**DISCLAIMER: Please note that the porcelain industry has progressed since the publication of this post. The terminology "through body" is currently obsolete in reference to porcelain tile. Following discussions with our manufacturing partners such as Atlas Concorde, Mirage, Emil Group, etc., it has been determined that the products are now universally categorized as color body unless specified otherwise. Through body is a term that is used primarily in reference to natural stone products.

During your search for the perfect porcelain tile, you’ve surely noticed there is a wide variety of colors, patterns and finishes. But did you know that there are different types of bodies as well? Through-body and color-body. Let’s explore what this means a little further so that you can decide which one will be best for your next project.

Color-body

Let’s begin with explaining what color-body means. A colored-body porcelain is created by using the most predominant pigment on a tile’s surface. This means that while the surface of the tile may have a pattern or texture, the inside of the tile is a solid color.

Gems, for example, is a color-body porcelain that has a terrazzo-like pattern printed on the surface. If the tile is chipped (very unlikely in a porcelain tile, by the way), the pattern may be disrupted but the exposed color will still be a similar color in order to reduce the visibility of the chip.

Through-body

Through-body tiles differ slightly from color-body tiles. In a through-body tile the patterns and colors are consistent all the way through the tile. What you see on the surface of the tile is the same thing that’s on the inside of the tile.

For instance, if you chip a tile (again, very unlikely) the chip would reveal the same pattern/texture that is seen on the surface of the tile

So let’s say you’re worried about potential chipping, due to the tile being installed in a very high traffic area, such as a commercial space, you may want to consider going with a a through-body tile. But also keep in mind, porcelain is one of the most dense materials, so the chances of chipping are very low.