Most Morbi factories will courier samples to you after a short exchange about the designs and sizes you want. The harder part is making sure the samples come from the same grade and production you will receive, not from a showroom shelf.
A sample is a reference point for the whole order. If you treat it that way from the start, it protects you when the container arrives.
How to request samples
Be specific in your request. A vague request gets you the factory's best pieces in whatever finish is easiest to send.
- Name each design code, size, surface finish and thickness you are considering.
- State the grade you intend to buy, such as Premium or Standard, and ask for samples of that grade only.
- Ask for full-size tiles where possible, or at least one full-size piece per design, because small cut pieces hide shade variation and pattern repeats.
- Ask for the batch, shade and calibre codes to be written on each sample, as they would be on a box.
- Ask for the technical data sheet and a recent test report for each product with the samples.
- Ask whether each design is in ready stock or made to order, because that changes both the lead time and how closely the sample will match production.
Who pays and how they travel
Tiles are heavy, so courier cost is a real part of sampling. Factories handle this in different ways. Some send samples free to serious buyers, some ask you to pay the courier, and some deduct the cost from the first order. Agree this before they are sent so it does not become a dispute later.
Pack quality matters. Ask for the tiles to be wrapped face to face with protection between them and boxed in strong cartons. Broken samples cost you a second round and a few weeks.
If you are comparing several factories, it is often cheaper and faster to have samples collected in Morbi and sent to you in one consolidated parcel.
Allow for the time it takes. Factories need a few days to pull and pack samples, and international courier adds more. Build this into your plan rather than pushing the factory to rush, because rushed samples are the ones most likely to be pulled from display stock.
What to check when they arrive
- Measure length, width and thickness with a calliper and compare them with the data sheet.
- Lay several tiles of one design side by side in daylight and check the shade is even across them.
- Check the edges and corners for chips and the surface for pinholes, lines or print faults.
- Place a straight edge across the face and diagonal to check for warping.
- Compare the finish with what you asked for, because matt, satin, glossy and polished look very different under different light.
Keep a sealed counter-sample
Once you approve a sample, keep it. Ask the factory to keep an identical piece, signed or marked by both sides. That counter-sample is the standard for pre-shipment inspection and for any claim later.
Samples prove what a factory can make. They do not prove what it will ship. The usual reasons the two drift apart are covered in why quality drops after the first container, and the grade question is explained in what Premium, Standard and Commercial grades mean.
How we help
We collect samples from shortlisted factories in Morbi, check them against your specification before they leave and send them to you together with the factory's documents. We keep the counter-samples and use them at inspection. To start, book a free sourcing review.