From Chaos to Clarity: AI for Your Glaze Log

You photograph every test. You scribble notes. Yet, finding that perfect, runny blue glaze from last year is a dig through a disconnected pile of images and notebooks. The subjective "cranberry red" in your LED-lit studio is a different beast in sunlight. This data disconnection is the silent time-sink for every potter.

The Core Principle: Structured Visual Logging

The solution isn't more notes; it's better structure. Treat every glaze test like a scientific sample. By creating a consistent, richly tagged visual log, you transform subjective photos into searchable, objective data. This structure is the prerequisite for any future automation, turning your archive into a query-able database.

Your Foundational Tool: Obsidian (or Notion)

Start with a free digital notebook like Obsidian. Its purpose is to be the central hub where your glaze's image, recipe data, and firing log live as linked entries. It turns your scattered data into a connected knowledge graph.

Mini-Scenario: Before mixing a production batch, you review the visual log for "Shino-01." The linked image shows minor pinholes in last month's test. Your note from then says "sieving helped." You now know to sieve twice.

Implementation: Three High-Level Steps

1. Standardize Your Stage: Commit to a simple, non-reflective backdrop—a mid-grey matte card is ideal. Use it for every single test shot, pre- and post-firing. This eliminates lighting and background inconsistency.
2. Tag and Link Relentlessly: Upon logging, add at least five descriptive tags (#carbon_trap, #crystalline, #cone6). Assign a unique Test ID (e.g., 250415-Shino01). In Obsidian, create a new note with this ID and link it to your master recipe file.
3. Log Objective Data First: In your new note, immediately fill in the objective fields: Recipe ID, Firing Log (cone, atmosphere, peak temp), and observed Performance (crazing, running, fit). Use objective color descriptions like "rutile blue breakout on iron amber base."

Key Takeaways

Consistent visual documentation on a neutral stage breaks the disconnection between image and data. Using a tool like Obsidian to enforce tagging and linking creates a structured, searchable glaze library. This system enables you to move from hunting through photos to querying your results, setting the stage for true AI-powered analysis and consistency tracking.