Mixing Dye Colors
Mixing dye colors in wood dye is essential to creating the ideal liquid wood stain to apply to your wood for that perfect custom look. Keda Dye provides easy-to-understand instructions on how to properly mix dyes. Read our tips below to learn the best way to apply our wood stains and how to mix wood dye colors and color wood paint to get optimal results.
Mixing Wood Dye Powders With Water
A small amount of our dye goes a long way. A good starting ratio is about 1/8 tsp. (or about a 1/2 gram) of our dye with 6-8 oz. of warm water. We recommend storing it in a cool dry place and mixing the wood dye powders in a rust-resistant container to prevent contamination. Once mixed, the liquid dye stain should be covered when not in use. Add the wood dye powder gradually to the warm water while stirring.
Feel free to mix all 5 wood dye colors with each other in varied amounts to create your own color combination and custom wood stain. If the wood dye powder doesn’t mix easily, simply warm the water a bit more in the microwave and continue mixing until the powder dye is totally dissolved. It’s best to mix only the amount you plan to use right away for best results. Our powder wood dyes will last for some time once they’re mixed with the liquid, but it’s always best to blend fresh dye stain solutions. Please note that Keda powder dyes, are the No VOC, eco friendly version of our wood dyes.
Wood Dye Instructions Flowchart (click to enlarge)
Mixing Wood Dye Powders With Alcohol
To speed up the mixing process, mix powder wood dyes into 1 tbsp of water first, then add isopropyl alcohol. Let the wood dyes rest 30-40 minutes after mixing. Dye powders should rest a little longer when using an isopropyl or rubbing alcohol base. Mix until the wood dyes are completely dissolved. For the most color potency, it’s still best to mix only the amount you’ll be using in the near future, but the wood dyes will store longer as an alcohol base dye stain.
Mixing Alcohol Dye Liquid With Solvents
Just like with our wood dye powders, a small amount of our liquid wood dye goes a long way as well. These are the top-of-the-line alcohol base wood dye liquids. A good starting ratio is 1/4th tsp. to 3/4th tsp. of our liquid dye to 6 oz. to 8 oz. of lacquer thinner, denatured alcohol, acetone, or other non-oil based reagent (start with 1/4th tsp and work up, these are very color potent alcohol dyes). Our liquid alcohol dyes do mix with water, but really are designed more for non-oil solvent bases. We recommend storing and mixing the alcohol dye solutions in a rust-resistant container such as glass, with an air tight lid to prevent contamination or evaporation, and storing alcohol dye solution at a warm room temperature away from intense light, sparks, or flames.
Once mixed, the liquid stain should be covered when not in use. Add the alcohol based wood dye liquid gradually to the solvent reagent while stirring, or use a jar with a sealed lid to shake well. You can even combine all 5 wood dye colors together to create the color combination of your dreams. It’s best to immediately mix only the amount you plan to use. Our wood dye liquid will last for some time once it’s mixed with the reagent, but it’s always best to mix fresh dye stain for color potency, or add a few drops of alcohol dye concentrate to freshen the dye stain up if desired. Please note: Keda liquid alcohol dyes are designed to mix with solvents as a traditional wood finish option. The liquid dye may be used with water base, or water based sealers as well, but for a direct wood stain dye, the liquid dyes perform at their best as an alcohol base wood dye. When mixing Keda alcohol liquid dye into water, a little stronger ratio may be required.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us. Our experts will do their best to assist you through any wood dye mixing questions you may have. As with any wood finish product, please wear the proper gear such as gloves, goggles, and perhaps old clothing. The dyes will stain several types of fiber materials.
