In this guide 6 sections
Read the batch or shade code and the caliber code printed on every carton, then compare them with the order and the pick list. Cartons for one room must match. Open one box per lot and lay out a few pieces in daylight, then record the codes against the customer name before dispatch.
Why two cartons of the same tile can look different
Tiles are fired in batches. Kiln temperature, clay mix and glaze drift a little between runs, so each run gets a shade code and the factory sorts the tiles by it. Same name never means same colour.
After firing, tiles shrink by a hair, and the factory grades them into calibers by length and width, sometimes a millimetre apart. Mix two calibers in one room and the grout lines wander, so the fitter cheats joint widths across the floor to hide the difference.
A reorder usually means a new batch. Sometimes the design is even discontinued by then, which is why the first order must be complete and counted with spare cartons.
Read the carton, not the sample board
Every carton carries a printed block. Look for the batch or lot number, the shade letter or number, the caliber or size code, the grade and the pieces per box. Brands print these in different corners, so find them once on each range and then train every counter salesperson to read them aloud.
The board shows design, not lot. Treat it as a guide to pattern, and judge colour only from the carton in your hand, held under the shop lights and then in daylight.
First and second grade cartons can look alike on a stack, and mixing them is a common cause of a complaint after the floor is down.
- Batch or lot number
- Shade code
- Caliber or size code
- Grade (first or commercial)
- Pieces and square metres per carton
Tie lot numbers to the customer order
Pull one lot per order wherever stock allows. If the order spans two lots, say so on the pick list and pallet each lot apart, so the fitter can lay one lot per room.
Write the lot and caliber codes on the delivery note against the customer name, and photograph the carton labels before the pallet is wrapped. That photo ends arguments later.
Reserve the lot. Sold boxes still sitting in the showroom get sold again to another buyer, which splits the lot and breaks the match for the first customer. A reserved lot stays whole.
Run the pre-dispatch check
Before the truck leaves, count the cartons per lot and match the total against the measured area plus the wastage allowance written on the quotation. Short? Order the balance now, from the same lot, before the fitter finds the gap halfway across a bedroom floor and the batch is gone.
Open one carton from each lot. Lay four or five tiles side by side near a window, then check each one for colour drift, edge chips, a bowed face and glaze pinholes. Stand back. A shade difference shows from a distance.
If the lots differ visibly, call the customer before dispatch and offer to use the second lot in a separate room or to swap stock. Do not surprise anyone.
- Carton count per lot against measured area
- One sample box opened per lot
- Tiles laid out in daylight
- Customer told about any second lot
Keep spare boxes and records for later repairs
One dropped pan cracks one tile. If you kept spare tiles from the original lot, the repair is invisible, but without them the customer gets a visible patch in a different shade.
Add one spare box per order. Record the spare box’s lot on the customer file, and ask the customer to store it flat, dry and away from the garage damp.
Tonight, pick your last three dispatched orders and look for batch, shade and caliber codes on the delivery notes and invoices in the customer folder. If they are missing, start now.
Tile lot check sheet
Fits on one page. The header block takes customer name, order number, delivery date and room, then a table below holds one row per lot with batch code and shade code. Further columns hold caliber code, grade, carton count, square metres, daylight check done and sample box opened by name on the day of dispatch. A final block records the spare box lot, the wastage allowance, where the spare is stored and the customer’s signed acknowledgement of every lot.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Can I mix two shade lots in one room?
If stock forces it, keep each lot to its own wall or room, label the pallets accordingly and tell the customer before dispatch. Scattered lots show as patches.
What is a caliber code on a tile carton?
It marks the size grade. Tiles of one design can differ by a millimetre or so between calibers after firing, which shows up as wandering grout lines along every wall.
Will a reorder ever match the first lot?
Rarely, and only from old stock. Usually it does not. Ask the supplier for the lot code and a written stock count before you promise a matching reorder to any customer who has already laid half a floor.
Who is responsible when shades differ after laying?
It depends on your written terms and on whether the customer saw both lots, laid out in daylight, before the truck left the warehouse. A signed lot record on the delivery note, listing batch, shade and caliber for every carton, settles the position for both sides.