<p>Dressing of grinding wheels is the one of the most important enabling factors in the grinding process. It influences the material removal rate, the grinding forces and power consumption and the surface quality of the workpiece, including the lead pattern. Lead is a directional texture that can compromise sealing performance and functionality in precision components. Understanding and controlling the process factors that influence lead generation is essential to ensure surface quality and product reliability. Among these factors, the actual dressing depth of cut plays a central role, yet its variation depending on dressing conditions remains insufficiently understood. This study aims to clarify how speed ratio (<i>q</i>_<i>d</i>) and transversal overlapping ratio (<i>U</i>_<i>d</i>) affect the actual dressing depth of cut in corundum grinding wheels and how this variation influences the formation of lead patterns on ground surfaces. Through controlled experiments, it was found that the depth of cut achieved during dressing can deviate by up to 95% from the nominal value depending on the combination of <i>q</i>_<i>d</i> and <i>U</i>_<i>d</i>. A strong correlation between dressing depth and normal dressing force was observed, which in turn alters the grinding wheel topography. To better understand the implications of these variations, a predictive model was used to simulate the resulting lead pattern based on the applied dressing conditions. When the measured depth of cut was incorporated into the model, changes of up to 9 µm in the predicted lead pattern were observed, improving agreement with surface measurements of real workpieces. The findings provide a deeper understanding of dressing mechanics and offer practical guidance for controlling lead generation through optimized process parameters benefiting industries where surface functionality is critical.</p>