Leather absorbs the dye as different rates in different parts of the skin and between different skins, giving the leather a variation in color
1. ANILINE FINISH:Leather, which has not been given any coats of pigment on the top grain part. It has been only colored with dyestuffs. The grain patterns can be seen will the naked eye also. The best hides that are free from gross imperfections can be put on this finish. The leather made from this finish is considered to be ‘A’ grade leathers. Leather made out from aniline finish is soft and supple. The purpose behind making this aniline finish leather is to produce leather with a natural look. This is one of the expensive leather as its cutting value is less because its non-opaque and natural defects can be visible easily. Aniline finished leather has excellent tooling, polishing and re-dyeing properties and lends itself to the application of genuine gold leaf.
2. SEMI-ANILINE Semi-aniline leather finishes are considered to be grade “B†leather. In this finish a little topcoat is added which prevents leather from losing its softness criteria and visibility of the grain patterns. Leather with Semi aniline finish sometimes may be applied with pigmentation dye or with the metallic dye
3. CASEIN POLISHEDThis type of finish is done on the leather to retain its natural look but with minimum opacity. And the same time uniformity of the color is achieved throughout the leather.This is achieved by using a mixture of aniline dyestuffs and pigmented dyestuffs bound together using casein.Binding takes place by the deposition of the binder around the pigment due to the loss of water by evaporation and also hydration of the leather fibers. These binders make a film coat on the top grain pattern of the leather. The leather is first sprayed with a lighter shade than required of this mixture, and then a transparent ‘top-off’ coat with a slightly darker shade is applied. The combination of the darker mixture and the burnishing effect on the tips of the grain enhances the final color and gives a very attractive two-tone effect. This type of finish has all the workable properties of aniline finished leathers.
4. PULL UP ANILINE (A)
This is a type of aniline leather (described above) that has an extra top treatment of oil and/or wax effects. These Pull Up leathers are designed to become “distressed” looking through time and use. Its properties are similar to full aniline but in places of heavy use, the oils will be pushed away leaving lighter areas – particularly on the seating areas. It will also get scratch easily.
lets Reconcile it
| Finish Type | Visual Characteristic | Key Feature |
| Aniline | Natural, raw, organic | Visible pores, no artificial topcoat. |
| Semi-Aniline | Uniform, soft, consistent | Slight protection without losing grain. |
| Casein Polished | Depth, two-tone, glossy | Burnished tips, transparent color layers. |
| Pull-Up Aniline | Distressed, rugged, streaky | Color shifts when folded or scratched. |