Process for the preparation of violet dyestuffs of the triphenylmethane series

In a process for preparing a triphenylmethane dyestuff wherein one mol of an aluminum chloride, borotrifluoride or iron-III-chloride complex compound of a 4,4',4"-trihalogenotriphenylmethyl-halide is reacted with 1 to 1.5 mols of a phenyl- or naphthyl amine substituted in m- or p-position by halogen, alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, phenyl, naphthyl, nitro, cyano, sulfonamide, a sulfonic acid (lower alkyl) ester or a carboxylic acid (lower alkyl) ester group, at a temperature of from about 110.degree. to about 135.degree. C, in the presence of an organic solvent which is inert under the reaction conditions, and the 4,4'-dihalogeno-4"-(m- or p-substituted)-phenylamino-(or naphthylamino)-triphenylmethyl halide formed is reacted with an arylamine, the improvement for preparing a violet dyestuff consisting of reacting said 4,4'-dihalogeno-4"-(m- or p-substituted)-phenylamino- or naphthylamino-triphenylmethylhalide formed with 5 to 20 mols of an ortho-substituted phenyl or naphthyl amine at a temperature between 150.degree. and 190.degree. C.