CELAY is a machinable ceramic system that is capable of milling inlays, onlays, and veneers from prefabricated industrial ceramic blocks. Direct intraoral or indirect patterns may be used to make ceramic restorations. Scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the marginal gap of restorations obtained with both methods. The direct fabrication technique yielded significantly better marginal gap sizes (P .01) for the interproximal areas, while with the indirect (P .01) fabrication technique the restorations showed significantly smaller marginal gaps at the occlusal borders. The clinical relevance of these findings and their possible applications for the development of a new impression material are discussed.