Dyes

Dyes are cosmetic items that can be placed in the Dye Slots of a player's inventory to alter the colors/textures of equipped Armor, Vanity items and Accessories. The Dye Trader NPC sells two dyes as well as the Dye Vat (.) The other Dyes must be crafted using the Dye Vat or obtained through trading in Strange Plants to the Dye Trader NPC. Primary crafted Dyes can be further combined to craft shade, gradient, and patterned Dyes. There are currently 110 / 68  different dyes in the game (109 / 67 on single player worlds as Team Dye is not available).

Dyes are not available on the 3DS version.

To craft thirteen / three  of each Dye (one for each dye slot, including combination and compound dyes), it takes: To craft only one of each Dye, if you don't want to repeat any, it takes:
 * 104 / 24   each of Red Husks, Green Mushrooms, Teal Mushrooms, Blue Berries, Purple Mucoses, Violet Husks and Pink Prickly Pears;
 * 156 / 36   each of Orange Bloodroots, Lime Kelps, Cyan Husks and Sky Blue Flowers;
 * 208 / 48   Yellow Marigolds;
 * 247 / 48   Black Inks;
 * 403 / 75   Silver Dyes (costing    /   );
 * 13 / 3   Team Dyes (costing   /  , multiplayer-exclusive);
 * 52  Brown Dyes (costing );
 * 130  Pink Gel;
 * 260  Crystal Shards.
 * 8 each of Red Husks, Green Mushrooms, Teal Mushrooms, Blue Berries, Purple Mucoses, Violet Husks and Pink Prickly Pears;
 * 12 each of Orange Bloodroots, Lime Kelps, Cyan Husks and Sky Blue Flowers;
 * 16 Yellow Marigolds;
 * 19  / 16  Black Inks;
 * 31  / 25  Silver Dyes;(costing   /   );
 * 1 Team Dye (costing, multiplayer-exclusive);
 * 4  Brown Dyes (costing );
 * 10  Pink Gel;
 * 20  Crystal Shards.

Basic Dyes
All basic dyes are crafted at the Dye Vat. Their crafting ingredients (not including Silver Dye and Brown Dye) can be found growing as an Object in the natural world or as a guaranteed drop from special enemies.

Bright Dye
All colored basic dyes can be combined with Silver Dye to craft Bright Dyes at the Dye Vat.

Gradient Dyes
These dyes produce fade effects between multiple colors. They are crafted at the Dye Vat.

Compound Dye
These dyes form patterns with multiple colors, applied as separate blocks depending on the shape of the item. All colored basic dyes, and some "flame" gradient dyes, can be combined with Black or Silver Dye to craft " and Black Dye" or " and Silver Dye", respectively. They are crafted at the Dye Vat.

Strange Dyes
These dye are given as quest rewards by the Dye Trader in exchange for Strange Plants. Orange and Cyan level rarity dyes can only be awarded in a Hardmode world.

Lunar Dyes
These animated dyes are crafted using Lunar Fragments at the Dye Vat.

Tips

 * All dyes and items used to create them sell for, so a beginning character should pick them up whenever encountered to sell them even if they aren't interested in the dye itself.

History
Colorant