The best ceramic glaze paint for a pot you made yourself is one that goes in the kiln. Mayco Stroke & Coat brushes on like paint but is a true glaze rated from cone 06 to cone 10, and AMACO Velvet is an underglaze you paint on and seal with a fired clear glaze. Anything sold as "ceramic paint" that never sees a kiln, such as acrylic bisque stains or oven-bake enamels, is a decorative coating. It can look good on a shelf piece, but the makers themselves say it does not belong on surfaces that touch food.
This guide is research-based. We compared maker product pages, technical sheets and US dealer listings rather than painting and firing pieces ourselves, and we note where a maker is silent or two sources disagree. Specs checked October 2026.
Our ceramic paint picks at a glance
- Best fired glaze paint: Mayco Stroke & Coat Kit #1 (a glaze that brushes like paint, cone 06 to 10)
- Best underglaze to paint under clear: AMACO Velvet Underglaze (cone 05 to 10, wet clay, greenware or bisque)
- Budget fired starter set: Speedball Underglaze Sampler Pack (twelve 2 oz colors, cone 05 to 10)
- Best unfired paint for bisque: Duncan Bisq-Stain Opaque Acrylics (no kiln, ornamental use only)
- Best bake-on paint for glazed ware: Pebeo Porcelaine 150 (home oven cure, decorative areas only)
- Budget bake-on enamel: DecoArt Americana Gloss Enamels (oven cure, maker says none of it is food safe)
Ceramic paint comparison table
| Product | Type | How it sets | Paint it on | Food contact (maker) | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayco Stroke & Coat | Fired glaze | Kiln, cone 06 to 10 | Wet clay or bisque | Dinnerware safe label when used as directed | Check price |
| AMACO Velvet | Fired underglaze | Kiln, cone 05 to 10 | Wet clay, greenware, bisque | Approved status under named AMACO clears | Check price |
| Speedball Sampler | Fired underglaze | Kiln, cone 05 to 10 | Bisque (maker page) | Suitable for dinnerware when used and fired as directed | Check price |
| Duncan Bisq-Stain | Unfired acrylic | Air dries | Bisque, craft surfaces | Not for dinnerware, ornamental only | Check price |
| Pebeo Porcelaine 150 | Bake-on paint | Home oven, 35 min | Glazed porcelain, earthenware, ceramic | Decorate only surfaces not meant to touch food | Check price |
| DecoArt Gloss Enamels | Bake-on acrylic enamel | Home oven, 30 min | Glass, ceramics, craft surfaces | "None of the paint is food safe" | Check price |
Fired or unfired: the choice that decides everything
Search results for ceramic paint mix two very different products. Fired colors (glazes and underglazes) are made of clay, glass-forming minerals and ceramic pigments. In the kiln they fuse to the pot and become part of it, which is why a properly fired glaze can be washed, heated and used for years. If you want the background on underglaze itself, see what underglaze is.
Unfired paints are plastics: acrylic binders with pigment that sit on top of the surface. Some cure by air drying and some are baked in a kitchen oven at around 300°F (149°C), but neither process comes close to kiln heat. Golden Artist Colors, a major acrylic maker, says it does not recommend its paints on anything that will touch food, hold liquid or go in a dishwasher, and warns that acrylics should never go in a kiln. That is the honest line for the whole category.
So the first question is simple: will this piece go in a kiln? If yes, buy a fired product. If you have no kiln and no kiln access, an unfired paint is fine for ornaments and display pieces, and our guide to pottery without a kiln covers your other options.
1. Mayco Stroke & Coat: best fired glaze paint
Stroke & Coat is the closest thing to a true glaze paint. It flows off the brush like a thick craft paint and keeps crisp edges, so you can paint designs the way you would on paper, yet Mayco calls it a glaze, not an underglaze. Mayco's product page rates it from cone 06 to cone 10 in oxidation or reduction, and lists wet clay, earthenware bisque and stoneware bisque as surfaces. That range means one set works in a low-fire studio kiln and in a cone 6 stoneware firing.
Because it is a glaze, it fires to a finished surface without a clear coat on top, which saves a step for painted tiles, ornaments and mugs. Mayco's brochure describes Stroke & Coat as AP Certified Non-Toxic, food safe and dinnerware safe when used according to the maker's directions. That is the maker's label, not a promise about your pot: results depend on your clay, firing to the stated cone and a sound surface. Mayco also says ware meant for food is best on mid-range or high-fire clay. Kit #1 holds twelve 2 oz jars. Our full Stroke and Coat review covers colors and layering.
