We report a novel time resolved double pump–probe experimental technique that may be used to characterize the excited-state parameters of organic dyes. We show that by monitoring the time evolution of the transmittance of a dye after excitation with two pump pulses, the excited singlet and triplet absorption cross sections, the lifetime of the excited singlet state, and the triplet quantum yield may all be measured. This technique has been demonstrated for silicon 2,3-naphthalocyanine bis(trihexylsiloxide).