Translucent Polymer Clay - Premo, Kato, Fimo, Sculpey III 

Thank you for the testing. You are 1 of the main people I go to for information and have yet to be disappointed. Thanks for helping all of us knew folks and the others to!

Thanks. This is exactly the information I was looking for. Wonderful to find it. Love that you went into such detail and tested the strength as well.

I have been looking for a good comparison video ALL DAY. This is the only video I have seen with even a decent comparison. I do appreciate the controlled variables as well. Thanks so much! Do more comparisons if you haven't already!

I have been using clay for a long time now, and some of your tips I managed to figure out on my own, but others you have just helped me so much on improving my products. With a new baby I dont always have the time and money to test these things for myself so I am very grateful I found your channel. Just overnight you have increased the quality of my things :D

Yes definitely try Fimo or Premo. You will be very happy with the results! Just so you know, Premo is my favourite because the colours are based on the artist pigment palette and mix with predictable results. But Fimo is a quality product as well, so it's your choice as which is better for you.

Cindy, you are such a joy to watch and learn from! I love your upbeat attitude throughout each video, and your hubs does a great job with the filming (very important). I look forward to all the tips and tricks you have yet to come. Thanks for being so great at what you do!

This was an excellent and Much needed comparison of the translucent clays. I've been doing some work with faux stone and love the translucent clays!

I am new to polymer clay and I really love your videos...they are so informative and helpful to me. Thank you for puttiing this information out there for all of us new to the world of polymer clay.

Have watched many of your instruction videos and found them to be very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to do these experiments and sharing your experiences.

This is a great video. I've been doing research about different clays and found that Premo Sculpey/Accents, Sculpey Ultralight and Kato Polyclay are going to be the three brands I'm gonna be getting since they seem to work the best for what I want to do. This really helped me narrow down what I should get. Can't wait to get to creating stuff.

Cindy..Thank you for sharing all the info that you do ! I love working with the polymer clay and you have taught me soooo much

Very Helpful for a newbie just starting out and trying to decide which clay to purchase! Thank you :)

Hi Cindy, I always love your videos. They have been very helpful and informative. I just want to mention that Kato Clay also has two different translucent clays, translucent and translucent white. The white is much whiter

Hi AnthiemRose, I baked all the samples for one hour because I have found that they are much stronger when they are baked for longer than the package says. You are right about Sculpey discoloring if baked longer... but if you don't bake long enough it breaks (as you will see in the "10 minutes is Not Enough" video) These are a couple of reasons why I like Premo WAY more than Sculpey. I can bake it long enough to be strong and it won't discolor if you tent it. Watch my other videos to learn more.

Thank you for making this video Cindy, I quickly gave you a "like" because doing experiments like this saves money for artists that aren't sure what they should be buying on the every growing hobby market. As a newbie I purchased Kato telling myself it was the most expensive it must be the best, well if it was true didn't matter, the clay was impossible to work with for me. I ran into the snapping issue displayed here. I know from this I'll try Premo for my translucent purchase!

This is a very interesting comparison, thank you for all your videos! One note I have is that I tested a very very old piece of Fimo Transparent and even on the thinnest setting I wasn't able to break it. It is true that it might have been in a batch I baked at a higher temperature (new oven and no over thermometer at the time). I guess I need to test more this idea of baking at higher temperatures, because almost all my old clays (some 6-8 years old), softened with baby oil, turned out very very strong (it did darken them, though).

Thank you so much for this! I use to work with polymer clay years and years ago before translucent colors were really available. I found myself in need of making a custom earring set and wanted part of it transparentish. It's been so long since I worked with the clay that I didn't know what, if anything, has changed and how translucent the translucent clays really are. Your video answered my question, and also showed the durability, which is also something I didn't even consider until I watched your video. You are also a pleasure to watch, so I'm off to bring myself up to speed with your other videos!

this was so helpful! I wasn't sure which would be best for some of my upcoming projects.

I did found it very helpful, I'm so happy I bought the right brand for the right project! thank you

Hi Penny Marsh, translucent clay is one of my favorite polymer clays. Although it isn't completely clear, it is semi-transparent and allows a lot of light into it, which makes colors looks wonderful. If it is thin enough it can be quite clear and makes a great glassy and protective layer for many techniques such as my Faux Labradorite technique. Go to my blog (link in description) and do a search on translucent clay and you'll see all the cool things you can do with it!

i love your reviews!!! you answered so many questions that i was thinking. keep up the great work!

