Here are some common types of commercial glaze available commercially:
Clear: available in gloss or satin, no colorants are added. Frequently used over underglaze at bisque stage. Ex: Amaco Clear and Amaco Clear Matte
Translucent gloss/ ‘Celadon’: clear gloss with added colorants,shows fine details, darker in recessed areas. Ex: Amaco Celadons
Opaque gloss: flat color, doesn’t break on texture or show detail. Ex: Coyote gloss glazes
Reactive glaze:
-'Shino': opaque on white clays, on darker clays they will often 'break' over medium to heavy texture, lighter color in recessed areas. Ex: Coyote Shinos
-Float: usually need heavy coats to see color, breaks on medium to heavy texture, may be runny Ex: Amaco Indigo Float, Textured Turquoise, Blue Rutile
Matte glazes, most do not run, rarely break over texture:
-Satin / Waxy: Georgie’s Satin, Mayco Satins, Amaco Satins
-Dry: Feels rough, no shine Ex: Amaco Shino Mattes
-Stonelike: Ex: Georgie’s mattes (blueberry matte,copper patina etc)
-Creamy: Ex: Coyote Creamy White Matte, Coyote Satins
Crackle / crazed glaze: A glaze purposely made to craze. Sometimes runny. Ex: Georgie’s Crackle series
Crawling glaze: Looks like tree bark, applied very thick. Doesn't run. Ex: Coyote Crawl glazes
Crystal glaze: a glaze with bits of glass in it that melt and flow in firing. Ex: Mayco Stoneware Galaxy and Olive Float
Crystalline glazes: a glaze that forms large crystal structures during a long, slow cooling cycle during firing. Often very runny. Ex: Coyote Slow Cool Crystal glazes
Overglaze: a glaze that sits on top of a base glaze, as with majolica. Won’t run, reliable colors. Ex: Mayco Stroke and Coat
Underglaze: More of a clay slip than a glaze, is painted on raw clay or at bisque stage. Ex: Amaco Velvets
When choosing glazes, it's best to pick those that match the firing cone of the clay you're using, i.e. Cone 5-6 glazes for Cone 5-6 clay. You'll have fewer glaze defects this way. There are exceptions, as with Highwater Earthen Red, which is a range clay fired from 04-6. In that case use cone 06-04 glazes if firing in the low fire range, and cone 5-6 glazes for firing in mid range.