Underglaze is a type of ceramic color that is applied before the clear glaze and glaze firing. It allows you to paint detailed designs on your pottery and is more durable than brush glazes, as the clear glaze over it protects the design. Unlike regular glaze (brush glaze), underglaze stays where you paint it, without flowing out, making it perfect for precise designs and patterns.

Glaze provides a glossy, glass-like protective surface and can flow together during firing, creating great variations in color and expression. Underglaze is designed for painting and detail work and stays where you place it, as well as allowing you to mix colors in a more precise and controlled way. You can use glaze alone, while underglaze should be topped with a clear glaze to protect the design and make it food-safe.

No, on the contrary! When you compare price per ml, as you do when buying food (kroner per kg/liter), we see that KIWI is actually cheaper than most other brands on the market. We have checked all the competitors' prices and sizes. What we see is that our 100ml bottles, at 1.40kr per ml, are one of the most reasonable on the market. Other brands' underglazes (from 59 ml to 118 ml) cost between 1.50-2.00kr per ml. With KIWI you get more underglaze for your money, plus the fantastic quality and color variation that makes every kroner count extra. It's just like choosing the big yogurt box in the store - you get more value per kroner. The bonus of the larger size of the bottles is also that you don't have to run out of your favorite color in the middle of the project!

KIWI underglazes have a firing range of 1050 to 1260°C (cone 04 to cone 9). The colours are most vibrant when fired to cone 4 or 5 (approx. 1180°C) with a clear glaze over them. At ScandiGlaze, all underglazes are fired to 1240°C.
They work well at both stoneware and earthenware temperatures. Be aware that some colors may fade at higher temperatures, so always do test firings before embarking on larger projects.

KIWI underglaze can be applied to both unfired ceramics (greenware) and unfired ceramics (bisqueware). You have several options:

• Application to unfired ceramic, then raw firing at cone 06 (~1000°C) before application of clear glaze and glaze firing.
• Application to raw fired ceramic, followed by clear glaze and then glaze firing.
• Application to raw fired ceramic, followed by an optional additional raw firing at cone 06 (~1000°C) to "harden" the color before glazing and glaze firing.

For best results and durability, we recommend a clear glaze over KIWI underglazes. After firing, the colors become more intense. When the underglaze is covered with a clear glaze and fired to cone 4 -5 (approx. 1180°C), the colors are at their most vibrant. FYI, our own works under the “inspiration” tab are fired at 1240°C.

Without a clear glaze and fired to around cone 06 (~1000°C) or more, the colors have a matte, velvety surface that is beautiful for sculptural forms and decorative effects where glazing is not necessary. Please note that you must have a clear glaze over the underglaze for it to be considered food safe!

Yes! This is one of the great advantages of underglaze - you can mix all the colors to create your own unique shades. Unlike regular glazes, which are often not mixable, underglazes give you total freedom to experiment with colors.

KIWI underglazes are 100% lead-free and always have been. Some vibrant red and orange shades contain encapsulated cadmium, which means the cadmium is bound with zirconium silicate, making it over 1000 times safer than free cadmium. The glazes are completely safe to use in their liquid form.
For safe use: wash hands and wipe surfaces after use, work in well-ventilated areas (especially when spraying), wear a dust mask when sanding or spraying, and store bottles tightly closed in a dry place away from direct sunlight.

This can be caused by several things: too thick an application (use thin layers to avoid cracking or flaking), dirty brush or sponge (always use a clean brush), or the underglaze was not well mixed (always mix thoroughly before use as underglaze can separate over time). KIWI underglaze bottles are shaken well before use.

Apply the color as thinly as possible in layers to achieve the desired effect. Allow the underglaze to dry completely between each layer and before applying the clear glaze.

Yes! This is one of the advantages of KIWI underglaze. You can apply underglaze to unfired pottery, raw fire it, and then add more color and detail before applying clear glaze and firing again. This gives you the flexibility to build up designs in layers.

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We’ve tested the following clear glazes over KIWI underglaze:

• 1091 Porcelain Glaze (dipping glaze)

• Amaco Mixing Clear Gloss (brush-on glaze)

• Botz Transparent Glaze (brush-on glaze)

• Amaco Clear Zinc-Free (brush-on glaze — useful on dark clay)

There are of course many others that will work as well, so we highly recommend making your own test tiles and firing them in your kiln using your own firing schedule.