Free Clay Shrinkage Calculator for Potters
Make it the right size the first time.
Let the calculator do the math for you
Enter the glaze-fired dimensions you want and your clay body's shrinkage rate. The calculator does the math and tells you what size to make it in wet clay.
Your calculations are automatically saved as you go, so the next time you need to make that form, you already know where to start.
Prefer Notion?
Duplicate the template into your own Notion workspace and it's yours to use.
This is the more robust version.
Each form you add becomes its own database entry where you can keep photos, notes, measurements, clay and glaze details, and anything else you want to remember alongside the shrinkage calculations. Over time, it becomes a searchable catalog of the forms in your studio.
Prefer Google Sheets?
Want the calculator without learning another app? This is the simple version.
Enter your finished dimensions and clay shrinkage rate, and the wet dimensions calculate automatically. You can save calculations for different forms and adjust your numbers as needed, without setting up or learning Notion.
A quick note about clay being clay:
Shrinkage rates are a starting point, not a blood oath. Your clay body, glaze, firing temperature, forming method, and studio conditions can all affect the final result. Test your measurements before committing to a large production run.
There's usually an easier way to do things.
Creating ease in the studio is beyond shrinkage math, though that one's a frustration I had to solve early on. It's also production, pricing, product lines, wholesale, workflow, and all the other little systems that accumulate when you're running a pottery business.
I've spent years figuring out how to make more pottery, make better money from it, and build a business that doesn't requite me to do everything the hard way.
Spend more time making pottery.
If you have something in your pottery business that needs untangling, bring it to me. We'll figure it out together.