Shade variation is the difference in colour and tone between tiles of the same design. Some comes from production, as each firing gives slightly different results. Some is designed in, when a tile is meant to look like natural stone or wood.
Factories control production shade by sorting tiles into shade groups after firing and printing a shade code on each box. Tiles from one shade group are meant to be laid together. Mixing shade groups in one floor causes patches that look like a mistake.
Where shade differences come from
- Raw materials: small changes in clay, glaze or ink from one lot to the next.
- Firing: temperature and atmosphere differ slightly across the kiln and from day to day.
- Glaze and print: changes in glaze thickness or ink settings on the digital printer.
- Polishing: gloss level changes how colour looks, so uneven polishing shows as shade.
- Fuel changes: when plants switch between gas and propane, kilns may need adjusting and colour can drift.
How factories control it
Good plants check colour against a master tile during production, by eye under standard light and often with instruments. ISO 10545-16 sets a method to measure small colour differences between tiles with a spectrophotometer.
At the end of the line, tiles are sorted into shade groups. Some lines use automatic vision systems, and others rely on trained sorters. The shade code then goes on the box, beside the calibre and batch. Read shade vs batch numbers to see how these marks differ.
Designed variation
Many stone, wood and concrete looks are meant to vary from tile to tile. That is a design choice, separate from production shade. Some manufacturers describe it with a V1 to V4 scale, from uniform (V1) to substantial variation (V4). This scale is widely used in the US market.
Digital designs also have several faces, or print versions, so the floor does not repeat. Face variation is covered in face variation in digital tiles.
Designed variation can still be shade-sorted. The overall tone of a V3 design should still match across boxes in one shade group.
What you can do as a buyer
- Approve a reference sample of the shade you want, and keep a sealed copy at the factory and with you.
- Write in the purchase order that each design ships in one shade and one batch.
- At loading, check the shade code on box ends and compare tiles from several pallets in daylight.
- Lay tiles from different pallets side by side on the floor and look from standing height.
- Tell customers to mix tiles from several boxes when laying, which spreads small differences.
- Keep spare stock of the same shade for repairs.
When shade causes disputes
Shade complaints usually arise when tiles from two production runs end up in one shipment or one project. The issue is often noticed only after laying, when replacing tiles is costly.
Repeat orders carry the same risk. A new run months later may not match the first, even with the same design name. Our guide on one shade and one calibre per shipment covers purchase order wording and loading checks.
Next step
Shade control is mostly about clear rules and checking at loading. We compare production with your approved sample and record shade codes for every pallet. Book a free sourcing review to plan your order.