Heparan sulphate and chondroitin/dermatan sulphate proteoglycans of human skin fibroblasts were isolated and separated after metabolic labelling for 48 h with 35SO4(2-) and/or [3H]leucine. The proteoglycans were obtained from the culture medium, from a detergent extract of the cells and from the remaining 'matrix', and purified by using density-gradient centrifugation, gel and ion-exchange chromatography. The core proteins of the various proteoglycans were identified by electrophoresis in SDS after enzymic removal of the glycosaminoglycan side chains. Skin fibroblasts produce a number of heparan sulphate proteoglycans, with core proteins of apparent molecular masses 350, 250, 130, 90, 70, 45 and possibly 35 kDa. The major proteoglycan is that with the largest core, and it is principally located in the matrix. A novel proteoglycan with a 250 kDa core is almost entirely secreted or shed into the culture medium. Two exclusively cell-associated proteoglycans with 90 kDa core proteins, one with heparan sulphate and another novel one with chondroitin/dermatan sulphate, were also identified. The heparan sulphate proteoglycan with the 70 kDa core was found both in the cell layer and in the medium. In a previous study [Fransson, Carlstedt, Cöster & Malmström (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81, 5657-5661] it was suggested that skin fibroblasts produce a proteoglycan form of the transferrin receptor. However, the core protein of the major heparan sulphate proteoglycan now purified does not resemble this receptor, nor does it bind transferrin. The principal secreted proteoglycans are the previously described large chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan (PG-L) and the small dermatan sulphate proteoglycans (PG-S1 and PG-S2).