Overview
The Dye System in Crimson Desert lets you change the color and material appearance of your armor and weapons. This guide covers the practical steps: where to find Dyehouses, how to craft or acquire dyes, and how to apply them to your gear.
Step 1: Obtain Dyes
There are several ways to get dyes:
Craft at a Cauldron. Cauldrons are separate from cooking pots and campfires. One early Cauldron is located in Hernand, inside the building just north of the Rock, Paper, Scissors minigame. Combine flowers and insects to produce dyes.
Find them in the world. Dye bottles appear in houses, bandit camps, and other lootable locations throughout Pywel.
Steal them. Some dyes can be stolen from shops and houses. You will need a Mask equipped to commit theft.
Quest rewards. Certain quests reward dye bottles upon completion.
Sample Dye Recipes
Here are a few example recipes that can be crafted at a Cauldron:
Dye Color | Ingredients |
|---|---|
Dark Yellow | 10 Dunbaria, 3 Beetle, 1 Longhorn Beetle, 2 Stag Beetle |
Rich Purple | 15 Lavender, 5 Blue Lavender, 2 Longhorn Beetle, 1 Stag Beetle |
Deep Red | 10 Peony, 3 Rhinoceros Beetle, 3 Stag Beetle |
You can also use the "Improvise" option at the Cauldron to experiment with ingredients without following a recipe.
Step 2: Learn the Dye
After obtaining a dye bottle, open your inventory and select "Use" on the dye item. This permanently learns the color, similar to how recipes work. Once learned, the dye is available every time you visit a Dyehouse.
Step 3: Visit a Dyehouse
Dyehouses are the locations where you actually apply dyes to your gear. The earliest one is run by Theoric at the Hernand Farmhouse, southeast of Hernand City. Additional Dyehouses appear in towns across Pywel and at the Greymane Camp. Look for buildings with brightly colored fabrics hung out to dry.
Different Dyehouse merchants carry different color selections. After completing the Greymane faction questline and upgrading Howling Hill, a dye merchant named Oliver becomes available at your camp, centralizing access to your discovered dyes.
Step 4: Apply Colors
Speak to the Dyehouse merchant and open the customization menu.
Select the piece of equipment you want to modify (chest plate, straps, ornamental details, frills, etc.).
Choose a dye color from your learned palette.
Optionally change the material texture for the selected part. This is a cosmetic effect that can make leather look shinier or give metal a different sheen.
Press Triangle (PlayStation) or Y (Xbox) to confirm. A small Silver Coin fee is charged.
What Can Be Dyed?
Armor pieces (all wearable gear)
Weapons (swords, bows, shields, and more)
Individual parts of each item can receive different colors, allowing creative combinations
You can mix and match colors freely. Want a pink cloak with a blue chest plate? Go for it. The system is entirely cosmetic and does not affect stats.
Tips
Gather flowers and insects as you explore. They weigh very little and are the primary ingredients for dye crafting.
Check every Dyehouse you find since each merchant offers a different subset of colors.
The Barber Shop and Dyehouse article covers additional cosmetic options like haircuts and tattoos.