How Are Ceramic Tiles Made?
Posted By Becky on January 18, 2013
Ceramic tiles are made in a very interesting fashion. It’s quite simple, really. It’s just clay that’s formed, glazed and baked.
Originally, these were made by hand. While you may be able to find some artisanal ceramic tiles for a much higher price, most are made by dust pressing.
In the same way you would fire a piece of ceramic sculpture, the ceramic tile is molded into a body slip, which is what it’s called before it’s glazed. Sometimes other materials like sand or feldspar are added. Originally almost a third water, the body slip is dried to become a kind of powder, or dust. Then it is pressed and shaped. Tiles with different prints have been pressed by different molds. After this, it is dried completely to remove the last moisture remnants.
Next, the tile is glazed. There are different kinds of glaze, high-gloss and matte. But the tile won’t look the way it does until it comes out of the kiln. A beehive kiln, the same one used for sculpture, was originally used. Today the continuous kiln, which involves rolling the tile on a conveyor-belt type contraption, is favored. Temperatures are monitored by computer. The result is a fine ceramic tile.
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