Tiles for architects and interior designers are chosen on three things: a physical sample they can hold, a complete specification they can put in a schedule, and confirmed availability for the project date. If you supply designers, build your service around those three.
Designers specify a tile once and expect the same product to arrive months later. A mismatch costs them credibility with their client.
What samples do designers expect?
Provide full-size or large cut samples of the exact finish, not just a printed image. Screen and print colours differ from the tile surface, and finishes such as matt, polished or textured only show in the hand. Make sample boards with a tile, a grout colour swatch and a coordinating wall or trim piece. Getting tile samples from Morbi explains how to request them from a factory.
Samples must match production. Keep a sealed reference from a typical batch and check that sample stock is refreshed when production changes.
What should a spec sheet include?
A designer needs enough detail to write a specification clause without calling you:
- Design name and code, size, thickness, edge type (rectified or not) and surface finish.
- Body type, such as glazed porcelain or full-body, and the water absorption class.
- Technical data: breaking strength, slip class, abrasion or PEI class, stain and chemical resistance, with the test standard cited. See vitrified floor tile specification.
- Recommended uses, such as residential floor, commercial floor, wall or outdoor.
- Carton data: pieces and area per box, and weight, so quantities can be calculated.
How do you confirm availability?
Designers ask whether a tile can be delivered by a given date and whether it will still be made later. Ask your factory for a lead time per design and whether the design is in current production or being phased out. Provide an honest delivery window and say when the quantity is limited by batch size.
Give the number of faces in the design, so the designer understands how much natural variation to expect across a floor, as described in how many faces a tile design should have.
How do you support a project after specification?
Offer a project file: the approved sample, the spec sheet, the batch records and a contact for reorders. Provide laying guidance for large formats and outdoor tiles. When a design is discontinued, tell the designer early and propose a matching alternative with a fresh sample rather than a quiet substitution.
How can you make the designer's work easier?
Give designers a single contact, a digital library of images and spec sheets, and fast sample delivery. Offer to match a colour reference with a close existing design and show them real options. Tell them early when a design is made in limited batches, or when a finish has a longer lead time. Offer a short written confirmation of the delivery date once the order is placed. Designers recommend suppliers who save them time and avoid surprises, and they do so repeatedly across projects.
Next step
Reliable design-trade supply needs a factory that holds quality and tells you when a design changes. We find and audit manufacturers and check samples and documents. Book a free sourcing review to plan a designer-ready range.