# A little know-how. More room to make.

The studio notebook

Notes from Zoë, The Poodle Potter. For getting to know your clay, choosing a shrinkage ruler and making something with a size in mind.

[Start with a test bar](https://potteryruler.com/guides/measuring-clay-shrinkage) · [RSS feed](https://potteryruler.com/rss.xml)

## [Custom clay shrinkage ruler for your measured percentage](https://potteryruler.com/guides/custom-clay-shrinkage-ruler)

Choosing a ruler · 5 min read

![Stacks of glazed ceramic plates and bowls on white shelves](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/ceramic-forms.webp)

What to measure and record before asking for a custom shrinkage scale, when extra precision helps, and which ruler options are confirmed here.

## [Measure wet clay and estimate its later size](https://potteryruler.com/guides/predicting-clay-shrinkage)

Measuring clay · 5 min read

![Clay-covered hands shaping a small bowl on a pottery wheel](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/wheel-hands.webp)

Measure a wet pot, choose a shrinkage rate for the stage you want to predict, and read its estimated later size without compensating twice.

## [Pottery shrinkage ruler buying guide: preset, custom, long, metric, or imperial?](https://potteryruler.com/guides/shrinkage-ruler-buying-guide)

Choosing a ruler · 5 min read

![Dark pottery and terracotta vessels displayed in a sunlit wooden interior](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/studio-shelves.webp)

Choose a pottery shrinkage ruler by percentage, units, usable reach and studio workflow, with a concise comparison and clear limits on current options.

## [Custom versus fixed-percentage shrinkage rulers](https://potteryruler.com/guides/custom-versus-fixed-shrinkage-rulers)

Choosing a ruler · 5 min read

![Stacks of glazed ceramic plates and bowls on white shelves](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/ceramic-forms.webp)

Compare preset and custom shrinkage rates by the millimetres they could change your finished pottery, not just the percentage on the ruler.

## [Metric and imperial clay shrinkage rulers: how to read either scale](https://potteryruler.com/guides/metric-imperial-shrinkage-rulers)

Measuring clay · 5 min read

![Close-up of wet hands shaping the rim of a terracotta-coloured clay pot](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/forming-clay.webp)

Read centimetres, millimetres and inches without mixing units, and understand why a shrinkage scale is not an ordinary ruler.

## [Make a pottery lid that still fits after firing](https://potteryruler.com/guides/pottery-lids-that-fit)

Making to fit · 6 min read

![A dark lidded teapot and patterned ceramic cup on a wooden tray](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/ceramic-teapot.webp)

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.

## [Stage-specific forward and reverse sizing with a pottery shrinkage ruler](https://potteryruler.com/guides/stage-specific-pottery-sizing)

Measuring clay · 7 min read

![Clay-covered hands shaping a small bowl on a pottery wheel](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/wheel-hands.webp)

Choose the right wet, bone-dry, bisque or glaze-fired stages, then estimate a later size or work backwards to a wet build size.

## [How to measure your own clay shrinkage with a test bar](https://potteryruler.com/guides/measuring-clay-shrinkage)

Measuring clay · 7 min read

![Close-up of wet hands shaping the rim of a terracotta-coloured clay pot](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/forming-clay.webp)

Make repeatable clay test bars, record wet, dry and fired lengths, and calculate a shrinkage rate with room for real studio variation.

## [What percentage shrinkage ruler do I need for my clay?](https://potteryruler.com/guides/choosing-shrinkage-percentage)

Choosing a ruler · 5 min read

![Ceramic dishes, bowls and lidded pots on warmly lit wooden display shelves](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/ceramic-display.webp)

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.

## [Shrinkage ruler FAQ: percentage, stage, units, accuracy, and fit](https://potteryruler.com/guides/shrinkage-ruler-faq)

Choosing a ruler · 3 min read

![Stacks of glazed ceramic plates and bowls on white shelves](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/ceramic-forms.webp)

Short answers about choosing a clay shrinkage percentage, measuring stages, checking a scale and planning a fit, with links when you need more detail.

## [Long shrinkage ruler for larger pots and slabs](https://potteryruler.com/guides/long-shrinkage-rulers)

Choosing a ruler · 6 min read

![Dark pottery and terracotta vessels displayed in a sunlit wooden interior](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/studio-shelves.webp)

Choose enough measuring reach for large pots and slabs, distinguish ruler length from scale capacity, and avoid errors at joins and awkward rims.

## [Choosing a ruler for a decimal shrinkage rate such as 9.5% or 12.5%](https://potteryruler.com/guides/decimal-shrinkage-rates)

Choosing a ruler · 5 min read

![A dark lidded teapot and patterned ceramic cup on a wooden tray](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/ceramic-teapot.webp)

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.

## [How to calibrate a printable or physical shrinkage ruler](https://potteryruler.com/guides/calibrating-shrinkage-rulers)

Measuring clay · 6 min read

![Clay-covered hands shaping a small bowl on a pottery wheel](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/wheel-hands.webp)

Check print scale, compensated distances and reading direction before trusting a pottery shrinkage ruler with a fitted piece.

## [Preset percentage chart: what 6%, 10%, 12%, 14%, and 16% mean](https://potteryruler.com/guides/shrinkage-percentage-chart)

Measuring clay · 3 min read

![Ceramic dishes, bowls and lidded pots on warmly lit wooden display shelves](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/ceramic-display.webp)

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.

## [How to make a tile finish at the intended size](https://potteryruler.com/guides/pottery-tile-finished-size)

Making to fit · 6 min read

![Stacks of glazed ceramic plates and bowls on white shelves](https://potteryruler.com/images/guides/ceramic-forms.webp)

Plan the fired tile separately from its grout joint, work backwards in both directions, and test your cutting template before making a batch.

[View this page on https://potteryruler.com/guides](https://potteryruler.com/guides)