Decorating slips are a liquid clay with added pigment that are applied to greenware. Once fired the colours transform dramatically and are often finished with a clear glaze to bring your piece to life. They come in a variety of colours and can be used to create stunning designs and finishes on your pottery.

Our slips are designed to be fired between 1200-1260 for the brightest/boldest colours. However, they can be fired from 1020-1280, at lower temperatures the slips give softer more pastel results and they will deepen at high temperatures. Our sample images give examples of each slip fired to a range of temperatures.

The temperature fire to will also depend on the clay and glaze you are using. Make sure the temperature you choose is suitable for all materials you are using.

Slips can be used in many ways and you should have fun experimenting with different techniques. However, there a few things to keep in mind.

• Slips should be applied to leather hard greenware and are not designed for bone dry clay or bisque.

• To achieve full coverage it is best to brush on 2-3 layers of slip. So the slip can dry evenly its best to allow each layer to dry slightly between applications.

There are so many ways to use slips, it really depends on the effect you want to achieve.

You can use a brush or sponge to apply to slips as a base colour or for smaller designs. They can also be used with stencils, slip trailers, for mono printing, marbling and sgraffito.

Experiment with different techniques to find the one that suits your style!

Absolutely! Optimum firing temperature for the best colour response is between 1200-1260. However, our slips work well on a huge range of clay bodies, including earthenware and porcelain, giving you freedom to explore different materials. Take a look at our sample images to see how the slips fire at different temperatures and on various clays.

Of course, have fun with it! You can mix our slips to create custom shades. I would start by mixing small quantities to test as this will avoid disappointment if you don’t like the fired colour.

Testing... this is the best part! Its where you get to experiment and try out loads of different combinations. Make a sample piece using the slips on your clay with your choice of glaze and fire to your specific temperature. This will highlight any issues before you make a larger batch or a final piece and give a great indication of how your combination is likely to fire.

Always take notes or mark your tests so you know what temperature they were fired to and what clay/glaze was used, this will help you recreate the same finish in the future.

Always best to test!

Top Tip: Once you have made your test tile you can stick this to the lid so you are reminded how this fired.

These are terms used to describe the state or stage of clay during making process.

Greenware - Refers to raw clay before it has been fired.

Leather hard - A phrase used to describe clay that has been left long enough to firm up but retains enough moisture for the slips to adhere. Potters will generally trim thrown pots when they are leather hard.

Bone Dry - Clay that has completely dried out and is ready to be bisque fired. The clay is too dry at this stage to apply slips.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Ready to use and fuss free the slips are liquid, we recommend giving a them good stir before use to ensure an even consistency.

Please get in touch if you prefer powdered slips as this may be something we can arrange.

Store slips in a cool, dry place with the lid securely fastened. If the slip thickens over time, you can add a small amount of water and mix thoroughly before using.

There are so many reasons why your results may vary from our samples image.

Glaze, firing temperature, clay body, number of layers… all of these things can affect the outcome.

Please get in touch and hopefully we can work out why the results are different.

This is likely because the clay was too dry when the slips were applied.

However this can happen for a few reasons:

• Clay has gone past leather hard stage and is too dry for the slips to adhere.

• They slips dried too quickly, with heat gun or next to a heat source ... it is good practice to cover your pieces with plastic wrap to encourage the slip and clay to dry evenly.

• The slips were applied too thickly. Applying multiple layers is fine as long as you allow each layer to dry slightly between coats.

Please get in touch if you have any other questions.

Yes! All of our packaging is recyclable including the plastic (PET) jar and labels. We use cardboard boxes, and recycled paper/protective wrap to ensure the slips arrive with you safely.

We are also looking into alternatives to the plastic jars… watch this space!

Of course, here is a copy of our Data Sheet. Please let us know if we can help with anything else.