Leather Coloring 101
Although there are entire books written on different methods and techniques for coloring veg-tan leather, we thought we’d touch on a few of the basics for the beginning colorist.
For this introduction, we focus on water based coloring products. They are low-odor, simple to clean up, easy to mix and don’t require solvents to be diluted. There are also a wider variety of application techniques available and they are available globally.
Water Based Coloring Products:
Our Professional Waterstains, Leather Dyes and the All-In-One Stain & Finishes offer a consistent wash of color whereas Gel Antiques and Hi-Lite Color Stains accent cuts and impressions. Cova Color acrylic paints sit on top of the leather whereas the other products listed soak in to the leather. Learn more about the differences and applications on our YouTube channel for more information on Dyeing, Waterstains, and Antiques.
Eco-Flo Professional Waterstain – The waterstains offer vibrant, uniform color. The different stains come in a variety of colors and can be mixed for even more variation of color or thinned with water to reduce the intensity of the color. These stains are a special water-based, semi-fluid wax that won’t bleed or rub off and can be used on both the grain and flesh sides of vegetable tanned leathers.
Eco-Flo Leather Dye – These transparent colors are formulated to penetrate the surface of natural veg-tanned tooling leather. They can also be thinned with water or mixed together for additional hue options. Let dry completely after application and buff between coats to remove excess color from the surface.
Eco-Flo All-In-One Stain & Finish – Color and finished combined! These are excellent to use when drying time may be an issue, however they are also great for beginners, kids and groups! Only one coat is recommended and additional top finish is optional.
Eco-Flo Gel Antique – This gel antique is designed to give your veg-tanned leather a rich aged look. It will collect in the cuts and impressions of your design to bring out the details of your work. It can also be used to highlight the natural imperfections in leather, emphasizing the uniqueness of each piece.
Eco-Flo Hi-Lite Color Stains – Similar to Gel Antique, this liquid acts as a light stain that brings out and enhances cuts and impressions.
Eco-Flo Cova Colors – These acrylic paints were developed specifically for leather. Whereas the other products listed soak in to the leather, acrylic paint sits on top of the leather. They are opaque, however can be thinned with water to reduce intensity which can be used as a “wash” to tint areas.
A few things to know going in:
Shake your dyes, stains and antiques before using each time to make sure that the color is evenly distributed in the liquid.
Each leather will respond to coloring slightly different. Always test color on a scrap from the same leather you are making your project out of to ensure proper color. Some dyes dry lighter or darker, so let your sample dry completely to see the end result of the color. Note that drying time can vary depending on temperature and humidity.
Dyes are excellent coloring organic materials… which can include your clothing and skin. Be attentive when using dyes and always wear gloves.
Be aware that most coloring is intended for the grain (smooth) side of the leather, not the flesh side (back). The texture on the rough side of the leather may be too porous and irregular to be sealed properly and can color can rub off even if it is sealed. To achieve color and smooth texture on both sides of a project, such as a belt, you can sew two separate pieces of leather together so that there will the smooth surface on each side.
Application:
When coloring with dyes and stains, sponges are ideal for application. For even coloring, you can continue to buff the color in to the leather for about a minute (especially with the more vibrant colors) as it can help spread the pigment evenly.
When coloring with Antiques or Hi-Lite, use a non-fibrous applicator like a buffing towel and color the tooled areas first.
For All-In-One Stain & Finish, sheep wool or a soft cloth is ideal for application.
Daubers are handy for small projects and edging, but not ideal for larger surface areas.
Acrylic paints are painted on with a paint brush. You can also use a paint brush to apply small amounts of dye for detail work on more intricate designs.
Tip: For even coloring, do not apply dye directly onto leather from the bottle, but rather use one of the applicators listed above. If dye is applied directly to the leather from the bottle, it may cause over saturation in a single spot and can be difficult to disperse color evenly.
Tip: When dyeing leather, you may want more than one application of color to get an even tone. Whether applying in circular motion technique or using an overlapping stroke technique, wait until the project is dry and then go over the entire surface again in the opposite direction.
Finishing:
When the leather has dried, you will want to buff it with a clean, dry cloth to remove any excess pigment before sealing. Sealing color is important to make sure that it will not rub off on clothing and other surfaces.
For sealing waterstains, we strongly recommend using our Eco-Flo Professional Finish. This durable finish was developed specifically for offering an expert finish with our waterstains and comes in high gloss or matte.
Super Shene are Sating Shene are good, all purpose sealants and can be used on any of the materials listed above to provide a water resistant seal. Super Shene will add a glossy appearance to your finished product whereas Satin Shene will have more of a muted appearance.
Tip: Super Shene can be used prior to coloring with Antiques and Highlights to prevent coloring in selected areas. For more information on this technique, watch our video Resisting Techniques!
