Wood Dye Compatibility Chart
The ranges of ready-to-use and powdered wood dyes we offer will mix with and go over/under various finishes depending on the type, and solvent used. The table below gives an overview of which finishes each dye is compatible with, and any particular usage guidelines.
Thinning & Mixing Ratios
Some of our wood dyes can be mixed directly into finishes, and for this we usually state a maximum %. But what does this mean?
If we say “Add up to 5%” this means that we recommend a maximum ratio of 5% dye to 95% finish. On this basis, if you are mixing a litre of finish, then you would add a maximum of 50ml of dye to 950ml of finish.
Any dye that you add should come out of the allowance for thinners. Here’s an example:
Recommended thinning ratio 20%, i.e. 80% finish to 20% thinners
Adding 5% dye would reduce the amount of thinner used to 15%
If mixing a litre, the final mixture will therefore be 800ml finish, 150ml thinners and 50ml dye
![](https://ucarecdn.com/fd4d0461-1b84-417e-ba7b-46275d8a17d6/-/format/auto/-/preview/3000x3000/-/quality/lighter/Simon%20Rothko%20and%20Frost.jpg)
Thanks for reading. If you have any questions about or suggestions for this article please use the contact form. Look out for new articles every week!
![](https://ucarecdn.com/b71a2baf-5cad-4384-8b3c-eeefc72827e6/-/format/auto/-/preview/3000x3000/-/quality/lighter/Simon-Signature-small.jpg)
Simon Hurley
Founder and Managing Director
dartfords® Wood Finishes, part of Rothko and Frost Limited