A very open sector
A bowl flares far more than a cup: its wall unrolls into a wide arc, drawn with a compass from a single centre. Rolled up, it gives the exact cone.
which shape?
It opens straight in the tool.
guidesAll guides
The workshop journal, sorted by need.
Starting without a wheel4
Accurate templates4
Going further3
FREE PATTERN · PRINT AT ACTUAL SIZE
Printable ceramic bowl template
A printable bowl template for pottery: the tool works out the wall and the base to your measurements
Make a template
Ø 140 mm
R 293 · 95°
12% shrinkage
SLAB BUILDING · NO WHEEL
SHRINKAGE BUILT IN · A4 & LETTER PDF
— WHAT YOU PRINT
Two pieces, to your measurements
The measurements you enter become a flat pattern, ready to cut.
Assembly sheetBowl · Ø 140 × 110 mm12% shrinkage — templates at 113.6%
The disc that closes it
Its diameter lands exactly on the small edge of the rolled wall. The bowl closes with no patching.
Two pieces, one bowl
No handle, no profile: the rolled wall is joined onto the base. The ideal first slab project.
● Founders template
Espresso cup & saucer, on the house
Leave your email and I'll send it over:
- 🏺The complete board for the set: cup, saucer and order of work
- 📐From the next version of the tool — it exists nowhere else
- ✉️After that, I only write when I have something useful
PITFALL NO. 1
Your bowl comes out smaller than planned
−12%
Clay shrinks 10 to 15% as it dries and fires. A template drawn to the finished size always gives a bowl that is too small — the most common hand-building mistake, and you only see it when the kiln opens.
You enter the size of the finished piece: the tool works out the rest.
That’s where a fixed PDF falls short
A downloaded pattern only works for one clay and one size. Here, change one value and everything recalculates.
— IN PRACTICE
Three steps
Nothing to install, no account. Your browser is enough — keep the computer for printing.
1
Your measurements, your clay
Enter the diameter, the height, the slab thickness and your clay’s shrinkage. The template updates live.
2
Print at 100%
Print your pottery template at 100% — never “fit to page”. A 50 mm check bar on every sheet lets you verify the scale with a ruler.
3
Lay out and cut
Paper on the slab, knife around it. The wall rolls around the base, with bevelled seams joined with slip.
— FOR REFERENCE
Common bowl sizes
Start from these, then adjust to your clay and your tests.
| Bowl | Ø top / base | Height | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice bowl | 115 / 55 mm | 60 mm | ≈ 6 fl oz (18 cl) |
| Cereal bowl | 140 / 70 mm | 70 mm | ≈ 12 fl oz (35 cl) |
| Soup bowl | 150 / 75 mm | 80 mm | ≈ 17 fl oz (50 cl) |
| Ramen bowl | 180 / 85 mm | 95 mm | ≈ 30 fl oz (90 cl) |
| Salad bowl | 240 / 110 mm | 110 mm | ≈ 68 fl oz (2 l) |
Usable capacity for a 5 mm slab, filled to 1 cm below the rim. Suggested thickness: 5–6 mm for a bowl, 6–8 mm for a salad bowl.
— FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What people ask me
How do you make a ceramic bowl without a wheel?
With slabs. Roll out a 5–6 mm slab, cut the wall (a ring sector) and the base (a disc), then roll the wall around the base and join the seams with slip. The template gives you both pieces at your measurements.
Why isn’t a bowl wall a rectangle?
A flared bowl is a truncated cone. Unrolled flat, its wall is part of a ring: two arcs sharing one centre and two straight edges. A rolled rectangle would give you a cylinder, not a bowl.
What slab thickness for a bowl?
5 to 6 mm for a table bowl, 6 to 8 mm for a salad bowl. The tool accounts for thickness so the wall and the base meet without trimming.
How do you stop a slab bowl from warping?
Assemble the wall at leather-hard, support it while it sets (an upturned bowl or a roll of card works), then dry it slowly under plastic.
Is the template maker free?
Yes, it’s free and needs no sign-up. Set your measurements, then export a PDF or print directly.
Who made Gabarits Céramique?
Louis Coffin, a product designer and potter, built Gabarits Céramique to stop working out patterns by hand. Read the story on the About page.
Which formats can I export?
You can print directly or export your template as PDF or SVG.
Which shapes can I make?
The library includes cups, mugs, bowls, chawans, plates, serving dishes, bottles, jugs, boxes and vases. Every shape adjusts to your measurements.
Do I need a pottery wheel?
No. The templates are made for slab building, no wheel needed.
Is US Letter supported?
Yes, the tool offers US Letter as well as A4. Pick the size that matches your printer before exporting.
What if I don’t know my clay’s shrinkage?
Check your clay’s data sheet or measure a test tile after firing. Then enter the shrinkage in the tool and fine-tune with your tests.
What print scale should I use?
Print at 100% and check the 50 mm bar. The PDF is designed to give an actual-size template.
