A subway tile is a small rectangular wall tile, classically 75x150 mm (3x6 inches), laid in a staggered brick pattern. The name comes from the white glazed tiles used in early New York subway stations.
Subway tiles can be sourced from Morbi, but not every plant makes them. Small formats need their own press tooling and handling, and many Morbi wall lines are set up for larger sizes. Ask each plant whether it presses the small format itself.
What makes a subway tile
- A small rectangular format, usually twice as long as it is wide, such as 75x150 mm or 100x200 mm, and sometimes longer, such as 75x300 mm.
- A plain or lightly varied glaze, most often white, with colours, greens, blues and blacks also popular.
- A flat face or a bevelled edge, where the edges slope down to the grout line.
- A gloss finish in the classic look, with matt and handmade-look finishes also common.
Three ways to get the look
Buyers asking for subway tiles may get one of three products. Know which one you are quoting:
- True small-format tiles, pressed and fired at the small size.
- Larger tiles printed or pressed with a subway pattern, with false grout lines, which fix faster but look less real up close.
- Small tiles cut from larger fired tiles, which can leave rougher edges.
Each can be right for a different market, but a buyer expecting true small tiles will complain if a printed pattern arrives. A seller offering every format and look may be gathering stock from several plants; our guide on telling a tile trader from a factory in Morbi helps you check.
What to check
Small tiles show faults that a large tile hides. Look closely at these points on samples and in production:
- Size consistency: with many grout lines, small differences in size show at once, so ask for calibre sorting.
- Bevel quality: bevels should be even on all four edges, with the glaze covering them fully.
- Glaze evenness: plain white and solid colours show shade differences and pinholes more than printed designs.
- Warpage: small tiles should lie flat, since lippage is obvious on a gloss wall.
- Packing: small tiles have more pieces per box, so check the count and the box strength.
Shade is the main risk with plain glazes. A printed stone design hides small colour shifts, but a plain white tile shows every one. Insist on one batch and one shade per design, and compare boxes at loading by laying tiles from several boxes side by side. Sizes made in Morbi more generally are listed in what sizes of wall tiles are made in Morbi.
Next step
We find plants that press small formats on their own lines and check size, bevel and shade before loading. To source a subway range, book a free sourcing review.