Colored smoke is a great way to send out a signal – particularly if you are in a survival situation and need to alert someone to help them locate you.

As always, when working with chemicals, check your local laws and make safety a priority.

White Smoke Recipe
•    Potassium nitrate – 4 parts
•    Charcoal – 5 parts
•    Sulfur – 10 parts
•    Wood dust – 3 parts

Red Smoke Recipe
•    Potassium chlorate – 15%
•    para-nitroaniline red – 65%
•    Lactose – 20%

Green Smoke Recipe
•    Synthetic indigo – 26%
•    Auramine (yellow) – 15%
•    Potassium chlorate – 35%
•    Lactose – 26%

Orange:
Solvent Yellow 14 (C.I. 12055)

Yellow:
Vat Yellow 4 with benzanthrone (older formulation)
Solvent Yellow 33
Solvent Yellow 16 (C.I. 12700)
Solvent Yellow 56
Oil Yellow R

Green:
Vat Yellow 4 with benzanthrone and Solvent Green 3 (older formulation)
Solvent Yellow 33 and Solvent Green 3
Solvent Green 3
Oil Green BG

Blue:
Solvent Blue 35 (C.I. 26125)
Solvent Blue 36
Solvent Blue 5

Violet:
Disperse Red 9 with 1,4-diamino-2,3-dihydroanthraquinone
Solvent Violet 13
Safety Information
Read and follow the safety information for all the chemicals that you use. Use colored smoke outdoors only, in a well-ventilated area.

Whether you are using colored smoke as a special effect, part of a pyrotechnics show or in a survival situation, it captures attention.

Whenever you are venturing out into the wilderness or in a survival situation, keeping colored smoke in a container in your survival kit or backpack is an awesome way of ensuring that you can be found when you want to be.

For more information on colored smoke, please visit About Education.