Organic pigments contain carbon and are generally bright, pure, lightweight and rich in tinting power. They are composed of carbon atoms that form strong, stable chemical bonds and are found throughout animal, plant, and synthetic organic chemistry.
There are three types of organic pigments: pigments, metal salt pigments (or toners) and lakes.
Pigment colors are insoluble and have inherent color. Toners and lakes begin as soluble particles, sometimes called dyes. To function as a pigment, the dye is chemically or electrically fixed to particles of an inert colorless pigment, such as aluminum oxide trihydrate. Because metallic salts and toners are not very lightfast, they are not used in Daniel Smith paints, but some artists' paint manufacturers do use them.
Lakes are used in the food industry and sometimes as artists' colors. Alizarin Red is one example - although Anthraquinone Red and Permanent Alizarin are more photostable alternatives.