A. Michael Dresdner: "Color is a matter of personal choice. You can either match the pore filler to the color of the wood, which makes the grain far less obvious, or you can opt for a darker or lighter filler to create contrast, making the grain of the wood more visually prominent. It is simply a matter of taste. Do samples of both on scrap of the same wood to see which looks best to you.

"Of the two types of filler (oil and water-based), water-based is both much faster and easier to use."