Choosing a ruler
Custom clay shrinkage ruler for your measured percentage
What to measure and record before asking for a custom shrinkage scale, when extra precision helps, and which ruler options are confirmed here.
5 min read
The studio notebook
A little know-how.
More room to make.
Notes from Zoë, The Poodle Potter. For getting to know your clay, choosing a shrinkage ruler and making something with a size in mind.
Measuring clay
Measure wet clay and estimate its later size
Measure a wet pot, choose a shrinkage rate for the stage you want to predict, and read its estimated later size without compensating twice.
5 min read
Choosing a ruler
Pottery shrinkage ruler buying guide: preset, custom, long, metric, or imperial?
Choose a pottery shrinkage ruler by percentage, units, usable reach and studio workflow, with a concise comparison and clear limits on current options.
5 min read
Choosing a ruler
Custom versus fixed-percentage shrinkage rulers
Compare preset and custom shrinkage rates by the millimetres they could change your finished pottery, not just the percentage on the ruler.
5 min read
Measuring clay
Metric and imperial clay shrinkage rulers: how to read either scale
Read centimetres, millimetres and inches without mixing units, and understand why a shrinkage scale is not an ordinary ruler.
5 min read
Making to fit
Make a pottery lid that still fits after firing
Plan a co-made lid or a replacement for a fired pot: measure the gallery, separate clearance from shrinkage, and check the fit through making and firing.
6 min read
Measuring clay
Stage-specific forward and reverse sizing with a pottery shrinkage ruler
Choose the right wet, bone-dry, bisque or glaze-fired stages, then estimate a later size or work backwards to a wet build size.
7 min read
Measuring clay
How to measure your own clay shrinkage with a test bar
Make repeatable clay test bars, record wet, dry and fired lengths, and calculate a shrinkage rate with room for real studio variation.
7 min read
Choosing a ruler
What percentage shrinkage ruler do I need for my clay?
Choose a shrinkage percentage from your clay supplier's data, check which stages it covers, and decide when a studio test should guide your ruler choice.
5 min read
Choosing a ruler
Shrinkage ruler FAQ: percentage, stage, units, accuracy, and fit
Short answers about choosing a clay shrinkage percentage, measuring stages, checking a scale and planning a fit, with links when you need more detail.
3 min read
Choosing a ruler
Long shrinkage ruler for larger pots and slabs
Choose enough measuring reach for large pots and slabs, distinguish ruler length from scale capacity, and avoid errors at joins and awkward rims.
6 min read
Choosing a ruler
Choosing a ruler for a decimal shrinkage rate such as 9.5% or 12.5%
Work through 9.5% and 12.5% clay shrinkage, see the sizing cost of rounding, and decide whether a decimal scale would help your project.
5 min read
Measuring clay
How to calibrate a printable or physical shrinkage ruler
Check print scale, compensated distances and reading direction before trusting a pottery shrinkage ruler with a fitted piece.
6 min read
Measuring clay
Preset percentage chart: what 6%, 10%, 12%, 14%, and 16% mean
A quick linear shrinkage chart: predict glaze-fired size from wet clay, or find the wet size for a fired target, with clearly labelled millimetre examples.
3 min read
Making to fit
How to make a tile finish at the intended size
Plan the fired tile separately from its grout joint, work backwards in both directions, and test your cutting template before making a batch.
6 min read