Creating an account

1

Go to the auth page

Visit slabstudio.diabloatelier.com/slabstudio_auth and click "Sign Up".

2

Enter your details

First name, last name, email, and a password. All new accounts are on the free beta plan — no credit card required.

3

Start making templates

You'll be taken to your dashboard. Click "New template" to open the tool.


Your first template

The tool is a 6-step wizard. You can always go back to any step by clicking the step indicators at the top.

1

Setup

Name your design, choose your clay body (or enter custom shrinkage), and set the dimensions — height and maximum width in centimetres.

2

Profile

Draw the silhouette of your vessel. Click and drag the control points on the profile curve. The 3D preview updates in real time.

3

Facets

Choose round (0 faces) or faceted. For faceted forms, set the number of sides. The 3D viewer shows the result — left drag to spin, right drag to roll.

4

Library

Optionally save this shape to your personal library for future use.

5

Generate

Choose A4 or A3 paper size and click Generate. Your templates appear as panel cards ready to download.

6

Decorate

Optionally add patterns, freehand drawings, or imported images to your templates before printing.


Downloading & printing

Always print at 100% scale. Do not use "Fit to page" in your printer dialog — this will scale your templates and they won't match your clay dimensions.

After generating, click Download PDF to get all panels as a single PDF. You can also download individual panels. Print on standard A4 or A3 paper. Cut along the outer edge of each panel.


Understanding shrinkage compensation

Clay shrinks during drying and firing. A vessel you build at 20cm tall may finish at 17.6cm after a cone 10 stoneware firing (12% shrinkage). SlabStudio compensates for this automatically — your templates are already oversized by the correct amount so the fired piece matches your target dimensions.

Common shrinkage rates

  • Stoneware (cone 6-10): 10–13% — use 12% as a starting point
  • Porcelain: 12–15%
  • Earthenware: 6–10%
  • Terracotta: 5–8%
Calibrate your clay: Make a 10cm test tile, fire it, measure again. The difference is your shrinkage rate. Enter this exact rate in SlabStudio for precise results.

Panels and arc strips

A round slab-built vessel is constructed from curved strip panels — each one is a section of a conical or cylindrical surface. SlabStudio calculates the exact geometry of each strip so that when assembled, they form a smooth, closed surface.

If your vessel profile changes direction (e.g. widens then narrows), SlabStudio automatically splits it into independent strips at each inflection point. Each strip is generated as a separate template panel.


A4 vs A3 paper

Large vessels may require multiple A4 sheets per panel — the tool tiles them automatically with alignment marks. Switching to A3 reduces the sheet count by roughly half and is recommended for vessels over 25cm tall or wide. You will need an A3-capable printer for A3 output.

Video tutorials

@Slab_Studio on TikTok
New tutorials posted regularly on TikTok. Watch them here or follow @diabloatelier for the latest. Each video covers a specific technique or feature of SlabStudio.

Frequently asked questions

Get in touch

We typically respond within one business day.

Email support

For account issues, billing questions, or anything that needs a real conversation.

hello@diabloatelier.com

Response time

We aim to reply within 24 hours Monday–Friday. Weekend replies may take longer.

Send a message

Community gallery

Share your vessel designs and see what other potters are making with SlabStudio.

Visit gallery

Feature requests

Have an idea for SlabStudio? We read every suggestion. Email us with "Feature idea:" in the subject.

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