What are Lappato tiles? Lappato Tiles are the ceramic or porcelain tiles with semi polished finish, featuring a higher shine than matt tiles but a gentler finish than a traditional polished porcelain tile. Lappato is a Italian word means “semi polished”, which is an elaborate technique in which the non-glazed surface of the tile is polished a few millimeters, whereby not every area of the tile is detected the same. Elegant and with stylish restraint, the tiles, which are processed using the elaborate Lappato technique, create an interplay between gloss and matt. Depending on the viewing angle, the light dances on the surfaces or disappears on the matt textures. Therefore, the beautiful transition from glossy to matte areas is characteristic of lappato tiles.