Abstract Perylene-3, 4: 9, 10-tetracarboxylic acid 3, 4-anhydride-9, 10-imides are condensed with primary diamines to a number of new basic chromophores with amidine-imide structures. Lightfast dyes are obtained which exhibit a strong fluorescence in solution. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the title compounds are bathochromically shifted compared to those of the perylene dyes.