In this paper, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated using a zinc oxide (ZnO) semiconducting layer and different synthetic dyes. Eight different synthetic dyes were used to fabricate the DSSCs. Nanocrystalline ZnO powder was coated on transparent conducting fluorine-doped tin oxide glass using the doctor blade method to form a thin layer. The absorption spectra of the synthetic dyes were investigated. DSSCs were characterized with J -V characteristic curves. The parameters reflecting the cell performance were calculated. The results revealed that eosin Y dye corresponds to the highest conversion efficiency. The dependence of the sintering temperature and the thicknesses of the ZnO layer on the performance of the cell was investigated.