Non Digital Tiles: Complete Buying Guide

What Are Non Digital Tiles?

Here's a clean, quotable definition: non digital tiles are ceramic, porcelain, or vitrified floor and wall tiles produced through screen printing, roller printing, or pigment-infusion methods rather than digital inkjet printing, generally conforming to IS 15622:2017 and ISO 13006:2018 standards for vitrified bodies. In practice, this means simpler, more solid patterns but a surface and body that's often engineered for heavier wear than a typical digital tile.

You'll come across four names most often in the Indian market:

• Double Charge (DC) Vitrified Tiles two layers of clay and pigment pressed together, giving a 3–4mm coloured wear layer
• Soluble Salt Tiles (SST) liquid pigment penetrates the surface before firing, a budget-friendly option for large residential jobs
• Full Body Vitrified Material colour runs through the entire thickness of the tile, not just the top layer
• Plain ceramic and ceramic-glazed tiles solid colours, simple patterns, screen-printed decoration

One thing many buyers overlook: "non-digital" doesn't mean "old technology that's being phased out." Full-body and Double Charge non-digital ranges are still specified heavily for airports, hospitals, factories, and metro-station flooring precisely because of how the pigment sits in the tile not despite it.

How Non Digital Tiles Are Manufactured

The process starts the same way most vitrified tiles do clay, feldspar, and silica are blended, pressed, and fired at high temperature. The difference is in how colour and pattern get onto (or into) the tile.

Screen and roller printing use physical screens or engraved rollers to transfer ink onto the tile surface before firing. It's mechanically simpler than digital inkjet, but it comes with a quirk almost nobody talks about: screens and rollers can't print all the way to the tile's edge. What most installers will tell you is that this is exactly why older screen-printed and roller-printed tiles often have a faint unprinted white border it's not a manufacturing defect, it's a physical limitation of the printing method itself.

Double Charge and Soluble Salt tiles work differently. Instead of printing a surface pattern, coloured granules or liquid pigment are pressed or infused into the tile body before firing, then the whole thing is fired in a kiln at high temperature. That's what gives Double Charge tiles their 3–4mm wear layer, verified under IS 15622 Group BIa for structural integrity.

There's a factory-economics side to this that dealers deal with but buyers rarely hear about. Before digital printing existed, factories had to hold much larger physical stock screen drums, roller sleeves, sample boards for every pattern because matching a colour on a repeat order wasn't a software adjustment, it was a 2-hour test firing in a kiln to check how the pigment behaved at temperature. That's part of why non-digital tile ranges tend to be narrower and more standardised than the constantly-refreshed digital catalogues. Fewer patterns, but each one is more thoroughly production-tested.

Types of Non Digital Tiles

• Double Charge Vitrified Tiles (DC): Premium non-digital range, 3–4mm pigment layer, PEI 4 rated, suited to heavy footfall areas.
• Soluble Salt Tiles (SST): Screen-printed with liquid colour penetration, water absorption under 0.5% per ISO 13006, ideal for large residential projects needing basic ivory or subtle tones.
• Full Body Vitrified Material: Colour and pattern run through the entire tile thickness the toughest option when chip-resistance matters more than design variety.
• Plain / Solid Colour Ceramic Tiles: Lower cost, glazed surface, used widely for walls and lighter-traffic floors.
• Group BIa Vitrified Tiles: Any of the above that meet the IS 15622 Group BIa benchmark water absorption ≤0.5%, breaking strength ≥1300N the standard reference point for full vitrification in India.

Non Digital vs Digital Tiles

This is usually the actual decision buyers are trying to make, so here's the direct comparison.

That sounds good on paper for digital tiles' design range and it is a real advantage if you want a realistic wood or marble look. But surprisingly, the durability argument cuts the other way for one specific failure mode: when a glazed vitrified tile (GVT) chips in a high-traffic zone, it reveals a stark white scar from the base body underneath. A full-body non-digital tile with the same impact just shows a slightly duller patch of the same colour far less visible. If you've ever walked through an older commercial corridor and noticed random white chip marks scattered across an otherwise dark floor, that's usually GVT, not full-body.

