TransTint dye cabinets

I’ll begin with saying I have no formal or trade training in finishing systems. My vocational school days were a simple brush stain and polyurethane and after my return from a sabbatical to college I stepped back in a shop to teach where a spray booth was installed and shelves full of lacquers, conversion varnishes, thinners of all sorts abounded and I have slowly spent the last 7 years self teaching in their use. The picture of two door edges shows a very light stained maple door on the left. This was a Sherwin Williams custom color match to a magazine clipping that a customer provided (and saw a stained sample before buying it). The cabinets were brought to me for finishing, pro bono, in what was to be a quick stain and spray job. After staining the first door (not knowing of the original look the customer wanted) I sent a courtesy pic of the door before proceeding. My response was “can you make it darker”. I was then sent a picture of mocha colored cabinets followed by a “this is what she wants” text. (Remember…they picked the stain and saw a sample). Long story short after a couple of days I came across TransTint dyes on the internet and ordered some (I do not remember this specific tint). The first bottle was a waste to trial and error of mixing with the right carrier, and when to apply. I finally found best results of diluting the dye in the carrier, then mixing directly into the clear lacquer spray. There were some compatibility issues but finally got them worked out. The color changes you see in the pics are progressions from each coat up to I believe four coats of lacquer for the final color on the cabinets. I did experience issues with the finish getting knicked during processing and because the dye was in the clear coat, a ding through the clear exposed the lighter cabinets underneath. When they left the shop they were just what she wanted, not certain of the condition now three years later