Our Discord Find a crew to play with. Join
Discord
Armor trims

Armor trims in Minecraft

Armor Trims · Last updated: October 28, 2026 · Java Edition 1.21+ / Bedrock Edition

Applied at
Smithing table
Copying a template
7 diamonds + 1 block
Effect on stats
Cosmetic

What armor trims are

Armor trims are a cosmetic system added in the 1.20 Trails & Tales update. They let you put a decorative pattern on any piece of armor (a helmet, chestplate, leggings or boots) without affecting its combat stats. Every trim has two parts: a template, which sets the shape of the pattern, and a trim material, which gives it its color.

Every pattern can be combined with every trim material, which gives well over a hundred different combinations for a single piece of armor. In practice, once you count every piece of a set and every armor type, the customization options run into the thousands.

You can put trims on armor of any material, including leather, chainmail, iron, gold, diamond and netherite. The pattern looks slightly different depending on the armor material: the same template on diamond armor and on gold armor will look different because of the armor's base color.

Bedrock vs Java: In Bedrock Edition, armor trims work exactly the same as in Java Edition. The only difference is how they're rendered: on Bedrock, patterns can look slightly different because of the different graphics engine. The functionality and all the templates are the same, though.

The smithing table and how trimming works

To apply trims, you need a smithing table. You craft it from 2 iron ingots and 4 planks of any wood: the iron goes in the top row, with two planks each in the middle and bottom rows.

Since the 1.20 update, the smithing table's interface has three input slots:

Slot What goes in Description
Left (template) Armor Trim Smithing Template Sets the shape of the pattern on the armor. The template is used up in the process.
Middle (armor) Any piece of armor A helmet, chestplate, leggings or boots of any material.
Right (material) Trim material An ingot or gem that gives the pattern its color. The material is used up.

Once all three ingredients are in place, the trimmed armor appears in the result slot. Both the template and the trim material are used up in the process. The piece of armor keeps all its enchantments, its name and its durability.

You can replace a trim with a different one: just use the smithing table again with a new template and material. There's no way to remove a trim without replacing it with another one. You also can't put two patterns on the same piece at once.

The smithing table and villagers: The smithing table is also the job site block for the Toolsmith. If you place one next to an unemployed villager, they'll take the Toolsmith profession and start trading tools. Don't confuse the Toolsmith with the Weaponsmith or the Armorer.

Armor trim templates and where to find them

Each template comes from a specific structure in the game world. Some are fairly easy to find, while others mean exploring rare biomes or other dimensions. Below is the list with locations and the chance of finding each one.

# Name Structure Chance Pattern
1 Sentry Pillager Outpost 25% Geometric stripes on the shoulders and leggings
2 Dune Desert Pyramid 14.3% Desert ornaments inspired by Egyptian hieroglyphs
3 Coast Shipwreck 16.7% Wavy lines that look like ocean waves
4 Wild Jungle Temple 4.5% Organic shapes inspired by jungle plants
5 Tide Ocean Monument (Elder Guardian) 20% (drop) Symmetrical sea motifs and tidal lines
6 Ward Ancient City 5% Dark, heavy protective blocks
7 Eye Stronghold 10% An Eye of Ender pattern on the chest
8 Vex Woodland Mansion 50% (per chest) Winged outlines, a ghostly Vex motif
9 Rib Nether Fortress 6.7% Skeletal ribs wrapped around the armor
10 Snout Bastion Remnant 8.3% A piglin snout on the helmet, heavy ornaments
11 Spire End City 6.7% Sharp-tipped turrets, an Ender motif
12 Wayfinder Trail Ruins 8.3% A compass motif with direction lines
13 Raiser Trail Ruins 8.3% Rising lines, a climbing motif
14 Shaper Trail Ruins 8.3% A builder's geometric shapes
15 Silence Ancient City 1.2% A muffled, dark sculk pattern
16 Host Trail Ruins 8.3% Welcoming, open community patterns

You get the Trail Ruins templates (Wayfinder, Raiser, Shaper, Host) through archaeology: you have to carefully dig up suspicious gravel with a brush. You'll find the other templates in the chests of their structures. The exception is Tide, which drops from the Elder Guardian instead of coming from a chest.

The rarest template: Silence from ancient cities has just a 1.2% chance of showing up in a chest. Ancient cities only generate in the Deep Dark biome, at Y -52 to -64. The Warden guarding the city makes hunting for this template one of the biggest challenges in the game.

Trim materials

The trim material decides the color of the pattern. The material is used up in the process (you need 1 piece per trim). Below are the materials and the colors they give.

