Highly dispersible lake preparations are prepared from lake pigments obtained by the reaction of basic dyes with complex metal acids by kneading the pigment with defined protective agents in the form of a thick paste. The products may be dried and ground. The protective agents are defined as carbohydrate colloids such as the dextrins, the alkali salts of lignin sulphonic acids, gelatine, alkali metal silicates, pectin and colloidal clays. There may also be present in the paste (a) deflocculating agents such as dextrin, (b) a combined deflocculating and wetting agent, e.g. sodium dinaphthylmethane disulphonate, (c) wetting agents such as sodium isopropyl-naphthalene sulphonate or sodium secondary butylnaphthalene sulphonate, alkali and alkaline earth metal salts of lignin sulphonic acids, sodium salts of sulphonated lauryl, cetyl, and similar high-molecular alcohols, and ethers of polyglycols such as the ethyl ether of diethylene glycol, (d) diluting agents, such as sugar, dextrose, cerelose and xylose and (e) antidusting agents such as glycerine, or esters of ether alcohols with low-molecular weight organic acids, e.g. the acetates or formates of ethyl, methyl or butyl ethers of ethylene glycols. Groups of basic dyes specified are amino polyarylmethane derivatives such as Methyl and Crystal violet, thiazines such as Methylene blue, acridines, phosphines, xanthines such as Rhodamine, ketone imides such as Auramine, basic azo dyes such as Chrysoidine, basic quinoline dyes such as the cyanines, indamines, thiazoles, oxazines or sulphonation products of basic dyes in which the degree of sulphonation is not such as to destroy their basicity. Complex metal acids specified are phosphotungstic, phosphomolybdic, phosphotungstomolybdic, silicotungstic, silicomolybdic or silicotungstomolybdic. In examples: (1) a Methyl violet phosphotungstate lake press cake is kneaded with sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate and dextrin, the product is vacuum dried and ground, 25 per cent of water added, and the mass again kneaded, dried and granulated, after which it is blended dry with cerelose and a little monoethyl ether of ethylene glycol; (2) a Methyl violet phosphomolybdate lake press cake is kneaded as above with sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate and the sodium salt of lignin sulphonic acid residue, followed by blending dry with xylose and a little sodium secondary butylnaphthalene sulphonate; (3) a Methylene blue N phosphotungstate lake press cake is kneaded with sodium dinaphthylmethane sulphonate and dextrin, the product being blended dry with cane sugar and a little of the monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol; (4) a Methyl violet phosphotungstate lake press cake is kneaded with sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate and dextrin, followed by blending dry with cerelose and the monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol; (5) a Methyl violet phosphotungstate lake is kneaded with dextrin, sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate is added, and the product dried and ground; (6) a Victoria blue phosphotungstate lake is kneaded with dextrin, sodium disulphodinaphthylmethane is incorporated, and the product dried and ground; (7) a Victoria blue-methyl violet phosphotungstate lake is kneaded with dextrin; (8) a Methylene blue phosphotungstate lake is kneaded with dextrin and blended dry with dextrose; (9) a Methyl violet-Victoria blue p phosphotungstate lake is kneaded with sodium dinaphthylmethane sulphonate, dextrin, and powdered bentonite, followed by blending dry with sodium secondary butylnaphthalene sulphonate. Tests are described for estimating the dispersibility and hygroscopicity of the products.ALSO:Highly dispersible lake preparations are prepared from lake pigments obtained by the reaction of basic dyes with complex metal acids by kneading the pigment with defined protective agents in the form of a thick paste. The products may be dried and ground. The protective agents are defined as carbohydrate colloids such as the dextrins, the alkali salts of lignin sulphonic acids, gelatine, alkali metal silicates, pectin and colloidal clays. There may also be present in the paste (a) deflocculating agents such as dextrin, (b) a combined deflocculating and wetting agent, e.g. sodium dinaphthylmethane disulphonate, (c) wetting agents such as sodium isopropyl naphthalene sulphonate or sodium secondary butylnaphthalene sulphonate, alkali and alkaline earth metal salts of lignin sulphonic acids, sodium salts of sulphonated lauryl, cetyl, and similar high-molecular alcohols and ethers of polyglycols such as the ethyl ether of diethylene glycol, (d) diluting agents, such as sugar, dextrose, cerelose and xylose, and (e) antidusting agents such as glycerine, or esters of ether alcohols with low-molecular weight organic acids, e.g. the acetates or formates of ethyl, methyl or butyl ethers of ethylene glycols. Groups of basic dyes specified are amino polyarylmethane derivatives such as Methyl and Crystal violet, thiazines such as Methylene blue, acridines, phosphines, xanthines such as Rhodamine. ketone imides such as Auramine, basic azo dyes such as Chrysoidine, basic quinoline dyes such as the cyanines, indamines, thiazoles, oxazines or sulphonation products of basic dyes in which the degree of sulphonation is not such as to destroy their basicity. Complex metal acids specified are phosphotungstic, phosphomolybdic, phosphotungstomolybdic, silicotungstic, silicomolybdic or silicotungstomolybdic. In examples, (1) a Methyl violet phosphotungstate lake press cake is kneaded with sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate and dextrin, the product is vacuum dried and groond, 25 per cent of water added, and the mass again kneaded, dried and granulated, after which it is blended dry with cerelose and a little monoethyl ether of ethylene glycol; (2) a Methyl violet phosphomolybdate lake press cake is kneaded as above with sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate and the sodium salt of lignin sulphonic acid residue, followed by blending dry with xylose and a little sodium secondarybutylnaphthalene sulphonate; (3) a Methylene blue N phosphotungstate lake press cake is kneaded with sodium dinaphthylmethane sulphonate and dextrin, the product being blended dry with cane sugar and a little of the monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol; (4) a Methyl violet phosphotungstate lake press cake is kneaded with sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate and dextrin, followed by blending dry with cerelose and the monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol; (5) a Methyl violet phosphotungstate lake is kneaded with dextrin, sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate is added, and the product dried and ground; (6) a Victoria blue phosphotungstate lake is kneaded with dextrin, sodium disulphotinaphthylmethane is incorporated, and the product dried and ground; (7) a Victoria blue-methyl violet phosphotungstate lake is kneaded with dextrin; (8) a Methylene blue phosphotungstate lake is kneaded with dextrin and blended dry with dextrose; (9) a Methyl violet-Victoria blue phosphotungstate lake is kneaded with sodium dinaphthylmethane sulphonate, dextrin, and powdered bentonite, followed by blending dry with sodium secondary butylnaphthalene sulphonate. Tests are described for estimating the dispersibility and hygroscopicity of the products.