How to choose your colour
Select from over 85 popular colours to find the ideal colour for your job. Whether you are colouring leather in a car, on furniture or in almost any format, our range of leather colourants is Australia's largest.
4 ways to find your colour
Option 1: Select a standard colour from our range
First, check our standard range; it may include the colour you need. To test colours, start with a pack of Sample Pots. They let you:
- test paints, dyes and topcoats so that you know exactly what to order in your kit
- adjust your main colour to achieve a match
- formulate a unique blend that can be scaled up for your project
- complete small touch-ups
- get creative on art projects like embellishing sneakers or leather jackets
- get up to 5 colours in a low cost value bundle
Option 2: Start with a colour that is close then adjust it to match
Let’s say you need a greenish-grey for your car seats. After selecting a base colour that you think will be close to the colour you need, you then consider what colours you will need to refine it. You might select White (to go lighter), Black (to go darker) or Lemon and Ochre to bring out subtle green tones (that's because shades of yellow and black combine to make green). Sample Pots can be useful for this method although for larger volumes, larger sized tints may be needed.
Adding a little at a time and testing as you go, you gradually change or ‘nudge’ your base colour until you arrive at the right shade of greenish-grey for your job.
The Master Colour Set provides another way of adjusting your base colour. This set of 5 core colours (Black, White, Ochre, Blue and Scarlet) can be mixed to create or tint many, many colours.
Option 3: Mix your own from scratch
Our colours are 100% mixable. If you’re feeling creative and love working with colour, our range can take you in any direction you want to go.
As an example, you might need a shade of cream. You would use White as your base with a dash of Ochre to bring warmth and a drop of Black to mute your blend. By playing around with the ratios, an unlimited number of shades of cream will emerge. Some creams have a dash of Scarlet to lend a hint of rose, some include Lemon which creates a very sunny shade of cream, but most are a combination of White, Ochre and Black.
Option 4: Use our paid Custom Colour Mixing Service
We can custom mix a matching colour for you. To use this service, you must
1) First, order your products and Custom Colour Mixing Service online. Your order must contain at least 1L of colourant (in a kit or separately).
2) Next, send us a sample of your leather no smaller than 10cm x 10cm. Be sure that it matches the area you intend to treat.
Note; this service results in one colour. If your colour is a multi-toned colour (mottled or antiqued), we will mix one colour that best fits the overall hue of your leather. If you want a number of custom colours, purchase the products and service for each colour.
When we recieve your sample, it will be matched with your order. We will mix your colour, prepare your order then ship it to you. This service us slower than a standard order. We do not record formulas or keep samples of custom mixed colours. We suggest you paint up a couple of leather swatches and keep them on hand for future use.
T&Cs apply.
Standard colours, 'Aniline' colours & Dyes
Standard colours - leather paints
‘Aniline’ colours - blend of leather paints and dyes
Aniline Dye Stain - ready to use stains for uncoated leathers
Standard Colours
Within the range, you’ll find popular colours that are found on sofas, cars and apparel everywhere. Pigmented leathers have a coated look and feel. If your leather is one solid colour such as black, white, beige, red, green or any other solid colour and has some water resistence, it’s likely coated with a leather paint (you may know of it as 'dye'). Car leather and almost all shades of white and taupe are pigmented (painted/coated) leathers.
'Aniline' Colours
Colours prefixed with the word 'Aniline' are a blend of leather paint and dye. They render a somewhat semi-aniline look. The paints can deliver full coverage which is necessary for concealing repairs and stains and colour changes. The dyes contribute an extra dimension of vibrance and intensity to the colour. If your leather marks easily, looks mottled or 'natural', feels warm and has little or no water repellence, it’s likely to be in the aniline group. If you want to maintain a similar look when restoring or touching-up this type of leather, look for a colour prefixed with 'Aniline'. Alternatively, you can change the look entirely by using a standard colour.
Looking for dyes?
Aniline Dye Stain tints leather with transparent stain (think stained glass or wood stain). Unlike leather paints, dyes don't cover marks, stains or the natural appreance of the leather. Dyes are not used in cars because they prone to fading in high UV environments. Dyes penetrate whilst leather paints are coatings that coat the surface. Dyes can only add or darken the colour whilst a light coloured leather paint can be used over darker coloured paints.
The Leather Hero range of dye stains are mostly in shades of tan, brown and black.
More Help
Not sure what type of leather you have? Here's our guide to the 5 main types.
Want to see more examples of jobs done with our kits? Check out the Customer Before & After Gallery. Be sure to read which leather, kit, colour and finish was used for each one.
Got a specific question? Try searching our FAQs. Enter a key word or phrase or scroll through the categrories and answers.