We've received many comments from people who, after ordering their tiles based on pictures from the internet, have been pleasantly surprised when they can see their tiles in person. The imagery, unlike most commercial tile, is not painted on the surface, but is a result of a texture embossed into the surface of the wet clay tile. This texture is very shallow and barely detectable until the tiles are glazed and fired. The glaze, which is fired to an excess of 2300 degrees Fahrenheit, pools in the recesses and recedes from the edges, filling in the embossed surface with varying thicknesses of the single colored glaze. In some areas, the glaze may pool up to 1/8” thick, resulting in a very dark value, while in other areas, it is paper thin, resulting in a lighter value. The resulting tile is smooth and glossy but the underlying texture can still be felt.

The first step in the process is the very time consuming process of sculpting the texture into the surface of the wet clay. This texture can be made with various tools such as chisels, pin tools and sponges. The glaze will amplify even the smallest lines, so great care and attention is necessary during this step. When finished, a plaster mold is made from the original tile into which multiple tiles can be pressed, all perfectly matching the original.