Porcelain slabs, made to be thin

Large-format porcelain slabs are made from fine clays, feldspar and silica, pressed into big sheets and fired at very high temperature, in the region of 1,200 degrees Celsius. The firing fuses the body into a dense, non-porous material.

That makes porcelain thin, light and UV-stable: the colour does not fade in sun, which is why it is used for outdoor kitchens, cladding and slim countertops. Its surface can be printed to look like marble, quartzite or concrete, and the pattern can run through the thickness on some products.

Thin materials need particular skill at the edges and at cutouts. A thin edge can be mitered to read thicker, and cutouts need machining and support at the corners. Doing that on a CNC in the shop is what separates a good porcelain installation from a chipped one.