Dyes color the wood itself. Pigmented stains lodge into pores or sanding scratches in the surface of the wood, and sit on the surface of the wood just as a thin coat of paint. Colored finishes (pigments added to lacquer or varnish) sit on the wood and act just like colored contacts.
The nicest finishing techniques blend some or all, because each adds a degree of richness that they lack individually.
Casey

Unfortunately, Casey, none of the stains I looked at were labeled as dyes or pigmented or colored, so I don't know if a wiping stain is a dye or if a gel stain is a pigmented stain or if pentrating stain is a dye or a pigmented stain! And the brochure did little to help ... they all said they did the same thing!

jellytoast.... my advice to you is to use an oil base stain. the primary reason is, if you aren't sure what you're doing then you have to work slow. the oil stain dries slowly so you have time to work with it. with faster drying stains you run the risk of it drying so fast you're forced to wet down, with stain, what you already stained, just to get rid of streaks in the stain. (i call them witness lines, and they can make you nuts) i'm fond of min wax, mostly because i've found it to be more consistent . but that's just me. the important thing is the slow drying oil stain. it takes overnight to dry, but it's easier and cheaper to do it right the 1st time.

I agree with jeff and will add from my prespective. Oil wiping stain can be easly menipulated for varrying results. Experiment on scrap to see the difference between time alowed to remain on surface before wiping off. Most times I get best result by quickly covering a single panel and emediatly wipping off. After all panels dry overnight,wet a spot with siliva to get a pretty good view of what it will look like after clear coat. If it's not dark enough,repeat application. Don't allow wiping stain to dry without wipping. It's important to understand that different people have different expectations. IMO,gel is only popular because of ease of use because I certainly don't believe gel can equal the quility of other stains. My standard is that project should not look it was stained. Farthurmore you just can't stain oak to look like maple nor maple to look like oak ect. The best answeres can be found wasting left over stain on scrape material.

To make things simple, just get some Wood Classics oil stain from a Sherwin Williams store if there's one nearby. It's easier to use than Minwax (Though Minwax works fine if you know how to use it) and the reps should know enough about the product to give you pointers about your specific project.

Thank you all for your comments. I need to pick up some paint at SW so will check out their oil stains while I'm there.

wiping stain, penetrating stain ... usually oil-based, can be sloshed on and left to soak in a bit, then wiped off, or wiped on in thin layers to reach the desired color. May leave blotching on some woods, although using a sealer or wiping with mineral spirits immediately before spreading the stain minimizes it.

water-based stain - usually dries too fast and leaves blotches. I've never found a brand worth using.

gel stain - thick, heavily pigmented, yogurt consistency, can be water or oil-based. Minwax gel stain is horrible, General finishes stain much better.

With any of them you can mix different colors of same brand and type to get custom shades.

There are two types of stains that can be found on fabrics: penetrative and wiping.

Wiping stains are oftentimes the easier option, as they don't penetrate into cracks or crevices. However, there is one downside: you must be careful not to scrub too hard when wiping because this can remove some of your floor's original finish and create more work for future cleanings! Penetrating staining on the other hand will take longer but it does a great job at getting deep down inside cracks where nothing else seems able to reach- guaranteeing 100% coverage.