- Type: brushable glaze (Mayco)
- Cone range: 06 to 10, oxidation or reduction
- Apply to: wet clay, earthenware bisque or stoneware bisque
- Kit: 12 x 2 oz jars (Kit #1)
- Price band: roughly $55 to $85 for the kit at US dealers in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- Paints like paint, fires like glaze
- Wide cone range
- No separate clear coat needed for many uses
Cons
- It is a glaze, so heavy layers can move a little
- Color count is not stated on Mayco's page
Who should skip it: Anyone without kiln access, and potters who want a matte surface they can carve through (an underglaze suits that better).
2. AMACO Velvet Underglaze: best underglaze to paint under clear
If you want painterly color with a glossy, sealed finish, paint with underglaze and dip or brush a clear glaze over it. AMACO Velvet is the one many studios stock first. AMACO rates it from cone 05 to cone 10 and lists wet clay, greenware and bisque as surfaces, so you can paint at whatever stage suits your work. Left bare it fires to the soft matte finish that gives it its name; under clear glaze the colors deepen.
AMACO says Velvet colors hold an approved food-safety status when applied and fired under its LG-10, F-10 or HF-9 clear glazes. That only applies to the combination the maker names, fired correctly, so treat it as a starting point and not a guarantee. Dealers including Blick and Clay-King say three coats give solid color. The colors intermix, which helps when you want a custom shade from a small set. For more options in this category, our underglaze buying guide compares seven lines.
- Type: underglaze (needs clear glaze for a sealed surface)
- Cone range: 05 to 10 (AMACO)
- Apply to: wet clay, greenware or bisque
- Coats: about three for opaque color (dealer listings)
- Price band: roughly $6 to $10 per 2 oz jar in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- Works on any clay stage
- Wide cone range
- Colors mix
Cons
- Needs a clear glaze firing for a glossy, sealed surface
- Three coats takes time
Who should skip it: Beginners who want one product and one coat-and-fire step; Stroke & Coat is simpler.
3. Speedball Underglaze Sampler Pack: budget fired starter set
The Speedball sampler is a low-risk way to learn fired color. It holds twelve 2 oz jars from a line Speedball rates from cone 05 to cone 10, and the full range runs to 48 colors if you want to add more later. Speedball recommends bisque firing to cone 05 or 04 before applying its glazes and underglazes, so plan to paint on bisque.
Speedball is clear that the underglaze fires matte and is not sealed unless a clear glaze is applied and fired over it. The maker describes the underglazes as suitable for dinnerware when used and fired as directed, which again means under a suitable clear and at the right cone, not bare. The line was reformulated in late 2023 for better brushing, according to Speedball. Choose this set when you are still working out which colors you actually use. For more boxed sets compared side by side, see our planned guide to underglaze sets.
- Type: opaque underglaze
- Cone range: 05 to 10 (Speedball)
- Contents: 12 x 2 oz jars; 48 colors in the full line
- Finish: matte, not sealed without clear glaze
- Price band: roughly $70 to $95 for the pack in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- Good spread of colors
- Wide cone range
- Clear maker guidance on clear glazing
Cons
- Maker pages mention bisque, not greenware
- Coats for opacity not published by the maker
Who should skip it: Potters who already know their palette and want larger jars of a few colors.
4. Duncan Bisq-Stain Opaque Acrylics: best unfired paint for bisque
Bisq-Stain is the classic ceramic-shop acrylic for painting bisque without a kiln. Mayco, which now owns the Duncan line, describes it as water-based acrylic colors that intermix, for base coats, dry brushing, stenciling and sponging. One or more smooth coats give solid coverage on bisque and other craft surfaces, and you can thin it with water. Mayco's page lists 73 colors in 2 oz jars, with 8 oz jars in black and white, and notes that the Softee acrylic line was merged into Bisq-Stain in 2025.
This is the right product for a bisque ornament, a figurine or a garden marker you do not want to fire. It is the wrong product for anything functional. Mayco's own wording is plain: not recommended for dinnerware, for ornamental use only, because the colors are not fired. For extra protection Mayco suggests its brush-on sealers in gloss or matte, though it says sealing is not required. Never put a Bisq-Stained piece in a kiln, and do not paint it over a glaze you plan to fire.
