[Structure: see text]. Syntheses of soluble tetrabenzoporphyrins (TBP) and tetranaphtho[2,3]porphyrins (TNP), with multiple substituents in the conjugated aromatic rings but bearing no substituents in the meso-positions, is reported. Both types of porphyrins were obtained by direct aromatization of precursor porphyrins, annealed with either cyclohexene or dihydronaphthalene fragments. TBPs and TNPs possess powerful absorption bands in the near-infrared (lambda = 610-710 nm, epsilon = 100,000-300,000 M(-1) cm(-1)) and exhibit strong luminescence. Free bases and Zn complexes fluoresce with quantum yields of up to 50%, whereas Pd and Pt complexes phosphoresce in solutions at ambient temperatures. Remarkably, the phosphorescence quantum yields of Pd and Pt TBPs reach as high as 20-50%, which places them among the brightest near-infrared phosphors known to date.