Handmade tile and "commercial" (or "machine-made") tile are different. Arcana Tileworks LLC makes only handmade tile. Handmade tile is manufactured differently from machine-made tile in many ways, which means that the two types look different from each other when finished.
If you are unfamiliar with the look of handmade tile, you may be surprised that it does not look like the perfectly flat, square, and uniform tile typically found in your home or business.
Handmade does not mean inferior (or superior, for that matter), but it does mean different. To make sure that "different" doesn't translate to "disappointment," let us mention a few things about handmade tile.
1. Handmade tile is not as flat as commercial tile. The differences may be in small fractions of an inch, but the differences can be seen by the eye. These slight variations can create visual interest.
2. Handmade tile is not as square as commercial tile. The mechanics of clay movement during drying and firing can do interesting things to a handmade tile's shape, no matter the care and precision put into the effort. Slight variations in square and shape require some tolerance in grout lines. (Wild variations are sorted out and discarded.)
3. Glaze uniformity on handmade tile may be varied. Often, the glazes we use on our tile are variegated by nature. In other cases, the manufacturing process creates some small variations.
4. Glazes and underglazes on handmade tile may need to be brush-applied, which can show brush marks. This is definitely the case with multi-colored patterned tile. Brush application can create more variegation even with single-color glazes, which may be desirable.
5. Many tile installers are not experienced with handmade tile. They may expect the perfection of machine made and discard far too many tile as unsuitable. They may expect to use spacers for uniform grout lines. They may expect to have narrow grout lines. Allowances for slight warpage will also need to be accommodated. The installer needs to be knowledgeable and be able to accommodate the characteristics of this tile. More direct involvement with the installer may be needed, too, to be sure they do know this product and how to install it.
Those who like the handmade, unique look of an artisan product will find handmade tile to be ideal for many installations, large and small.
