Pick to Sell #2 — The “No-Surprises” Ceramic Spec Sheet
A lot of ceramic décor fails for one reason:
You thought you were buying a product.
But you were actually buying a range of interpretations.
One batch comes in perfect.
The next batch shows up… and suddenly your matte glaze looks glossy, your “warm white” looks gray, and the rim chips if you breathe on it.
That’s not “bad luck.” That’s a missing spec sheet.
This article is your seller-ready playbook for writing a ceramic spec that protects your margins, reviews, and—most importantly—repeat orders.
The seller truth: Your spec sheet is your profit sheet
When ceramics goes wrong, it goes wrong in predictable places:
Glaze drift (matte → semi-gloss, reactive glaze “goes wild”)
Color drift (your beige becomes green-beige under warm light)
Size/shape variance (sets stop stacking; lids don’t fit)
Surface defects (pinholes, crawling, glaze pooling)
Breakage (packaging wasn’t built for real shipping)
So the goal isn’t perfection. The goal is controlled consistency.
Why Teruier cares about specs
This is where Teruier’s cross-border design + manufacturing collaboration model shows its value in plain English:
We don’t just “source ceramics.”
We translate market intent (what sellers need to sell) into production language (what factories need to execute).
And in a craft hub like Fuzhou—where the region’s long craft history shaped how people treat finishing and detail—the difference between “nice sample” and “repeatable SKU” comes down to whether you lock the craft into a system.
Fuzhou’s strength isn’t only romance and tradition (bodiless lacquerware, oil-paper umbrellas, horn combs—real craft culture). It’s the three supply chains that make ceramics scalable:
Artisan chain: hands that understand finish and detail
Material chain: stable clay/glaze/packaging inputs
Process chain: repeatable steps, QC discipline, delivery coordination
Specs are what connect those three chains to your storefront.
The No-Surprises Spec Sheet (copy + paste template)
Below is a seller-friendly template. Use it for ceramic decor wholesale orders, whether you’re working with a custom ceramics manufacturer or a trading partner.
1) Product identity (what exactly is this SKU?)
SKU name + short description (one sentence)
Intended use: vase / bowl / tray / candle holder / décor set
Indoor use only? Decorative only? Food-safe required? (Only specify if you truly need it.)
Seller tip: If you don’t need food-safe, don’t accidentally request it—it can change materials, testing, and cost.
2) Dimensions + tolerance (stop “almost the same” sets)
Target dimensions (H × W × opening diameter / base diameter)
Tolerance rule: e.g., ±3mm for height/diameter, ±5mm for larger pieces
For sets: nesting/stacking requirement (must nest smoothly / must sit level)
Why it matters: A 5mm drift can turn a “set of 3” into “3 random singles.”
3) Weight range (protect shipping economics)
Target weight (per piece)
Acceptable range: e.g., ±5% or ±50g depending on size
Max weight cap (if shipping is your margin killer)
Seller tip: Weight is where ceramics quietly destroys profit. Lock it early.
4) Material & body (control breakage and feel)
Material: stoneware / ceramic / porcelain (use your intended body)
Wall thickness preference (if relevant)
Base finishing requirement (smooth base, no sharp edges, table-safe)
5) Glaze + finish (the #1 reason sellers get returns)
Define finish in a way a factory can execute:
Finish type: matte / satin / glossy / reactive / crackle
Texture: smooth / sand-texture / ribbed / hand-formed look
Coverage: full glaze / partial glaze / unglazed bottom ring requirement
Reference photos: provide 2–3 “must match” angles (front, top, close-up)
If matte matters: say it clearly:
“Matte finish is critical. Must not shift to semi-gloss under light.”
6) Color control (the “warm white problem”)
Color is not a word. It’s a range.
Target color reference: physical sample preferred, or closest color reference
Allowed drift: “small batch variation ok” vs “tight consistency required”
Lighting check: evaluate under warm indoor light and daylight
Seller move: require a pre-production sample (PPS) approval for color-sensitive SKUs.
7) Defect rules (what you will reject)
Write your reject list. Keep it clear.
Common ceramic defect definitions:
Pinholes above X size (e.g., >1mm visible on main surface)
Glaze crawling / bare spots on main viewing surface
Glaze pooling visible on rim
Cracks (obvious reject)
Wobble test (must sit stable, no rocking)
Sharp edges (rim must be smooth to touch)
Logo/marking placement (if any)
Seller tip: Don’t demand “zero defects.” Demand defect boundaries.
The 4 QC checkpoints that make ceramics reorder
Don’t QC only at the end. QC is a pipeline.
QC 1 — Raw body check (before glaze)
Warping, symmetry, wall thickness
Base flatness (prevent wobble)
QC 2 — Glaze application check
Evenness, drips, pooling, bare spots
Texture consistency for sets
QC 3 — Post-firing check (appearance + function)
Color consistency under two lighting conditions
Rim smoothness and touch feel
Fit for sets (nesting/lids)
QC 4 — Packing drop logic (before mass shipping)
Carton integrity + inner protection
Random drop-test thinking (not fancy lab stuff—real handling reality)
This is where Teruier tends to prevent pain: we treat QC like a seller-facing system, not a factory afterthought—because we plan for replenishment from day one.
Packaging rules that actually reduce breakage
Ceramics doesn’t need “more packaging.” It needs correct packaging.
Inner pack (piece-level protection)
Each piece individually protected (foam/bubble + corner protection)
No ceramic-to-ceramic contact
Rim and corners protected first (that’s where damage starts)
Master carton (shipping-level protection)
Strong outer carton (thicker board for ceramics)
Proper void fill so items don’t “travel”
Orientation marking if shape is sensitive
Reality check: packaging must match the channel
If you’re shipping DTC or to marketplaces, packaging must survive rough handling. If you’re shipping palletized B2B, you can optimize differently.
Seller move: ask for packaging photos and carton dimensions before final approval.
The “Reorder Readiness” test (quick checklist)
Before you place your first real PO, ask:
Can the factory repeat the glaze and color consistently?
Do we have tolerance rules (size + weight)?
Are defect boundaries defined?
Do we have QC checkpoints—not just final inspection?
Is packaging designed for real shipping?
If “no” to any of these, you don’t have a SKU yet—you have a prototype.
Wrap-up: The best ceramic SKU is the one you can control
Ceramics is a craft product. That’s why it sells.
But selling is not the hard part—reordering is.
A clear spec sheet is how sellers turn a beautiful idea into a stable business.
And that’s also why “craft country” matters: in Fuzhou’s craft ecosystem—where artisan skill, material stability, and process discipline live in one place—your spec sheet doesn’t fight the supply chain. It activates it.
Next article teaser (Pick to Sell #3)
Next we’ll go straight into seller strategy:
“Good-Better-Best for Ceramics: How to Build a Line That Upsells and Reorders”
Because the fastest way to grow isn’t adding more SKUs—
it’s building an assortment that sells together.
