Pyrrol Red

Description

Pyrrol Red (PR254) is a single-pigment pyrrol (diketopyrrolopyrrole, or DPP) red. It produces a brilliant, mid-to-warm red with a subtle orange-leaning undertone and a richly saturated masstone. Compared to cadmium and naphthol reds, this pigment is cleaner and slightly more transparent, offering a vivid, modern red that glows in glazes rather than sitting as an opaque block of color.

In use, Pyrrol Red gives a powerful, controlled red ideal for florals, textiles, fruit, sunsets, portrait work, and any passage where a strong, warm red is needed. It has high tinting strength with a semi-opaque character, allowing it to cover well in masstone while still glazing beautifully in thinner layers. It mixes beautifully with yellows for intense oranges and flame colors, with magentas and violets for rich crimson reds, and with blues and earth pigments for nuanced warm neutrals and deep, luminous shadow tones that stay clear rather than muddy.

This DPP pigment is highly lightfast, chemically stable, and compatible with a wide range of binders and mediums. In artist’s colors it serves as an excellent primary warm red for modern mixing palettes, functioning both as a bold statement red and as a reliable workhorse mixer for high-chroma, lightfast color.

History

Pyrrol (diketopyrrolopyrrole) pigments were developed in the late 20th century as high-performance organic colorants for automotive, industrial, and high-end coatings. They were engineered for exceptional lightfastness, weather resistance, and chemical durability—qualities that quickly drew the attention of artists and paintmakers searching for modern alternatives to less permanent reds.

Pyrrol Red (PR254) emerged as one of the most successful warm reds in this family, offering the strength and brilliance of traditional cadmium reds without their opacity or toxicity. As paintmakers adapted DPP pigments for artist materials, PR254 gained a place in many professional watercolor, oil, and acrylic ranges under names such as “Pyrrol Red,” “Permanent Red,” or “DPP Red.” Today it is widely regarded as one of the most useful modern warm reds, valued by painters who want a strong, lightfast primary red with a confident, contemporary character.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Synthetic (Organic) diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) pigment

Suitable Mediums: Watercolor, Oil, Tempera, Acrylic, Lime / Fresco, Ceramic and cement applications

Lightfastness: Best

Opacity: Semi-opaque (covering in masstone, more translucent in thin layers)

Other Names: Pyrrol Red, DPP Red, Permanent Red (PR254)

Color Index Code: PR254