The Society of Dyers and Colourists relies on registrants — the dye, pigment, and solvent-dye manufacturers who ship product into the colourant supply chain — to keep the Colour Index accurate. Every new registration is closely checked by the editorial team, and established records are kept current through continuous manufacturer updates.
Two registration paths
Registering a product follows the same two-route shape whether the substance is a dye or a pigment or solvent dye:
- New Colour Index™ Generic Name (new CIGN) — for products that warrant a fresh generic name and constitution number. New CIGN proposals are reviewed against existing entries by the Nomenclature Committee and granted a unique CIGN + CICN on approval.
- Variant of an existing CIGN — for products that fall under an existing generic name. No unique name is granted; the product is recorded as a manufacturer-attributed variant of the established CIGN.
Confidentiality declaration
In both registration paths the operator must indicate whether the product structure should remain confidential. Without that explicit notation the SDC cannot be held liable for inadvertent disclosure of proprietary chemistry. The confidentiality declaration is binding on the registrar at the point of submission.
Registration form packs
Each registration track has its own form pack — separate templates for products that join an existing CIGN and for products warranting a new one, plus companion notes on how to complete each form. The current print-ready PDFs are being prepared by the SDCE editorial team and will be linked from this page when they land. In the interim, contact the SDCE office directly to receive the forms by email.
What you get for registering
The Colour Index currently holds over 27,000 individual products under 13,000 Colour Index™ Generic Names. Each registered product receives a unique fingerprint — the format that pairs CIGN identity with the manufacturer’s registration record:
- Part 1 information — trade name, application class, physical form, fastness — is confirmed with the manufacturer before publication.
- Part 2 information — structural notation, constitution — is either re-confirmed from the manufacturer’s declaration or carried over from the print editions and flagged accordingly.
- Chemical structures are aligned with recent molecular-conformation research, replacing the simplified line diagrams that the early print editions inherited from patent literature.
Who consults the Colour Index
The Index is the working reference for colourant users, manufacturers, and suppliers; for textile, paint, and plastics manufacturers; for printing-ink manufacturers; for test houses; for libraries, regulatory authorities, and academic institutions; and for anyone involved in the chemistry or commerce of dyes and pigments.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions are offered on an individual, company, and university basis. Companies enjoy reduced per-user pricing on multi-seat plans, and universities receive significant discounts as part of the SDC’s charitable activities — supporting students, researchers, and educators in the chemistry of colour. See the Pricing page for the live tier list; SDCE-approved contributors can open the in-app product wizard at /account/products/new.
Contact the SDCE office
The Colour Index registrar operates from Pickwick Mill, Huddersfield Road, Holmfirth, Thongsbridge HD9 3JL. Reach the registrar by email at colour-index@sdcenterprises.co.uk or by telephone on 01274 750160. The Colour Index is co-published with AATCC (the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists).