okay here's what I did
I researched vinyl dyes and paints online using google.
There is a whole fleet of products made for this.
I have had excellent luck with a company called SEM
http://www.levineautoparts.com/semvinandpla.html
http://www.autobodydepot.net/scripts/depot.exe?pgm=sealcoat.bbx
depending on what you are painting they make a surface prep just for you.
My most recent adventure with this stuff was my airbag cover, I replaced the airbags in my 96 truck, well the new passenger side airbag was dark blue, my 96 dash is called "willow" more or a green blue-ish. So naturally I wanted it to match.
I went to my local trim specialist store (in denver called B & D Rhynl company, ahve used them for years, they sell auto carpet, vinyl, make soft tops, interior and exterior trim, etc) they carry a full line of SEM products in the store.
they also can mix custom vinyl paint/dye colors.
So I wanted to spray paint this color onto my airbag cover right, but this is a custom mix color! There is a solution for this as well.
I brought in a piece of the dash from my 96 truck, we looked it up in the color charts to find out its the Ford interior color called Willow, took them 45 minutes to mix up 1 pint of the vinyl paint for me (1 pint = future projects)
They sold me the prep and the handy dandy Preval sprayer you can use with custom colors:
http://www.prevalspraygun.com/
So prep of the airbag was, wash with soap and water
wipe clean
spray with vinyl prep SEM product, as per instructions
(this stuff makes the vinyl surface kind of tacky to the touch, ready to accept the flexible vinyl paint covering)
wash with water
let dry
mix paint and fill into preval sprayer
spray just like spray paint
let dry
repeat 2-3 times
I even went directly over the factory dark blue because I failed to get it off, the color mathc is 99% perfect, you would never know this sucker was painted (only I do)
results:
before:
After:
FYI the preval sprayer is one of the coolest things I have ever used....so damn handy! I can see ALOT of potential for these in my garage......