Leather Origins and Making
How Is Faux Leather Made? Materials and Steps
Faux leather is PU or PVC coated onto a release paper, backed with fabric, cured and peeled. See the layers, the steps, and how PU and PVC differ.
Faux leather is made by coating a fabric or paper carrier with plastic, usually polyurethane (PU) or PVC, and embossing a leather-like grain into the surface. A common method builds the layers on an embossed release paper, adds a fabric layer, cures the stack and then peels the paper away. No animal hide is involved at any stage.
This page is part of our guide to where leather comes from and how it is made.
What faux leather is made of
Faux leather goes by many names: synthetic leather, artificial leather, leatherette, imitation leather, vegan leather, PU leather and pleather. Most of them describe a layered sheet rather than a single material.
| Layer | What it is | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Top coat | PU or PVC surface film, often with a colour layer | – |
| Middle | Foam layer and adhesive (foamed PVC in PU/PVC types) | – |
| Backing | Base fabric, for example polyester or a natural or synthetic woven fabric | – |
How faux leather is made, step by step
Published descriptions follow the same transfer-coating pattern.
- Prepare an embossed release paper. This "casting paper" holds the leather texture in negative, often copying top-grain leather.
- Coat the top layer. A PU slurry or solution is spread on the release paper and dried.
- Add the middle layers. In PU/PVC synthetic leather, a foamed PVC layer goes on top of the PU layer. Other builds add a colour layer, foam and an adhesive.
- Bond the fabric backing. The base cloth is pressed onto the stack, and then it is dried or cured.
- Peel off the release paper. The paper comes away and leaves the grain on the faux leather surface. The paper can sometimes be reused.
A 2026 study that made PU synthetic leather in this way (coating textured release paper, then drying, curing and laminating with textile) measured a tensile strength of 11 to 18 MPa. The study abstract gives the method in one line. The PU/PVC patent CN102797164B describes the conventional layer order.
The Workmanship channel filmed a synthetic leather production line in a Korean factory. The film has no narration, so it does not name the materials or confirm each step; watch it alongside the numbered steps above.
PU, PVC and other types compared
Two narrower pages cover the same ground from other angles: how fake leather is made and how synthetic leather is made.
| Type | How it is built | What to know | Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| PU leather | Polyurethane coating on a fabric base | Washable | – |
| PVC / leatherette (vinyl) | Soft PVC layer over natural or synthetic fabric | Not easily cleaned; PVC needs a phthalate plasticizer to stay flexible | – |
| Poromerics | PU coating on a fibrous base, typically polyester (DuPont Corfam, 1963) | Corfam was an early example | – |
| Plant- and fungi-based | Materials from fungi, yeasts or bacteria; cork from cork oak bark | Sold as vegan leather | – |
| Bonded leather (not faux) | Shredded leather scraps bound with PU or latex onto a fibre mesh | Contains 10% to 90% real leather fibre | – |
How it differs from making real leather
Real leather starts as an animal hide or skin and is tanned so it does not decay. It goes through preparation, tanning and crusting before any finish is applied. Faux leather is built up from plastic and fabric instead, so its back is a fabric layer, not hide.
See how real leather starts as a hide and our full real vs faux leather comparison. If you want the real thing, Leather Collection men's leather jackets name the hide (cowhide, sheepskin, lambskin or goatskin) on each product page.
Labels, "vegan" and health questions
In the US, the FTC leather guides say a product made of non-leather material that looks like leather should be labeled as such, for example "imitation leather," "vinyl" or "not leather". "Vegan leather" is one of the trade names for artificial leather. The name tells you there is no hide, but our sources do not confirm that every component is animal-free.
On health, PVC needs a phthalate plasticizer to stay soft. One institute study, as reported by Wikipedia, found that some artificial leathers may contain traces of restricted substances such as butanone oxime.
Wear and the environment
The surface of some artificial leathers can rub and wear off over time. PVC production often relies on petroleum feedstocks and a lot of energy.
The environmental comparison with real leather is disputed. A 2018 Kering report is cited as finding vegan leather's impact can be up to a third lower, while PVC in landfill does not decompose and can release dioxins. Tanning has its own heavy wastewater load. Care and lifespan questions are covered in our leather properties and care hub.
FAQ
Does faux leather mean vegan?
Faux leather and vegan leather are both names for artificial leather, so neither contains hide. Check the label for the actual material, such as PU, vinyl or cork.
Is faux leather tougher than leather?
Our sources do not give a like-for-like test. One study measured 11 to 18 MPa tensile strength for its PU leather, and some faux surfaces can wear off with time.
What ruins faux leather?
Surface wear is the main failure noted for some artificial leathers. PVC types are also harder to clean than PU.
HitKB Editorial Team
HitKB articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.