- Type: water-based acrylic, non-fired
- Apply to: bisque and craft surfaces
- Sizes: 2 oz; 8 oz in black and white
- Colors: 73 listed by Mayco
- Price band: roughly $4 to $7 per 2 oz jar in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- No kiln needed
- Dries fast
- Huge color range
- Easy cleanup with water
Cons
- Ornamental only per the maker
- Less durable than any fired surface
- Cannot be fired
Who should skip it: Anyone painting a mug, plate or bowl for use, and anyone with kiln access who wants a permanent finish.
5. Pebeo Porcelaine 150: best bake-on paint for glazed ware
Porcelaine 150 is the bake-on paint people usually mean by "porcelain paint." It is made for decorating already glazed porcelain, earthenware and ceramic, and cures in a home oven. Pebeo's technical sheet says to let the paint dry for at least 24 hours, put the piece in a cold oven, and bake for 35 minutes once the oven reaches 150°C (302°F). Blick's listing gives 300°F (149°C) for 35 minutes. Pebeo says it is not suitable on Pyrex or similar heat-resistant glassware.
After baking, Pebeo says the paint is dishwasher safe and suggests an eco cycle on the top rack for longer life. On food, Pebeo is careful: only surfaces that are not intended to come into contact with food should be decorated, and its migration tests found that accidental contact does not represent a health hazard. In practice that means the outside of a mug below the lip, or the rim band of a display plate, not the eating surface. The range runs to 31 colors plus pastel, matte and shimmer shades, sold in 20 ml and 45 ml bottles and as markers.
- Type: water-based bake-on paint
- Cure: 24 h dry, then 35 min at 150°C (302°F) per Pebeo; Blick says 300°F (149°C)
- Surfaces: glazed porcelain, earthenware, ceramic; not Pyrex
- Sizes: 20 ml and 45 ml bottles, sets and markers
- Price band: roughly $6 to $11 per 45 ml bottle in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- Glossy finish that looks close to glaze
- Maker states dishwasher resistance after baking
- Markers for fine lines
Cons
- Not for food-contact areas
- Far less durable than a fired glaze
- Only for heat-stable surfaces
Who should skip it: Potters decorating their own bisque before glaze firing; use underglaze instead.
6. DecoArt Americana Gloss Enamels: budget bake-on enamel
Americana Gloss Enamels are thick, glossy acrylic enamels in 2 oz bottles that stick to glass, ceramics, wood, plastic and other craft surfaces. They suit painted flowerpots, glazed tiles and gift pieces where you want bright color with no kiln. DecoArt's page lists 17 colors in the standard range, plus a separate metallic set.
For a top-rack dishwasher-safe finish on glass and ceramics, DecoArt's directions include letting the paint cure for 4 days and baking it: place the piece in a cool oven, set it to 325°F (163°C), bake for 30 minutes, then let it cool with the door partly open. That claim covers washing, not eating. In the product Q&A, DecoArt states that none of the paint is food safe. Keep it off lips, eating surfaces and the inside of cups. It is also useful as a cold finish on air-dry clay projects, alongside a sealer.
- Type: water-based acrylic enamel, bake-on optional
- Cure: 4 days, plus 30 min bake at 325°F (163°C) for the dishwasher finish
- Surfaces: glass, ceramics, wood, plastic, resin, papier mache
- Size: 2 oz; 17 colors in the main range
- Price band: roughly $3 to $6 per bottle in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- Cheap
- Sticks to many surfaces
- Maker states a top-rack dishwasher finish after curing and baking
Cons
- DecoArt says none of it is food safe
- Small color range
- Plastic finish scratches more easily than glaze
Who should skip it: Anyone wanting a finish for tableware, and potters with kiln access who want a permanent result.
How to choose ceramic paint for pottery
Use these questions in order. Most wrong purchases come from skipping the first one.
Start with your kiln, or the lack of one
If you fire your own work or rent kiln space, buy fired color: a brushable glaze or underglaze matched to your cone. Check the clay's cone and the glaze's cone agree. A low-fire glaze on cone 6 stoneware can run or blister, and a cone 6 glaze on earthenware will stay underfired. Our low fire glaze guide explains cone 05 to 04 work. If you have no kiln at all, pick an air-dry acrylic for bisque or a bake-on enamel for glazed ware, and accept that the piece is decorative.
