Est. 1978 · Saltillo, Mexico
Timeless characterFired by hand
Hand-pressed sun-baked terracotta, fired in wood kilns by generations of artisans for over four decades. The definitive Saltillo tile — every shape, every finish.
We don't sell rustic. We sell the raw, sun-baked soul of Mexican earth — seen through an architectural lens.
Every tile carries the thumbprint of the presser, the flash of the kiln, the breath of the clay. No two are alike. That is not a flaw — it is the point.
Heritage
- 1978
The first kiln
A single wood-fired kiln and a small crew of pressers in Saltillo, Coahuila.
- 1990s
Crossing the border
Antico begins shipping north — Saltillo floors arrive in Texas homes and beyond.
- 2000s
The shape library
Hexagon, San Felipe, Riviera — the catalog grows beyond the classic square.
- Today
Still pressing
The same hands, the same earth. Over four decades of perfectly imperfect tile.
The Shape Library
Every shape we press.
Custom shapes, too — with the cookie cutter we can press any shape for large-enough orders, subject to a $500 cutter charge.
Our Home
Saltillo, Coahuila — high desert, old earth.
Our clay is drawn from the deposits around Saltillo, a colonial city in the high desert of northern Mexico, founded in 1577. The same earth that built its cathedral paves your floor.
Catedral de Santiago · Saltillo, Coahuila
Plaza principal
Saltillo · c. early 1900s
Drag to explore. Saltillo sits at roughly 1,400 m in the Sierra Madre Oriental foothills — hot days and cool nights that have cured terracotta for centuries.
The Craft
Earth, water, fire, and a steady hand.
Our clay is drawn from the same deposits our founders opened in 1978. It is pressed by hand into wooden molds, dried beneath the Coahuila sun, then fired in wood kilns that lend each batch its character — the warm flashes, the deep manganese tones, the soft paw-print marks of the kiln floor.
- 45+
- Years firing
- 20+
- Shapes & sizes
- 4
- Signature finishes
Contact Us
Let's talk tile.
Questions about a shape, a finish, a big install? Tell us what you are working on and our team will get back to you shortly.
The Process
From earth to floor, by hand.
A few pages from the yard.
Form the clay
Raw Coahuila clay is mixed with water and pulled into wooden molds by hand — one tile at a time, no two exactly alike.
Press by hand
Each tile is pressed into its mold, then turned out onto the dirt floor to take its first breath of the Saltillo sun.
Cookie cut the shapes
After the clay is hand-pressed into a square mold, custom metal cutters — heavy-duty dies shaped much like cookie cutters — press the tile out into every shape in our library.
Stoke the kiln
Wood kilns are fed and stoked by hand through the night — the fire that gives every tile its flash, its color, its character.
New shapes, new finishes
See the latest installs on Instagram.
Fresh finishes, newly pressed shapes, and real homes going in — follow along as new Saltillo tiles land and fresh installs take shape.
Reference Guide
Shapes, sizes & seals.
The full Saltillo library — pressed by hand in nearly any dimension. Use it to spec a floor, a stair, or a single accent.
- Square
- 3″, 4″, 5″, 6″, 8″, 8½″, 10″, 12″, 16″, 18″, 24″
- Rectangle / Picket
- 1×8 to 12×24 — see full size chart
- Hexagon / Octagon
- 4″, 6″, 8″, 12″, 16″
- Diamond
- 8″
- Riviera & San Felipe
- 6″, 8″, 12″, 16″
- Star & Cross
- 7½″
- Stair Treads
- 11½″ wide × 12½″ deep
- Bullnose
- Antique Red & Red Antique Gloss · 1″×8″
Seals
Unsealed
Natural fired clay, ready to seal on site for a custom patina.
Clear Gloss
Our most popular finish — deepens color and shine.
Satin Seal
A soft, low-glare sheen, easy to maintain.
Colors & Finishes
One earth, five faces.
Every finish is drawn from the same Coahuila clay — the difference is how it is rubbed, sealed, and graded. All colors are available in any size or shape.
Natural
Clear Seal Gloss · Unsealed
Sun-dried and kiln-fired with no added pigment — the clay in its truest form.
4″, 5½″, 8″ sq · 6″×12″ picket · Hex & Octagon 4–16″
Antique Terracotta
Hand-Rubbed Finish
A time-worn, hand-rubbed antiquing with rich rust and umber tones.
Most sizes & shapes · Hex 4–16″
Antique Walnut Light
Deep Antiqued Finish
A deeper, espresso-toned antiquing for a dramatic, old-world floor.
8″ sq · 4″×12″ picket · Star & Cross 7½″ · San Felipe 6–16″
Navajo Satin
Satin-Sealed Finish
A soft, satin-sealed finish with a gentle sheen — easy to live with.
4″×8″ · most sizes & shapes
Super Saltillo
Clear Seal Gloss · Premium Grade
Our premium grade: denser, more consistent tiles for a refined, high-shine floor.
6–16″ sq · 4×8–12×24 rect · 8″/12″ Hex · 4×12 picket
Unsealed Saltillo
Sealing Guidance
Sealing with a grout release before grouting will help with cleanup of the grout on the surface. Sealing after grouting is recommended. Re-seal as needed.
Regular Maintenance & Care
Keep the earth breathing.
Routine care
Routine, daily maintenance of saltillo, terra cotta or clay brick surfaces will involve keeping dirt, dust and other soiling from building up. Exterior installations will often require more intensive maintenance and care processes. Spills, food and other potential staining materials need to be cleaned up in a reasonable period of time. Regular sweeping and light damp mopping is advisable. For larger installations these processes remain the same; only the scale will change.
Cleaners to avoid
Highly alkaline, acidic, ammonia based, abrasive cleaners, or bleach may damage some stone, tile and/or grout surfaces and may also degrade any applied sealer, adversely affecting stain repellency. The use of a gentle cleaner specifically formulated for stone, tile and grout maintenance is the best assurance of not harming the saltillo, terra cotta, clay brick, grout or degrading any applied sealers.
Maintenance cleaning
Both routine damp mopping and monthly scrub cleanings of saltillo, terra cotta or clay brick surfaces can be accomplished using sponges and brushes, spray mops, and traditional mop and bucket. A wet/dry vacuum is helpful for cleaning big floors. For commercial applications, a swing machine fitted with a brush or pad or an auto-scrubber will help maintain larger installations.
Where to Buy
Reach out to your local Daltile retailer.
For pricing, shipping, and purchase, contact your nearest Daltile dealer — they carry the full Antico Saltillo line and can quote your project. You can also order samples directly through a Daltile “add” Dealer.
Pricing, shipping & purchase through Daltile.
Saltillo Inspiration of the Week
This week, we are loving…
Saltillo hexagonal tile, as styled by AD Italia — a warm, lived-in study in terracotta. Photo: AD Italia.
Refreshed weekly · Week of Aug 26
