Baldur's Gate 3 — how to dye clothes and armor

Baldur's Gate 3 how to dye lead
(Image credit: Future)

Baldur's Gate 3 is rapidly becoming one of the most talked-about games of 2023, and many players are raving about the way this love letter to Dungeons & Dragons immerses you in the world of the Forgotten Realms. 

After playing for dozens of hours myself, I get the excitement. Baldur's Gate 3 is a remarkable role-playing game that gives you a lush, beautiful world to explore with a D&D character you create yourself. The detailed character models change to reflect the clothes and armor characters are wearing, and as you play you encounter countless opportunities to make interesting choices that define your character and change the state of the world.

You can also customize the look of your character in a few key ways, and one of the simplest yet somehow most confusing is the dye system. You will find various colored dyes as you play through Baldur's Gate 3 that you can use to change the color of your gear, but the trick to using them is so simple it's easy to overlook. 

Many players assume you need to use a special tool or talk to a special NPC in order to dye your clothes and armor in Baldur's Gate 3, but the truth is you can do it yourself as soon as you find some dye. Here's how.


How to dye gear in Baldur's Gate 3

  1. Find or buy some dye
  2. Double-click the dye to open the Combine menu
  3. Drag the item you wish to dye into the menu
  4. Click Combine

Read on to see detailed instructions for each step.


1. Find or buy some dye

(Image: © Future)

To dye your gear you'll need to find or buy some dye, preferably in a color you like. You will almost certainly find a few different dyes tucked away in nooks and crannies during play, but you can also buy dyes from vendors throughout the game.

If you haven't found any dye you like yet, try checking what the merchants at the Emerald Grove in the first area have for sale.

2. Double-click the dye to open the Combine menu

(Image: © Future)

Once you have some dye you want to use, double-click the dye icon in your inventory to open the Combine menu. This is what you'll use to combine the dye with a piece of gear to change its color.

3. Drag the item you wish to dye into the menu

(Image: © Future)

You'll see the Combine menu has two slots, and one is already occupied with the dye you chose. The other slot is for whichever piece of gear you wish to dye, so click on the piece of gear you wish to dye and drag it into the slot. You can dye many types of gear, from clothing to armor to shields and more. Don't be afraid to experiment!

4. Click Combine

(Image: © Future)

Once you've got a dye in one slot of the Combine menu and the piece of gear you want to dye in the other, click the Combine button at the bottom of the menu to dye the gear the color you chose


Voila, your equipment is now a different color! As you can see it's an awfully simple and straightforward process, but it's so simple that many players miss it entirely. Unfortunately there's (yet) no way to preview how a piece of gear will look in a new shade before you dye it, so be ready to do a bit of trial and error when seeking the perfect hue for you,

Looking for more tips on how to customize your game? Check out our guide to how to change dice color in Baldur's Gate 3. And if you want some more help making the most of the latest and greatest games, check out our collection of Star Wars Jedi Survivor beginners tips that will help you wield your lightsaber with confidence. Plus, we've also got guides on how to beat the rancor and how to clean the fish tank

Alex Wawro
Senior Editor Computing

Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than a decade of experience covering both for outlets like Game Developer, Black Hat, and PC World magazine. A lifelong PC builder, he currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice. 

Read more
Caves of Qud screenshot
This is the best RPG I've played since Baldur's Gate 3 — here's why
Steam Deck OLED
5 best games to play first on your new Steam Deck
L-R: Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez in Paramount's "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves"
Netflix is reportedly developing a live-action Dungeons & Dragons show — here's why I'm conflicted
Using a bow in Avowed
Avowed is a trademark Obsidian RPG and the perfect distraction until Elder Scrolls VI
Monster Hunter Wilds
7 crucial Monster Hunter Wilds tips to help you survive after playing more than 50 hours
Asus ROG Ally
5 tips to game better on your Asus ROG Ally
Latest in Gaming
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Monday, March 24 (#652)
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #386 (Monday, March 24 2025)
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Sunday, March 23 (#651)
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #385 (Sunday, March 23 2025)
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 rumored specs — here’s what we know so far
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Saturday, March 22 (#650)
Latest in How To
An image of an iPhone screen showing the Safari app icon in the center
I got tired of Safari revealing my web searches in iOS 18.4 — this setting fixes that
AirPods Pro 2 in hand
Your earbuds are disgusting — here's the right way to clean them
ChatGPT logo on a smartphone screen being held outside
7 biggest ChatGPT mistakes — and how to fix them
a photo of a woman looking at her fitness tracker
Forget the treadmill — I boosted my metabolism and walked 2,000 steps with this 15-minute workout
a photo of a woman out for a walk
Forget running — I did this one thing to boost the calorie burn on my daily walks
Gemini logo on smartphone
Google's Gemini Deep Research is now free — I've got 7 quick tips to start using it now