What are Tile Faces

Q) What are tile faces?

A) The number of faces refers to how many different patterns are printed on the tiles.

Tile faces can vary from just 1 on basic tiles to 30+ on premium ranges.

A tile with 20+ faces will look extremely realistic when laid, as it is less likely to see two tiles that look the same. A high-quality tile will have a degree of variation between the tile faces to make it look more authentic.

A tile with fewer faces will repeat the same pattern over and over and when a pattern is noticeable it will look more artificial.

The below photo on the right shows a tile with just 5 faces and a repeat pattern, in comparison to a tile with 69 faces (left) where the marble looks more realistic.

Marvel Calacatta Made in Italy (left) vs. Absolute Carrara Made in China (right)

Global Italian companies are leading the way with new designs, they have design teams who study the natural product for beautiful replica’s and are at the forefront of new ideas and designs. They put more money towards research, design and production, this results in a tile that is well thought out, has a more accurate design and is an excellent replica of natural materials such as marble or stone. These high-quality tiles have many different faces and variation, therefore, the pattern is less likely to be repeated, making them look more realistic and natural.

Nordic Stone Made in Italy.

While a tile with multiple faces will look more realistic, it's important to understand how it will look once laid. The more faces a tile can have will mean there are potentially more colours than the single sample you saw in the store. The stone look tiles with multiple faces often have high variation between individual tiles, While this isn't always the case it's worth knowing in advance and asking to see photos of the tiles laid to gage how the finished result will look. At the Tile Shed, most tiles are displayed on large display boards or in-situation displays so that you can see first hand what the tile will look like once it is laid.

Below is an example of a marble look tile with just 1 face laid.

Here is a Handy Tip: Discuss tile faces with your tiler and encourage them to separate matching faces for a more realistic look.

Context White Made in Italy.

Travertino Cream Made in Italy.

Tile faces are most common in tiles that are trying to replicate a natural material such as stone or marble and have a lot of variation. In some cases, tile faces won't be applicable, a good example of this is a white subway. Once laid every tile will look identical and there will be minimal variation.

Boston Gesso Made in Italy.

Tile Shed is the reseller for Tile Space in the Hawkes Bay Region. Visit our showroom today where our friendly staff will walk you through choosing your tiles from start to finish. Read what our customers say about us here.