Industrial dyes are colorants consisting of single molecules that are able to absorb certain parts of the spectrum of visible light and reflect others. Dyes are soluble in the material in which they are dispersed. Dye can generally be described as a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is usually used as an aqueous solution, and may require a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber. Industrial dyes are obtained from animal, vegetable or mineral origin, with no or very little processing. There are many types of industrial dyes. Examples include acid dye, chemical dye, leather dye, dispersed dye, and textile dyes. Acid dye is a water-soluble anionic dye that is applied to fibers such as silk, wool, nylon, and modified acrylic fibers. Chemical dye is prepared from various chemical substances and is generally used for preparing industrial dye tints. Dispersed dye is substantially water insoluble. It is finely ground in the presence of a dispersing agent and then sold as a paste. Leather dye is specially formulated to color leather items. The covalent bonds that attach leather dye to natural fibers make it among the most permanent of dyes. Other industrial dyes are commonly available.

There are several ways in which industrial dyes function. Carpet dye is applied in a two stage process, which includes cleaning the carpet and applying the dye. Carpet dye fixes to the carpet fibers immediately and lasts for the life of the carpet. Carpet dye is permanent and chemically bonds to the carpet fibers. Carpet dye is also color fast and eco-friendly. Textiles dyes are natural dyes and require a mordant, which are metallic salts of aluminum, iron, chromium, copper and others. Textiles dyes ensure the reasonable fastness of the color to sunlight and washing. Some examples of textile dyes include carmine which comes from cochineal (natural red 4), lac (natural red 25) and hematein which comes from the logwood tree (natural black 1). In leather dyes, an exact amount of dye is pasted with a small amount of deionised water. The remaining deionised water is added with constant stirring. The solution is heated to at least 90 °C and kept at this temperature for two minutes. The solution is allowed to cool to 60 °C and then filtered at 60 °C with a preheated vacuum filter using a fast qualitative filter paper. Practically all leather dye is stable down to pH 3.5. However, at very low pH values, such as pH 2.5, some dyes are not stable and can change color considerably. Industrial dyes are designed and manufactured to meet most industry specifications.

Industrial dyes are used in many applications. Examples include dying garments, textiles, food, and carpets. Some industries use chemical dyes for inks and tinting. Finished dyes are used where no solvent or dispersion medium is used. Industrial dyes should adhere to International Standards Organization (ISO) standards.