01
Request complementary views
Ask for a wide view, a closer view of several courses, and a sample edge view. Lighting from different directions can change the visibility of texture. Avoid choosing solely from a heavily edited image or a tightly cropped product photograph that has no scale reference.
02
Use photographs to shortlist
Once a selection interests you, obtain representative material and discuss its thickness and surface range with the supplier. Compare it at the likely viewing distance. Keep the original product identification attached to the images; an attractive photograph is less useful if nobody can confirm what it shows. Photography supports selection, while physical material helps resolve details that the camera may flatten.