There is provided a color resist composition comprising a resin (A), a photoacid generator or a photobase generator (B), a crosslinking compound (C) and a dye mixture (D) containing a dye having a structure of amino sulfonate ester or ammonium sulfonate salt in a proportion of 40 to 95% by weight on total dye content. Preferably, resin (A) is polyvinyl phenol or a copolymer thereof, and the color resist composition has an optical quality having at least a region with a transmittance of 70% or more and a region with a transmittance of 10% or less in wavelength range between 400 nm and 700 nm, and in which a variation in transmittance is 5% or less even when the composition is subjected to a temperature of 200.degree. C. or more. The color resist composition is applicable for color filters which exhibits a high spectrum reproducibility, a high light-resistance and a heat-resistance, and has a high resolution of 5 .mu.m or less and no post development residue.