Dyeing/Tanning Process

Once the tanning has been completed, most leather will be dyed-through. We carry this out in one of three methods.
Spraying

Spray Dye

These hides have been surface spray dyed.

This results in only the very top surface being coated and cutting through the skin will show you that the other layers still remain undyed. Spray dye means that custom colour specifications can be carried out to colour the hides for whatever purposes the customer needs.

Water in drum 2

Drum Dye

For this purpose, the leather is placed in a dye bath with barrels that rotate, known as drum dyes.

The dye has to be fixed and excess colour has to be rinsed out to prevent dye transfer from the leather.

This type of dye results in the top and bottom layer of skin (approximately 20% of the leather cross-section attaining dye) along with a few other layers dyed, leaving an undyed middle portion of the leather.

Drum dying can be done with a minimum required quantity of leather and is excellent for achieving a semi dyed-through leather. Drum dye is used for Harness and Bridle leather.

Mixing dye

Through Dye

This method means that the leather dye has fully penetrated through the entire hide that has been dyed.

Through dying also requires a minimum quantity of leather and is perfect for reaching consistency in colour penetration throughout the hide.

These processes mean that leather can be dyed to customer specifications with 5000 dm² per colour, per item making up the minimum quantity on any custom colours. There are no minimum quantities for colours from our standard colour range.