A method of making a cpd. comprises: (a) forming a first mixture comprising: (i) a cpd. of formula (I); (ii) a cpd. of formula (II) where the molar ratio of the cpd. of (a)(i) to the cpd. of (a)(ii) is 0.5:1 or more; and (iii) 50-90 wt.% of a solvent of ethanol, n- or isopropanol, or mixts., based on the total wt. of the first mixture; where the first mixture is free of acid catalyst; (b) heating the first mixture to react to form a first intermediate of formula (III) where the first mixture is agitated during step (b); (c) cooling the mixture of step (b) to a temp. below 30C and isolating the first intermediate by filtration from the mixture of step (b); (d) washing the first intermediate with a solvent of ethanol, (iso)propanol, or mixts.; (e) forming a second mixture comprising (i) the first intermediate; (ii) squaric acid; where the molar ratio of the first intermediate to squaric acid is 2:1-1.7:1; (iii) a solvent of heptanol, octanol, or mixts.; (iv) a cosolvent of n- or cyclohexane, heptane, or mixts.; where the vol. ratio of the solvent of (e) (iii) to the cosolvent of (e)(iv) is 60:40-90:10; and where the total amt. of the solvent of (e)(iii) plus the cosolvent of (e)(iv) in the second mixture is 60-95 wt.% based on the total wt. of the second mixture; (v) water, where the amt. of water added in step (e) is sufficient to initiate the reaction of the first intermediate and squaric acid upon heating in step (f); (f) heating, with agitation, the second mixture to reflux until consumption of the first intermediate stops to form a second intermediate of formula (IV) and opt. removing water from the mixture via azeotrope during step (f); (g) cooling the second mixture to a temp. of 10-40C; (h) isolating the second intermediate by filtration from the mixture of step (g); (i) washing the second intermediate in ethanol to remove any remaining octanol or heptanol, and washing the second intermediate in ethyl acetate to remove any remaining ethanol; (j) forming a third mixture comprising: (1) the second intermediate; and (2) pyridine; where 15-40 molar equivs. of pyridine are present in the third mixture based on the second intermediate; (k) forming a fourth mixture of 4-6 molar equivs. 2-8C aliphatic acid chloride added to the third mixture at not more than 50C by cooling or controlling addn. rate to form a cpd. of formula (V) in anhydrous conditions; (l) isolating cpd. (V) with acetate ester and aq. HCl soln. to form a final mixture from which cpd. (V) is pptd. where the molar equivs. of aliphatic acid chloride plus HCl equal the molar equiv. of pyridine; where the wt. ratio of acetate plus water to pyridine is 3:1-8:1; and where the wt. ratio of acetate ester to water is 0.5:1-2:1; (m) isolating the cpd. (V) by filtration from the final mixture opt. warmed to solubilise any impurities prior to filtration; and (n) washing cpd. (V) with ethyl acetate and methanol to purify cpd. (V).    USE -   Used for making organic solvent soluble squaraine dyes as antihalation and acutance dyes in photo-thermographic prods. and other uses requiring infrared absorbing materials, eg. xerographic photoreceptors, organic solar cells or optical recording media.    ADVANTAGE -   The soluble squaraine dye is easily isolated from the reaction mixture, using a simple cost effective method with a very mild esterification process in standard chemical processing equipment in a relatively short process time with high yield of dye obtd. directly from the reaction mixture in sufficient purity for imaging.