using ink (water-soluble)

[dabuttery]

I want to decorate pieces of leather using ink (water-soluble) and I'm trying to find a way to make it permanent. Untreated, when it gets any moisture on it the colors run, so I'm looking for suggestions for a sealer that will lock in the design but not turn the leather hard or brittle, or cause a major color shift in the material.

[Johanna]

What kind of leather are you decorating? Vegetable tanned? A sealer might prevent bleeding.

Johanna

[dabuttery]

I believe it's veg tanned; that's the most prevalent isn't it? Going to be lightweight, varying pieces 2-6 oz. I'll likely be acquiring from multiple sources so cannot count on getting the same thing each time. I want to waterproof the leather without altering the image in the process, and I'm just not sure what's the best product or procedure.

[Peter Ellis]

Is the leather more or less skin colored ? Veg tan isn't the most common leather by a very long shot, but of those that are undyed, it is the most common. You can tell pretty quickly by looking at a cut edge - if it looks a sort of grey/blue, then the leather is chrome tanned. If it looks skin colored, it's very probably veg tanned and definitely not chrome tanned.

Personally, I would try to avoid using water-soluble inks on leather that had any risk of exposure to moisture. I don't think I trust anything to provide enough waterproofing to reliably eliminate bleeding or running.

Others with more knowledge and experience may be able to correct me and provide us both with a viable solution.

[dabuttery]

I should elaborate a little further- the images are going to be applied using an inkjet printer, and the end product is something you hang on a wall for decoration, so it won't be exposed to weather like a coat, or contact and wear & tear like a sofa. It occurred to me that someone might eventually try to wipe it down with a damp sponge to 'clean it off' so I want to make certain the image is no longer water-soluble.

I hope to try a variety of colors and hide types (cow, deer, elk, etc.) so I suppose I'll encounter both veg and chrome tanned.

I want to identify something I can use as waterproofing without leaving an unpleasant residue or altering the characteristics of the material- texture, scent, hue, etc., and without damaging the image in the process of application. A quick Google search brings up hundreds of products for waterproofing leather; I need a little assistance in narrowing down the possibilities!

Edited July 15, 2007 by dabuttery

[whinewine]

If it's going to be relatively stiff leather, you could spray it with saddle-lac (or neat-lac) that's about as waterproof as you can get without applying it by hand (and by rubbing, possibly causing the dyes to run or smudge).

[Beaverslayer]

buttery,

Are you saying that you are going to put a piece of leather through an inkjet printer? If so, and you have one that is capable of accepting the leather, then all you have to do is purchase water resistant ink cartridges for the printer. If not the saddle lac or neat lac is the way to go.

Ken

[abn]

I agree with the Saddle Lac or Neat Lac suggestion. Here's perhaps another option that was posted quite some time ago:

For art work I use UV Matt Krylon. Seals the work and the color, the UV part helps keep the leather from darkening and keeps the colors original.

You probably know this already, but with any of the aforementioned products, it'll be important to test them out before applying them to a project you invested hours in. You may have to play around before you find the right formula, and you don't want to ruin any nice projects in the process!

Best, -Alex

[ClayB]

I agree with the Saddle Lac or Neat Lac suggestion. Here's perhaps another option that was posted quite some time ago:

You probably know this already, but with any of the aforementioned products, it'll be important to test them out before applying them to a project you invested hours in. You may have to play around before you find the right formula, and you don't want to ruin any nice projects in the process!

Best, -Alex

One thing about Saddle Lac or Neat Lac is that the finish is going to be pretty glossy. If that is the look you are going for that might work. If it isn't, I would suggest one of the spray acrylic sealers with a matte finish. And like Alex said, try them all out on scrap first so you aren't "surprised" on your finished project.

Clay

[dabuttery]

Yeah, I'm working with a pile of little scrap pieces to get this process sorted out before trying it on a larger hide.

The ink I'm working with is HP Vivera, which is supposed to be water resistant, but a few swipes with a wet Q-tip show otherwise so that's why I'm looking for some type of sealer to apply over the finished product.

I really want the end result to be as close to the original material as possible, so I don't want to use anything that leaves a hardened or glossy finish. What do you think of mink oil or Lexol or even Scotchgard for leather?

On a related note, I may need to dye portions of some darker pieces to white; anyone have any experience with that?

Thanks to everyone for chiming in, I know this is a little out of the ordinary and I appreciate you spending some time to educate me.

Edited July 17, 2007 by dabuttery

[abn]

If a wet Q-Tip lifts color, I can guarantee that Lexol will. I feel the same way about any type of oil. However, Scotchgard for leather sounds like it may have some promise. I'd give that one a try...

Regarding your question about a white color for leather, here's a recent thread on that topic that might help:

http://www.leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=937

Good luck! -Alex