plays in a yellow shirt with green trim, the canarinho. It was chosen in a newspaper contest after the 1950 World Cup final was lost in white.
Festival and celebrationPrideJoySource: Brazil national football teamShades and relatives of Diarylide pigment
Diarylide pigments include several related compounds, such as Pigment Yellow 12, 13, 14, and 63. Their shades range from pure yellow to yellow-green, depending on the exact chemical structure. They are sometimes confused with the simpler arylide yellow pigments, but diarylides have a more complex molecular makeup.
Questions people ask about Diarylide pigment
What colour are diarylide pigments?
Diarylide pigments are usually yellow or yellow-green. Their exact shade can be adjusted by changing their chemical components.
Where does the name 'diarylide' come from?
The name refers to their chemical structure, which includes two aryl groups joined by azo bonds.
What are diarylide pigments used for?
They are mainly used in printing inks, especially as the standard yellow in four-colour printing, as well as in textiles, coatings, and plastics.
Are diarylide pigments safe?
They are considered non-toxic in normal use, but can release hazardous substances if heated above 200 掳C.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Diarylide pigment", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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