Aniline Dyed: The process of colouring leather throughout with transparent dyes. This form of dye completely penetrates the hide with colour. A true aniline leather has no surface coating.

Antiqued: Leather that is basically hand rubbed with a contrasting dye after the base coat has dried.

Bonded: Leather scraps are ground up, mixed with Polyurethane (PU) and bonded to fabric or splits.

Buffing: Hides are often buffed with an abrasive wheel to minimize the appearance of gross surface imperfections.

Corrected Grain: Hides whose original surface pattern or surface structure has been altered to remove or hide marks.

Dyeing: The application of color.

Embossing: A process in which design is added to the leather by pressure.

Finishing: Any post tanning treatment such spraying, lacquering, antiquing, waxing, dyeing, rolling, buffing, embossing, pressing, glazing, waterproofing, and flame proofing etc.

Grain: The distinctive pore and wrinkle pattern of a hide; may be either natural or embossed.

Hides: Skin of large animals, usually cattle.

Leather: All hides and skins which have been tanned to preserve them.

Matte: Dull finish.

Patina: A luster that develops over time on pure aniline hides.

Pigment Finish: The colouring of a hide using a dye with opaque pigments.

Semi-Aniline: An additional step in aniline dyeing involving the addition of matching pigments to even out colour.

Split Leather: The underneath layer of a hide which has been split of when the top grain of the hide is removed.

Splitting: cutting a hide into two or more layers.

Tanning: A chemical process converting a raw hide into a stable product which is no longer susceptible to decay.

Top Grain: The upper layer of the hide.