The bis-tetrazolate-pyridine ligand H2pytz sensitises efficiently the visible and/or near-IR luminescence emission of ten lanthanide cations (Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb). The LnIII complexes present sizeable quantum yields in both domains with a single excitation source. The wide range of possible colour combinations in water, organic solvents and the solid state makes the complexes very attractive for labelling and encoding. Colour codes: The bis-tetrazolate-pyridine ligand sensitises the visible and/or near-IR luminescence emission of ten lanthanide cations (see figure). The LnIII complexes present sizeable quantum yields in both domains with a single excitation source. The range of possible colour combinations in water, organic solvents and the solid state makes the complexes attractive for labelling and encoding. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.