Find leather color according to application
Find leather dye by application – for cars, furniture, clothing, bags and boats
Choosing the right leather dye depends on more than just the color. The application, the type of leather, the size of the area to be treated, and the condition of the material are also crucial factors.
Whether it's a car seat, leather steering wheel, leather sofa, leather armchair, leather jacket, leather bag, shoe, boat seat or motorhome: this overview will help you quickly find the right leather color, suitable repair products and coordinated sets for your application.
Original leather technology – Leamo, VILOU & Leather-Doc · Made in Germany since 1999 · Development and production in Germany · Over 150,000 customers worldwide
What application do you need leather dye for?
Select the area you want to refresh, recolor, or repair.
Leather dye for car and vehicle leather
Automotive leather is subject to particularly heavy wear and tear on seat bolsters, seat surfaces, armrests, door panels, center consoles, and steering wheels. Common damage includes color abrasion, light spots, scratches, shiny patches, cracks, and faded areas.
For vehicle leather, we recommend choosing a leather color that matches the manufacturer and the interior trim as closely as possible. A universal black can differ in shade and gloss level from the factory-applied vehicle color.
BMW leather color
BMW uses numerous different types and colors of leather, including Dakota, Vernasca, Nappa, Merino and Individual leather, as well as black, oyster, cognac, Tartufo, ivory white and various shades of grey.
→ View BMW leather dye, leather care and repair products
→ Repairing BMW leather – products and instructions
→ Find out BMW leather color and color code
Audi leather color
Matching leather colors, care products and repair kits are available for Audi leather seats, steering wheels, door panels, armrests as well as S-Line, RS and Audi exclusive equipment.
→ View Audi leather dye, leather care and repair
Mercedes-Benz leather color
Mercedes-Benz uses different leather, Artico, MB-Tex, and Designo colors depending on the model, series, and equipment. For the most accurate repair, the color should be chosen to match the interior trim.
→ View Mercedes-Benz leather dye and leather repair
Porsche leather color
For Porsche seats, seat bolsters, leather steering wheels, armrests and interior trim, you will find suitable leather dyes, care and repair products.
→ View Porsche leather dye, leather care and repair
VW leather color
For VW leather seats, imitation leather surfaces, steering wheels, armrests and door panels, suitable colors and repair products are available.
→ View VW leather dye, leather care and repair
Volvo leather color
For Volvo models and interior fittings you will find suitable leather colors, leather care products and repair kits for seats, steering wheels and trim.
→ View Volvo leather dye, leather care and repair
Leather dye for other car brands
Leather dyes and repair products are also available for Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Opel, Kia and other vehicle manufacturers.
→ View leather dye for other car brands
Leather dye for a leather steering wheel
Leather steering wheels are subjected to daily wear and tear from skin oils, sweat, friction, rings and fingernails.This often results in shiny spots, paint abrasion, rough areas and small scratches.
For a black leather steering wheel, a coordinated steering wheel repair kit is usually more practical than leather dye alone. The kit contains the necessary products for preparation, color restoration, and sealing.
→ View steering wheel repair kit black
→ Select and correctly apply a steering wheel repair kit
Important: For colored or manufacturer-specific leather steering wheels, the matching vehicle leather color should be used.
Leather dye for leather sofa, couch and armchair
Leather furniture often shows color wear on seats, front edges, armrests, and backs. Faded, stained, or scuffed areas can be restored to a uniform color using suitable leather dye.
For deeper scratches, cracks or small holes, liquid leather is also required before applying the paint.
→ Find leather dye and repair services for furniture, clothing and boats
→ View leather dye, liquid leather and repair kits for sofas, couches and armchairs
Leather dye for a leather sofa
Smaller to medium-sized containers of leather dye are often sufficient for individual seat cushions or armrests. For an entire sofa or a significant color change, correspondingly more leather dye will be needed.
- Small spot or edge: approximately 30 to 50 ml
- A seat or armrest: approximately 100 to 150 ml
- Multiple sofa areas: approximately 250 ml
- Larger sofa: approximately 500 ml or more
The actual amount required depends on the area, starting color, absorbency and number of paint layers.
Leather dye for armchairs and chairs
Leather armchairs, dining chairs, and office chairs are frequently affected by wear and tear on the seats, armrests, and edges. Minor abrasions can be treated with leather dye. Deeper damage must be repaired first.
→ Select leather color for armchairs and leather chairs
Leather dye for leather jackets and leather clothing
Leather jackets, motorcycle clothing and other leather clothing often show color loss on sleeves, shoulders, pockets, seams and zipper areas.
A suitable leather dye can be used for pigmented smooth leather. The dye must remain elastic so that it adapts to the movement of the material.
→ Find leather dye for leather jackets and clothing
→ View black leather dye for leather jackets
Not suitable: The leather dye is not intended for suede, nubuck, Alcantara or open-pore aniline leather.
Leather dye for bags, shoes and accessories
Leather bags, handbags, briefcases, belts and shoes are particularly susceptible to color abrasion and scratches at handles, edges, corners and closures.
For black leather goods, the universal leather color black can often be used. For other colors, the shade should be determined as precisely as possible or created based on a material sample.
→ Find leather dye for bags, shoes and accessories
→ View black leather dye for bags and shoes
Leather dye for boats, yachts and motorhomes
Boat seats, yacht cushions and motorhome furniture are subject to heavy wear and tear from UV radiation, moisture, friction and temperature fluctuations.This can cause surfaces to fade, become stained, or show color abrasion.
Before treatment, it should be checked whether it is pigmented smooth leather or a suitable coated synthetic leather.
