Fifteen dyes based on Michler's aldehyde used as the electron donating group and differing by the electron accepting groups have been designed and synthesized. Interestingly, all dyes showed a broad absorption extending over the visible range. Examination of the solvatochromism in twenty-three solvents of different polarities revealed these dyes to give remarkable linear correlations using the Kamlet-Taft solvent polarity scale or the SPP Catalan empirical scales. The different dyes were also characterized by photoluminescence spectroscopy as well as cyclic voltammetry. To get a deeper insight into the optical properties of the different dyes, theoretical calculations were also carried out.