The 1,8-naphthalimide central fragment can be found in a vast number of bioactive compounds and drugs in clinical trials, and can be recognized from their use as fluorescent probes. Of key importance for the fluorescent properties of the scaffold is the 4-amino substituent, which has also proven to be critical in several other chemical and biological applications. Because of the great interest in 1,8-naphthalimides in general, and 4-amino-substituted 1,8-naphthalimides in particular, we have developed and optimized one-step procedures with which to access these derivatives by using an experimental design approach. The multivariate studies of temperature, reaction time, and equivalents of substrates identified conditions with close to quantitative yields that could be applied to generate a range of 4-amino-substituted 1,8-naphthalimides in high yields.