KNUST Research Week and Scientific Conference: Empowering Researchers to Achieve Impactful Outcomes

Good leather surface quality is very vital in leather artefact production. Having a bad or unpleasant leather surface for artefact production hinders product quality and patronage, and appreciation of such products at large. Leathers produced by local tanners and craftsmen in their attempt to satisfy customers and also meet market demands encounter some surface disorders including post-mortem defects as flaying cuts or incisions, colour staining, discoloration, grain layer damages, grain surface peeling, patched dyeing, colour fading and wrinkled surfaces to mention a few. It is for this reason that the study aimed at experimenting various techniques and integrated approaches towards concealing defects on leather surfaces towards improving the surface quality of the leather and the aesthetics value of the end-use. Using studio-based experimentation, observation and descriptive research approaches, various surface enhancement techniques, such as texturing, vat-dyeing, screen printing, doodling and spraying methods were employed as strategies to conceal identified leather surface defects, to enhance aesthetic appeal, increase its colour range, improve economic value and also promote usage amongst local leather artisans in Ghana. The enhanced leathers were used to produce different types of leather artifacts such as shoes, sandals, bags and wallets to ascertain their viability. The research revealed and concluded that, the adaptation of selected surface enhancement techniques can be integrated to conceal various defects on leather surfaces to hide deformities and heighten aesthetic admiration and enhance utilitarian value for diverse end-use.

Keywords: leather, surface defects, integrated techniques, concealment