A polymeric violet anthraquinone colorant comprising a compound of any of the formulae and: wherein: A 1 is H, alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, polyoxyalkylene or aryl; X is O or S; A 2 is polyoxyalkylene or aryl linked polyoxyalkylene with more than 3 repeating units and terminated with hydroxyl, alkyl or aryl; A 4 is H; aryl optionally substituted with alkyl, polyoxyalkylene, sulfonate or a combination thereof; alkyl optionally substituted with polyoxyalkylene, hydroxyl, alkoxyl, carboxylic acid or ester, sulfonate or sulfate; cyclohexyl optionally substituted with one or more alkyl or polyoxyalkylene; or a group wherein: R 1 -R 5 each independently are H, C 1 - 20 -alkyl, C 1 - 20 -alkoxy, or Q-E, with at least one of R 1 -R 5 being Q-E, wherein Q is NH, O, S, SO 2, SO 3, CO 2, SO 2 N, alkylene, or alkyleneoxy, and E is a polymer chain and end group moiety of the formula [polyoxyalkylene constituen] z R', wherein z is 1 or 2; polyoxyalkylene constituent is a group having more than one unit selected from C 2 - 20 -alkyleneoxy, a unit derived from glycidol or glycidyl, and mixtures thereof; and R' is an end group selected from H, C 1-20- alkyl, C 1-20 -alkylester, halogen, hydroxyl, thio, cyano, sulfonyl, sulfo, sulfato, aryl, nitro, carboxyl, C 1-20 -alkoxy, amino, C 1-20 -alkylamino, acrylamino, C 1-20 -alkylthio, C 1-20 -alkylsufonyl, C 1-20 -alkylphenyl, phosphonyl, C 1-20 -alkylphosphonyl, C 1-20 -alkoxycarbonyl, and phenylthio; and A 5 -A 8 each independently are H, halogen, nitro, amino, alkylamino or arylamino. A 1 is H, alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, polyoxyalkylene or aryl; X is O or S; A 2 is polyoxyalkylene or aryl linked polyoxyalkylene with more than 3 repeating units and terminated with hydroxyl, alkyl or aryl; A 4 is H; aryl optionally substituted with alkyl, polyoxyalkylene, sulfonate or a combination thereof; alkyl optionally substituted with polyoxyalkylene, hydroxyl, alkoxyl, carboxylic acid or ester, sulfonate or sulfate; cyclohexyl optionally substituted with one or more alkyl or polyoxyalkylene; or a group wherein: R 1 -R 5 each independently are H, C 1 - 20 -alkyl, C 1 - 20 -alkoxy, or Q-E, with at least one of R 1 -R 5 being Q-E, wherein Q is NH, O, S, SO 2, SO 3, CO 2, SO 2 N, alkylene, or alkyleneoxy, and E is a polymer chain and end group moiety of the formula [polyoxyalkylene constituen] z R', wherein z is 1 or 2; polyoxyalkylene constituent is a group having more than one unit selected from C 2 - 20 -alkyleneoxy, a unit derived from glycidol or glycidyl, and mixtures thereof; and R' is an end group selected from H, C 1-20- alkyl, C 1-20 -alkylester, halogen, hydroxyl, thio, cyano, sulfonyl, sulfo, sulfato, aryl, nitro, carboxyl, C 1-20 -alkoxy, amino, C 1-20 -alkylamino, acrylamino, C 1-20 -alkylthio, C 1-20 -alkylsufonyl, C 1-20 -alkylphenyl, phosphonyl, C 1-20 -alkylphosphonyl, C 1-20 -alkoxycarbonyl, and phenylthio; and Q is NH, O, S, SO 2, SO 3, CO 2, SO 2 N, alkylene, or alkyleneoxy, and E is a polymer chain and end group moiety of the formula [polyoxyalkylene constituen] z R', wherein z is 1 or 2; polyoxyalkylene constituent is a group having more than one unit selected from C 2 - 20 -alkyleneoxy, a unit derived from glycidol or glycidyl, and mixtures thereof; and R' is an end group selected from H, C 1-20- alkyl, C 1-20 -alkylester, halogen, hydroxyl, thio, cyano, sulfonyl, sulfo, sulfato, aryl, nitro, carboxyl, C 1-20 -alkoxy, amino, C 1-20 -alkylamino, acrylamino, C 1-20 -alkylthio, C 1-20 -alkylsufonyl, C 1-20 -alkylphenyl, phosphonyl, C 1-20 -alkylphosphonyl, C 1-20 -alkoxycarbonyl, and phenylthio; and z is 1 or 2; polyoxyalkylene constituent is a group having more than one unit selected from C 2 - 20 -alkyleneoxy, a unit derived from glycidol or glycidyl, and mixtures thereof; and R' is an end group selected from H, C 1-20- alkyl, C 1-20 -alkylester, halogen, hydroxyl, thio, cyano, sulfonyl, sulfo, sulfato, aryl, nitro, carboxyl, C 1-20 -alkoxy, amino, C 1-20 -alkylamino, acrylamino, C 1-20 -alkylthio, C 1-20 -alkylsufonyl, C 1-20 -alkylphenyl, phosphonyl, C 1-20 -alkylphosphonyl, C 1-20 -alkoxycarbonyl, and phenylthio; and A 5 -A 8 each independently are H, halogen, nitro, amino, alkylamino or arylamino.