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Where Color Meets Craft Original Ceramic Tile

Where Color Meets Craft: Reintroducing Original Ceramic Tile

See Featured Blog →
New traditional bathroom floor subway green tile 3

Nicholas Potts: Historic Primary Bathroom

See Featured Gallery →
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  • Kitchen + Backsplash
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  • Floor Tile
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  • Commercial Use
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2023 img hi res full usage design Atypical design Studio photo jordan Layton wainscott offset cardamom 3x9 floor tile iron ore 2 hexagon FC596427 1

Original Ceramic tiles showcase handmade qualities with unique variations in color, crazing, and finish.

  • All Original Ceramic Colors
  • Studio Glazes New
  • Ceramic Stains New
  • Shop Shapes
  • Shop Patterns
  • Trim + Architectural Moldings
Resources
  • All Resources
  • Spec Sheet
  • Installation Guide
  • Design Files
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Your first 5 color samples are FREE through a rep

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT BROWSE ALL SAMPLES
2024 residential full usage 4x4 terre verte satin red jasper satin indigo satin 2x2 red jasper satin bathroom checkerboard straight set 6x12 cove base indigo satin Pluck Architecture Leonid Furmansky FC796720 2

Our budget-friendly ceramics line, Natural Press is made with your largest indoor and outdoor projects in mind.

  • All Natural Press Colors
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Resources
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Your first 5 color samples are FREE through a rep

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT BROWSE ALL SAMPLES
Modern blue subway wall glass tile 2

Our radiant Glass Tile provides a freshness that pairs perfectly with today’s modern designs indoors or out.

  • All Glass Colors
  • Shop Sizes
Resources
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Your first 5 color samples are FREE through a rep

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Your first 5 color samples are FREE through a rep

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Glazed Thin Brick Destination Eichler Blue Brick Fireplace

Brick’s hand-mixed glazes enrich its surface, delicately exposing its unique textures and variations with the colors of the environment around us.

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2022 img hi res full rights residential photo design plural design studio bathroom floor tile mini star and cross antique white grout FC 407104 2

Our bestselling tile products all ready to ship in five days or less.

  • All Quick Ship Tile
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Budget-Friendly Tile
  • $12 Essentials
  • $18 Foundations
  • Factory Sale
Trade callout

As a member you’ll receive exclusive access to new products, a professional discount, plus personalized service from our trade team who can help bring your vision to life.

Learn More →
Residential Specifiers
  • Find Your Rep
  • Custom Projects
  • Design Packages
Commercial Specifiers
  • Find Your Rep
  • Custom Projects
  • Commercial Pricing
  • 2025 Resource Book
Meet Your Partners
  • Virtual CEU
Enscape 2025 04 08 12 57 54

Visualize our tile in your space with our comprehensive design packages.

Design Packages
  • All Design Packages
  • Bathroom
  • Kitchen
  • Fireplace
  • Pool + Fountain
Custom Tile
  • Our Custom Capabilities
  • Book A Free Consultation
  • Overview
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Where Color Meets Craft Original Ceramic Tile

Where Color Meets Craft: Reintroducing Original Ceramic Tile

See Featured Blog →
New traditional bathroom floor subway green tile 3

Nicholas Potts: Historic Primary Bathroom

See Featured Gallery →
Blog
  • All Blog Posts
  • Design + Inspiration
  • Project Spotlight
  • Tile School
Gallery
  • All Gallery Entries
  • Bathroom
  • Kitchen
  • Commercial
Where Color Meets Craft Original Ceramic Tile

Where Color Meets Craft: Reintroducing Original Ceramic Tile

See Featured Blog →
New traditional bathroom floor subway green tile 3

Nicholas Potts: Historic Primary Bathroom

See Featured Gallery →
Blog
  • All Blog Posts
  • Design + Inspiration
  • Project Spotlight
  • Tile School
Gallery
  • All Gallery Entries
  • Bathroom
  • Kitchen
  • Commercial
Where Color Meets Craft Original Ceramic Tile

Where Color Meets Craft: Reintroducing Original Ceramic Tile

See Featured Blog →
New traditional bathroom floor subway green tile 3

Nicholas Potts: Historic Primary Bathroom

See Featured Gallery →
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  3. Handpainted Tile: Learn How It's Made

Handpainted Tile: Learn How It's Made

All Steps

Classic-3.jpg

Here at Fireclay we have always been deeply rooted in tradition, which is why we are especially fond of our Handpainted Tile collections, both classic and new.  We've been making hand painted tiles in our Aromas, California factory since 1993 and pride ourselves on being one of the few US Tile manufacturers that produces 100% of our product, from the recycled clay body to our own unique lead-free glazes.  Ever wonder exactly how we make these beautiful handpainted tiles?  Keep reading and we'll take you through our unique process, step by step.

The Design

The first step in creating beautiful hand painted tiles are the designs.  Whether you love our classics or our new contemporary designs, choosing the pattern is the initial stage of the Handpainted process.

design.jpg

The Clay Body

Once a design is chosen, our Handpainted tile starts out like any other tile before the glazing process, as a Bisqued clay body.  This means the clay tile has been fired once to create a hard, durable body, making it suitable for the next stages of the handpainting process.

The Screen Printing

Now comes the fun part, screen-printing!  A traditional screen printing process is used to apply your chosen pattern to the bisqued clay body using a wax resist technique with historic Persian roots.  The intent of the technique is to ensure the glaze does not run from one part of the design to another during kiln firing.  Historically, a combination of animal fat, grease and mineral pigments such as iron or manganese were used as the medium for controlling the glaze pooling, but we have developed our own proprietary formula to ensure both efficiency, sustainability as well as high quality. 

screen.jpg

FireclayTile_Productions_Aromas__Cuerda_Seca.jpg

Bisqued tile being screen printed

The Glazing

Next we get to the actual handpainting part of our hand painted tiles.  Our lead-free glazes are inlaid with bulb syringes into the tiny areas between the lines created by the wax resist screen printing.  This step requires a lot of careful, detailed work, giving our Handpainted tile that unique handcrafted quality we pride ourselves on.

glaze.jpg

FireclayTile_Productions_-6.jpg

Glazes being applied to the bisqued and screen printed tile

The Firing

Once the glaze is applied it's time for the fourth and final step, firing it up!  Finally we pack it up and ship it to your door step!

fire.jpg

Ready to choose your perfect Handpainted design and have it made for you?  Shop Handpainted now.  Need some help or inspiration?  Simply call chat or fill out our Design Assistance Form and one of our talented Design Consultants will get back to you shortly.

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