Ceramic color can come from the body, engobe, glaze, stain, digital decoration or their interaction during firing. A reproducible method identifies the layer and production stage being controlled, then fixes the location, geometry, aperture and surface state.
Name the ceramic system
| Product | Main color risk |
|---|---|
| Glazed ceramic | Glaze thickness, opacity, firing and body show-through change color and gloss. |
| Unglazed body or brick | Raw material, atmosphere, temperature and surface porosity create spatial variation. |
| Sanitaryware | Curvature, thickness, pooling and rework make location and fixture critical. |
| Decorated architectural ceramic | Pattern and effect pigments may require zone-based or multi-angle assessment. |
Control firing and surface state
State whether measurement occurs on unfired material, a laboratory trial, fired production or finished product. Allow pieces to cool and condition, then clean with an approved method. Do not compare a polished rework area with an untouched surface or a laboratory glaze drawdown with a curved fired article without validating the relationship.
Handle shape, gloss and opacity
Choose flat measurement zones that completely cover the port. For curved sanitaryware or profiles, use a fixture that presents the same tangent area and excludes stray light. Keep orientation fixed on directional relief or decoration. SCI can reduce some gloss influence; SCE is more surface-sensitive. Measure gloss separately where appearance specifications require it.
A small aperture solves access but increases local sensitivity
Use a smaller aperture only when the part cannot accommodate a larger one, then increase the number of defined locations and prove repositioning repeatability.
Sample the kiln and the product
Build the sampling plan around kiln zone, firing time, carrier, cavity, glaze batch and product geometry. For large or shaped articles, specify named zones and retain individual readings. Separate within-piece variation from piece-to-piece and batch-to-batch variation.
Diagnose color direction with process data
Review spectral curves and ΔL*, Δa*, Δb* alongside glaze application, firing profile, atmosphere, body composition and measured gloss. A darker reading may reflect thicker transparent glaze, reduced surface reflection or a true pigment shift. Total Delta E alone cannot identify the cause.
Use Measuring Tile Color when the product falls under the plain ceramic-tile method, and use a product-specific validated method for other ceramic forms.
References and further reading
- ISO 10545-16: small color differences in plain ceramic tiles.
- ASTM E1331: hemispherical reflectance and color measurement.
Continue with whiteness and yellowness and instrument selection.
Last reviewed 22/09/2026 · Level: Intermediate
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