The white earthenware and tile process has remained almost unchanged since the beginning. The changes have been in the decorative aspect, not in the manufacturing procedure. There are two kinds of clay: one is brownish and it is called black clay. During the early times it came from near Loreto hill; the other one is pale pink and is called white clay. It can be found in great quantities in the Totimehuacan region, a county located in the surroundings of the city of Puebla.

1. Both clays are mixed in equal proportions and placed in containers to be soaked in water, at the bottom of the container a sieve is placed to strain the clay and eliminate sand, pebbles and organic matter. It is then placed in a second container, where it is strained again. The clay is then left in vats for several days to separate out the water from the mix. The water is eliminated through a pipeline system located behind the vat's walls.
2. After 15 or 20 days of being left outdoors, the lump is taken to the barreal, a warehouse where the clay is kept for at least two months before it can be used.
3. Clay is kneaded with the feet in relatively small quantities. The workers walk over the lump, sinking their heel in it, coming and going in concentric circumferences, from the center to the edge and back. They turn the clay periodically until it gets the adequate consistency; this is called darle punto. The whole process is known as repisado. The clay lump is then divided into 40x50 centimeter fragments called tallas, one or more are used to mold pieces or to produce tiles.
4. To make the tiles, the talllas are cut into more or less regular pieces, which are called balas -bullets. These are placed in a flat surface and are uniformly pressed over a wooden mold with the desired measurements; the protruding edges are cut with a thin wire and then placed to dry over a special board for six to eight days.
5. They are gathered to be separated for 30 to 40 days and are taken to cuatrapeados for an extra month. They are placed under the sun for one or two days, before they are baked for the first time, which is called jahuete.
6. The pieces are fire-ovened twice. First, the jahuete is obtained with a clear red temperature. After they are glazed and decorated they are placed in the oven for a second time in order to melt the colors. The jahuete is baked in a quadrangular oven, similar to those used to manufacture bricks and slates.
7. Once the pieces are baked, they are checked to separate the good ones from the bad ones. This is determined by gently banging each piece. The sound they produce should be similar to a bell ring. Only the selected pieces are enameled after they are brushed with water.
8. The enamel and glazing procedure consist in covering the pieces with a bright white varnish over which decoration is painted. The operation is called baño -bath-, and it also served the purpose of sealing and brightening each object. The varnish is applied by immersion. The piece is dipped in a container -usually a large earthen jar-, for a few seconds. The glazed enamel is left to dry for two or three days. The varnish, called alarca, is made with a mix of lead, tin and sand in a small oven with direct fire called padilla or pailla.
9. The demand for Talavera pieces and their conservation depend greatly on its decoration. Once the pieces have been enameled, they are painted with mineral pigments diluted in water with brushed made by craftsmen. This procedure is called pintar al crudo or crude painting. The colors are applied in thin or thick layers and should never overlap.
10. In order to be fired for a second time, in which colors are melted, pieces are introduced into cylindrical clay trunks of different diameters and heights, completely covered on the inside and outside by a whitewash or mix of clay and ashes.