Dyes

[JRPitman]

How do I use dyes??

Also materia??

[jabbywocks]

http://www.ffxivguild.com/ffxiv-a-re...orn-dye-guide/

[Niwashi]

Each ability has to first be unlocked by a quest. Those quests are:

For dyes:
Do the level 15 side quest "Color Your World" at Vesper Bay in Western Thanalan to unlock the ability to add dye to your equipment.

For converting items into materia:
Complete the level 19 side quest "Forging the Spirit" at the Bonfire in Central Thanalan. (The main scenario quest "Life, Materia and Everything" will take you to that area at roughly the right time and tell you about materia, but it's actually the associated side-quest that unlocks it.)

For melding materia onto items:
For this you need a crafting class that can make equipment (i.e. any DoH other than culinarian) at level 19 or above. Then complete the "Waking the Spirit" quest at that same Bonfire area of Central Thanalan.

Once unlocked, dying items is pretty straightforward.

Materia is a bit more complicated. Here's a good guide about it.

Basically, you can convert most equipment once it reaches 100% spiritbond. (The few equipment items you cannot convert even then are identified as "non-convertible" in their item descriptions.) The type of materia created is random, but its tier is based on the level of item.

When melding materia onto equipment, there are limits on how far you can raise a given stat, and there doesn't seem to be a clear logic on what those limits are. You just have to try several types and see if any of them show a warning on the materia melding window. (It will notify you on the window where you select the materia and item before you actually meld it, to let you know whether that meld will make full use of the materia's stats or not.)

EDIT:
Oh, and although anyone can convert any sort of equipment into materia once they've done the "Forging the Spirit" quest, you can only meld materia onto equipment with the class/level that can make and repair that type of equipment. For instance, if your only DoH class is armorer, then you cannot meld materia onto an archer's bow, since that requires a carpenter.

[Sagittarian]

There are other dyes not mentioned in the guide jabberwocks linked. Those can be made by DoH after, I think, level 30.

And a correction in the materia guide - FSH don't collect carbonized matter.

To answer the original question in the most vague form, right click and select the convert/dye/meld option from the menu. On a PS3, hit square to open the item menu.
For melds, you can request melds from other players, just like requesting a trade. You select the item, materia, and payment. The crafter just has to hit accept.

[Umo]

There are other dyes not mentioned in the guide jabberwocks linked. Those can be made by DoH after, I think, level 30.

And beastmen tribes vendors once unlocked