Surface Finishes Explained

Non-digital doesn't mean flat or boring the finish options are broader than most buyers expect.

• Matte / Unglazed: Raw, low-shine surface. Strong slip resistance, common in industrial and outdoor applications.
• Glossy / Polished: High shine, reflective. Looks premium but polished surfaces can drop below 0.4 wet coefficient of friction fine for a formal lobby, risky near a wet entrance.
• Carving / Sugar Finish: Textured surface with a soft granular feel underfoot, increasingly popular for outdoor and semi-outdoor zones in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.
• Nano-Polished: A silica-based nano-coating seals the tile's micro-pores after polishing, which is what actually gives many premium Double Charge ranges their stain resistance not the glaze, since there isn't one.

Here's the thing about the glossy-vs-slippery assumption: it's not automatically true. Polished Double Charge tiles can indeed drop below a 0.4 wet coefficient of friction, which is genuinely slippery. But unglazed, matte full-body non-digital tiles can achieve strong slip resistance even in wet zones the finish matters more than the "digital or non-digital" label ever will.

Available Sizes & Thickness

Non-digital tiles are manufactured across the same size range as most vitrified stock in India:

• 300×300mm-(1×1 Ft) and 300×600mm (1×2 Ft) smaller-format wall and utility applications
• 600×600mm-(2×2 Ft) the most commonly stocked non-digital floor size
• 600×1200mm- (2×4 Ft) large-format commercial and residential flooring
• 800×1600mm- (~2.6×5.2 Ft) premium large-format, increasingly requested for open-plan commercial interiors

Thickness typically runs 8mm to 9mm for standard 600×600mm and 800×800mm floor formats, with heavier commercial/institutional specifications going up to 10–12mm. Double Charge tiles carry their 3–4mm pigment layer within this overall thickness it's not an additional dimension, it's built into the standard tile depth.

Advantages of Non Digital Tiles

• Deeper pigment layer means chips and wear are far less visually obvious
• Generally tighter batch-to-batch colour consistency due to fewer pattern variations
• Strong PEI 4–5 ratings available for heavy commercial traffic
• Often more cost-stable across bulk/wholesale orders since production is standardised
• Well-suited to export and B2B projects needing large, consistent volumes

Limitations & When Not to Use

Honestly, this is the most overlooked detail in any non-digital tile decision: you're trading design flexibility for surface durability. If your project genuinely needs a wide range of finishes wood planks in one zone, marble-look in another non-digital's narrower catalogue will frustrate you. It's also worth knowing that glossy non-digital finishes carry the same wet-slip risk as glossy digital ones; "non-digital" is not a slip-resistance guarantee on its own.

Technical Specifications That Matter

Specification ranges below reflect typical Group BIa vitrified benchmarks always request manufacturer-specific test certificates to confirm exact values for your selected batch.

Architects and contractors: PEI rating measures surface abrasion resistance, not structural strength. That's a common mix-up. If you need to know how much load a floor tile can take, you're looking at breaking strength (N), not PEI. The two numbers answer completely different questions.

Myth vs Reality

Price Range in India

Price varies by brand and location. Verify with your local tile dealer.

A few things to factor in regardless of the exact rate you're quoted:

• GST: 18% applies on tile purchases across India
• Morbi lead time: Standard dispatch typically runs 3–10 days from confirmed order
• Metro vs Tier-2 pricing: Expect a noticeable gap between metro showroom pricing and direct Morbi ex-factory or ex-godown rates always verify locally before assuming a quoted price is final
• Freight charges: Delivery cost from Morbi varies by destination distance and order quantity, in addition to GST

