The Witcher 3 Remastered: How to Dye Armor – Full Color Guide

TL;DR

• Armor dyeing is a Blood and Wine feature — you need that expansion to dye gear.
• Dyes only work on Witcher School gear sets (Ursine, Feline, Griffin, Wolven, Manticore, Viper, Cat). Common armor, relic pieces, and unique sets cannot be dyed.
• Buy dyes from the Dye Merchant at Beauclair Port in Toussaint, or craft them using alchemy formulas found across Toussaint.
• Each dye is a single-use item — once applied, it is consumed.
• Use a Dye Remover (also from the Dye Merchant) to revert a piece back to its original color.
• In The Witcher 3 Remastered, dyes carry over after using the Reforge transmog system — your custom colors are preserved.
• There are 12 dye colors in the game. Black dye is the rarest and not sold by the Dye Merchant.

What Is Armor Dyeing in The Witcher 3 Remastered?

Armor dyeing lets you change the color of Geralt’s Witcher School gear to any of 12 different colors. It is a cosmetic feature with no effect on stats, armor rating, or set bonuses. It is purely about how Geralt looks.

The system was introduced with the Blood and Wine expansion and is set in Toussaint — a region full of bright colors, lavish knights, and wine culture. The dye feature fits that world perfectly. Geralt, dressed in dark Witcher gear, tends to stand out in a land of vibrant festivals and gleaming armor. Dyes let you lean into that contrast or blend in however you prefer.

Since the Remastered update on 29 September 2026 made Blood and Wine free for all existing owners, every player now has access to the dyeing system without any additional purchase. Check our free upgrade guide if you have not yet claimed your copy.

What Armor Can Be Dyed?

This is the most important thing to understand before you spend Crowns on dyes. Dyes only work on Witcher School gear sets. That means:

• Bear School (Ursine)
• Cat School (Feline)
• Griffin School
• Wolf School (Wolven)
• Manticore School
• Viper School

You cannot dye common armor, relic pieces, or unique sets like the Tesham Mutna armor, the Ofieri set, or the Dol Blathanna gear. If you try to apply a dye to one of these, nothing will happen. Check for the small dye icon displayed under a gear piece in your inventory — if the icon is present, the item can be dyed.

This also means dyeing is most useful once you have committed to a Witcher set as your main gear. Dyeing a set you are about to replace is a waste. See our best builds guide for which Witcher sets suit different playstyles before spending on dyes.

Where to Buy Armor Dyes in The Witcher 3 Remastered

The main source for dyes is the Dye Merchant at Beauclair Port in Toussaint. Here is exactly where to find him:

• Travel to the Beauclair Port fast travel point on the east side of Beauclair.
• Head south across the bridge from the port area.
• Look for a merchant stall on the beach near a small inlet. There are dye stains and workers mixing colors around the area — it is easy to spot.

The Dye Merchant sells most of the available colors, plus the Dye Remover. Each dye costs around 1,000 Crowns per unit, which is expensive. He has a limited stock, but you can refresh his inventory by meditating for five or more days and returning.

Important: The Dye Merchant does not sell every color. The Black Armor Dye in particular is not available from him — it must be found or crafted using its formula. More on that below.

The Witcher 3 Remastered How to Dye Armor

How to Apply a Dye to Your Armor

The process is quick and done entirely through your inventory:

• Open your inventory and navigate to the armor section.
• Select the dye item you want to use.
• The game will prompt you to choose which piece of equipped Witcher gear to apply it to.
• Confirm the selection. The dye is immediately consumed and the color is applied.

Remember — each dye is a one-use item. Once you apply it, it is gone from your inventory. The color stays on the gear piece until you use a Dye Remover or replace the gear entirely. You can dye each piece of a set a different color if you want, or match everything to one shade. The choice is entirely yours.

How to Remove a Dye

If you change your mind about a color or want to revert to the default look, use a Dye Remover. Apply it exactly the same way as a regular dye — select it in inventory, then choose the armor piece to reset. The gear returns to its original default color.

The Dye Remover can only be purchased from the Dye Merchant at Beauclair Port. There is no crafting formula for it. Always keep one or two in your stash if you experiment with color combinations.

