Water-soluble surface-active esters of di- to hexa-hydric aliphatic alcohols which have been reacted with propylene oxide and/or ethylene oxide and thereafter with at least two moles of a carboxylic acid of up to 22 carbon atoms are useful for dyestuff preparations. These preparations have good flow properties even with high dyestuff concentrations and low contents of said esters and optionally other surfactants and can be used in dyeing and printing procedures, especially in printing pastes for printing transfer sheets.