Red, green, and blue dye molecules were linked covalently to polyphosphazenes to generate soluble, film-forming materials appropriate for the formation of patterned tricolor filters for possible use in liquid crystalline and other display devices or in camera sensors. The monofunctional dyes (a red 1-[(E)-(4-nitrophenyl)diazenyl]-2-naphthol, a green tetraphenylporphyrin [5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin], and a toluidine blue dye) were employed as representative chromophores. The cosubstituents employed included 2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy with and without aryloxy groups or cyclopentanoxy groups. The optical densities were varied by adopting several dye-to-cosubstituent side group ratios. These dyes are models for a wide range of different chromophores that can be linked to polyphosphazene chains.