Santalin
Red pigments obtained from the wood of the red sandalwood tree
No single value: Santalin is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, red.
Santalin refers to a group of red pigments that come from the inner wood of the red sandalwood tree, Pterocarpus santalinus. These pigments, including santalin A and B, have been used in natural dyeing and in laboratory stains, and are known for their distinctive chemical structures.
- Extracted from the red sandalwood tree's heartwood
- Includes santalin A and santalin B pigments
- Used as a natural dye and in laboratory stains
- Chemically classified as polycyclic phenols
What colour is Santalin?
Santalin is a natural red pigment found in the inner wood of the red sandalwood tree, Pterocarpus santalinus. It is not a single substance but a group of related compounds, mainly santalin A and santalin B. These pigments give a strong red colour and have been valued for their ability to colour fabrics and other materials. Santalin stands out among natural reds for its plant origin and its use in both traditional crafts and scientific staining.
Where does Santalin come from?
The name santalin comes from its source, the red sandalwood tree. These pigments have been known and used for their colouring properties in various traditional settings. Chemists identified and named santalin A and B as separate compounds based on their chemical differences, which relate to the groups attached to their ring structures.
How is Santalin made?
Santalin pigments are extracted from the heartwood of the red sandalwood tree. The process involves taking the inner wood and drawing out the red compounds. Chemically, these pigments are polycyclic phenols, which means they have several connected rings and contain phenol groups. Santalin A and B differ in the specific groups attached to their rings.
Where Santalin is used
These pigments have been used to dye textiles and in other traditional colouring practices. In laboratories, santalins have served as stains for examining tissues under the microscope. Their strong red hue made them useful in both craft and scientific settings.
Red around the world
What the red family means from country to country.
The flag uses the four Pan-Arab colours: a red bar at the hoist with green, white and black bands. It was designed by a young Emirati, Abdullah Al Maainah, in 1971.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of the United Arab EmiratesThe flag is a black double-headed eagle on red, the banner of the fifteenth-century hero Skanderbeg. Fans chant Kuq e Zi, red and black.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of AlbaniaArmenian scribes painted manuscripts with vordan karmir, a crimson dye made from an insect that lives on the roots of grasses in the Ararat plain.
Sacred and holySource: Armenian cochinealUnder Juan Manuel de Rosas in the 1830s and 1840s, everyone had to wear a scarlet ribbon to show loyalty to his Federalist party. His enemies, the Unitarians, were tied to sky blue.
Politics and protestFearSource: Juan Manuel de RosasThe flag is red, white and red. Legend says Duke Leopold V's white tunic was soaked in blood at the siege of Acre, all but the band under his belt.
Politics and protestCourageSource: Flag of AustriaRed ochre is used in Aboriginal rock art and ceremony, and is traded over long distances. In the Aboriginal flag the red half stands for the earth and for that ochre.
Sacred and holyNature and renewalAweSource: Australian Aboriginal flagShades and relatives of Santalin
Santalin is closely related to other red pigments found in wood, such as santarubins. The main forms, santalin A and santalin B, are distinguished by their chemical structure. Sometimes, santalin is confused with other red dyes from different plant sources, but its link to red sandalwood sets it apart.
Questions people ask about Santalin
What colour is santalin?
Santalin is a red pigment, giving a strong red colour when used as a dye or stain.
Where does santalin come from?
It is obtained from the heartwood of the red sandalwood tree, scientifically known as Pterocarpus santalinus.
What is santalin used for?
Santalin has been used to dye textiles and as a stain in laboratory work, especially in examining tissues.
Are there different types of santalin?
Yes, the main types are santalin A and santalin B, which differ in their chemical structure.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Santalin", 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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