A sector, not a rectangle
The wall of a flared cup unrolls flat into part of a ring. Rolled up, it gives the exact cone.
which shape?
It opens straight in the tool.
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The workshop journal, sorted by need.
Starting without a wheel4
Accurate templates4
Going further3
FREE PATTERN · PRINT AT ACTUAL SIZE
Printable ceramic cup template
A printable cup and mug template for pottery: the tool works out the wall, the base and the handle to your measurements
Make a template
Ø 85 × 95 mm
handle 128 × 22
12% shrinkage
SLAB BUILDING · NO WHEEL
SHRINKAGE BUILT IN · A4 & LETTER PDF
— WHAT YOU PRINT
Three pieces, to your measurements
The measurements you enter become a flat pattern, ready to cut.
Assembly sheetCup · Ø 85 × 95 mm12% shrinkage — templates at 113.6%
The disc that closes it
Its diameter lands exactly on the bottom of the rolled wall. The cup closes with no patching.
A strip and its profile
The unrolled strip plus a C-shaped curve template, so the handle fits the hand, not just the cup.
● 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 cup 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 cup 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. Large pieces print across several sheets, with assembly marks included.
— FOR REFERENCE
Common cup and mug sizes
Start from these, then adjust to your clay and your tests.
| Cup | Ø top | Height | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 60 mm | 55 mm | ≈ 3 fl oz (8 cl) |
| Coffee cup | 75 mm | 70 mm | ≈ 6 fl oz (18 cl) |
| Mug | 85 mm | 95 mm | ≈ 11 fl oz (33 cl) |
| Large mug | 92 mm | 105 mm | ≈ 15 fl oz (45 cl) |
| Tea bowl (chawan) | 120 mm | 75 mm | ≈ 14 fl oz (40 cl) |
Suggested slab thickness: 4–6 mm for a cup, 5–7 mm for a large mug.
— FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What people ask me
How do you make a ceramic mug without a wheel?
With slabs. Roll out a 5 mm slab, cut the wall, the base and the handle strip, roll the wall around the base, then attach the handle. The template gives you all three pieces at your measurements.
Why is a cup wall shaped like an arc?
A cup that’s wider at the rim than at the base is a truncated cone. Unrolled flat, its wall is part of a ring, not a rectangle. Only a straight-sided mug unrolls into a rectangle.
How do you attach a handle to a slab mug?
Bend the handle strip over the C-shaped template and let it firm up. When the cup and the handle are equally leather-hard, score and slip both joins, then press the handle on.
What size should a mug template be?
A mug about 85 mm across and 95 mm tall holds around 11 fl oz; about 92 × 105 mm gives 15 fl oz. Enter the finished size: the tool adds the shrinkage.
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 cup, 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 cup template
The tool works out the wall, the base and the handle to your measurements, shrinkage included.
Ø 85 × 95 mm
12% shrinkage
— WHAT YOU PRINT
Three pieces, to your measurements
A slab-built cup is three cut pieces. The tool works out all three from the measurements you enter — not from a standard size someone else picked.
Assembly sheetCup · Ø 85 × 95 mm12% shrinkage — templates at 113.6%
A sector, not a rectangle
The wall of a flared cup unrolls flat into part of a ring. Rolled up, it gives the exact cone.
The disc that closes it
Its diameter lands exactly on the bottom of the rolled wall. The cup closes with no patching.
A strip and its profile
The unrolled strip plus a C-shaped curve template, so the handle fits the hand, not just the cup.
● 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 cup 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 cup 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. Large pieces print across several sheets, with assembly marks included.
FOR REFERENCE
Common cup and mug sizes
If you’re not sure which shrinkage to use, start from the value given by your clay supplier.
| Cup | Ø top | Height | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 60 mm | 55 mm | ≈ 3 fl oz (8 cl) |
| Coffee cup | 75 mm | 70 mm | ≈ 6 fl oz (18 cl) |
| Mug | 85 mm | 95 mm | ≈ 11 fl oz (33 cl) |
| Large mug | 92 mm | 105 mm | ≈ 15 fl oz (45 cl) |
| Tea bowl (chawan) | 120 mm | 75 mm | ≈ 14 fl oz (40 cl) |
Suggested slab thickness: 4–6 mm for a cup, 5–7 mm for a large mug.
— FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What people ask me
How do you make a ceramic mug without a wheel?
With slabs. Roll out a 5 mm slab, cut the wall, the base and the handle strip, roll the wall around the base, then attach the handle. The template gives you all three pieces at your measurements.
Why is a cup wall shaped like an arc?
A cup that’s wider at the rim than at the base is a truncated cone. Unrolled flat, its wall is part of a ring, not a rectangle. Only a straight-sided mug unrolls into a rectangle.
How do you attach a handle to a slab mug?
Bend the handle strip over the C-shaped template and let it firm up. When the cup and the handle are equally leather-hard, score and slip both joins, then press the handle on.
What size should a mug template be?
A mug about 85 mm across and 95 mm tall holds around 11 fl oz; about 92 × 105 mm gives 15 fl oz. Enter the finished size: the tool adds the shrinkage.
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 cup, made to measure.
Thirty seconds to set the measurements, one sheet of paper to print it.
Free
No sign-up
A4 & Letter PDF