Veneers
Wood veneer is produced by slicing thin layers  of wood from the main trunk of a felled tree. Veneers are sliced to produce either constructional veneers, usually for laminating to produce plywood, or for decorative veneers which are cut to approx. 0.6mm thick.These decorative veneers can be used in architecture for panelling walls or, in cabinet making, to produce fine furniture. When selecting veneer, there are three principle areas to consider: the colour, the basic figure and any freak pattern required.
                                   
The base colour of veneers varies enormously. Each species has a characteristic colour but in a given species, the colour can vary across a given leaf and vary considerably from log to log. In general, veneers are available in many different browns and yellows varying from pale - almost white - to very dark brown veneers. There are also reds, even purples but there are only 2 green and no naturally blue veneers.

Figure
The manner of slicing decorative veneers will alter the appearance of the veneer, and some veneer figures come from particular parts of the tree trunk. The four principle figure types in cabinet veneers are;
  • Quarter Cut:A close array of roughly straight, parallel lines visible in the veneer. Crown cut:  an irregular long are figure visible in the veneer,
  • Curl Veneers:Cut from the junction of the main trunk with a branch, giving a V or U shaped pattern, and
  • Burr Veneers:Cut from wart like protruberances on the trunk or, increasingly, from the top of the root bole having a swirling pattern of roughly circular figuring.
  • Decorative Veneers: are used in fine furniture as the manner of slicing allows consecutive leaves of veneers to be almost identical in surface appearance and colour.
For this reason, veneers are parcelled into "bundles" of leaves after slicing, in multiples of four leaves with usually 24 or 32 leaves to a bundle. These bundles are stacked in "logs" to keep the exact sequence of leaves in correct pattern order.These leaves can then be used to create marvellous patterned effects.

If two consecutive leaves are opened out book fashion, then you obtain a book-match.If four are opened out in a similar manner, you obtain a four-piece matches. With more leaves, the matches can become more and more complex.

All of these matches can be achieved with straight grained veneers, and many also work with crown cut veneers to quite different effect.
Pattern In addition, some veneers have a characteristic appearance unrelated to the grain pattern, but which create distinctive patterns in woodwork. Examples are oak or planetree with small fleck figuring, or birds eye maple with its eye formations across the veneer surface.