A tile sample courier from India usually carries one or two full-size pieces per design, packed tightly in a rigid carton, sent by express courier or air cargo. Samples are heavy for their size, so weight, not parcel dimensions, drives the courier's charge.
Ask the factory to send a full tile where size allows, because small cut pieces hide the edge, flatness and shade behaviour you need to judge. Our guide to getting tile samples from Morbi covers the full process.
How big and heavy should a sample be?
Start with what you need to decide. For a normal floor tile, one full piece of each design and finish is enough for look, surface and size. If you also want to test breaking strength, water absorption or slip resistance, the laboratory will state how many pieces it needs; ask before you order samples.
Large formats and slabs are hard to courier. Many couriers have maximum length and weight limits per parcel, so a 1200 by 2400 slab usually moves by air or sea cargo, or as a cut piece with the full design shown on a printed layout. Check the courier's limits before the factory packs.
How should samples be packed?
Ceramic breaks at corners and edges. A well-packed sample should have these features:
- Each tile wrapped individually with foam or corrugated card, with its face protected.
- Tiles stacked on edge, not flat, inside a rigid double-wall carton.
- No empty space in the carton, filled with paper or foam so nothing can shift.
- A label marked fragile and a clear sample reference matching the factory's code.
What happens at customs?
Samples still cross a border, so they need a commercial invoice or proforma describing the goods, the quantity, the HS code and a value for customs. Marking a parcel as 'sample' or 'no commercial value' does not by itself exempt it from duty; customs in each country decides how to treat low-value or sample shipments.
Rules differ by destination and change from time to time. Ask your courier or customs broker how samples are treated in your country, and who pays duty and taxes on arrival. Choosing a delivery term where the sender pays duty can avoid delays, if the courier offers it.
What does it cost, and who pays?
The courier charge depends on weight, destination and service level. We do not quote figures; get a quote from your courier for the packed weight. Some factories send the first samples free and ask the buyer to pay freight, while others charge for both. Agree this before sending, and ask for the tracking number.
Express courier is faster, and air cargo is cheaper for heavier loads but slower to clear. For a larger sample set, a consolidated sample shipment through your agent or forwarder may be more efficient.
What should you do when samples arrive?
Inspect the carton before opening, photograph any damage, and compare each tile with the factory's reference design and the specification. Keep the samples as a retained master, and label them with the date. Later production should match them; see keeping spare tile stock in the same shade.
Next step
We can collect samples from several Gujarat factories, check them against your specification and send one consolidated parcel to you. Book a free sourcing review to discuss it, or see what we source.