Material Pattern color How to get it Rarity
Iron Ingot Light gray, metallic Smelt raw iron Common
Copper Ingot Orange-brown Smelt raw copper Common
Gold Ingot Yellow-gold, luxurious Smelt raw gold or Nether gold ore Common
Lapis Lazuli Deep blue, vivid Mine lapis lazuli ore at Y -64 to 64 Common
Emerald Rich green Mine the ore or trade with villagers Uncommon
Diamond Light turquoise, crystalline Mine diamond ore at Y -64 to 16 Rare
Netherite Ingot Dark brown, almost black 4 netherite scrap + 4 gold ingots Very rare
Redstone Dust Dark red, matte Mine redstone ore at Y -64 to 16 Common
Amethyst Shard Purple, translucent Amethyst geodes at Y -64 to 30 Uncommon
Nether Quartz Clean white Mine Nether quartz ore in the Nether Common

Picking a material comes down to looks, but a few combinations look especially striking. Netherite on netherite armor makes a subtle, almost invisible pattern: elegant minimalism. Gold on diamond armor sets turquoise against warm gold. Amethyst on netherite adds a purple accent on a dark background, which looks great on PvP servers.

Duplicating templates

Since a template is used up when you apply it, it's worth duplicating it before you put it on your armor. You do that at a crafting table (not the smithing table), and it takes three ingredients:

  • 1 armor trim template: the one you want to copy
  • 7 diamonds: placed around the template and the block
  • 1 block of material: which one depends on the structure the template comes from

The result: 2 copies of the template (the original + a duplicate). You can repeat the process as many times as you like.

Template Block you need
Sentry Cobblestone
Dune Sandstone
Coast Cobblestone
Wild Mossy Cobblestone
Tide Prismarine
Ward, Silence Cobbled Deepslate
Eye End Stone
Vex Cobblestone
Rib Netherrack
Spire Purpur Block

Spending 7 diamonds on a copy is a lot, but it's a one-time investment. After you duplicate a template once you have two, and you can keep copying either of them. In practice you need 4 copies of a template to trim a full set of armor, so that's 21 diamonds for three extra duplicates (assuming you use the original too).

Best trim combinations

The Minecraft community experiments with hundreds of variations. Here are a few of the most popular combinations that look good in the game and on multiplayer servers.

Royal Knight

Netherite armor + Vex + Gold. A knightly look with gold accents on dark armor. A classic style, perfect for RPG servers.

Void Walker

Netherite armor + Spire + Amethyst. Purple Ender lines on a black background. The ideal look for exploring the End and fighting the dragon.

Ocean Lord

Diamond armor + Tide + Lapis. A sea theme on turquoise armor. The wave pattern goes well with the color of diamond armor.

Nether King

Netherite armor + Snout + Redstone. Dark red piglin trim. You'll look like the ruler of a bastion remnant.

Desert Pharaoh

Gold armor + Dune + Emerald. Green hieroglyphs on gold armor. A spectacular look, even though gold armor is weak in combat.

Stealth

Netherite armor + Silence + Netherite. An almost invisible pattern on a dark background. Minimalist, elegant and understated.

Remember that you can absolutely mix templates across the pieces of a set: a helmet with one pattern, a chestplate with another. Some players deliberately pair Rib on the leggings with Eye on the helmet to create hybrid sets. On PvP servers, it's popular to use bright materials (gold, emerald) on netherite armor so you stand out from the crowd.

Version history

The trim system has changed since its release. The key changes:

  • 1.19.4 (snapshots): The first test versions of the armor trim system appeared in snapshots.
  • 1.20 Trails & Tales (June 2023): The official release, with 16 patterns and 10 materials. Armor trims became one of the main attractions of the update, alongside archaeology and the cherry grove.
  • 1.20.2: Minor visual fixes to how patterns render on leather armor. The Trail Ruins templates got higher drop chances.
  • 1.20.5 / 1.21: Armor NBT was replaced by the data component system. Trims are stored in the new format, but they look the same.

Mojang has announced that new patterns will be added in future updates.

Frequently asked questions

How do you trim armor in Minecraft?

You need a smithing table, an armor trim template and a trim material. Put the template in the left slot, the piece of armor in the middle slot and the material in the right slot. Then take the trimmed armor out of the result slot.

Do armor trims affect stats?

No. Trims are purely cosmetic. They don't change the armor's protection, durability or any of its combat stats.

Where do armor trim templates come from?

They come from different structures in the game, from pillager outposts to ancient cities.

How do you duplicate an armor trim template?

At a crafting table, combine the template with 7 diamonds and 1 block of the material tied to its structure (for example cobblestone for Sentry). You get 2 copies of the template.

Where do you find the rarest template?

The rarest one is Silence from ancient cities (a 1.2% chance). You have to explore the Deep Dark biome at Y -52 to -64 while avoiding the Warden.

Can you put two trims on one piece of armor?

No, each piece of armor can only have one trim at a time. Applying a new trim replaces the old one. There's no way to remove a trim without replacing it with another.

Related pages