How is leather dyed

Leather paints and finishes are therefore more versatile. You can change color even to a lighter shade , and you can mimic the varied, marbled appearance of aniline leather.

Use of our products on nubuck or aniline will slightly cool the feel of the leather by adding a water-resistant finish. The leather will continue to breathe. While it may still exhibit absorbent qualities, it will be more stain and fade-resistant than traditional leather dyes. I have a new black leather bag with contrasting tan handles.

Would like those handles to be black or grey. See here about color changing. Handles are high-wear, but a black finish and special order Satin Sealer are your best option. I have a pair of leather skates. Will your guide for fixing cat scratches fix the wrinkling? I plan to use white. If I decide to change the color later, can I use another color finish over the white?

Color changing ice skates is discouraged. Is paint a good option or do I need to go with a stain? Here are the differences between dyes and finishes.

The latter will serve it well, but read about color changes before undertaking one. Can you please advise how we might be able to fix it? You always want to clean with alcohol. This may also damage the finish but ensures a good result. A new color will correct the discoloration. Here are color matching options. Would RubnRestore work on it? What should I do? Dyeing leather is a form of art, not science. Exert effort into testing different dye colors before deciding on the right one.

There are many great sources for leather dye, but be sure to use a professional and reputable source. Being unhappy with the initial results and reapplying color after color may end up destroying the leather material. Again, leather goods are investments. Cheap dyes will not adhere to the fabric and will only waste time, money, and effort.

Choosing the right kind of leather dye is as easy as consulting experts and checking color charts available from vendors and suppliers. If there are traces of hair or specks of dust on the leather good, they might cling to the material and create uneven patches. Dyeing leather is a process that requires patience so never go crazy with the dye. After playing around with it for a little, I found out what worked and didn't work for me, so I thought I'd summarize it all here.

Dyeing leather isn't tricky, but it is a little about trial and error. This instructable is exclusively about dyeing plain vegetable tanned leather, but even vegetable tanned leathers can have different reactions to dye, so it's always a good idea to do a dye test run before going right to the final piece.

What I've detailed here is only one of many ways to dye! I recommend signing up over at the Leatherworker. I also like to keep extra paper towels and water on hand for clean up!

You might also want to line your workspace and wear gloves if you're concerned about getting dye all over. You have many, many choices when it comes to dyes - there are oil, water and alcohol based dyes out there. You may need to do a bit of testing to see which one you prefer. Water-based leather dye is my go-to because I feel that is more forgiving on the leather and it's easy to clean up with soap and water. Before you begin, it's best to prep your leather.

Groove the leather, fold it, bevel the edges, punch out larger holes. Of course this all depends on the project you're doing, but if you want a uniform finish - do all your cutting and punching first. After lots of testing, I found that hydrating the leather a little bit made the dye finish smoother. Water interfered with the dyeing - it got a little splotchy. But oil worked very well! Also - if you've been handling the leather a good amount already, it's not a bad idea to swipe the front down with a teeny bit of rubbing alcohol to clean up all the oil your hands left behind.

For this you want to use straight oil, not leather conditioners with waxes or added glossing agents - they will form a barrier and the dye will not be able to penetrate the leather.

I like to use jojoba oil on leather. It's pretty cheap, lasts forever, and doesn't impart any odd scents. I've also seen lots of folks recommend olive oil to condition after dyeing, so I bet it would work at this part of the process too.

Apply the oil lightly using a paper towel or a scrap piece of t-shirt and let it soak in for a few minutes. You don't want to apply so much you get a dramatic change in the color, just a light coating. Make sure to get the edges too! The way you choose to use your dye depends entirely on your projects. If you want bold distinct color, going full strength will get you that.

You might need to apply a second coat with full strength dye to cover any blotches that occur. If you want a more muted or antique finish, you can dilute your dye and do many thinner layers until your desired saturation is achieved.

If you want to dilute your dye, do it using the base of the dye. Since mine are water based, I'm adding water to dilute. If your dye is oil or alcohol based, you'll have to add oil or alcohol to dilute. Everyone has their own technique here, but I like to use old t-shirt fabric to apply it to the flat surfaces.

I use q-tips to apply the dye to the edges. I tried many different ways but a soft t-shirt did the job perfectly. Once you're happy with the color saturation, you need to let the leather dry completely.

If you try to continue working before it's dry, you can end up with serious smudging. You can see the one on the right has many areas where the coverage is spotty and light. You can buy leather conditioners or make your own. After you've conditioned you can burnish your edges and otherwise make your work look awesome.

Be sure not to burnish using gum tragacanth before you dye as it can cause the leather to resist the dye. If your dyed leather will be anything but decorative, you'll need to seal it to keep the dye in place.