Leather Dyeing: How to Dye Leather

Leather dyeing is required to hide any kind of repairs done or any stains that are visible on the leather. It is also often done to restore the color of the leather that has been lost, either due to regular wear and tear or because of some damage or sun fading. With the help of the right products and tools, you can easily apply dye on your leather items. There are various forms of finishes, styles and color tones that are available for dyeing leather.

Types of Leather Dyes

There are two main types of dyes that are used for dyeing leather. They are: spirit-based or alcohol-based dyes and water-based dyes. When alcohol- or spirit-based dyes are applied to the leather, the alcohol is absorbed by the moist leather. This absorption enables the pigment to get penetrated deep into the surface of the leather. These dyes are quite strong in nature and give an even finish to the leather. These dyes protect the leather from any kind of insect attacks. Such types of dyes tend to stiffen up the leather that makes it quite unfit for use as a covering. As a result, the leather tends to loose its natural smell. On the other hand, water based dyes do not give a strong color to the leather. However, their application does not rob the leather of any of its qualities.

How to Dye Leather?

There are mainly two different types of leather, used for making leather items. One is the aniline leather that shows the natural characteristics of the hide. The other one is the nubuck leather, which is aniline leather that has been brushed and polished to obtain the texture of a velvet. The steps to dye leather have been given below.

Selecting the Right Dye
The first step of dyeing a leather is to select a dye that is most suitable for the type of leather used. Choose the dye on the basis of the dyed leather samples that are provided by the shop owners at the time of purchase. This is because, most of the dyes, when applied on the leather, give an altogether different color than what they seem when kept in a bottle.

Preparing the Leather before Dyeing
Prior to the application of any dye, it is essential certain treatments be done on the leather, so that the best effect of the dye can be achieved. In order to maintain its natural color, leather surfaces are often coated with a protective covering. If this coating is not removed from the leather, then you may find the leather in a dull and mutilated condition after dyeing. Clean off coatings or any other dirt present on the leather with the help of a leather deglazer.

Application of Leather Dye
Spray water on the leather or apply it with the help of a moistened sponge. When the leather is evenly wet, then start applying the dye. While dyeing, try to keep your strokes long and to ensure an even distribution of the color all over the surface of the leather. It may happen that one coat of the dye may not give you the desired shade. In that case, you have to apply more number of coats.

Drying Process
On an average, it takes almost one to two hours for the dyed leather to dry. To a great extent, the drying time depends on the type of the leather to be dyed. During the course of drying, you need to flex the leather a number of times, in order to loosen up its fibers. In this way, you can prevent the leather from stiffening up. When the surface of the leather does not have a wet look that means that the dye on the leather has dried up.

Final Touch
The next step that follows drying, is buffing up the leather with the help of a soft, clean cloth for removing the extra dye present on the leather. It also helps the leather to get a polished look. Finally, you have to coat the dyed leather with leather finish. Leather finishes are available in spray cans. You can directly spray it on the leather surface or apply it with the help of a wool dauber. The finish should spread on the surface evenly.

There is a lot of scope of experimenting with the dyes on the leather. You can add designs, pictures or monograms on the leather, to make it look more attractive. However, to achieve such results you need a lot of practice.