Because the Chinese porcelain that they were seeking to emulate had blue designs, the English also used blue, the only color they were certain would survive the glazing. The Staffordshire region had well over 100 potteries producing this ware by the early 1800s, originally pioneered by Josiah Spode. Cobalt oxide is the base pigment used in Flow Blue, discovered in the mid 1500s. They discovered that cobalt oxide dye would sink into the porous earthenware and blurred further during the glazing. Around 1820, they also discovered that the flow of the blue dye could be enhanced by using lime or ammonia chloride in the glazing process. The degree of blur varied greatly among manufacturers, and the flowing effect conveniently hid most manufacturing flaws in the blanks. Josiah Wedgwood is generally recognized as the creator of Flow Blue pottery in the 1820s. Early Flow Blue designs were mostly oriental although other scenics were also produced. Scenes of all types were usually romanticized visions of foreign lands, often mixing cultures and with the sole purpose to create desirability in the products. After 1850, styles became quite ornate and the scenes depicted even more fanciful. While some think that Flow Blue was discovered by accident, most experts believe that the development of the blurring technique and its use in production was quite intentional, a technique which produced works still in high demand today.

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