All Dye Colors in The Witcher 3 Remastered

There are 12 dye colors available in the game. Most can be bought from the Dye Merchant, but some are only obtained through their crafting formula. Here is the full list:

• Black — craftable only (formula found in Bastoy Prison Ruins, west Toussaint)
• White
• Red
• Blue
• Green
• Yellow
• Orange
• Purple
• Pink
• Brown
• Turquoise
• Grey

Black is the rarest and most sought-after color. It is not available from the Dye Merchant and must be obtained through a formula. See the full crafting section below for where to find it.

How to Craft Armor Dyes Using Alchemy Formulas

Every dye in the game has a crafting formula. Crafting is significantly cheaper than buying from the merchant, and it is the only way to get Black Dye. Dye formulas are alchemy recipes — once you learn them, you brew the dye at any point using ingredients from herbalists and merchants in Toussaint.

Dye formula locations are scattered across Toussaint. Most are found in ruins, crypts, caves, and on enemy bodies. Here are the key crafting formula locations:

• Black Dye — Bastoy Prison Ruins, Mount Gorgon Foothills, west Toussaint. Loot the formula from a skeleton in the ruined prison.
• Yellow Dye — Crypts under Beauclair’s cemetery, just west of the Metinna Gate travel post. Head down into the tomb and look along the corridor for a skeleton with the recipe.
• Green Dye — Fort Ussar ruins in the far eastern part of Toussaint.
• Orange Dye — Bridge north of the Dun Tynne Crossroads fast travel point in northeastern Toussaint.
• Pink Dye — Mont Crane Castle in eastern Toussaint.
• Purple Dye — During the Tufo Monster Witcher contract in Flovive, central Toussaint.
• Red Dye — Near Dun Tynne Crossroads in northeastern Toussaint.
• Turquoise Dye — Arthach Castle Ruins in northern Toussaint.

Formulas for White, Blue, Brown, and Grey dyes can appear as random drops in chests and containers throughout Toussaint, or may also be available from the Dye Merchant’s rotating stock. Several formulas are also rewards from specific quests — the Turn and Face the Strange quest in particular grants Orange, Blue, Green, and Brown dye formulas from an underground cavern.

Dyes and the Reforge Transmog System in Remastered

The Witcher 3 Remastered introduced a built-in transmog system called Reforge, which lets you change the visual appearance of your gear without changing its stats. Dyes and Reforge work together — and importantly, your custom dyes are preserved after Reforging.

This is a crucial detail. If you dyed your Ursine chest piece blue and then Reforged it to look like Griffin armor, the blue dye carries over to the new visual. You do not lose your color work just because you changed the look of the skin.

To apply a dye to a Reforged piece, you dye the armor you have currently equipped. The dye attaches to the equipped piece, not to the underlying appearance slot. The dye icon under each gear piece in your inventory shows which color is currently active.

Reforge is unlocked by completing the Master Armorer quest with Yoana at Crow’s Perch in Velen (for armor) and Hattori’s questline in Novigrad (for swords). For a full breakdown of how Reforge works, read our dedicated Gear Reforging guide.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Armor Dyes

• Craft rather than buy. Dyes from the merchant cost around 1,000 Crowns each. Crafting with a formula costs a fraction of that once you have the alchemy ingredients. Pick up formula scrolls as you explore Toussaint and save your Crowns for more important purchases.
• Get the Black Dye formula early. It is the rarest color and only available through crafting. Head to Bastoy Prison Ruins in western Toussaint to grab the formula as soon as you arrive in the region.
• Do not dye gear you plan to replace. Dyes are single-use and expensive. Wait until you are settled into your final Witcher set before spending on color. Check our skill tree guide to understand which sets pair with which builds before committing.
• Keep a Dye Remover in your stash. Experimenting with colors is fun, but mistakes cost Crowns. Having a remover on hand means you are never locked into a color you dislike.
• Refresh the Dye Merchant’s stock. If he has sold out of a color you want, meditate for five in-game days and his inventory will restock.
• Dye individual pieces for contrast. You are not forced to dye a whole set the same color. Many players prefer dyeing the chest and shoulders one color and keeping the boots and gloves in the default shade for a layered look.

Frequently Asked Questions