The Best Leather Paint Provides an Economical and High-Quality Solutio – Colorbond Paint

The Best Leather Paint Provides an Economical and High-Quality Solution

September 7, 2023

Changing the color of a leather item is usually far less expensive, and sometimes easier than replacing the leather item itself. Also, it allows for creative freedom with a wide variety of colors available from leather dye and leather paint manufacturers. For these reasons, many people choose to change leather color, whether done by a professional, or by themselves.

The difference Between Leather Paint and Leather Dye

Many people use the terms leather dye and leather paint interchangeably, and while both are used to change leather color, the two are quite different. Dye sinks into the leather, while paint adheres to the surface of the leather. Leather dyes are either spirit (alcohol) or oil based, while leather paints are primarily acrylic. It’s like comparing apples to oranges.

Experts agree the most important criteria when changing leather color are that the finish retains its color, it doesn’t crack or peel, and that the leather grain texture remains and isn’t obscured by the film thickness of the material used for recoloring.

When it comes to long term color retention leather dye is prone to fading after time, while good quality leather paints adhere to the surface and will retain their color over the long-haul.

As for cracking and peeling over time, leather dye doesn’t have issues, as it is not a surface coating. However, leather paint is a coating, and depending on the formulation used by a leather paint manufacturer, it may or may not have problems with lifting, cracking, and flaking. More on that later.

Leather dye is not a coating, so it does not affect retention of leather grain texture. Once again, formulation of the leather paint is important, and some brands have a film thickness that obscures leather grain texture definition.

Other factors distinguish leather dye from leather paint. Paint is more forgiving for finer work. It can be applied with small brushes, even fine-point paint markers. Leather dye transference onto clothing is a common occurrence, especially if it is aniline or semi-aniline. Good quality leather paint won’t do this. Also, you can’t use leather dye to change leather color to a lighter hue but you can with leather paint.

Leather Couch Color Changed with ColorBond LVP

The negative aspects of leather dye, as well as that leather paint is generally easier to work with, leads many people to choose leather paint for their projects. However, leather paints are not created equal.

Leather paint is available in solvent-based and waterborne formulations. Many solvent-based products are touted to be flexible for use on leather, yet are stiff, which often causes cracking and peeling. Waterborne products were created to be softer and more flexible than solvent-based coatings but can have issues drying evenly and so need to be force dried with a heat gun, which can be time consuming.

Which brings us to ColorBond LVP leather paint.

ColorBond LVP Changes Leather Color with High Quality Results

ColorBond LVP is an easy to use, revolutionary molecular bonding paint that penetrates deep and enables users to recolor leather and obtain a beautiful finish that is hard to tell apart from an actual leather surface. ColorBond LVP has long-term durability, dries to the touch in 45 seconds and forms a molecular bond within 10 minutes. Its strong bonding properties and flexibility keep it from flaking, cracking, and peeling. ColorBond LVP provides excellent coverage yet has a thin film thickness that allows the original leather grain texture to show through.

Leather Jacket Painted with ColorBond LVP Refinisher

Jacob Ramirez, founder of JM Reconditioning, an automotive interior reconditioning business, says “ColorBond LVP has the finish characteristics of waterborne, and the advantage of the quick dry time and uniformity of being solvent based; The best of both worlds with the disadvantages removed. ColorBond also has a higher concentration of colorant in the carrying medium. Which means it has excellent coverage and can be applied in thinner coats than other products. So, it doesn’t have issues with cracking and peeling.”

ColorBond LVP can also be used on vinyl and plastic. So, for example leather car seats as well as vinyl and plastic interior trim pieces can be color matched with the same paint.

As previously mentioned, to change leather color of a leather item is often far less expensive than reupholstering or replacing it. Consider these examples:

Here, a customer used 8 cans of ColorBond LVP to restore her couch. “I’m elated with the results,” she wrote. “Unbelievable!” That’s a cost of $187.00 to change the leather color using ColorBond LVP versus $1,000.00+ for reupholstering in leather.

Here a ColorBond customer trusted ColorBond with his Ferrari Dino! He applied four coats of LVP Refinisher and used a total of seven cans at a cost of $164.00. Compare that to the $8,800.00 cost of the replacement upholstery!

Did you know that ColorBond LVP is the only aerosol car interior paint available in OEM approved colors? in 1996 we began seven years of testing and collaboration with Ford Research Labs to earn two Ford OEM Worldwide Performance Specifications for ColorBond LVP. These highly sought-after specifications are accepted by all vehicle manufacturers and are the gold standard for OEM performance and quality. ColorBond LVP allows users to match the original interior color, or to change leather color.

ColorBond LVP is Available in OEM Correct Colors

Currently, ColorBond LVP is available in over 205 colors and includes OEM correct colors for these manufacturers:

Leather paint provides an economical and high-quality solution when you need to change leather color. For more information about ColorBond LVP click here.