The technique of making Cuerda Seca tile has been used for centuries in Spain and other Mediterranean countries. The depth and richness of the colors are obtained by painstakingly applying every drop of glaze by hand onto a delineated design.

Raw tile bisquets drying. When dry they are ready be to deliniated with the outline of a particular design, and then to apply all the tile colors.

The elements in the formula of the outlines resist the flow of the glaze placed in the spaces between the lines of the pattern in the design, leaving a dry line visible as the glazes are dried on the surface of the tile. This process is known as the “cuerda seca” technique meaning “dry cord”. Originally the Spanish and Moors used animal fats and grease as ingredients to make the dry line and separate the glazes.

The design of the tile is then traced on the surface of the tile using the ancient method called Cuerda Seca, or Dry Cord. The formula used to trace the design acts as a liquid repellent which will keep the colors from mixing.

Glazes are similar to glass and are made from glass-forming materials, such as silica, alumina, and lime with various mineral oxides added for coloring, such as iron (tan), copper (green), manganese (black), uranium (orange), nickel (brown), cobalt (blue), chromium (red), and antimony (yellow). This ingredients are mixed in a finely form. Our Santa Barbara Malibu style glaze formulas are made only by experts who have spent years at our factory developing them. This a complicated process since we constantly use matte and glossy glazed finishes within the same tile.

Showing bulb syringes; used to inlay glazes onto the tile.

Artisan applying the different glazes onto the outlined tile design. Every single drop of glazed is painstakingly applied onto a tile by hand. The glazes have to have the right thickness: if too thin, the color would break; if too thick the colors would run together or overrun the tile. It takes months of training to become efficient at decorating tiles with a syringe.

The tile is then fired at approximately 1850° Fahrenheit. During this process the elements in the “dry line” are fused to form a charred dry line separating the glazes.

When the tiles are removed from the kiln the black line makes a contrast with the brilliant colors of the gloss and matte glazes complementing the design, giving life to unique beautiful tile.

This is the same technique used by the legendary Malibu and Catalina Potteries of the 1920s. Tile from these potteries can still be found in many historical buildings in Southern California one such example is the Adamson House in Malibu, which displays an impressive collection of Malibu tile. This state house was designated as a Point of Historical Interest in 1985 and is open to the public.