Streamylc Report post Posted December 25, 2010 Hey everyone, heard about these forums from a lot of friends down at my local Tandy. Gotta say I'm amazed by the amount of know-how and years of experience here. It's a priviledge to be a new member (also while starting up my own business currently). I'm making a wallet for a motorcycle customization shop in Britain, and am wanting to do this right considering the contacts he has across the pond. Doing the job for free with the demand that he takes some High Res. pics of the wallet for my web site. Problem is though I'm dyeing the wallet with Fiebing's Red, and as I was messing around with the dye seeing how it would act on the final product I went to fold it and on the crease the dye stretched with the leather and turned pink. Is there a certain technique I can use to prevent this from happening? I'm sewing in a liner that is checkerboard, SO I'm assuming I have to take care of the "dye problem" before the liner is sewn in? maybe not and I'll just have to be super careful while dyeing it again on the crease? Hope this all makes sense. Thanks! & Merry Christmas everyone! God bless. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtclod Report post Posted December 25, 2010 Dye another piece and fold it like you did the first one. Then redye and see how it looks. The colors will never be the same shade ever time if you want to make just like the one your making. Why not take your own pictures ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Streamylc Report post Posted December 25, 2010 Dye another piece and fold it like you did the first one. Then redye and see how it looks. The colors will never be the same shade ever time if you want to make just like the one your making. Why not take your own pictures ? cool, that's what I was guessing I would have to do, just wanted to find out if there might have been another tech. to keep the red away from my white cloth ;-P. Wasn't too too worried about difference in shades but rather having a huge contrasted strip going down the crease (which in all honesty is better than pink), but on all other colors I wouldn't mind (adds character on stress points)... Could take a picture myself, but like they say good photos sell... and I don't have a fancy DLR camera (and photography skills), let alone $1000 to spend on one. below is a photo of one of his products, the resolution is unbelievable, and for this wallet anything less would be underrating. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtclod Report post Posted December 25, 2010 That is a nice picture but he didn't use a high dollar camera. It was Nickon D70. That is one of their lower priced cameras. The closest thing i seen when i looked for one was D90 and it was like 500.00. Taking pictures is just anything else pratice makes perfect. A high dollar camera doesn't do it by it's self. I have a couple DSL cameras and lots of my pictures aint that great..LOL. You might be surprized what you can do with your camera if you just mess with it a little while. As far as the redyeing i'd try it a scrap piece first. Hope you post a picture of it when you get it done. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cem Report post Posted December 26, 2010 I know you are exited about this possible contact but be wary of doing anything free and like dirtclod said you don't need a fancy camera to take product photos for wallets, a light box (plans can be found in the photography forum here for a cheap but effective one) a tripod and a book on digital photography or you cameras manual will be suffecient. Take a look at this leatherworkers gallery www.xianleather.com they are product photos and weren't taken with a high end DSLR, although it's in focus the one you provided is not one I'd consider using for a product shot on a website. Why, the eye should be drawn to the product that you are trying to sell and with this one it doesn't the photographer was obviously trying to go for an industrial look. If it was me I would of taken it so the seat was more in the middle and angled up got rid of the pallet wood and nails sticking out (I would be annoyed if I found out I was spending alot on a seat only to find out they were taking photos of it with crap from the back of the factory because this is what it looks like).I would of also had the background in black and white, the use of props can be good for product photos but you don't want them to overpower the thing you are trying to sell. The dye colour is always a little bit lighter in the bends if you brush or dauber it on it can look better if you dip dye but I've never done it with red so I'm not sure how it would go with that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Streamylc Report post Posted December 26, 2010 Xian does THE best leather seats that I have seen on the web. HANDS DOWN... stuff doesn't even look real I've actually known this guy for over a year, so he's not some estranged contact (I made him sound so in my original post.. oops) He was totally going for the "industrial look".. I think he would actually take your comment as a huge compliment... The angle is pretty bad in the shot, but that isn't the main shot for the product, the one above was only to show his new gloss black finish it came in . His place of work/business is actually called "The Barn", he thinks it clever to be putting out such high quality product in the setting shown, and I gotta say for it being 100% hand made by himself that I've always liked the whole idea (maybe it's a biker thing? I think riding motorcycles for sole transportation messes with our brains?) back to leather though.... I'm going to try daubing the red dye on "post-crease" and see what I get! Also thank you for the light box tip etc... I'm going to be looking that up for sure, because dang it would be nice to just take a picture in the garage! Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! I'll post pics in this thread, hopefully with some awesome detail, when it's done so you guys can see what I've been rambling about Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RobDude30 Report post Posted December 26, 2010 Use a dauber on the crease like mentioned above, but use very light coats of dye until you get the right color blended in. In my experience with the reds and greens (Fiebing's pro oil dyes) the color will lighten up some as it dries over a couple of days. Merry Christmas!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Streamylc Report post Posted December 26, 2010 Use a dauber on the crease like mentioned above, but use very light coats of dye until you get the right color blended in. In my experience with the reds and greens (Fiebing's pro oil dyes) the color will lighten up some as it dries over a couple of days. Merry Christmas!! I'm am SO SO glad to hear this, I just switched to Fiebing's from tandy's all-in-one.. and I'm not gonna lie it scared the crap outta me when I first used it. Seeing the red go on in the deepest bergundy I had ever seen was pretty intimidating Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RobDude30 Report post Posted December 27, 2010 I'm am SO SO glad to hear this, I just switched to Fiebing's from tandy's all-in-one.. and I'm not gonna lie it scared the crap outta me when I first used it. Seeing the red go on in the deepest bergundy I had ever seen was pretty intimidating LOL! I know what you mean. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
