[structure: see text] Novel porphyrin perylene dyad and triad dyes have been prepared by the coupling of aminophenyltrisphenylporphyrin and tetraphenoxy-substituted perylenetetracarboxylic acid bisanhydrides in a one-step synthesis. Fluorescence spectra of these compounds reveal features that are attributable to emission of perylene bisimides as well as porphyrin excited states. The self-assembly behavior of zinc-metalated compounds with 4,4'-bipyridine and diazabenzoperylene has been investigated by (1)H NMR spectroscopy in CDCl(3), showing that oligomeric zigzag assemblies are formed.