GRAPHIC DEPARTMENT
There are many possibilities for unique design customization of your goods.
Leather accepts dye exceptionally well, and it can also be laser engraved.
It is primarily these leather projects that I want to inspire you with here.
There are virtually no limits to the possibilities.
Only your own imagination 😉
AIRBRUSH
Airbrush with Stencils
Airbrushing is a technique where a foil stencil with a pattern, logo, or text is cut and adhered to the object – in this case, the leather. Subsequently, the part of the motif that is to be coloured on the leather is weeded out, and the dye or spirit-based leather dye is sprayed on using a very fine mist.
The stencil is cut and weeded. This means the part to be coloured is removed from the stencil.
Now, dye is sprayed over the entire foil, and only the leather that is not covered receives color.
The foil is carefully peeled off, leaving the motif behind. Razor-sharp. The leather is subsequently protected with an appropriate surface treatment.
The possibilities are many. Here, the leather of a wallet has been dyed, and the logo subsequently shaded in the same nuances. With a slight shadow effect. That is exactly what airbrushing can achieve.
Here is a test piece of a bird of prey head with gradients. Painted on the front of a wallet in natural vegetable-tanned saddle leather.
Time-consuming – but exceptional. No one else will ever own a wallet quite like this one.
Airbrush without Stencils
Here, the airbrush technique yields particularly attractive and exciting effects, as you can see here.
First, a bag:
The leather on the bag is dyed raw Full-Grain leather that has received a thorough coat of leather grease and a buffing after the dyeing process was completed.
The same bag from the bottom.
And from the top.
Here you can clearly see how two wet-formed pieces of Full-Grain leather, to be used for heavy-duty sheaths, are dyed in warm, elegant, and vibrant nuances.
They became part of a full set, where the belt and other elements, including a cartridge holder, were dyed to match. You cannot buy leather that looks like this.
The same technique applied to a belt that was to be stitched in dark and vibrant nuances. Here, the edge of the belt has also been darkened to emphasize the surface.
And one that is slightly lighter.
Here you can see the difference. The bottom one is monocolour.
LASER ENGRAVING
Laser engraving is a technique where a motif is “burned” into the leather or perhaps a piece of wood. It can be done with incredible precision and detail – if you are very careful. Therefore, I always create a couple of test pieces with different settings before we decide on the final expression.
Laser engraving is a more “defined” embellishment that stands with sharp edges and cannot be shaded like the airbrush technique. It is frequently used for engraving names, logos, or coats of arms into leather items
Laser engraving on dark leather provides a discreet and elegant marking
Name on gun case.
Name on the open cartridge pouch.
Name on cartridge holder.
There are many possibilities. We will discuss those in a dialogue.
I test the burn settings on several test pieces before the final product is produced. You approve the tone based on photos sent to you.
You can have motifs laser engraved in very small sizes. When it is on leather, however, the open surface poses a limitation on the sharpness, or how small we can make it on leather. This is probably the limit for the ram motif. It looks better in reality, though, than in a picture of this size and resolution.
The difference in expression between airbrush and laser engraving
Airbrush motifs can be crafted with shaded gradient effects, giving the motif more life and depth. It is a significantly more time-consuming process, but the result on the right projects outweighs the effort. It cannot, however, be TOO small if the effect is to have… well – effect!
A laser engraving is more direct. It is engraved based on a black/white motif, where you choose how light or dark the motif should be. Shading or gradients are not possible here. (When I make them ;-))
If you have ideas for motifs on your leather goods, we can talk about what is possible and what the delivery time will be.
Call me at +45 26 24 80 80 or write to contact@kumler-handcrafted.com