When you are satisfied with the color, record the sequence of dyes you used. Wet the wood with the dye then wipe off the excess with a dry rag to help ensure even coverage and minimize excessive penetration. Even though dyes will not blotch like pigments, leaving the wood wet will result in uneven color. Let the surface dry. If any additional grain-raising occurs, remove the whiskers by sanding very lightly with 400 grit paper.
Some finishers skip the grain-raising step discussed earlier and let the dye raise the grain.
The danger here is that sanding raised grain at this point may cut through the color. Though this can be remedied with successive applications of dye, the result will be an uneven appearance. Therefore, I recommend keeping the two steps separate. Choosing a finish I use nitrocellulose lacquer for all my projects because I own spray equipment and lacquer was made to be sprayed. Even without spray equipment, however, there are several compelling reasons to use lacquer.