Hi miirandaatje, those 'wierd stain bubbles' in your Fimo Translucent are often called Moons or Moonies by the claying community and are caused by a process called plaqueing. Basically it is a small separation in layers, usually caused by moisture. Fimo does that more than any of the other brands. It actually is a benefit when making faux stones because it looks more realistic. To minimize them, keep your hands dry and don't overwork your clay. Thanks for commenting!

Hi MontyVonT - there is lots of info at my blog (link in description) about the different brands of clay and what they are best suited for.

Hi MitsukiChanEtc, Fimo bakes at a much lower temp than most of the other brands of clay. Although I do like to bake my pieces longer than the time it says on the package, I always bake that the temperature that it says. If your clay is discolouring, it means your oven is too hot. It sounds like the dial on your oven is wrong (most are), you need to get a separate oven thermometer to make sure that your oven is at the right temperature. For more baking info go to my blog. (Link in description).

Awesome video as always Cindy! Do you have any information available for the best way to condition translucent clay to help with plaque deposits, bubbles, etc?

Hi alecitalindis, although I prefer to only use Premo, it definitely improves the qualities of SculpeyIII if you mix some Premo in it. It is a good what to use up your Sculpey if you are switching over.

Hi BlackDawnYaoiLover , the packaging for Sculpey III and Premo is the same in Canada as it is in the States. The packs that look different are the older ones.

Thank you Cindy! Was very helpful thank you for sharing!!! Liz x

I always try to bake my clay for up to an hour, however I have found white clays yellow when they are over baked, so it would be interesting to see this repeated following the manufacturers guidance. However, I like the fact you did this, elements were really helpful, like the clarities :)

Hi Alyssa Nuguid, yes you can add colored clay to translucent to make colored translucent clay. You need to be careful not to add too much or you'll lose the transparency. You can use alcohol ink instead if you wish. Just add a little at a time till you get the color you want. Let the ink dry before mixing in tho, or it will get sticky. Have fun!

Thank you so much for a great video! I'm just getting interested in working with polymer clay, and this is a HUGE help. I'll do a search, but have you ever used alcohol ink on polymer? If so, did you like the results?

hi! love your videos! I had problem with premo aacent, every time I bake it, see little flakes, do you have any idea why?

Hi Cindy! I'm pretty new to claying and I've bought all Sculpey III clays. I've just watched your video and will be purchasing a better brand for the future. If I leached some of the oil from the Sculpey, would that make it stronger?

Wow I am so trying the baking soda thing!?! Great idea thanks! One thing for sure, this test you did lets us know how AMAZING that Fimo translucent is to come out that clear/white after baking a whole hour! That says a lot about the product. I might use that in combination with Premo for jewelry. I really do appreciate these tests you do!

Oh and I wanted to ask, What are your thoughts on quenching?

Very helpful and eye-opening. Thank you!

Have you done another test of the Kato at their recommended temp and baking time? If so, then how did it compare?

Just found this video and thank you for uploading it, as I wondered about the different clays. I found exactly as you found, but did this before I knew you had already taken care of this. Two other things I found ... the Kato, at the recommended temp with longer bake time was very, very hard and I couldn't break it (thicker sample at about 6 cards). The other thing I found and for me, a deal breaker, is the difficult and lengthy conditioning process. Geez ... Kato took a long time to condition and due to that, I returned 18 packages of Kato clay and will stick with my Premo. LOL. Thank you again for your video.

Definitely helpful! Thanks so much :D Liked and subscribed!

Sorry i have a question about Premo brand? usually every time i bake my clay in the oven i found crack on my piece and it makes so angry after working long hours. i never had this problem before with Fimo brand. i did exactly as the package says (preheat my oven to 275 degree and then put my piece inside and let bake for about 30 min) and also the premo clay that i have are usually dry and hard to work with so i always soften it with baby oil, Fimo liquid gel or Sculpey bake and bond. Also i want to let you know that i always use corn flower when my piece become stickier. So i don't know if thats the problem?

Hi, I've just finished my keyring with fimo transcluent 014. But it turned out to be yellow, even orange. I was so disappointed and sad because I worked on it so hard. I baked it on 110°C as the label says. But when I count your °F, it is 135°C. I'm going to use that next time, it seemed to work for you. Label also said 30 minutes and that is the time I used. Do you think that if I baked it for longer/shorter amount of time, it would be okay? Or was it the temperature? Help appreciated ^^

Hi TaeKeyLove00, generally Kato Polyclay is firmer than most brands, but you will find that all the brands can have inconsistencies with firmness. It depends on the batch, how fresh it is and how it was stored. I have bought two blocks of the same color clay, at the same time and had one block very firm and one block soft and squishy. As a clayer, you just need to learn how to deal with it, by leaching or softening... depending on what you need.

love your video. what can the translucent clay used for?

