With the changing method of dyeing, the Kanko era and later the three colors were decided, that is, for shii (forth-rank) or higher as black, the gou (fifth-rank) as dark red and rokui (sixth-rank) or lower as hanada (light blue).
染色技術の変遷とあいまって寛弘年間以降は四位以上は黒、五位は蘇芳、六位及び六位以下は縹の3色となった。