A full-body porcelain slab has the same colour, and in some products the same veining, right through its thickness. When you cut or chip it, the inside looks like the face.
A standard slab has a printed and glazed surface on a body of a different colour. That is fine on a floor or wall where edges are hidden. On a worktop with exposed edges or a sink cut-out, the difference shows.
The three body types
Factories use these terms loosely, so ask each one what it means by them. Broadly, you will meet three types:
- Standard body: a printed glaze on a body of a neutral colour, often grey, beige or red-brown. The edge shows a clear band.
- Colour body, sometimes called colour-matched body: the body is tinted to match the main surface colour, so a cut edge looks similar but has no veins.
- Full body or through-body: the colour, and in vein-through products the veining, runs through the thickness, so a cut edge continues the pattern.
Read the label with care
Vein-through slabs are the hardest to make, because the pattern must be built into the powder before pressing. A colour-body slab with a printed face is more common. Both are often sold as "full body", so the wording on the quote is not enough.
For floor tiles, the same idea is covered in full-body vitrified tiles.
Where full body matters
- Kitchen worktops and islands, where the edge profile, sink cut-out and drip groove are all visible.
- Table tops and vanity tops with exposed or mitred edges.
- Stair treads and step edges, where the nosing shows the body.
- Busy commercial floors, where a chip shows less if the body matches the face.
Where it is not needed
For most walls and many floors, a standard body slab is enough. Paying for full body where no edge shows adds cost without benefit. Our guide on porcelain slab kitchen countertops explains the worktop case in full.
How to check what you are buying
Do not rely on a photo of the face. These checks show what is inside the slab:
- Ask for a sample piece cut through the middle, and look at the cut edge in daylight.
- Ask the factory to describe its process in writing: is the colour in the body powder, or only in the glaze and print?
- Ask for photos of a fabricated edge, such as a mitre or a bullnose, made from the same design.
- At inspection, cut one offcut or broken piece from production and compare it with the approved sample.
Full body and the specification
Write the body type into your purchase order in plain words, such as "colour-matched body" or "vein-through body", with the approved sample as reference. A loose phrase such as "full body look" invites disputes.
Full body does not change the other properties you should check. Water absorption, breaking strength and flatness still need a test report for the exact product and thickness. Our guide on writing a porcelain slab specification lists them.
Next step
We check body type on cut samples and again in production, so what arrives matches what you approved. To discuss full-body slabs for your market, book a free sourcing review.