Ceramic tile and method for manufacturing ceramic tiles

1. A ceramic tile having a ceramic base layer and a cover glaze layer comprising a printed pattern, wherein the surface of the ceramic tile comprises a relief having structural features corresponding to said printed pattern,

wherein said printed pattern is a digitally printed pattern.

2. The ceramic tile according to claim 1 , wherein said printed pattern extends substantially over the entire surface of the ceramic tile.

3. The ceramic tile according to claim 1 , wherein said printed pattern represents a wood or stone pattern, preferably representing only one one-piece wooden plank or stone tile over the entire surface of the ceramic tile.

4. The ceramic tile according to claim 1 , wherein said printed pattern is a wood pattern and said structural features are lines following the course of the grain lines of the wood pattern or a plurality of successive dashes having a configuration following the grain lines of the wood pattern.

5. The ceramic tile according to claim 1 , wherein said structural features have a depth such that they are completely situated above said ceramic base layer.

6. The ceramic tile according to claim 1 , wherein said cover glaze layer at least comprises a glaze layer of uniform color arranged underneath said printed pattern.

7. The ceramic tile according to claim 1 , wherein said cover glaze layer at least comprises a transparent glaze layer arranged over said printed pattern.

8. The ceramic tile according to claim 7 , wherein at least some of said structural features are formed in said transparent glaze layer.

9. The ceramic tile according to claim 1 , wherein said printed pattern is formed at least from the base colors cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

10. The ceramic tile according to claim 1 , wherein said relief is basically formed as a plurality of excavations present in the generally plane upper surface of the ceramic tile.

11. A method for manufacturing a ceramic tile, wherein said ceramic tile has a ceramic base layer and a cover glaze layer with a printed pattern, and wherein the method comprises the following steps:

the step of forming the ceramic base layer;

the step of providing a glaze layer on said ceramic base layer;

the step of digitally printing a pattern on said glaze layer using a digital printing technique;

the step of firing the ceramic base layer with the glaze layer having the printed pattern;

wherein the method further comprises the step of forming a relief having structural features corresponding to said printed pattern.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said relief is basically formed as a plurality of excavations present in the generally plane upper surface of the ceramic tile.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said relief is formed on the surface of said cover glaze layer before said step of firing and/or at the same time as said step of firing.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein said relief is formed on the surface of said ceramic base layer before said step of providing a glaze layer.

15. A method for manufacturing a ceramic tile comprising the following steps:

forming a ceramic base layer;

providing a glaze layer on said ceramic base layer;

digitally printing a pattern on said glaze layer using an inkjet digital printing technique;

forming a relief having structural features corresponding to said printed pattern; and

firing the ceramic base layer with the glaze layer having the printed pattern.