Enhancing or changing the color of wood is one of the most powerful and creative tools available to you.
And there can be many considerations before you decide on using a dye- or pigment-based stain (or a dye/pigment blend).
But before we even start considering the application, we should first learn how the two types of colorants behave as a wood stain because they have different effects on the substrates they are applied to.
So, when I receive this common question…
“When would I use a dye-based stain vs. a pigment-based stain vs. a dye/pigment blend?”
Here is my answer…
Every situation has specifics to consider, but there are some general guidelines:
Dye stains are best used to create base/group color strength and better suited to shading and toning.
Pigment based stains are best used to create color depth and are better suited for adjusting/hiding wood grain effects, and at times, wood grain defects.
The reason “why” is because dyes and stains have different physical properties.
Dyes, made from chemical reactions with organic compounds and metals, have very small particle sizes and penetrate much deeper into the cell structure of wood.
Dyes are remarkably transparent even at very high concentrations. Whether blended into a binder or used as a concentrate in a solvent, dyes remain extremely vivid and can be used to adjust underlying color tones.
Wood dyes tend to have low to moderate fade resistance when exposed to light for a long period of time.
Pigments are ground inorganic oxides and much larger in structure.
When used at even low percentages in a stain base, they will begin to create translucency, and at higher concentrations, will develop opacity and hide the features of the substrate they are being applied over. This can create a muddy color effect if too high of a percentage of pigment is used in the stain base.
Pigment based wood stains are much more fade resistant to UV exposure.
As mentioned above, wood stains can be made from one or both types of these colorants and can be found in both water- and oil-based formats (this includes dye/pigment blends).
When shopping for wood stain, take note when stains are labeled as dye-based stain (Target NR4000 Stain Series, Mohawk Dye Stains and General Finishes Dye Stains).
In the big-box/consumer stores, the stains are mostly pigmented stains (for deck and siding; think Cabot, Flood and Sikens) and blended dye/pigment stains for DIY furniture, cabinet and running-trim finishing (think Minwax, Varathane, and General Finishes).
While some finishers find that the oil-based stains are easier to apply, it is now common practice to use water based dye stains over the oil stain to act as a color shade or color toner.
What is your experience with using dye-based, pigment-based or dye/pigment wood stain blends? Please share your thoughts or read what others are saying below in the “comments” section.
I recently purchased you EM7000 product along with the CL100 additive. I’d like to do a wash coat that is sandable; what is the ratio of EM7000 to water do you recommend? In addition, would you recommend distilled water?
With the cooler weather here in Florida, the humidity stops down substantially and makes for better end product.
Thanks
JK
John — Reduce the EM7000 with water at 25-30% by liquid volume to make a lower solids version of the EM7000 that will penetrate deeper into the wood cell structure an sand easier.
-JW-
I love the convenience of dye such as TransTint. However, having dyed our breakfast table, where we leave the placemats on during the day in the sunlight, I have painfully learned how much dyes fade in the sunlight – the table is much darker under the placemats. Every 6 months I reverse the table to “fade” the other side.
Can you recommend a stain that is as convenient to use with Target finishes as the TransTint dyes?
Charlie – I understand the fade issue you are referring to. Take a look at our new NR4000 Natural Resin Stain Series. While the colorants are complex dyes, we add a UV reflector and inhibitor to the base, which makes for a much more fade-resistant stain color.
https://www.targetcoatings.com/product/emtech-nr4000-stain-series/
-JW-
Charlie – We launched (finally!..) the new NR4000 Stain Series. Here is the link to the product page.
https://www.targetcoatings.com/product/emtech-nr4000-stain-series/
-JW-
Can the cherry toner be used to help utilize both heartwood and sapwood cherry to get a more uniform color? My guess is no, since the heartwood will darken over time. Or maybe use it on just the sapwood? I like the contrast in the natural color, but some prefer the uniformity, which can waste a lot of good wood.
Glenn – Thank you for your question. The best way to control the color of sapwood is to use a high concentration of dye to match the color of the heartwood.
Our NR4000 Cherry Toner gives sapwood the “sunburned look” but is not strong enough to make the sap/heart sections match. What you can do is use our NR4000 Queen Anne Chery color on the sap wood (or a reduced version of it) and use the Cherry Toner on the heart wood. The Queen Anne color is 4x stronger then the Cherry Toner in colorant percentage.
I hope this is helpful
-JW-
I want to mimic tradition amber glow of oil base product and the depth. On using cherry. What do you recommend?
Lance – Thank you for our inquiry. I recommend that you look at our USH3000 UltraSeal Water Based Shellac or the NR4000 Clear Stain Base to warm up the cherry to a soft golden color tone. Two coats of each will suffice.
https://www.targetcoatings.com/product/emtech-nr4000-stain-series/
-JW-
I am hoping to do a green stain on a guitar for a client so my question is whether I should use the Ultra Seal Shellac and then use a Colorfx green dye with your clear stain base? I will most likely top coat with either the your Lacquer or Urethane depending on the clients preference. Also I love your products!
Eric — Use a thin/reduced wash-coat of our EM1000 Universal Sanding Sealer as your pre-stain sealer. The EM1000 will accentuate the grain pattern without darkening.
-JW-
How many hours does a dyewood stain dry?
Luis – It depends on several factors such as ambient humidity and the temperature of the substrate. On average if a dye stain is spray-applied you should be able to recoat with in 30 minutes.
-JW-
I am having trouble getting a good high gloss buff when using EM-6000 on top of my color coat of EM-6000 tinted with Benjamin Moore Gennex white pigment. I let it cure for 3 weeks. The 2000 grit sandpaper still shows after aggressive buffing on a muslin white wheel. I have had beautiful high gloss from EM-6000 repeatedly. Did I use too much pigment?
Vanessa – The EM6000 does not take a high pigment load to be made into a true deep hiding paint. At best it can handle a 5% pigment load.
The best product a bright white base coat is our EM6500 Pigmented Lacquer Series. This base is specifically formulated to be tinted to create a wide array of base colors.
Please contact me at info@targetcoatings.com to discuss in greater detail.
-JW-
This looks stunning!
hi Jeff – can I dilute the sealer with some of the stain to use as a transparent toner or can i only use the stain in the 6000?
Justine –
Yes, you can add the NR4000 Stain into the EM1000 Universal Sanding Sealer upwards of 5% by liquid volume to create a color toning/shading vehicle. The same can be done in the EM6000.
Keep in mind that if NR4000 is added into the top coat you need to encapsulate the last coat of toner/shader with a minimum of 2+ coats of clear to lock the color in.
-JeffW-
I have a cedar wood ceiling that suffered through a leaking roof. It is now much darker in some spots. What should I use to create an even tone without compromising the wood effect.
Hi Carol,
Water stains in wood can be very hard to remove or hide. Especially if there is already a finish on the boards. If there is no finish you could sand the boards the best you can and then apply one of our darker stains like Dark Mission Oak to cover and blend the areas. If there already is a finish on the boards it could be difficult to bring down the boards on a ceiling to bare wood to get better hiding. I would suggest you use a gel stain or create a dark toner with one of our clear finishes. It may not be perfect, but you should be able to blend together some of the darker elements of the water stained areas to make these spots less noticeable. I hope that helps.
-Seth Kline