Stain

Espresso

Dark Brown Stain- 1/4 lb and 1/2 lb

$21.50

Rich coffee brown with earthy depth—essential for natural tones and grounded designs.

Our ready-to-use ceramic stain delivers bold, consistent color on every piece. It fires beautifully from low-fire earthenware up to 2300°F (1260°C).

Color can deepen/darken at higher temperatures, so we recommend test tiles for new clays and firing schedules.

It’s the same stain mix we use in our colored slip, so you can use it to create matching colored clay, slip, or glaze accents with a consistent palette across your whole process.

For functional ware, finish with a food-safe clear glaze for a sealed, durable surface.May be used with glazes with or without zinc, but best results are typically achieved in zinc-free glazes.

Colored Slip is currently shipping in 3-5 business days.

BOLD COLOR

Vibrant color for clay, slip and glaze

READY TO USE

Ready to use or blend

MIX + MATCH

Create colors, tints and shades

Why You'll Love This Color

Try Espresso for organic grounded designs, natural color palettes, creating earth tones, wood-inspired pieces, rustic modern work, neutral foundations.

EXPLORE TINTS, SHADES, TONES AND HUES

Add to any color for earthier versions.
Mix with Buttercream for tan.
Combine with Midnight for near-black brown.

OTHER IDEAS TO TRY

1-2 coats for full espresso richness
Beautiful paired with Buttercream for natural earth palette
Excellent for creating "raw clay" look on white porcelain
Pairs gorgeously with Peacock or Ivy for sophisticated palette
For chocolate brown: use as-is with 4 coats
For tan: mix 30% Espresso + 70% Buttercream

WHAT IS STAIN?

Mason Stains are commercially fritted, lead-free ceramic colorants—the same pigments used in industrial production, sold in quarter-pound increments for studio-scale work.

Unlike raw oxides, stains are pre-reacted at high temperature and milled to a consistent particle size. That means the color you weigh is the color you get, batch after batch. No guessing at cobalt carbonate percentages, no surprise from a new bag of iron.

One jar works three ways. Wedge into a clay body for through-body color. Mix into a white slip base for underglaze and sgraffito work. Add to a glaze for tinted transparents and custom opaques. Loading percentage is the only variable that changes.

Test tiles before production. Every time, every new base
Label everything with stain number and percentage
Dry powder is a respiratory hazard. Mask, gloves, wet-clean the work surface
Some stains contain cadmium, barium, chrome, or cobalt. Stable in a fully melted, food-safe glaze—but test for leaching before using on functional surfaces

IN CLAY BODY

5-15% by dry clay weight; 3-5% for tints
Mix stain into dry clay before adding water for even dispersion
Slake 24 hours, then wedge
Use a white or porcelain body—iron-bearing clays shift every color
Color goes all the way through; chips reveal color, not white
Wear gloves and a respirator when handling dry powder

IN SLIP / UNDERGLAZE

8-15% by dry weight of the slip base
Sieve at 60-80 mesh (encapsulated: gently, no finer)
2-4 coats depending on color depth
Apply at leather-hard for best adhesion
Clear gloss intensifies; matte and opaque glazes mute

IN GLAZE

3-15% by dry glaze weight, family-dependent
Test in your actual base before committing
Sieve into the wet glaze
Fire a test tile at your real peak and schedule

WARNING: Use only in a well-ventilated area. Avoid breathing dust. Wear a NIOSH-approved respirator during use and handling of ceramic stains. Wash hands after use.

Replace lid after use to avoid dust. Keep dry.

Order Issues:
Wrong color? Missing bottle? We'll fix it fast—usually same-day shipping for replacement orders.

What We Can't Accept:

Stain jars that have been opened, mixed with other materials, or contaminated
Returns after 30 days (but we'll still help troubleshoot!)
Color preferences ("I thought pink would be lighter") without trying it first—order samples to test!

Questions?
Reach our studio at hello@smashedstudio.com. We typically respond same day Wednesday-Sunday.