Dye

This page was last verified for Vintage Story version 1.16.5.

Dye is an item in Vintage Story that can be used to change the color of fabrics and other clothing items.

Creation

Mordant

To fix the colors, the fabric must first be treated with a mordant.

There are 3 mordants in the game: diluted cassiterite, diluted chromite and diluted alum (they have the same properties).

A mordant solution is made instantly in a barrel by adding 1 Crushed alum or 1 Crushed chromite or 1 Crushed cassiterite to 5 L of water.

You can get these crushed materials by using a pulverizer. You can put the water in the barrel with a wooden bucket.

5L + = 5L

5L + = 5L

5L + = 5L

Then, you place a plain cloth in the barrel to soak in the mordant and you seal the barrel for 8 hours. You need 2 L of mordant for 1 plain cloth. You end up with 1 mordanted cloth.

2L or 2L or 2L + =

Color

Dyes are created in a barrel. All dyes require a specific item that determines the color of the dye. One portion of dye can be made from either:

4 liters of water plus one dye item. There are some notable exceptions: gray dye is created by doubling the proportion of fixing solution to dye item, and therefore requires between 4 to 8 liters of water per dye item. Orange dye is made using 4L of yellow dye to 4 portions of onion.

Dye Color	Dye Item
Black	1 metal scrap
Black	1 rusty gear
White	2 Powdered borax
Pink	4 Cranberries
Gray	0.5 Metal scrap*
Gray	0.5 Rusty gear*
Orange	4 Onion †
Green	4 Dry grass
Green	4 Lily of the valley
Brown	2 Oak log
Purple	4 Black currant
Purple	4 Blueberry
Yellow	4 Onion
Yellow	4 Heather
Red	1 Crushed cinnabar
Blue	1 Crushed lapis lazuli
Blue	4 Cornflower
Woad Blue	2 Woad

* Gray dye uses the recipe for black dye, but doubles the amount of solution.
† Orange dye does not use water, but instead uses yellow dye.

Usage

To dye cloth treated with a mordant, you place it in the barrel containing the dye to soak it and seal the barrel for 8 hours. It takes 2 L of dye for 1 fabric treated with a mordant. Dyes can also be used to change the color of leather by soaking 1 leather in 4 L of dye. Dyed cloth is needed to create specific types of clothing. Colored leather is used to make ornate versions of shields.