How to cut ceramic tiles

Summary: Learn how to cut ceramic tiles, cut ceramic tiles with a tile cutter and cut ceramic tiles without a tile cutter.

It will be necessary to cut tiles when tiling in areas where a full tile will not fit or uneven places such as corners or the curved edges of sinks and pipes. There are two main ways of cutting a tile. The first using a simple and easily accessible tile cutter, the second using a scriber.

With a flat-bed tile cutter, place the tile against the guide with the glazed surface facing upwards.

Cutting tiles with a tile cutter

  • Mark a line on the tile where it is to be cut. When measuring tiles to be cut, remember to allow for the grout line between each tile.
  • Using a flat-bed tile cutter, place your tile square against the guide, making sure it is secure and the glazed surface is facing upwards. Pull the tile cutter lever towards you, scoring along the tile surface where you have drawn your line. You should only score the tile once.
  • Once a decent line has been scored, in one firm motion push the tile cutter lever down and snap the tile along this line.
  • If this is your first time using a tile cutter you may want to practice on some offcuts.

Cutting tiles with a scriber

  • Using a guide or suitable straight edge, mark a line where you want to break the tile.
  • Where you have drawn a line score along the tile surface using a scriber, making sure you press firmly.
  • Once a decent line has been scored, hold the tile against a wooden batten and snap the tile along this line.
  • If the tile offcut is too narrow to snap using your hands, you can use a pair of pliers or tile nibblers to gently break away the tile pieces until you reach the scored line.

Related projects

Related cost guides