— READY TO CUT
Your bowl, made to measure.
Thirty seconds to set the measurements, one sheet of paper to print it.
Free
No sign-up
A4 & Letter PDF
FREE · PRINT AT ACTUAL SIZE
Printable ceramic bowl template
The tool works out the wall and the base to your measurements, shrinkage included.
Ø 140 mm
12% shrinkage
— WHAT YOU PRINT
Two pieces, to your measurements
Two pieces: the wall, a ring sector (an unrolled truncated cone, not a rectangle), and the base, a disc. The tool works out both from the measurements you enter.
Assembly sheetBowl · Ø 140 × 110 mm12% shrinkage — templates at 113.6%
A very open sector
A bowl flares far more than a cup: its wall unrolls into a wide arc, drawn with a compass from a single centre. Rolled up, it gives the exact cone.
The disc that closes it
Its diameter lands exactly on the small edge of the rolled wall. The bowl closes with no patching.
Two pieces, one bowl
No handle, no profile: the rolled wall is joined onto the base. The ideal first slab project.
● Founders template
Espresso cup & saucer, on the house
Leave your email and I'll send it over:
- 🏺The complete board for the set: cup, saucer and order of work
- 📐From the next version of the tool — it exists nowhere else
- ✉️After that, I only write when I have something useful
PITFALL NO. 1
−12%
Your bowl comes out smaller than planned
Clay shrinks 10 to 15% as it dries and fires. A template drawn to the finished size always gives a bowl that is too small — the most common hand-building mistake, and you only see it when the kiln opens.
You enter the size of the finished piece: the tool works out the rest.
That’s where a fixed PDF falls short
Here, change one measurement and see the matching flat pattern straight away.
— IN PRACTICE
Three steps
Keep the computer close, then head to the workbench.
1
Your measurements, your clay
Shrinkage depends on your clay: enter it to get an accurate template.
2
Print at 100%
Never “fit to page”. A 50 mm check bar on every sheet lets you verify the scale with a ruler.
3
Lay out and cut
Paper on the slab, knife around it. The wall rolls around the base, with bevelled seams joined with slip.
FOR REFERENCE
Common bowl sizes
If you’re not sure which shrinkage to use, start from the value given by your clay supplier.
| Bowl | Ø top / base | Height | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice bowl | 115 / 55 mm | 60 mm | ≈ 6 fl oz (18 cl) |
| Cereal bowl | 140 / 70 mm | 70 mm | ≈ 12 fl oz (35 cl) |
| Soup bowl | 150 / 75 mm | 80 mm | ≈ 17 fl oz (50 cl) |
| Ramen bowl | 180 / 85 mm | 95 mm | ≈ 30 fl oz (90 cl) |
| Salad bowl | 240 / 110 mm | 110 mm | ≈ 68 fl oz (2 l) |
Usable capacity for a 5 mm slab, filled to 1 cm below the rim. Suggested thickness: 5–6 mm for a bowl, 6–8 mm for a salad bowl.
— FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What people ask me
How do you make a ceramic bowl without a wheel?
With slabs. Roll out a 5–6 mm slab, cut the wall (a ring sector) and the base (a disc), then roll the wall around the base and join the seams with slip. The template gives you both pieces at your measurements.
Why isn’t a bowl wall a rectangle?
A flared bowl is a truncated cone. Unrolled flat, its wall is part of a ring: two arcs sharing one centre and two straight edges. A rolled rectangle would give you a cylinder, not a bowl.
What slab thickness for a bowl?
5 to 6 mm for a table bowl, 6 to 8 mm for a salad bowl. The tool accounts for thickness so the wall and the base meet without trimming.
How do you stop a slab bowl from warping?
Assemble the wall at leather-hard, support it while it sets (an upturned bowl or a roll of card works), then dry it slowly under plastic.
Is the template maker free?
Yes, it’s free and needs no sign-up. Set your measurements, then export a PDF or print directly.
Who made Gabarits Céramique?
Louis Coffin, a product designer and potter, built Gabarits Céramique to stop working out patterns by hand. Read the story on the About page.
Which formats can I export?
You can print directly or export your template as PDF or SVG.
Which shapes can I make?
The library includes cups, mugs, bowls, chawans, plates, serving dishes, bottles, jugs, boxes and vases. Every shape adjusts to your measurements.
Do I need a pottery wheel?
No. The templates are made for slab building, no wheel needed.
Is US Letter supported?
Yes, the tool offers US Letter as well as A4. Pick the size that matches your printer before exporting.
What if I don’t know my clay’s shrinkage?
Check your clay’s data sheet or measure a test tile after firing. Then enter the shrinkage in the tool and fine-tune with your tests.
What print scale should I use?
Print at 100% and check the 50 mm bar. The PDF is designed to give an actual-size template.
— READY TO CUT
Your bowl, made to measure.
Thirty seconds to set the measurements, one sheet of paper to print it.
Free
No sign-up
A4 & Letter PDF