Pigment Yellow 74
A yellow-green azo pigment used in inks, paints, and tattoo colours
No single value: Pigment Yellow 74 is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, yellow.
Pigment Yellow 74 is a synthetic yellow-green solid, classed as an arylide yellow azo pigment. It is valued for its intense colour and higher light fastness compared to similar pigments, making it common in printing inks, artist's paints, and tattoo inks.
- Intense yellow-green synthetic pigment
- Used in printing inks, artist's paints, and tattoo inks
- Higher light fastness than similar yellow pigments
- Regulated for use in tattoos in the European Union
- Made by coupling 4-nitro-o-anisidine and 2-acetoacetanisidide
What colour is Pigment Yellow 74?
Pigment Yellow 74 is a synthetic pigment with a strong yellow-green appearance. It forms a solid that is almost insoluble in water and is known for its intense, clear colour. Under polarized light, its crystals can show an orange glow, depending on their orientation. It stands out for its higher resistance to light compared to other yellow pigments in its class.
Where does Pigment Yellow 74 come from?
The pigment belongs to the arylide yellow group, which are synthetic azo compounds. Its name comes from its classification in the Colour Index as Pigment Yellow 74 (C.I. 11741). There is no mention of a natural source or a traditional use; it is a product of modern chemical synthesis.
How is Pigment Yellow 74 made?
Pigment Yellow 74 is produced by an azo coupling reaction. This involves diazotizing 4-nitro-o-anisidine and coupling it to 2-acetoacetanisidide. The resulting compound is a flat molecule, held together by hydrogen bonds in the ketohydrazide group. The pigment is a solid, practically insoluble in water, and decomposes above 290 掳C.
Where Pigment Yellow 74 is used
This pigment is widely used in printing inks and varnishes, especially for packaging where high light fastness is needed. It is also found in artist's paints and tattoo inks. While it resists alkalis, acids, and soap, it does not perform as well with solvents and is not suitable for sterilization. Its use in tattoo inks is regulated in the European Union.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
A crime novel or thriller is called a giallo, a yellow. The name comes from the yellow covers of a series of mysteries that Mondadori began publishing in 1929.
Danger and warningFearSource: GialloThe 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 BruneiShades and relatives of Pigment Yellow 74
Pigment Yellow 74 is part of a broader group of monoazo yellow pigments. It is often chosen over similar disazo yellow pigments when better light fastness is needed. Its fine-grained form is especially valued for this property.
Questions people ask about Pigment Yellow 74
What colour is Pigment Yellow 74?
Pigment Yellow 74 is an intensely yellow-green solid, known for its clear and strong colour.
Where does the name Pigment Yellow 74 come from?
The name comes from its Colour Index classification as Pigment Yellow 74 (C.I. 11741), which is a system for naming pigments.
What is Pigment Yellow 74 made from?
It is made by an azo coupling reaction between 4-nitro-o-anisidine and 2-acetoacetanisidide.
Where is Pigment Yellow 74 used?
It is used in printing inks, artist's paints, and tattoo inks, especially where high light fastness is needed.
Is Pigment Yellow 74 regulated?
Yes, its use in permanent make-up and tattoo ink is limited in the European Union since January 2022.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Pigment Yellow 74", 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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