Dye

Dyes are a set of sixteen items used to change the color of wool, wool stairs​[upcoming: Third Drop 2026], wool slabs​[upcoming: Third Drop 2026], carpets, terracotta, concrete powder, glass, shulker boxes, beds, candles, bundles, harnesses, the patterns on banners, firework stars, certain mobs, and text on signs and hanging signs. In Bedrock Edition, they can be used to dye water in a cauldron (which is thereafter used to dye leather armor) and shulkers; in Java Edition, leather armor can be dyed directly. In Minecraft Education, they can be used to dye balloons and glow sticks.

In Bedrock Edition and Minecraft Education, bone meal, ink sacs, lapis lazuli, and cocoa beans can generally substitute for white dye, black dye, blue dye, and brown dye, respectively, in crafting recipes and for use in dyeing items or mobs. However, they have other important uses that are not related to color, and are therefore not considered true dyes. They are mentioned in this article only regarding their use as dyeing agents; see their individual articles for complete information about them.

Most dyes can be crafted from flowers and a few other items; some dyes can be crafted by combining multiple dyes of different colors, and every dye is sold by the wandering trader. Some dyes can be found in loot, and green dye is obtained by smelting cactus. In Bedrock Edition, tertiary colors, along with their regular crafting recipes, can be crafted with primary colors. For example, magenta can be crafted with one red dye and two white dyes.