Society of Dyers and Colourists

What Society of Dyers and Colourists does

The Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) is a UK-registered charity and Royal Chartered professional body, founded in 1883 in Bradford, England, and granted its Royal Charter in 1963. It is the only organisation authorised to award the Chartered Colourist (CCol) designation and serves the global textile coloration industry — dyers, colourists, finishers, academics, and students — through a structured qualifications ladder (ASDC, TCC, FTCC, CCol), accredited educational-provider partnerships, and standards work.

Its core products and content assets include the peer-reviewed Coloration Technology journal (published in partnership with Wiley), an extensive digital archive, books and e-books, paid webinars, the SDC International Design Competition, and the biennial UK Coloration and Finishing Conference (next scheduled 2026-10-15). The Colour Index database and related intellectual property are commercialised via SDC Enterprises Ltd, a wholly-owned trading subsidiary that serves as the society's primary profit-generating vehicle.

The business model combines membership subscriptions (individual and corporate tiers), examination and qualification fees, publication and webinar sales, conference and event revenue, royalty/commission income from SDC Enterprises Ltd, and donations. Operations are delivered by a small paid staff supported by a large volunteer network, with formal governance delivered through four legal entities: the parent charity, SDC Enterprises Ltd (UK), SDC Bangladesh Region, SDC Hong Kong Region, and SDC Educational Charity India.

Name

Society of Dyers and Colourists

Legal name

Society of Dyers and Colourists

Website

https://sdc.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1883

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Society of Dyers and Colourists is a UK Royal Chartered professional body serving the global textile coloration industry through memberships, professional qualifications (including the Chartered Colourist designation), publications, conferences, and standards work.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Membership and Qualifications Body

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Colors & Color Systems (Natural/Artificial, Caramel Colors) (CRADAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clean-Label & Certified Colorants (Organic, Non-GMO, Kosher/Halal, Allergen-Free) (AFAJAEAI), Textile & Fiber Arts Classes (Weaving, Knitting, Embroidery, Dyeing) (THAJAKAB)

Keywords

• Professional membership body
• Textile coloration education
• Colour science qualifications
• Chartered colourist designation
• Colour index database

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Various membership tiers including Student, Individual Non-Voting, Individual Voting, Chartered Colourist Member, Non-Member, Company, and Educational Provider memberships.
2. Publications Sales: Sale of books on textile coloration, dyeing, and colour science. Prices range from £8.99 to £125 for physical books.
3. E-Books Sales: Digital publications including textbooks on colour physics, synthetic fibre dyeing, colorants, cellulosics dyeing, reactive dyes, and water recycling. Prices range from £10 to £37.50.
4. Webinar Recordings: Sale of recorded webinars covering topics such as chemical compliance, colour theory, natural dyes, sustainability, and industry practices. Price at £22 per recording.
5. Qualifications and Education: Degree-level qualifications covering textile dyeing offered through 'earning and learning' model, plus bursaries for students.
6. Conference Attendance: UK Coloration and Finishing Conference with free attendance funded by SDC. Exhibition and sponsorship opportunities available for organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Society of Dyers and Colourists is a Royal Chartered professional society that sells memberships, credentials, and educational services to textile coloration professionals. Its core offerings include professional membership subscriptions, degree-level qualifications (FTCC, TCC, ASDC), the unique Chartered Colourist (CCol) designation, publications and textbooks, webinar series, conferences, and an extensive digital archive.

Product overview

The Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) is a Royal Chartered professional body offering a unified portfolio of membership services, educational qualifications, and professional certifications for coloration professionals. The core offerings include SDC Membership providing network access and CPD certification; qualifications (ASDC, TCC, FTCC) delivered through an 'earning and learning' model; and the exclusive Chartered Colourist (CCol) and Fellow (FSDC) professional designations. Supporting these are SDC Publications (books and e-books), webinar recordings covering textile coloration topics, the Digital Archive with historical records dating to 1886, the International Design Competition, industry events/conferences, the Textile Collection, and SDC Podcasts. All offerings serve the coloration professional community and those interested in colour science.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SDC Membership Professional membership offering various tiers (Student, Individual Non-Voting, Individual Voting, Chartered Colourist Member, Company, Educational Provider) that provides network opportunities, CPD hours, certification, member-only content, and access to the Digital Archive for coloration professionals and organisations.
• SDC Qualifications (ASDC, TCC, FTCC) Degree-level textile coloration qualifications delivered through an "earning and learning" model, including ASDC (Associate of the Society of Dyers and Colourists), TCC (Textile Coloration Certificate), and FTCC (Foundation Textile Coloration Certificate). Targets working professionals and students.
• SDC Chartered Colourist (CCol) Status Exclusive Royal Charter-backed professional designation conferred by the Society, including Chartered Colourist (CCol) and Fellow (FSDC) status, unique globally and reserved for top members of the coloration profession.
• SDC Webinars and Recordings Online webinar series covering textile coloration topics (chemical compliance, colour theory, sustainability, natural dyes, industry innovations) that provides SDC recognised CPD hours and certification. Recordings are sold at £22 each.
• SDC Publications - Books Physical technical textbooks and books on textile coloration including titles like 'Basic Principles of Textile Coloration', 'The Coloration of Wool and other Keratin Fibres', 'Physico-Chemical Aspects of Textile Coloration', and 'Standard Colorimetry: Definitions, Algorithms and Software', with prices from £8.99 to £125.
• SDC Publications - E-Books Electronic versions of SDC textbooks covering colour physics, synthetic fibre dyeing, colorants and auxiliaries, cellulosics dyeing, reactive dyes, and water recycling in textile wet processing, with prices ranging from £10 to £37.50.
• SDC Digital Archive Digital archive providing access to SDC Presidents records, annual reports and accounts spanning 1886-2024, medals documentation, journal archives, and historical photographs for members via the Members Area.
• SDC Events and Conferences Industry conferences including the SDC UK Coloration and Finishing Conference, regional meetings (Midlands, Northern, London & Southern), and webinars covering AI in textile production, sustainability, compliance, and manufacturing innovation. The 2026 conference is scheduled for 15 October 2026 at Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford.
• SDC International Design Competition Annual international design competition encouraging creativity and innovation in colour application for textiles, including the SDC International Design Competition 2026.
• SDC Textile Collection Digital collection of textile specimens and historical items available for exploration through the SDC's online platform at collections.sdc.org.uk.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and minor.

