Which Shellac Color Should I Use?

Pick a shellac color by the wood you are finishing and the look you want, not by any idea of quality. Every grade is the same resin; they differ in how pale or warm the film is, and that is what changes the wood. Pale woods such as maple, ash, and birch stay pale under Platina or Super Blonde. Cherry, walnut, and mahogany take on the warm glow of Amber, Lemon #1, or Garnet.

The grades, palest to deepest

1. Platina. Dewaxed and nearly water-white. It adds almost no color, so the wood decides the look. For maple, ash, birch, and light poplar when you want the wood as close to bare as shellac allows, and as the clear coat under a waterborne finish where amber would tint it.
2. Super Blonde. Very pale with a touch of warmth. Takes the starkness off white maple without turning it yellow; good on pale oak and cherry sapwood.
3. Blonde. A light honey. Warms pine, oak, and other light woods, and sits halfway between Super Blonde and Amber.
4. Amber. The warm orange-amber most people picture when they think of shellac. Gives cherry, walnut, and mahogany their traditional glow. Dewaxed.
5. Lemon #1. The classic shellac flake, with its natural wax retained: warm orange-amber, in the same range as Amber. This is the flake generations of furniture makers and French polishers reached for, and still the standard for that work. See Dewaxed vs. Waxy Shellac for when the wax matters.
6. Garnet. The deepest grade here, a red-brown with an antique cast. For mahogany and walnut, for toning, and for matching older finishes. On light woods it goes red and muddy, so it is used in small amounts or in blends there.

Grade	Color	Good on	Notes
Platina	Near water-white	Maple, ash, birch, light poplar; under waterborne topcoats	Little warmth; the wood shows through
Super Blonde	Very pale, slight warmth	Maple, pale oak, cherry sapwood	Reads as a faint warmth on bright white wood
Blonde	Light honey	Pine, oak, walnut you want lightly warmed	Warms pale woods noticeably
Amber	Warm orange-amber, dewaxed	Cherry, walnut, mahogany	Deepens with every coat
Lemon #1	Warm orange-amber, natural wax retained	Traditional furniture work, French polish, period color	The classic flake; same color range as Amber
Garnet	Deep red-brown	Mahogany, walnut, toning, antique matches	Goes muddy on light woods; use in blends there

How color builds with coats

Color stacks. One thin coat of Amber barely changes cherry; five coats show a clear orange glow. Each coat adds a little depth, so the same grade looks light after the first coat and rich by the last. Use the same number of coats on your test board as on the piece, because the count is part of the color.

Choosing a grade

1. Identify the wood and its natural color. Pale wood, pale shellac. Dark or red wood can take Amber, Lemon #1, or Garnet.
2. Decide the target: keep it pale, warm it, or deepen it.
3. Cut a test piece from the same species, or the closest you have.
4. Apply the grade you think fits, with the number of coats you plan to use.
5. Judge it in the light the piece will live in, not only under shop lights.
6. Between two grades? Blend them and test again.

Blending grades

Blending is how you land between two standard colors: Blonde with Amber gives a honey-amber between the two, and a little Garnet in Amber deepens it toward an aged look. Blend by weight at the same cut so the ratio repeats, mix the whole batch at once, and write the ratio down, because a second batch that is slightly different will show on a large top. For the mixing itself, see How to Mix Shellac Flakes; for the cut number, What Is a Cut of Shellac?

Pick by wood and look, not by quality

Platina is not a better shellac than Garnet, and Garnet is not a worse one. Each is the same resin at a different color, refined with or without its natural wax. The question is what the wood should look like at the end. As close to bare as shellac gets: choose pale. A glowing, aged look: choose warm. Neither is a compromise; it is a decision about the finished piece.

Common pairings

Maple tables and light cabinet doors: start with Platina or Super Blonde. Oak and pine: Blonde brings the wood toward honey. Cherry: Amber or Lemon #1 is the usual starting point, and a test board shows whether it wants more depth. Walnut and mahogany: Amber, Lemon #1, or a blend with Garnet. Antique repairs: test Garnet blends against the old finish under the same light, since aged finishes have darkened and need a match in context. For buttons (Kusmi, Hemanta, Aruna, Jethwa), see About Button Shellac.

FAQ

Will Platina make maple look white?

No. Platina adds very little color, so maple keeps its own warm tone. Shellac doesn't bleach wood.

Does shellac darken over time?

A little, over years, like most natural finishes. Judge a color match on a test board in the room's light rather than trying to predict it.

Can I mix grades in one batch?

Yes. Blend by weight at the same cut and write down the ratio.

Which grade under a water-based finish on a pale top?

Platina, dewaxed. Its near-clear color keeps the film from adding a tint, and dewaxed is the choice under waterborne finishes.

Is Lemon #1 the same color as Amber?

Close. Both are warm orange-amber; Lemon #1 keeps its natural wax, Amber is dewaxed. On most woods they read in the same family.

All the guides are collected at Shellac Guides. Flakes by grade: dewaxed, wax-in, and button lac.