The mechanism by which dye solutes specifically interact with a variety of polymer structures has been investigated. FT-i.r. spectroscopy has been used to determine the type and strength of interactions that occur between dyes containing two or three hydroxyl groups and polymers containing a range of functional groups including phenyl, chloro, cyano, carboxyl, amide and amine. Dye-polymer intermolecular interactions and dye-dye self-association interactions occur in all polymers. The relative magnitudes and strengths of these interactions depend on the types of functional group present in the polymer matrix and the concentration of the dye solute in the polymer. Solvents with analogous structures to polymer repeating units were found to give very similar dye-matrix interactions and were used to assist the identification of dye-polymer and dye-dye interactions.