Wood stains or Wood dye are basically the same thing. Wood stains are a translucent and need to be applied to bare timber, they absorb into the wood colouring the wood in many different shades from traditional shades such as Mahogany, Light, Medium or Dark Oak to more modern fashion shades. The thing they all have in common is they allow the wood grain to show through and be highlighted. Generally Wood stains require a clear finish coat to be applied over them to protect them.