The invention relates to phthalocyanine compounds of the formula ##STR1## wherein MePc is a copper, cobalt or nickel phthalocyanine radical,R.sub.1 is hydrogen or alkyl,X is alkylene, andR.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, are each independently alkyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by hydroxy, alkoxy, phenyl or amino, or R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, when taken together, are methylene, ethylene or propylene if X is methylene or ethylene, or two or three of R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.3, together with the nitrogen atom, form a 5- to 7-membered unsubstituted or substituted heterocyclic ring which may contain one or two additional hetero atoms selected from the group consisting of O, N and S as ring members,An.sup..crclbar. is a cation and M is a cation, and x is greater than y and y is greater than 0, and the sum of x+y is 4 or less than 4.These compounds can be used as dyes, in particular for dyeing and printing cellulosic materials and polyacrylonitrile materials, especially paper.