Color That Sticks: Mason Stains In Plain English
A short, straightforward guide to using Mason stains in clay and glaze.
Mason stains: what they are and why anyone uses them
Powdered ceramic colorants - mostly oxides with a carrier, made to handle high temperatures without burning out. You can add them to clay, glaze, or underglaze if you want color that survives the kiln.
Mason Color Works has been making these since the 1800s. They set out to make color that didn’t break down in the kiln. Now, that’s just what “Mason stain” means. They have a full stain reference guide on their site if you need every color or the technical details.
Why put stain in the clay itself?
When you color the clay, it goes through the whole piece - not just the surface. Lets you carve, layer, slice, whatever. The color is everywhere, not just painted on.
How to add Mason stains to clay
Pick a stain that works with your clay body. Not every stain is compatible.
Weigh it out. Use 1–10% of the dry clay weight, depending on how strong you want the color. A kitchen scale works fine. If you’re mixing stains a lot, a triple beam balance is nice but not required. This video walks through the measuring process.
Mix it in. You can wedge stain into dry clay or mix it into wet, reclaimed clay. If the clay is too dry, it’ll crumble. Wet is easier if you’re adding a lot of color.
Test first. Fire a small sample. Color can shift in the kiln. This video walks through how to make clay test samples using different amounts of Mason stain in the clay body.
To make a colored glaze, you can also try adding Mason stains to a base glaze. This zinc-free clear works well if you aren’t making glazes from scratch.
Notes
Wear an NIOSH-certified N95 respirator (or better) when handling stain powder or dry clay. The dust isn’t good for your lungs. Mason has safety sheets on their website.
Mix until the stain is fully blended unless you want a marbled look.
Write down your stain ratios and firing notes. You’ll want them later.
In Short
Colored clay gives you more to work with. Marbling, nerikomi, anything where you want the color inside, not just on the surface. Mason stains make it straightforward. If you want to start, that’s the place.
❤︎ C
