For leather lovers, you understand that taking care of your leather items is one of the best ways to make them last longer. One method to take care of them is applying the best acrylic leather paint to give them a nice glossy finish. So, if you have a favorite leather jacket or shoes that you want to give a nice look, keep reading. In this article, you will learn how to seal acrylic paint on leather and some of the best options of acrylic leather paints available on the market, and much more. But, first, let's take a walk through the types of leather paints.
Types of Leather Paints
Leather paints and dyes come in four different types. They are primarily used for fixing, coloring, and decorating leather materials.
a). Acrylic Leather Paints
Acrylic paints are water solvents and are made by dissolving pigments through acrylic polymer emulsion. They are commonly used for painting leather materials like jackets, belts, boots, and even purses.
These paints can be easily mixed with other colors and washed away fast, and reapplied during painting. This is one characteristic that makes them ideal for experimenting with different customization patterns and techniques. Once dry, acrylic paints are water-resistant.
b). Metallic Leather Paints
This type of paint delivers a glossy and metallic-looking finish. They are made from metal flakes and utilize a top-coating of acrylic polyurethane to achieve a glossy look. Metallic paints are commonly used in automobiles and vinyl paint, and they produce a glazed look with durable colors.
c). Leather Dyes
Leather dyes are generally more durable as they seep into the leather and make the material less vulnerable to fading, stains, cracking, dust, and even scratches. Because of their characteristic, leather dyes are used for more heavy-duty painting jobs. So, if your leather painting project is more heavy-duty, you may need to use leather dyes.
d). Pearlescent Leather Paints
Pearlescent leather paints are made from tiny specs of mica. Mica is a ceramic. They also paint automobiles' interiors like seat covers, steering wheels, and leather dashboards. Pearlescent paints provide a more versatile sheen than metallic paints.
With that knowledge, I would like us to focus on the main topic of discussion, the best acrylic leather paints, and see a few examples.
What kind of acrylic paint is best for leather?
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Best Acrylic Leather Paints
1. Mont Marte Acrylic Paint Set 18 Colors
- Comes with 18 vibrant colours in convenient 36ml tubes, suitable for...
- Glides smoothly onto canvas, paper, ceramic, etc. With great...
- The creamy consistency and high pigments offer great covering power...
- The great mix ability allows for superb colour mixing to provide a...
- An ideal introductory set for students and artists
If you enjoy doing most of your projects alone, here is a whole set f acrylic paints that will make your job even more enjoyable. It is versatile and not only suitable for painting leather products, but you can also use it to paint other materials like canvas, fabric, cardboard, paper, wood, MDF, and crafts.
This set comes in 18 bright colors of 36 ml bottles, and they dry fast to a nice semi-matte finish. These acrylic leather paints have a high-quality pigment and creamy consistency. In addition, they offer great covering power for large areas and fine details, making them the best acrylic leather paints.
With Mont Marte Acrylic paint, you can create as many shades of colors as you want due to their great mixability. Their clarity and brilliance also let you mix them to provide different tones for a perfect painting project.
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2. Angelus Leather Paint Set of 12 1 Oz
- Set of Angelus Leather paint in twelve colors, 4oz jars
- Ideal for athletic shoes, boots, jackets, purses, tack
- Non-Toxic
- Made in the USA
- Angelus Acrylic Leather Standard Paint
Angelus acrylic leather paint is another great paint if you are planning to work on a DIY project. You can use it to paint leather shoes, athletic shoes, boots, purses, saddlery, jackets, and many other leather items. The paint is also very safe to use as it is non-toxic.
Angelus paints are water-based, making them easy to use and clean once you finish. The paints mix well, so you can mix to produce whatever color or shade that you want. A little of these paints go a long way, so you can use a little amount to do a big project.
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3. Angelus Leather Paint Set of 12, 4 Oz
- Set of Angelus Leather paint in twelve colors, 4oz jars
- Ideal for athletic shoes, boots, jackets, purses, tack
- Non-Toxic
- Made in the USA
- Angelus Acrylic Leather Standard Paint
Another set of Angelus Leather paint that you will enjoy working with. It comes in a set of 12 bottles, each a different color, and each bottle is 4 Oz. You can use Angelus Acrylic leather paint for various items like leather jackets, boots, purses, and tack.
One other thing you will love about this paint is that it is non-toxic, easy to use, and clean as it is water-based. Like most other paints that come in sets, you can blend them to create countless custom colors to make you explore and be more creative.
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4. Smalltongue 14 Colors Acrylic Leather Paint
- 👟14 Vibrant Colors – Smalltongue Acrylic Leather Paint Set comes...
- 👜Wide Application – The acrylic leather paint kit is applicable...
- 🚗Leather Preparer And Deglazer – The Acrylic Leather Paint kit...
- 🛋️Acrylic Finisher: The Acrylic Leather Paint kit comes with...
- 🧥High quality pigments - All colors are more vibrant and they glide...
If you have a leather painting project that you would like to work on over the weekend and you still don't know which is the best acrylic leather paint to use, Smalltongue has the best choice of colors for you. This pack comes in 2 vibrant colors, one leather preparer, and one acrylic finisher. It is a complete package for your projects.
