Colour Index International is a reference database jointly maintained by the
Society of Dyers and Colourists The Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) is an international professional society, with headquarters in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK, specializing in colour in all its manifestations. Founded in 1884, it was granted a Royal Charter of Incorporati ...
and the
American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists
AATCC—the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists— is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit professional association that provides test method development, quality control materials, educational development, and networking for textile and a ...
. 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 World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system enabling documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet.
Documents and downloadable media are made available to the network through web se ...
. 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 (both
dye
A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution an ...
s and
pigment
A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compo ...
s) are listed using a dual classification which use the Colour Index Generic Name (the prime identifier) and Colour Index Constitution Numbers. These numbers are prefixed with C.I. or CI, for example, C.I. 15510. (This abbreviation is sometimes mistakenly thought to be CL, due to the font used to display it.) 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.
List of Colour Index Constitution Numbers
The colour index numbers are 5-digit numbers grouped into numerical ranges according to the chemical structure.
Print editions
*1st (-)
*2nd (1956)
*3rd (1971)
See also
* Color chart
* List of dyes
* Pantone
References
{{reflist
External links
American Association of Textile Chemists and ColoristsColour Index International
Society of Dyers and Colourists
Color organizations
American companies established in 1925
1925 establishments in the United States
Business services companies established in 1925