Pyrrole Red Rubine: A Guide to Its Properties - Cultural Heritage Science Open Source

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PR 264 – pyrrole red rubine

This pigment is very lightfast and was first used in automotive paints. It is also totally safe and was a great replacement for toxic cadmium red.

Manufacturer/ product code: Kremer / 23182
Chemical Description: diketo-pyrrolo pyrrole. C30H20N2O2.
Color: red
Color Index: PR 264
More info:

Fardi, T., Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2018.09.001 “Analytical characterization of artist’s paint systems based on emulsion polymers and synthetic organic pigments”

PR 264 – Pyrrole Red Rubine is a synthetic organic pigment belonging to the diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) family, a class of high-performance pigments prized for their exceptional color strength, lightfastness, and chemical durability. PR 264 is characterized by a deep, bluish-red to rubine hue, positioned chromatically between bright scarlet pyrrole reds and darker maroon tones such as perylene reds.

Chemically, PR 264 is based on the robust DPP molecular structure, which provides outstanding resistance to light, heat, solvents, and weathering. These properties make it suitable for demanding industrial applications including automotive coatings, industrial paints, plastics, and high-quality printing inks, where long-term color stability is essential. Its performance characteristics have contributed to its increasing adoption as a replacement for traditional heavy-metal reds in regulated environments.

In artists’ materials, Pyrrole Red Rubine typically exhibits very high tinting strength and good opacity to semi-opacity, depending on formulation and particle size. Its cool undertone makes it particularly useful for mixing clean violets and deep purples when combined with blue pigments, while mixtures with yellows produce controlled, slightly muted oranges. Compared to warmer pyrrole reds, PR 264 offers greater depth and elegance, making it well suited for shadows, florals, and saturated dark passages without resorting to black.