What surface you are painting
Underglaze goes on greenware or bisque. Stroke & Coat goes on wet clay or bisque. Acrylic stains such as Bisq-Stain grip bare, porous bisque well. Bake-on paints such as Porcelaine 150 are made for slick, already glazed surfaces, and Golden notes that acrylics on glazed ceramics may scratch off without a good adhesion layer. Clean glazed ware with rubbing alcohol before painting so skin oils do not stop the paint sticking.
Glaze paint for pottery you will eat or drink from
Only fired glaze belongs on a food surface, and even then the label is the maker's claim for its own product under its own directions. Your result depends on the clay, the thickness, firing to the stated cone and a surface without crazing. Our planned food safe glaze guide covers testing. No air-dry or oven-cured paint on this page is labeled for food contact by its maker.
Brushing, coats and finish
Fired underglazes usually need about three coats for opaque color, and they fire matte unless you add clear glaze. Stroke & Coat gives a glossy finish on its own. Acrylics cover in one or two coats and dry to the finish you see. Bake-on enamels dry glossy. Paint thin, even coats in alternating directions with a soft brush, and let each coat dry to the touch before the next.
Sealing unfired paint
A clear acrylic sealer adds some protection to air-dried acrylic but does not make it waterproof or food safe. Golden's testing found a two-part epoxy topcoat held up best on painted bisque that held water, while a water-based polyurethane or acrylic topcoat blanched and could blister or peel with constant water. Planters and vases painted cold should get a waterproof liner inside.
Sizes and price
Fired color costs more per ounce than craft acrylic, but a 2 oz jar of underglaze covers a lot of small pieces. Buy a sampler or a few 2 oz jars first, find the colors you reach for, then move to pints. Check the live price at more than one dealer, since the same jar can vary.
Best paint for clay pottery, by project
| Project | Best choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mug or bowl you threw and will use | Stroke & Coat, or underglaze under a food-labeled clear | Only fired glaze is labeled for dinnerware by its maker |
| Painted tile or ornament, with a kiln | Stroke & Coat or Velvet | Permanent, washable color |
| Bisque ornament, no kiln | Bisq-Stain | Made for bisque, ornamental use |
| Store-bought glazed mug, decorative outside band | Pebeo Porcelaine 150 | Bakes on in a home oven; keep it off the lip and inside |
| Painted flowerpot or craft gift | DecoArt Gloss Enamels | Cheap, sticks to glazed and craft surfaces |
Common mistakes with ceramic paint
- Putting acrylic or bake-on paint in a kiln. It burns off, smokes and can stain shelves and elements.
- Brushing clear glaze over acrylic and firing it. The acrylic burns away under the glaze.
- Painting the lip or inside of a cup with an unfired paint and then drinking from it.
- Mixing up cone 05 and cone 5 glazes. One zero changes the temperature by hundreds of degrees.
- Judging fired color by wet color. Underglaze and glaze often look nothing like the fired result, so fire a test tile.
- Skipping the cleaning step on glazed ware, so bake-on paint peels later.
Safety notes
Read the maker's Safety Data Sheet for every glaze and underglaze, keep jars away from food areas, and wash hands after use. If you mix any glaze from dry powder, wear a NIOSH-approved respirator, because glaze materials contain silica. Clean spills and drips wet, never dry sweep. When baking enamels at home, follow the maker's oven temperature exactly, ventilate the kitchen, and let pieces cool in the oven to avoid cracks. Kilns get very hot outside: follow your kiln maker's clearance and venting rules.
Source note: Pebeo's technical sheet gives the bake as 35 minutes at 150°C (302°F); Blick's listing gives 300°F (149°C). The difference is small, but follow the label on the bottle you buy.
Sources: Mayco Stroke & Coat product page and brochure (maycocolors.com); Mayco Duncan Bisq-Stain page; AMACO Velvet product information via AMACO and Blick and Clay-King listings; Speedball underglazes page (speedballart.com); Pebeo Porcelaine 150 technical sheet (via Jerry's Artarama) and Blick Porcelaine 150 listing; DecoArt Americana Gloss Enamels product page and Q&A (decoart.com); Golden Artist Colors, "Painting on Ceramics with Acrylics" (justpaint.org); Clay-King, "A Beginner's Guide to Ceramics Glazes"; Gathered, "Best ceramic paints"; Ahrefs SERP data for "ceramic glaze paint". Specs checked October 2026.