Process for the preparation of polyazo dyes

A process for the preparation of polyazo dyes, wherein

• (a) a compound of the formula ##STR11## is diazotized and coupled onto a compound of the formula ##STR12## in which R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, independently of one another, are hydroxyl or amino,
• (b) a compound of formula ##STR13## in which R.sub.5 and R.sub.6, independently of one another, are hydrogen or sulfo and R.sub.7 is nitro, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy or halogen, is diazotized and coupled onto the produce obtained according to (a),
• (c) a compound of the formula ##STR14## in which R.sub.8 is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, halogen, carboxy or sulfo and R.sub.9 independently has the meaning of R.sub.8 or is nitro, is diazotized and coupled onto the product obtained according to (b),
• (d) a further compound of the abovementioned formula (3) is diazotized and coupled onto the product obtained according to (c), and
• (e) the product obtained according to (d) is metallized with an iron, cobalt, nickel, chromium or copper compound, wherein the total amount of the compound of formula (3) used in steps (b) and
• (d) is 0.7 to 1.5 moles per mole of the compound of formula (2) and 15 to 50% of which are used in step (b) and the remaining amount, that is 85 to 50%, is used in step (d).