We measured the triplet extinction coefficients &egr;Tover the laser action spectral region of Rhodamine 6G; Rhodamine B; Rhodamine 110; Fluorol‐7GA; Coumarin 540A; Coumarin 522; Coumarin 1; Coumarin 120; 4,4’‐diphenyl stilbene; and 2,7‐bis‐(4‐methoxy‐phenyl)‐9,9‐dipropylfluorene. We employed the different lines from an argon ion cw laser for excitation. McClure’s method was used to obtain the triplet extinction coefficients &egr;T. The method requires the measurement of triplet optical densities ODTas a function of different cw laser excitation intensities (powers)Iex. The importance of triplet‐state losses on dye laser efficiency is reviewed. The laser action properties of the laser dyes we studied are briefly discussed as they relate to the measured &egr;Tvalues.