Studio checklist

Selling your pottery: stamps, photos and packing

Signature stamps, photo light boxes, bubble wrap and honeycomb paper, plate stands and slump molds for repeatable sets: the gear behind a small pottery business.

Hand-building 4Studio setup & safety 11
Market table crowded with yellow and blue glazed pottery
Photo: Dave - resting from Newcastle, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What do you need to start selling pottery?

Selling pottery takes more than good pots. Buyers judge your work through photos, find your mark on the base, and expect it to arrive in one piece. This hub groups the gear for each of those steps: custom and letter stamps, light boxes, packing supplies, display stands and molds for making matching sets.

For the business side, read how to sell pottery on Etsy and at craft fairs and how to price handmade pottery.

Hand-building

All 4 in hand-building

Studio setup & safety

All 11 in studio setup & safety

How do you choose gear for selling pottery?

  • Maker's mark. A custom acrylic stamp carries your initials or logo; 3 mm letter stamps list up to three lines; a 1 in brass stamp adds a motif.
  • Photo light box. Compare size and light: PULUZ lists a 16 in box with 480 LEDs at 5500K, CRI 95+; K&F Concept lists 3000–5600K adjustable. A 16 in box fits mugs; plates need 24 in.
  • Packing. Small bubble for wrapping, large bubble for box fill, and honeycomb paper (JARLINK lists 15 in × 400 ft) as a paper option.
  • Display. Plate stands list the sizes they hold, for example 7–15 in for the TR-LIFE stands.
  • Repeatable sets. MDF slump molds in 5–11 in diameters keep plates matching; see the hand-building category.

What about food safety when you sell?

Selling mugs, bowls and platesUse glazes the maker states are dinnerware-safe, fire them exactly as directed and consider lab leach testing for lead and cadmium. See the food-safe hub.Source: FDA

Before pricing, work out your firing cost per load with the kiln firing cost calculator.

Selling mistakes to avoid

  • Photographing under mixed light; colors shift between photos.
  • Packing pots so they touch each other or the box wall.
  • Selling functional ware with a glaze labeled not for dinnerware.
  • Pricing without counting failed pieces and firing costs.
  • Stamping too deep near the foot; it can weaken a thin base.

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Selling your pottery: questions

How do you mark handmade pottery?
Press a signature stamp or carve initials into the base at leather-hard, before bisque firing.
What size light box for pottery photos?
A 16 inch box suits mugs and small bowls; a 24 inch box fits plates and larger pieces.
How do you ship pottery without breaking it?
Wrap each piece, fill gaps so nothing moves, and keep a cushion layer between the pot and the box wall.
How should you price handmade pottery?
Add materials, firing cost, time and fees, then check the market. See how to price handmade pottery.
Do I need a lab test to sell mugs?
It is not always required, but lab leach testing is a sensible step for functional ware and some buyers ask for it.