How Do You Use Mason Stains for Ceramics, Clay and Pottery?

Ceramic stains, and Mason stains in particular, are one of the easiest ways to add reliable colour to your pottery. Whether you want a soft tinted porcelain, a bright glaze in a colour you can't buy off the shelf, or a painterly wash over a textured surface, stains give you control over colour that is hard to get any other way.

But they can also be confusing. How much do you add? Where do they go? Why did your lovely blue turn out grey? This guide covers how to use Mason stains for ceramics, clay and pottery, so you can start with confidence.

What is a ceramic stain?

A ceramic stain is a pigment made by combining metal oxides with other materials and firing them (a process called calcining) until they form a stable compound. The result is a fine, coloured powder that is much more predictable than raw metal oxides on their own.

That predictability is the main reason potters like them. Raw oxides such as cobalt, copper and iron are powerful, and they can behave very differently depending on the glaze, the thickness and the firing. Stains have already been through a firing, so they are generally more consistent, easier to repeat and available in a much wider range of colours.

What are Mason stains?

Mason stains are one of the best known ranges of ceramic stains. They are made by Mason Color, which has supplied pigments to the ceramic industry for more than 40 years, from pottery and artware to tiles and sanitary ware. Potters use Mason stains for ceramics of all kinds because the range is wide and the results are consistent.

Before you buy, it helps to look at a Mason stain colour chart to see the colour families on offer. Treat the chart as a guide rather than a promise, though. The colour you get depends on your base glaze, your clay and your firing, so always test. If you're new to Mason stains, starting with a small pack of a few colours is an inexpensive way to experiment before committing to larger quantities.

Our Mason stain colours and codes

Mason stains are identified by a four-digit number, so you'll often see potters searching by code, for example Mason stain 6600 (Black). Here is the range we stock, grouped by colour family to help you find what you're after.

Mason stain colours and codes

Colour family	Mason stains
Pinks and reds	6001 Alpine Rose, 6006 Deep Crimson, 6020 Pink, 6021 Red
Oranges and yellows	6028 Orange, 6030 Mango, 6450 Praseodymium Yellow, 6479 Sunshine
Browns and greens	6100 Woodland Brown, 6242 Bermuda Green, 6264 Victoria Green, 6280 Avocado
Blues and turquoise	6300 Mazerine, 6306 Vivid Blue, 6374 Dark Turquoise, 6376 Robin's Egg Blue
Purples	6304 Violet, 6319 Lavender, 6385 Pansy Purple
Greys, blacks and whites	6500 Sage Grey, 6600 Black, 6612 Onyx, 6700 White

The swatches online show each stain as a powder. Once fired, the colour will depend on your glaze, clay and firing, so use them as a starting point and test.

Stains vs oxides: what's the difference?

	Stains	Raw oxides
Colour range	Very wide, including pinks, yellows and bright colours	Limited, mostly earthy tones and blues
Consistency	Generally predictable	Can vary with glaze and firing
Strength	Milder, so easier to control	Very strong, small amounts go a long way
Best for	Repeatable colour in glazes, slips and clay	Effects, speckling, traditional glaze recipes

Neither is better, but if consistent colour matters to you, stains are the easier place to start.

Four ways to use stains

1. Colouring a glaze

This is the most common use. You add stain to a clear or white base glaze to turn it into a coloured glaze.

• Typical range: about 2-10% stain by dry weight of the base glaze. Light tints sit towards the low end, and deep, saturated colours towards the high end.
• How to mix: weigh your dry base glaze, weigh the stain as a percentage of that weight, then mix both into water and sieve (an 80 mesh sieve is a good choice) to disperse the pigment evenly.
• Tip: a clear glaze gives you the truest colour. A white or opaque base will give softer, more pastel results.

2. Colouring clay and slip with Mason stains

Stains can colour a clay body or slip, which is how you get coloured porcelain and decorative slips. How much stain you need depends on how strong you want the colour, and it's worked out as a percentage of the weight of your clay.

• Light colour: about 2-5% stain
• Medium colour: about 8-10% stain
• Saturated colour: 15% or more

A worked example: say you have 1,000 g of clay and want a medium colour at 8%. Multiply 1,000 by 0.08 and you get 80 g of stain. Decide how strong you want the colour first, then do the sum.

How to colour a clay body:

1. Weigh your clay and calculate the stain you need.
2. Mix the stain with water into a smooth, runny slurry.
3. Break the clay into small pieces, which makes it much easier to blend.
4. Pour the stain mix over the clay and work it in until the colour is even. Wear gloves, and expect it to take a few minutes of effort.
5. Store the coloured clay in a sealed container or plastic bag with as little air as possible. If it dries out, rehydrate it with water.

Tips:

• Colouring works best on white or light-firing clay. On a dark body, the colour will be muted or hidden.
• For slips, mix the stain into the slip before applying.
• Always test first. Make a small batch and fire a sample before colouring a large amount of clay.

3. Underglaze-style colour

You can make your own underglaze by mixing stain with a little clay or a small amount of base glaze and water, then painting it on bisque or leather-hard ware and covering it with clear glaze.

• Good for detailed painting, patterns and illustrations.
• Apply in thin, even coats for the cleanest colour.

4. Washes

A wash is a thin mix of stain and water. Brush it onto the surface, then wipe back so colour stays in textures and lines. A wash is great for highlighting carved detail or impressions.

• Mix a small amount of stain into water. You don't need much.
• Apply to bisque, wipe back with a damp sponge, then glaze over the top.

How to test properly (don't skip this)

Stains behave differently in different glazes, clays and firing conditions, so testing is the single most useful habit you can build.

