An improved dye composition for use in coating tablets and the like is constituted by a stable, aqueous suspension containing a water-soluble, non-toxic dye, an opacifying agent which may be titanium dioxide or iron oxide, an immobilizing agent for immobilizing the dye and preventing it from migrating when applied to a tablet or the like, the immobilizing agent being constituted by a non-toxic metal salt present in an amount of from approximately 0.1 to 10 equivalents of metal per mole of dye, and water. The suspension may also contain a film-forming, water-soluble or water-dispersible edible polymer and a plasticizer. These compositions are used in lieu of lake compositions to produce tablets and the like with uniform, non-mottled coatings.