Smalltongue is the best paint for most of your DIY projects as it is suitable for a wide range of applications like painting boots, sneakers, couches, car seats, bags, and leather shoes. This set also comes with a leather preparer and deglazer, which you can use to remove factory glaze to make the paint easier to apply. In addition, it helps you prep your leather before painting.
The set also includes an acrylic finisher, which you can apply after painting to prevent cracks, peels, rub off, and streaking. You will get a semi to high gloss finish on smooth leather surfaces. You can blend the colors in this package to create countless custom colors to customize your leather shoes, jacket, or whatever you are painting.
You will also love how safe it is for you and the environment as it is non-toxic, dries quickly, and is easy to mix. In addition, Small tongue is a thick paint, and you will not need many coats, which makes a little go a long way.
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5. U.S Art Supply 54 Color Ultimate Acrylic Airbrush, Leather and Shoe Paint
- Kit Contains: 1 oz. Bottles of 12 Primary Opaque Colors, 12 Secondary...
- All colors are made with high quality light-fast pigments (except for...
- Achieve beautiful results on paper, canvas, wood, fabric, leather,...
- Our vibrant acrylic airbrush colors are designed for permanent results...
- U.S. Art Supply Airbrush Colors are ready to spray professional grade...
So this is the ultimate acrylic leather paint you've been looking for. It comes with 12 bottles of primary opaque colors, 12 bottles of secondary opaque colors, 12 pearlized colors, 12 transparent colors, six fluorescent neon cleaner, three bottles of airbrush cleaner, three bottles of airbrush reducer and extender base and 50 mixing sticks, 50 mixing cups and a color mixing wheel. That is a whole package of everything you would need for any painting project.
All colors in this package are safe to use and not toxic. They are also made with high-quality light-fast pigments, except for fluorescent. U.S Art paint set suitable for painting canvas, metals leather, fabric, ceramic, and even paper; the airbrush colors are designed to offer permanent results on most textile and mixed-media surfaces.
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Factors to Consider When Selecting the Best Acrylic Leather Paint
a). Quality
Acrylics come in two grades; students' quality and artists' quality. The students' colors are cheaper with low pigment levels. At the same time, the artists' quality comes in a different range of colors with a high concentration of ground pigment that gives it higher ratings of permanence. If you are still a beginner with a low budget, you may consider using students' quality.
b). Light-fastness
Light-fastness is the capacity of the paint pigment to withstand gradual fading when exposed to light. Some pigments fade fast and are known as fugitive colors. However, most acrylic colors have higher permanence ratings.
c). Viscosity
Viscosity is the thickness of the paint. Heavy body acrylics have a thick uniformity similar to oil paints and keep brushstrokes, improving blending and color mixing. On the other hand, fluid acrylic paints are thin and suitable for detailed, watercolor, staining, and dry brush painting projects. If you want to paint neither too thick nor too thin, you add acrylic media to get your desired consistency.
d). Cost
Cost is a factor that we tend to ignore sometimes when shopping; however, most times, the price of an item is proportionate to its quality; thus, you get what you pay for. It is important to check the price of the paints and e sure that you get value for your money. Do not just buy because you find it pretty. Ensure it will provide the services you need, and if it is suitable for painting more than one material, that is a bonus.
How to Seal Acrylic Paint on Leather
You may still be wondering if acrylic paint is great for leather. Yes, it is. Acrylic paints are among the best paints for leather. All you need to do is use a suitable primer and sealer to prevent the acrylic paint from cracking.
Acrylic paint is great for a wide range of leather products, including but not limited to shoes, jackets, purses, wallets, and belts. The techniques used to seal acrylic paint may vary depending on the paint's thickness and the type of leather. However, in most cases, you can always complete your project with a coating spray sealant to act as a waterproof finisher.
I would like us to go through the steps you would follow to seal acrylic paints on leather.
1. Step One; Prepare the Leather
You will first need to prepare the item to be painted. You will need to take a thorough on the leather surface to remove dust and dirt. If you don't remove the dirt first, it will get trapped on the leather surface. This would leave an unpleasant appearance. The leather should also be dry, so let it dry first if you just finished painting it.
2. Step Two; Seal the Paint
You may decide to use spray or liquid sealant; whichever you choose, it should work well with your fabric.
i). Mix the acrylic paint finisher with water
ii). Apply the solution on your leather item, creating light coating sing a wool dauber or a soft brush. Let it dry for five minutes.
iii). Add a second layer and air to dry. Remember not to subject it to excessive heat as that could cause cracks
3. Spray with a Waterproof
This step is essential as it adds protection to your leather. So, once your acrylic paint finisher dries, apply a waterproof spray to make the leather more resistant to water and make it more long-lasting.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acrylic Leather Paint
1. Is acrylic good for leather?
Yes, of course. Acrylic is good for leather and is a great paint for the material. Most leather paints are acrylic-based.
2. Does acrylic paint wash off leather?
No, if you prepare it well, acrylic paint will not wash off leather. Also, before you buy acrylic paint, ensure it is specifically for leather; only then will you get the best results.
3. How do you keep acrylic paint from cracking on leather?
If you don't want your acrylic paint to crack, ensure you properly coat the material. Try painting in thin layers and allow it to dry. Once it dries well, get an acrylic paint sealant and apply it to keep it in a pristine condition. Light coatings ensure the color lasts longer and does not crack easily.
Image source: Liberty leather goods
