Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have attracted a great deal of attention owing to their structural anisotropy, anion-exchange capability and compositional flexibility and have been widely investigated as catalysts, adsorbents, anion-exchangers, polymer additives, optical materials, and so on. The intercalation of chromophores into the interlayer galleries of LDHs has drawn considerable interest since it can result in a kind of functional pigments showing different photophysical and photochemical properties from the pristine chromophores due to the host-guest and guest-guest interactions. This paper reviews recent patents progress made for the synthesis and applications of LDHs based pigments. The potentional applications and the future development are also discussed.