I think some of you are missing the point. I put shellac on first so that the strong grain would be muted when I sprayed the colored TONER over the shellac. Multiple coats of toner can be used to get the color intensity I want. At the same time, the grain is very subdued because the dye does not get into the grain of the wood. The added clear top coats of the toner coats protect the colored coats and are rubbed out for a nice smooth finish.