• SDC Enterprises LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDC Enterprises Ltd markets and supplies the Colour Index database. The Colour Index Pigment & Solvent Dyes Technical Board oversees the content of the Colour Index.
• WileycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDC Publications Committee works with Wiley to grow and develop the peer-reviewed Coloration Technology journal and SDC textbook offering.
• SDC Bangladesh RegionregionalOthersRegional chapter of SDC operating in Bangladesh with regional leadership including Chair Prof. Dr. Engr. Ayub Nabi Khan, Secretary Dr. Mohammad Tajul Islam, and Treasurer Afsana Ferdousi.
• SDC Hong Kong RegionregionalOthersRegional chapter in Hong Kong with Chair Fred Kam and committee members including Spike Ngai and Chi Ming Franky Mak.
• SDC UK Regions (Midlands, Northern, London & Southern)regionalOthersUK regional chapters providing local networking and professional development opportunities. Regions include Midlands (Chair Georgie Darby), Northern (Chair Linda Lewis), and London & Southern (Chair Patricia Cooke).
• SDC Educational Charity IndiacoreOthersSDC Educational Charity (EC) India operates with trustees including Shripad Kher (Hon. Trustee), Dr. Mrinal Choudhari (Hon. Secretary and Trustee), Dr. Ruma Chakrabarti (Hon. Trustee), Sandeep Singh (Hon. Chairman), Anjani Prasad (Chairman of Board), and Dr. Pratima Goyal (Hon. Treasurer).
• Charity CommissionminorOthersSDC submits Annual Report and Accounts to the Charity Commission following approval by the Board and AGM. The last five years of reports are available free of charge to the public.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Color Marketing Group: International not-for-profit association for colour professionals across design, industry, and architecture, hosting colour forecasting workshops and conferences. Similar professional society model monetising colour knowledge through membership and events.
• Colour Group (Great Britain): UK-based organisation affiliated with the Institute of Physics promoting colour science through meetings, lectures, and events. Comparable professional community model centred on colour expertise with overlapping academic and industry audiences.
• Inter-Society Color Council (ISCC): US professional organisation devoted to colour science and technology, with membership across art, science, and industry. Comparable society model focused on colour knowledge sharing, publications, and conferences, though not textile-specific.
• AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists): US-based professional association serving textile chemists and colorists with testing methods, publications, conferences, and credentials. Direct functional peer to SDC, with overlapping membership, publication, and standards-setting activities for the global textile coloration community.
• The Textile Institute: UK-based international professional body for the textile industry offering individual and corporate membership, qualifications (CText), publications, and events. Comparable professional society model targeting the broader textile workforce of which coloration professionals are a subset.

Broad incumbents

• Society of Chemical Industry: International membership-based society connecting chemistry-using industries, including textiles and dyes, with conferences, publications, and awards. Broader incumbent whose activities intersect with SDC's industrial coloration constituency.
• Pantone (X-Rite): Commercial global authority on colour standards, trend forecasting, and digital colour management tools for design and industry. Much larger commercial incumbent that sets de facto colour standards in a way that competes for influence with SDC's Colour Index.
• Royal Society of Chemistry: Large UK chartered professional body for chemists offering membership, publications, conferences, and accreditation across all chemical sciences. A much broader incumbent whose chemistry credentials and educational products partially overlap with SDC's colorant chemistry remit.

Regional players

• Worshipful Company of Dyers: Historic City of London livery company associated with the dyeing trade, supporting education and charitable causes in coloration. Regional/historical peer with shared dyeing heritage but distinct ceremonial focus rather than technical credentialing.

Emerging players

• International Colour Vision Society: International scientific organisation focused on colour vision research, with biennial conferences and academic membership. Adjacent specialised society that overlaps on the colour-science side of SDC's remit but operates at a smaller, more academic scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sdc_org_uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-of-dyers-and-colourists

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Society of Dyers and Colourists