→ Find leather dye and repair services for boats, yachts, and motorhomes
→ View leather dyes and repair products for boat seats
Select black leather color according to application
The universal leather color black is suitable for numerous applications on pigmented smooth leather and many suitable synthetic leather surfaces:
- Car seats and seat bolsters
- Leather steering wheels without a specific manufacturer's color
- Leather sofas and leather armchairs
- Leather jackets and motorcycle clothing
- Leather bags and shoes
- Boat seats and campervan cushions
- Armrests and door panels
→ View black leather in various sizes
Note for vehicles: The universal leather color black does not automatically match every shade of black used by BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, VW, Volvo, or other vehicle manufacturers. For the most accurate color match, we recommend consulting the respective manufacturer's color category.
Which leather dye do I need for which type of damage?
Paint abrasion and faded areas
If the surface is smooth and undamaged and only lacks color, a suitable leather dye is usually sufficient.
→ View black leather dye for color abrasion
Superficial scratches
Minor scratches without material loss can often be carefully smoothed and then color-matched.
Deep scratches, cracks and small holes
If there is a noticeable indentation or missing material, leather dye alone is not sufficient. The area must first be filled with liquid leather and smoothed.
→ View liquid leather for scratches, cracks and small holes
Multiple damages or complete repair
In cases of a combination of paint abrasion, scratches, cracks and damaged surfaces, a complete repair kit is usually the best choice.
→ View Black Leather Repair Kit
How much leather dye do I need?
The correct size depends on the area and the number of paint layers required.
- 30 ml: small scratches, edges, spots or individual steering wheel areas
- 50 ml: Armrest, seat bolster, pocket or several small spots
- 100 ml: larger seating or furniture areas
- 150 ml: Driver's seat, seat surface with backrest or larger furniture surface
- 250 ml: multiple seats or larger sofa sections
- 500 ml: complete vehicle interior project or larger sofa
- 1000 ml: Workshop, preparation, large areas or commercial use
In the case of a strong color change, a light starting color or an absorbent surface, additional layers of paint and therefore larger quantities may be required.
How to apply leather dye correctly
1. Check the material
Check whether it is pigmented smooth leather or a suitable synthetic leather. Not every type of leather can be treated with opaque leather dye.
2.Cleaning leather
Dust, dirt and old care residues must be completely removed.
→ View leather cleaning and leather care
3. Degrease the leather
Heavily used surfaces should also be degreased. This is particularly important for steering wheels, seat bolsters, armrests, bags, and shoes.
4. Prepare the surface
Rough spots and raised edges are carefully smoothed. Glossy surfaces can be lightly mattified to improve leather dye adhesion.
5. Repair deep damage
Cracks, nicks and small holes are repaired with liquid leather before dyeing.
→ View liquid leather and accessories
6. Apply leather dye thinly.
The paint is applied with a sponge in several thin layers. Each layer should dry before the next application.
7. Seal the surface
After the application of the paint, a leather sealant protects the new layer of paint from abrasion and daily wear and tear.
8. Caring for and protecting leather
Once completely dry, the leather can be treated with a suitable care product.
→ Select leather care and protection products
Frequently asked questions about choosing leather color
Can the same leather color be used for a car and a sofa?
A universal leather dye can be used for many pigmented smooth leathers and suitable synthetic leathers. However, for vehicles, the exact manufacturer's color should be chosen whenever possible.
How do I find the right shade?
For vehicles, the manufacturer, model, year of manufacture, equipment code, or chassis number can be helpful. For furniture, clothing, and bags, the color shade can be determined based on the visible original color or a material sample.
Is black always the same shade?
No. Shades of black can vary in depth, undertone, and gloss level. Vehicle manufacturers, in particular, often use their own proprietary shades of black.
Is it possible to dye light leather dark?
In principle, changing the color of suitable smooth leather is possible. For an even and durable result, particularly careful preparation and several thin coats of dye are required.
Is it possible to dye dark leather a lighter color?
Changing from dark to light is significantly more complex and requires more coats. For heavily used areas, repairing with the original or a similar color may be more practical.
Is leather dye suitable for synthetic leather?
Many coated synthetic leather surfaces can be dyed. Since the composition and coating can vary, compatibility must first be tested on an inconspicuous area.
When do I need a repair kit instead of individual leather dye?
A repair kit is useful if the leather has scratches, cracks, indentations or small holes in addition to color loss, or if complete preparation and sealing is required.
Go directly to the relevant application
→ BMW leather dye and leather repair
→ Audi leather dye and leather repair
→ Mercedes-Benz leather dye and leather repair
→ Porsche leather dye and leather repair
→ VW leather dye and leather repair
→ Volvo leather dye and leather repair
→ Leather dye for other car brands
→ Leather dye and repair kit for steering wheels
→ Leather dye for furniture, clothing, bags and boats
→ Universal leather color black
→ Liquid leather for deep damage
Original leather technology – Leamo, VILOU & Leather-Doc
Since 1999 we have been developing and producing leather dyes, liquid leather, sealants, leather care and repair systems for vehicles, furniture, clothing, bags, shoes, boat seats and other leather applications.
Our leather dyes are water-based, elastic, abrasion-resistant, and designed for long-lasting color restoration. They are manufactured in Germany.
Buy only from the original: Original products from the brands Leamo, VILOU and Leather-Doc are available via ledertechnik-shop.com.
Made in Germany since 1999 · Development and production in Germany · Over 150,000 customers worldwide
Important NOTE: Not suitable for Alcantara, suede, nubuck, or open-pore aniline leather. Always test the leather type, color, and compatibility on a small, inconspicuous area first.