Our new leather dyes are here, including new shades and new stains. To see all the new colors available, visit our custom leather colors album in our custom design gallery. Our new dyes are quite striking, as our the new stains. Below, you will find our new “base” dye colors. As always, we can mix custom hues that are not seen on this chart - for more information, simply contact us.

Leather color may vary slightly from this image, due to computer differences. Weathered leather color is not shown on this chart, nor is antiqueing effect (please see note below on antiqueing in our color FAQ), however there are samples of the weathered leather in our leather color album in our custom design gallery.

If you would like to order any of the custom colors that are not given on the color drop down menu, simply select: “Other”, and specify color request in the comments section of your order.

Frequently Asked Questions with custom leather color

Q: What is antiqueing?

You will see that many of our designs are shown with an “antique” effect. Antiqueing is a process that we can perform for you on any of our tooled leather designs. In this process, we put an “antique paste” over the entire leather cover, and once the excess is wiped off, the cut and tooled areas retain a darker color. This brings out a more natural beauty in your chosen tooled design.

As the name implies - “antique” denotes something old, rare, or of another age. So, aside from settling into and darkening the tooled lines and textures, antiqueing gives leather a darkened, aged appearance - completed by the unusual markings and tendencies of the leather itself. Antiqueing brings out the grain of the leather, as well as unique blemishes, range marks, neck wrinkles, etc.

At Legacy Journals, we believe that the unique marks from each hide are another unique, character giving aspect of the leather, and we do use pieces that may have range marks, neck wrinkles, or other “blemishes”. If you choose an antique “color”, you may see notice that extra character. This is a normal and natural aspect of antique leather, and is not a flaw.

Q: I want mauve or plum (or another stylish shade) for my leather, can you do custom colors that aren’t listed on the color chart?

A: The simple answer is “yes”. We can mix custom colors to meet most requests. We will work with you, particularly with very specific shade requests. While computer monitors may vary, and colors may vary slightly from what you see on the monitor (each leather hide takes color slightly differently as well), we will work up a color palette (if necessary), and send you a digital image of the color as it would appear on the leather. Once you select the particular shade, we simply file the leather palette for future use. Please note - if you order a custom color, we may not be able to exactly match it for future work - it can be a very close match, but, with different hides as well as different lots of dye, exact color matching is very difficult.

Q: My custom leather product will be used alot. Will the color come off?

No. The color is actually dyed onto the leather, and penetrates the leather hide. This makes it extremely durable, and it will not rub off onto other items, nor will it come off with heavy use. In each package, we include a leather use and care pamphlet that includes cautions such as “do not leave your custom leather product in direct light for extended periods of time” - this is to help you preserve the beautiful dyed color tones of your custom leather product.

Q: I want my design in “real color”, why does it cost more?

When we do real color designs, instead of simply using one color all over the entire cover, we actually “paint” on the dye into the design - giving the design an even greater “realism”. This process is very time consuming, as each aspect of the design could contain 3 or 4 colors to ensure proper, realistic shading - and each dye is applied with a small brush, rather than a dauber or soft cloth used for a single color design, weathered design, or antiqued design. The technique used for full color designs is the same as if we were painting on a canvas (the leather is our canvas) - except that a canvas does not absorb color like the leather does, and even a very simple appearing design can take 8 or 10 hours. For this reason, we must charge extra (according to the design) for the “real color” effect.

Q: What color do you recommend? What is most popular?

A: All the color options we offer, including custom colors are quite beautiful - it really depends on your own preference. There are only 2 colors that we do not recommend for an all over color.

1. Black: While black is a popular color in leather in general, we do not recommend black on tooled leather. The reasoning behind this is that the black dye overpowers most designs, making the design much less prominent. We have made many black pieces, but, we do not recommend it on personalized or customized leather due to the effect it has on the design and no longer offer it as a color choice. This effect is not a flaw - it’s the natural of black, actually. It absorbs light, and obscures shadows, so, while the design is still tooled and there is still texture, it is not as prominent when colored black.
2. White: White is simply a difficult dye to work with in general. It has a tendency to not cover the leather as well or as evenly and is somewhat fragile on the piece (unlike all other dyes), and, like black, it obscures the design slightly without further embellishment (such as gold leafing).

The most popular color continues to be the weathered “color”. Weathered leather is actually a technique and not truly a color, since weathered leather is dyed with multiple colors to get its unique appearance and aesthetic. The weathered leather is reminiscent of a broken in saddle or well worn leather. There are variations of color that blend well and make the leather appear to be “well worn” - even when it’s brand new. Weathered leather also ages extraordinarily well - so it looks great today and 20 years from now. The weathered leather effect does produce variations in color and intensity of the color. In addition, “weathering” will bring out the leather’s natural grain as well as any range marks, bites, etc that are on the hide itself. This is part of the beauty of the effect, and why it is so popular with our customers.