The tile delivery has the right design and colour name, so the cartons go straight beside the work area. Before the first box is opened for installation, compare the labels. Two cartons can share a product name while carrying different production details.
This is a useful delivery check to make with the installer, while the packaging and supplier paperwork are still together. It is much easier to ask about a mismatch before tiles have been fixed to the wall.
Read the codes together
Marazzi’s tile guidance distinguishes shade, also called dye lot, from caliber, which concerns the tile’s face size. The manufacturer explains that production runs can vary and labels its cartons accordingly. Other brands may present the information differently, so ask the supplier how to read the actual product label.
Compare the design, colour, finish, nominal size, shade and caliber information across the delivery. Photograph representative labels and keep the order reference. Do not assume a similar-looking code is interchangeable, or that a larger grout joint will automatically solve a size mismatch.
Agree what happens before laying begins
If cartons differ, pause and ask the supplier and installer whether the combination is appropriate for this product and layout. Keep the answer with the project record. Open samples as instructed and review their appearance in the room before authorising the installation.
Some designs intentionally contain considerable visual variation. That is a separate question from accidentally mixing incompatible batches. Confirm the expected range from the manufacturer’s information and decide how the installer will distribute pieces.
Keep a clearly labelled reserve for future repairs if the project plan allows it. Record its product and batch details rather than relying on memory or a small loose sample with no identification.
The aim is not to reject every visible difference. It is to know which differences belong to the chosen design, which require a planned installation approach and which indicate that the delivery needs resolving first.