Common Buyer Mistakes

• Ignoring batch, lot, and shade codes. Non-digital tiles have fewer pattern variations, which tempts buyers into thinking mismatched batches won't show. They still will order everything from the same batch, and confirm lot, caliber, and shade code together, not just one of the three. Mixing caliber codes causes uneven grout lines across the floor; mixing shade codes causes visible colour banding both are common causes of post-installation disputes.
• Ordering exact quantity with no buffer. Standard wastage runs 5–10%; large-format tiles (800×1600mm and above) need 15–20% extra due to handling and cutting losses. Use a tile quantity calculator to map out your exact box requirements and wastage buffer before placing the final order.
• Assuming "Morbi godown direct dispatch" means export-grade quality. It doesn't automatically. Export-bound lots typically go through tighter batch-wise water absorption and visual grading checks than domestic commercial stock. If you're sourcing directly, ask for the factory-issued test certificate confirming water absorption, dimensional tolerance, breaking strength, and batch identification don't assume.
• Choosing polished/glossy finish for wet areas without checking slip rating. Looks premium in the showroom, becomes a liability near a bathroom door.
• Using basic cement-sand mortar for large-format non-digital tiles. Vitrified bodies are dense and low-porosity; they need polymer-modified adhesive (IS 15477) to bond properly, especially at 600×1200mm and above. Basic mortar leads to hollow spots and eventual debonding under point load.

Buyer Scenarios

• Small apartment, tight budget: Soluble Salt tiles in a light, plain tone keep costs down without compromising on vitrified performance.
• Commercial or industrial project: Full Body Vitrified or Double Charge with PEI 4–5 handles heavy footfall and hides wear far better than digital alternatives.
• Export/wholesale order: Full Body or Double Charge in standardised sizes request factory water-absorption certificates before confirming the lot.

What Most Installers Will Tell You

Large-format non-digital tiles (600×1200mm and above) are not forgiving of a lazy subfloor. Installers consistently flag two things: first, cutting these tiles wastes more material than smaller formats, so budget for the higher wastage percentage upfront, not as a surprise mid-project. Second, continuous runs need expansion joints every 3–4 metres skip this, and thermal expansion can eventually cause tiles to tent or pop up, particularly in spaces with large glass exposure or direct sun. Large-format non-digital tiles are typically rectified for tighter joints, and installers commonly use tile spacers with a levelling system to prevent lippage.

Expert Opinion

On real projects, the batch mismatch issue causes more post-installation regret than almost anything else on this list and it's entirely avoidable with basic diligence at order time. Transport breakage of 3–5% is also standard industry reality, not a defect; factor it into your order quantity rather than treating every broken piece on arrival as a quality failure.

There's a genuine area of professional disagreement worth flagging: some architects push hard for full-body vitrified tiles everywhere, arguing the chip-resistance is worth the design trade-off in any commercial space. Others argue that in low-traffic commercial zones a boutique reception area, say a well-specified GVT with a protective coating delivers 90% of the visual benefit at a lower cost, and the chip-risk argument is overstated for spaces that see light foot traffic. Both positions have merit; the right call depends on how much wheeled or heavy traffic the specific zone will actually see.

Still unsure about your tile specifications? Our team can review your requirements before you buy.

Quick Recommendation: Choose Full Body Vitrified for heavy commercial traffic, Double Charge for value-driven durability, and Digital Tiles if design realism matters more than chip-resistance.

Final Expert Recommendation

Non-digital tiles aren't the flashy choice, and they were never meant to be. What most installers will tell you privately is that they still recommend them for the projects where showroom looks matter less than five-year performance commercial corridors, industrial floors, export orders, budget residential flooring that still needs to hold up. If your priority is a striking visual statement, go digital. If your priority is a floor that ages quietly without embarrassing chip marks, non-digital, particularly full-body or Double Charge vitrified material, remains one of the more sensible calls in Indian tile buying verify the batch codes, confirm the grade, and you'll rarely regret it.

Morbitaa Buildmart LLP works directly with Morbi, Gujarat's vitrified and ceramic tile manufacturers, supplying non-digital and full-body vitrified tile ranges to dealers, builders, and export buyers across India, UAE, Africa, and Southeast Asia. This guide draws on real sourcing and factory-floor experience from Morbi's manufacturing cluster.