Note: Some finishes will pick up a small amount of color from water based dyes. To guard against smears on background dyed projects, multi-colored figure or pictorial carved projects, apply finish on dyed area with a brush first to lock-in colors before applying final overall coat with a sponge or soft cloth.
Learn more about dying techniques with George Hurst and Charlie Davenport on our YouTube channel:
How to Use the Pro Series Waterstains
Visit our website for books on Coloring:
Coloring Leather by Al Stohlman
Coloring with Eco-Flo (Available In Spanish)
Love these ‘mini-tutorials’!
It is great to have up-to-date information on using the new dyes.
Nice post!! Water based dyes are brilliant for use on leather.
Brilliant
I’m making a guitar strap and am going to use acrylic red on the flames. Should I paint first or dye the back gorund first? Or should I carefully dye but avoiding the areas that will be paint?
You certainly have the correct idea. Carefully dye the background area while doing you best to avoid the flames. Once the background dye has dried, it will be safe to apply the red paint to your flames. If by chance you were to get a little background dye on the flames, the red paint will cover it up.
I’m making a veg tanned clutch bag with a peacock on the front. Can I put acrylic paint on top of a water stained finish?
Yes you can. The waterstain penetrates deep into the leather, whereas the acrylic paint will sit on top of the leather. Just make sure the leather is dry before painting.
Thank you very much. That’s very helpful. Will I need to put a set satin sheen over the top of everything when it’s done?
Yes, a leather top-finish of your choice is highly recommended.
Hi I’m new and have purchased the Eco-flo Cova color leather paint. Can I dilute these and use as a water stain with a sponge?
Thx
Hi Danielle, Hope you are enjoying your new adventures with leathercraft. The Cova Colors are acrylic-based paints specially formulated for leather use. The Cover Colors can be diluted with water to create lighter shades of the original color. They can also be mixed with other Cova Colors to create custom colors. They are best applied with a brush for use of adding colors to details. They are not to be used in the same manner as our line of #2800 Eco-Flo Waterstain.
Thank you for this.
Hello
I am making a bracelet, with a stamped flower design in the middle. I would like the flower to be red, but the bracelet to be dyed in brown/mahogany. Do I paint the flower, and then dye the whole bracelet? Or vice versa?
If you are using Cova Color for the flower design, you can dye the entire bracelet first and the come back and selectively use the Cova Color on the flower design. It will cover up the dye since the Cova Color is an acrylic paint designed specially for leather. Be sure to let the dye dry completely before applying the red Cova.
If you are planning on using a red dye instead of Cova Color, you can start the dye process on the floral design or the background of the bracelet. Either way is ok…you just have to be very careful with preventing the background dye from bleeding onto the flower area. Take your time and apply slowly so the dye doesn’t bleed into unwanted areas.
I made a coaster that I put letters on, and painted them with purple eco-flo waterstain leather dye. I waited a day to make sure the leather waterstain dye was dry,then out lined the letters with yellow eco-flow cova color yellow paint. I noticed the purple die then bleed into the yellow paint. Where did I go wrong? Thank you for your help.
Hi Rhonda, It’s possible that when the yellow Cova was being applied that the brush picked up some of the pigments from the Waterstain. To prevent this in the future it would be best to seal the Waterstain with some #2805-01 Eco-Flo Gloss Top Finish or #2610 Eco-Flo Super Shene.
I like using antique finishes but also want to use the Eco-Flo leather stains (not paint) to add color to my work. Should the antique be used first? Will the stain penetrate the antique adequately if it is done that way? Also, can you mix manufacturers and use a Fiebing’s antique with Eco-Flo stains? I’ve tried a few test pieces and the results are mixed.
John, to ensure I provide you the correct information, can you please be more specific on which Eco-Flo leather stains you are referring to? Are you referring to the #2800 Eco-Flo Waterstain? Thanks
Good morning,
I am just new person trying to paint leather for car seats.So would you send me the complete process since the beginning to the end what is the process to do it ?
Thanks a lot
Andre Rodríguez
We cannot recommend doing that with our products.
When dyeing new leather, is it normal to have a spot on the leather a lighter or darker shadow than the rest of the leather?
Irene, no it is not. Are you dyeing veg-tan leather? Was this applied with a dauber or sponge? If so, did the applicator you used stay on this area longer than it did on other areas of the leather whee dye was applied? And sometimes there could be a chemical in the leather that didn’t completely rinse out in the tanning process that could cause the dye to be darker or lighter than other areas.
I have textured leather. It looks like Iguana skin. Can I re-dye it using your dyes?
Thank you Regina for your question. Our leather dyes are intended for veg-tanned leather that has not been previously dyed. We can not guarantee the results you will get on other types of leather. It’s possible that the textured leather you have may already has a top coat finish on it. If so, that would prevent our dyes from fully penetrating. In order to accept a dye, the top coat would have to be removed.