1. Make a line blend. Mix your base glaze with the stain at several percentages, for example 1%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10%.
2. Label every tile. Write the stain, percentage and glaze on the back or in a notebook.
3. Use your real clay. The clay body underneath changes how the colour looks.
4. Fire to your actual temperature. Check the stain's recommended firing range before you begin.
5. Record the results. Photos and notes mean you can repeat what worked.

Why did my colour turn out differently than expected?

This is the most common frustration with stains, and there are a few usual causes.

• The base glaze matters. Some colours depend on the glaze chemistry. Certain stains, such as some pinks and reds, only develop properly in particular base glazes. If a colour looks off, the base is often the culprit.
• Firing temperature. Stains have recommended temperature ranges. Fire too hot and some colours burn out or shift.
• Thickness of application. A thin coat gives a lighter, sometimes weaker colour, and a thick coat gives a deeper one.
• Too much stain. Adding too much can make a glaze dry, matte or crawly, because the pigment disrupts how the glaze melts.
• Mixed stains. Colours can blend in unexpected ways. Test combinations before committing to a whole batch.
• Clay body colour. Darker clays darken or dull the colour.

Common colour problems and how to fix them

Some colour problems come up again and again, and most trace back to the glaze chemistry.

• Pinks and crimsons look weak or off-colour. Pigments like 6001 Alpine Rose and 6006 Deep Crimson depend on the right glaze: plenty of calcium, little to no zinc and magnesia, and not too much boron. They also need an oxidising atmosphere for the whole firing. Fast-firing techniques can be an exception to these rules.
• Purple, lilac or violet turns blue. Many of these stains are a blend of chrome-tin pink and cobalt. Without enough calcium to support the red side of the mix, the blue takes over.
• Black stain gives strange greys. Blacks are combinations of several oxides, so at low percentages you often see the dominant one come through as green, brown, blue or pink. If you want grey, use a dedicated grey stain, such as 6500 Sage Grey, instead.
• Green turns brown, or has brown edges. Zinc turns chromium greens brown. Remove zinc from the glaze, and extra calcium may help.
• Blue underglaze runs or looks fuzzy. Cobalt silicate is very soluble in glaze. Cobalt aluminate, or a combination of both, behaves better, and too high a firing temperature can also cause the effect.
• Glaze looks milky. Common causes are too much boron in the frit or glaze, under-firing, or more than about 2% opacifier.

Mixing stains to make your own colours

You can blend stains together to create custom colours, much like paint. In most cases this works well, but some stains are incompatible with others. Weigh each stain accurately and record the ratios so you can recreate the colour later. Mix small test batches first, because colours often fire differently from how they look as powder. If you don't get the result you expect, get in touch and we can help, or point you to the manufacturer.

Safety and food-safe pottery

Stains are a powder, so take sensible precautions.

• Stains are harmful if inhaled, so avoid breathing the dust. Wear a dust mask or well-fitted respirator when weighing and mixing, and work with good ventilation.
• Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothing, as stains can irritate. Wear gloves and eye protection.
• Keep containers closed when not in use.
• Wash thoroughly after handling, and keep stains away from food.
• Clean surfaces with a damp cloth rather than sweeping.
• Follow the manufacturer's safety data sheet for your specific stains.

If you're making functional ware, check that your finished glaze is stable and suitable for food contact. Stains are generally considered safe once they are properly bonded into a well-fitted, fully melted glaze, but always test and check the information supplied with your materials.

Quick tips for success

• Weigh by dry weight, not by volume or by eye.
• Sieve every stain mix to avoid specks and streaks.
• Start with less than you think you need, as it's easy to add more but not to take away.
• Keep a testing notebook or a labelled tile library.
• Re-test whenever you change your clay, glaze or firing schedule.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use stains on greenware? Yes. Stains can be applied to greenware, leather-hard clay or bisque, depending on the technique. Washes and underglaze-style colour work well on bisque.

Do stains need a glaze over the top? Often, yes. Stains used as washes or underglazes are usually covered with a clear glaze for a durable, sealed finish. Stains mixed into a glaze or clay body are already part of the surface.

How much stain should I add? There's no single answer, but 2-10% is a common range. Test a line blend with your own materials to find the right level.

Can I use stains in any kiln? Stains are designed for a range of firing temperatures, so check the range for your particular stain against your kiln's firing schedule.

Why is my stained glaze running or crawling? Usually too much stain, an application that is too thick, or a base glaze that doesn't suit the amount of pigment. Reduce the percentage and test again.

Can I use Mason stains in clay, glazes and slips? Yes. The same Mason stain can colour a clay body, a glaze, a slip or a wash, but the amount you need and the result you get will differ for each, so test every use separately.

How do I read a Mason stain colour chart? Use it to choose a colour family, not to predict an exact result. Colours on a chart are a guide only, and your base glaze, clay and firing temperature will all change how a stain looks on your pottery.

What is Mason stain 6600? Mason stain 6600 is a black stain. Black stains are blended from several oxides, so they behave differently at low percentages, where one of the oxides can show through as a green, brown, blue or pink tint. If you want a grey, use a dedicated grey stain like 6500 Sage Grey rather than a small amount of black.

Where can I buy Mason stains in NZ and Australia? We supply Mason stains in New Zealand and Australia. You can browse our range online , or get in touch if you'd like help choosing the right ones for your work.

Do you stock other brands of ceramic stains? Yes. As well as Mason stains, we sell Abbots stains on our website. We ship both brands to customers in New Zealand and Australia.

Ready to start colouring?

Stains are one of the best ways to build your own signature palette. If you'd like help choosing Mason stains, picking a base glaze or finding the right firing range for your kiln, get in touch with our team or browse our range of Mason stains in NZ and Australia.