LEATHER TREATMENT TERMINOLOGIES
Now that you understand what to generally expect for leather and the different leather grades there are, let’s talk about leather treatments!
There are generally 3 terms often used when describing the treatment of a leather – Aniline, Semi-Aniline and Corrected/Pigmented.
So what do they mean?
ANILINE LEATHER
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Aniline leather means no protective treatment has been applied.
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The leather is dyed exclusively with soluble dyes without covering the leather surface with topcoat paints or insoluble pigments. This retains the hide's natural surface with the grain.
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The dyes used are clear and transparent hence allowing the grain structure of the leather to be seen. These dyes offer little protection to the leather from damages.
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Aniline leather provides the softest touch and comfort with high breathability.
SEMI-ANILINE LEATHER
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Semi-Aniline leather is leather that has been treated with a light coat that contains some pigments to even out the colour of the leather.
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This treatment creates a slightly different leather outcome in each batch because any slight difference in the process creates a different dye outcome. (PRO TIP: If the entire batch's colour is constant, it means that it is not semi-aniline leather because it is heavily treated)
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The protective coating makes it easier to maintain the leather and gives it higher resistance to damages.
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It is still soft to touch and comfortable, the only difference is slightly lesser breathability.
CORRECTED/PIGMENTED LEATHER
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This treatment involves dyeing the leather all the way through, embossing it with artificial grain and then coating it with a heavy protective layer.
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Though it is the least natural, the protective coating makes the leather more durable and also highly resistant to damages.
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