Alcohol dyes fading in the sun

[AThousandRasps]

Hello everyone! I currently make blue, green, and purple antiques by mixing Angelus dyes into Eco-Flo Smoke Black hilighter. (I have tried mixing them into Fiebing's neutral antique paste also, but that leaves this horrible chalky finish.) The effect is lovely, but lately I've noticed some terrible fading. The kicker was when a suit of armor I made faded from green to brown while NOT in direct sunlight! I've tried using the Fiebings alcohol dyes instead of Angelus but they seem to be fading as well when left out in the sun.

Do alcohol based dyes always fade with exposure to UV radiation, or is there something I can do to prevent it? I have tried Meguiar's gold class conditioner (has a UV blocker in it, supposedly) but it didn't help.

What bright-colored dyes or stains do you know of that behave better in the sun?

[NVLeatherWorx]

I would like to direct you to the fact that the Eco-Flo product you are using is a water based product and water and alcohol/spirit based products don't mix well so I would say that is your problem.  It isn't the alcohol/spirit based product that is the culprit here, it is the Eco garbage that you have mixed it with.  Eco-Flo products are not known for colorfastness or quality let alone consistency so you would serve yourself well to find another medium to mix your Angelus with because Eco-Flo and water based are not a match made in heaven.

[AThousandRasps]

I have done tests with just the pure dyes and they also fade. Both Angelus and Fiebings. I doubt the stain is changing the chemical makeup of the dye. If you have a suggestion for an alternative base, lay it on me, but nothing else I've found gives me the right color and consistency. A long time ago I tried to use Fiebings antique pastes but they all left a chalky residue.

[battlemunky]

I got nothing. Have you tried searching in Youtube to see if anyone else is doing it and the result they are getting? 

[VabaX]

You sure it's the dye fading and not just the leather itself tanning in the sunlight?

[AThousandRasps]

Battlemunky: Not Youtube specifically, but I've Googled the problem on multiple occasions. So far nothing helpful. Am I missing some crucial step??

VabaX: Yeah. The pieces don't get darker. They actually get a little lighter.

Most recently I did a suit of armor wherein the green faded, so I airbrushed a light coat of green back on. That was just Angelus green mixed with a bit of rubbing alcohol (with Resolene on top), no Eco Flo. It faded in a single weekend of indirect sun.

I guess I will have to switch to Fiebings dyes. They seem to fade a little less, but I did put out a test piece that showed visible fading in 3 hours of direct sun. That doesn't seem great. If no one else is having this problem it means I'm doing something wrong, but what?

[immiketoo]

This is common to colors other than brown, and the liter the color, the worse it is.  The water stains may be more color fast, but they don't penetrate as deeply.  I'd give them a try for sure to see how they work for you.

[AThousandRasps]

Immiketoo: Dang. I was hoping there would be a different answer. I use the black waterstain regularly, but I find the colors overall lacking (and I don't think they'll work in my mixture). But it's worth visiting them again to see what I can make work!