Thanks for the comparisons. I've been wondering about whether clay can ever be transparent or translucent.

Great breakdown on the different properties that the different brands of polymer clays exhibit; the most informative I've been able to find. I'm wondering now if you also have one regarding the pros/cons of using each them, IE: what kinds of projects each may be best suited for and why. Thanks for sharing what you know! Mz VonTwiz

hi do you think it is possible to color this clay?particulary fimo or premo, and keeping the translucency? Thx :)

Hi I was wondering does translucent clay have a harder consistency than a normal colored clay or something, because I have tried Kato translucent Polyclay and it was very hard to use or is Kato Polyclay just hard in general? And I didn't really want to buy another Kato Polyclay because I was scared of the consistency being as hard as the translucent clay was.

Oh! Thank-you so much for this test!!!

Do you think there is a difference between the premo white translucent and the regular premo translucent ?

Hi..i want to create a translucent looking creature for a stop animation movie. Is there a clear or semi clear moldable clay or material you could recommend where I could make changes in the appearance from frame to frame? Thanks.

I feel like you deserve way more then 6,000 subscribers for some reason

Bro no one did clay earrings back then then now days ypur video was very helpful thank you 🤘🏼🌸

Hi Cindy, I'm totally sold on the Premo. I just have one question though. what about shine? I'm exploring doll making. The one thing I don't like about Fimo is the shine after baking. does Premo have a matte finish?

hi cindy, can you do a demo on pardo translucent clay? thanks :)

I used fimo translucent clay and it got weird stain bubbles. Those bubles are less translucent. Is it trapped air or something?

I took your advice n bought 1lb of premo translucent white. Sculpy does break really easy in thin sheets. I make doll accessories with polymer clay and i find it hard to get the thin details if i use sculpy even if i bake for an hour or 15 minutes it just falls apart at the slightest pressure.

How to dye translucid clay?can i use oil tubes?i have a lot ot tubes

I really like the premo translucent clay when im making minature foods.

Hi cindy, I would like to ask a question that might sound rather trivial. Why do you use translucent clay, what's its purpose?? I mean why and how do people use it in their projects??

can these clay polymers be put outdoors and withstand rain?

Hey there, I have just started with polymer clay, and I really enjoy your tutorials. I have a dumb question: What is translucent clay used for? Can you dye it with ink or paint, so that you don't have to buy multiple colors of clay? But then you would have to buy multiple colors of ink. I have never seen it used in any of the RU-vid videos that I've watched to make beads. Thanks for your input.

Dear Cindy, I would to ask you if ever we can mix white sculpy 3 with polymer clay or premo accents or premo, I have with me some with and ecru that I bought by mistake at Michaels and brought it with me in Europe, so I wonder if I can mix it or if I can use it as a base so I can cover it with slices of canes made of Fimo or Premo. Thank you

Hello PolymerClayTutor , I have a problem, I made days ago some polymer clay gummy bears using premo translucent white mixed with a bit of sculpey III to add color at 130ºC for 30 min and then there were a find of flakes inside the bears, I would like to know why happened that, it is because I used a bit of Sculpey III?

Perfect timing, thank you

can I mix regular sculpey clay with premo translucent clay? I need to know because I need translucent clay for my birthday

do you have a tutorial on different uses for translucent clay?

Have you ever worked with Cernit polymer clay and do youknow if its as white as premo and fimo?

if you roll out to 1 card thickness with sculpey translucent how long do you bake it in the oven for and at what temperature please? also does 1 card thickness hold it's form and harden? thanks

Hello PolymerClayTutor !, I bought days ago Premo white transluscent and I made some little gummy bears mixing the premo transluscent with a bit of Sculpey III to color it, also I used a bit of clay softener because the premo one was a little hard to work with, and when I baked them for 30 min at 130ºC there where flakes inside, so I had to throw away all my work.... what I'm doing wrong?

Do you have the product number for the transparent fimo? I recently purchased some wrongly listed transparent fimo that turned out to be translucent fimo. cheers- great video by the way

Thanks for making such a great video. I origionally bought the Sculpey translucent clay and tried to bake something at the settings it recommends on the package and it completely burnt. I know it is not my oven because I bake all my other polymer clay objects in the same oven all the time. Based on your testing, maybe I should try out the Fimo or Premo translucent clay.

