The purity of 27 commercial pyronin and rhodamine samples was studied by thin-layer chromatography and visible spectroscopy. Seven different red dyes were detected and separated. The chemical identities of 6 of these were established by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The identities of samples sold as rhodamine B and rhodamine 6G were as labelled 8 out of 9 times, the pyronin (G)Y samples were as labelled 5 out of 8 times and the 10 samples sold as acridine red, pyronin B, rhodamine 36 and rhodamine S were always incorrectly labelled. The dextrin and salt contents of the dyes were determined by solvent extraction of the dye with dry methanol or ethanol. Amounts of dextrin and salt varied from none to nearly 90%. Practical methods for identification, separation of coloured components and removal of dextrin and salt are given.