In the rug industry, dyeing plays an extremely important role as without colors no design can be created. The dyer is a central figure, and often somewhat mysterious since the secrets of dyeing are closely held and passed on from one generation to another. This mystique is today less pronounced in urban centers but the dyer is nevertheless a figure of considerable importance and prestige.

Persian dyers, over centuries, have created a wide range of colors by combining various basic colors. With the analysis of light in a crystal prism, seven colors like those in a rainbow, i.e. violet, indigo, blue, green, orange, and red are formed.

In this collection of colors, yellow, red, and blue are called the principal colors while violet, green, and orange are the complementary ones. With a combination of these colors in different proportions, an exciting world of colors is formed.

For instance, various shades of green are obtained from a mixture of yellow and blue.

Various kinds of orange colors are obtained from the combination of yellow and red. Thus a variety of colors can be obtained.