A systematic investigation of the design variables for a high pressure cell with supported taper pistons has been undertaken. The variables studied include: the effect of center thickness, the effect of flat diameter and piston diameter, the pressure gradient across the flat, the pressure gradient on the taper, and the effect of different materials supporting the center. It is concluded that any scaling up in size from the dimensions used in the electrical resistance cell previously described in the literature (2.29 mm diam flat and 0.33 mm center thickness) results in a drastic reduction in pressure range. Scaling down the flat size results in a modest increase in pressure range. The pressure is remarkably independent of radius in the region of the flat which contains the electrical resistance sample. A piston with a double taper might suppy a greater degree of support for the piston tip.