Thanks for the video. I am brand new at this craft and will be making basket centers with the clay. I purchased Kato and it should be arriving anyday now. What is the best best brand of oven to purchase for this process that doesn't take up a lot of space or do you use the kitchen oven?

Great video! Thank you! As some one else already suggested, a video on how to kerp your clay clean, would be So helpful..! I have lots of trouble with dust (it's a 100yrs old house, it's in the walls, everywhere no matter what you do) and also cathair. I go nuts with my babywipes all over, but still my clay isn't clean.. :/ Suggestions? :)

can you please do a video on how to keep you clay clean before and after baking?

Thank you! this really helps me.

I am so happy that I bought Premo white translucent! I am going to be sculpting Zero from The Nightmare Before Christmas. I didn't want to use my white since he is a ghost. I am even more excited. I need to come in the mail grr. lol

Thanks for this, you have potentially saved me from wasting my money :-)

this was really helpful thank you!!

Do you recommend mixing Premo and Sculpey?

I am having a problem i bought fimo effects. Is that the same as fimo translucent. My art doesn’t look translucent. Help please

Thank you so much for this video. I love the Premo, and I've got a lot of it so I'm very glad it works so well for you! Have you tried out Lisa Pavelka's Waterslide Transfers? I just bought some and I'm wondering what other people think of them. Love from Amanda in Australia xo :-)

I'm confused with translucent clay, I've started making food charms but some ppl on yt use transclucent when they make their charms I don't see a difference, when I use it to mix with another color and bake about an hour it darkens. How do I know how much of regular clay to use vs transclucent clay? Thank you

Would you be able to do a video on tips of how to avoid browning or scorching white polymer clay?

Thank you for the test. Is Premo toxic when used as cup to hold hot water?

thank you. great info.

thank you.. this is really helpful..

What is the name of your favrot clay

Very helpful !!! thank you so much...

What would be the reason for using translucent clay? Im new to polymer clay.

I will be doing a review of Pardo clay soon. A local member generously offered some of her supply to try out, since where I was going to order from was out of stock.

I bought premo sculpey but it is very tough and it breaks into a verysmall pieces and I can't get it together again help me please

I use sculpey III and it is perfectly fine! dose not breake or crack, but i bake it fo 15 min. maby that is why yours breakes? if you would do a test on that and make a video I would realy appreciate. tanks.

Hi, im working on a sculpture using super sculpey original but then im running out of clay, but i felt like super sculpey is a little bit harder to condition compared to sculpey iii, so i went to the store but couldn't find sculpey iii then i bought premo sculpey translucent instead (hoping that the texture would be identical to sculpey iii).. after mixing it together with the existing super sculpey original, i feel like premo is a little bit harder to keep the detail that im carving, and im also afraid that after the bake, these 2 variants cannot work together (cmiiw), what do u suggest? Continue with premo or buy another super sculpey original? Thanks

hi where can i buy pimo translucent clay .thank u

whats the use for "tranlucent clay"? I've seen it used it lots of tutorial but I can't tell the difference. It's often mixed with a color clay so does it soften the color or?

why did you bake the sculpey for an hour? it says on the packaging to bake it for 15 minutes per 1/4 inch or 6mm, i mean i wond get discoloration too inf i backed it for an hour

I'm so glad that you did this comparison! Thank you so much for bringing us another great tutorial. I just wish I had watched it BEFORE I bought my Sculpey III Translucent. :( Do you think you'll be doing another one for some of the other types like Translucent Pardo Professional Art Clay or Cernit? I'm having so much fun with this craft and testing stuff. It's like science class only better!

Can light shine through translucent clay if its thin enough?

Hi Nino, I've done lots of tests so I know it's true. Baking Sculpey III for 15 minutes will break. Try some test samples yourself & bend them back and forth, you'll see how easy they'll snap. The pieces you use it for are probably designed in a way that they aren't very susceptible to breaking in the first place. For example a round bead is most likely not going to break because there are no pieces on it that would bend. But a little figurine with thin arms would break. Try it, you'll see.

I’m totally new to this…I’m wanting to make clay seasonal faux cookies. I bought sculpey 3 transparent clay. It looked the most like sugar cookies. After watching your video I don’t think transparent is what I want or sculpey. Can anyone advise please?