Yes, it can all be done. It just matters how much you want to spend. You can even cut a hole right in the middle of a tile, but would cost a lot of time to have someone do it. And there's a great chance for accidental breakage which increases the time involved. You do it the way you would with wood, by drilling, then carefully filing and nipping out the area, then grinding and sanding to make clean edges. It would be better to just cut the tile in two L shapes, over the inset, but a hole can be made. I have a lot of tile in my kitchen which is randomly set without grid. The big problem with cutting tiles occurs if they're cut out (in the making) before firing. Then they have rounded edges, which are very nice, but which go away when they're cut. That makes the cut show a lot more. There are also "rectified" tiles, which are cut after firing, which have perfectly straight sides. You can cut those any which way and have the edges match. The main thing for doing things that the person in the tile shop thinks can't be done is to have a master tile setter. A lot of people think they know how to install tile, who can do a perfectly acceptable job of putting a grid on a floor, who cannot cut difficult shapes. My tile setter can freehand a circle on a tile saw. It's not perfect (being that only straight cuts can be made), but it's pretty darned impressive. He does complex, double L cuts with aplomb. Oh. I should say that the quality of the tile matters too. The actual clay used can have an effect on how well it cuts, and some glazes are more prone to cracking when cut than others.

Thanks, it sounds like I need "real" grout lines. Still, the 4"x4" (I've used in a bathroom, including stand alone shower and a tub) have built in spacers that provide, I estimate, no more than 1/16" space between tiles. The work I've done with these is now about 20 years old and holding up well. The subject brick shape however doesn't seem to have any space other than the bevel, which does go down to the unglazed edge of the tile. I would in any case plan on a 1/8" gap at the counter-top which is filled with caulk. I notice there is a Jacks (not sure it isn't Jax) type spacer that looks to my mind's eye to be better than the older flat cross spacer. Any advice on the type of spacer? On a related item, if I cut (wet saw) or break, ceramic scribe and brake, a tile and the edge will be exposed, is it possible to use a polishing stone or other tile cutting tool to smooth that edge, round it off a bit? I know when I hit an interface, including a corner I will use a caulk to close the run...that has worked well in corners where I have the cut edge of the "top" tile facing away from the line-of-sight, making the cut edge almost impossible to see. I'll have to check to see what I did in the bathroom job many years ago when I came to a bull-nose finished edge. I'll guess there must be some cut/broken edges there, I didn't have a wet saw when I did that job. Just in case one cares to advise, my new counter top is a solid man-made material. Do I have to carefully protect it from any drips of a mounting mastic? Would it be safer to use a thin-set as regards any "splats" hitting the new counter-top? I believe most mastic material is petroleum based, I will guess if there is a latex mastic it may be safer to use over the new counter top. The old bathroom tile job I referred to I think I used a combination premixed mastic/grout...hey, it is still holding both the grout and tiles. That job was above fiberglass tub and shower pan, I didn't see any damage from drips on that job.

Several threads, including on using digitally backprinted glass for a backsplash here on GW. Try to find a commercial glass store or see if you can get tempered glass that can be printed or painted. I'm outside DC and would have been able to find relatively inexpensive suppliers/print shops to pursue this. Bunch of threads. http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2666862/glass-back-splash-is-up-progress-photo http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2426187/back-painted-glass-backsplash http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2698456/backpainted-glass-backsplash http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2449038/digital-printing-on-glass-as-backsplash

Thank you Sophie. I'm using white Mapei Keracolor U Unsanded Grout (with polymer). I'm mixing with water, no additive. It was recommended that I still seal the grout with the 511 Seal & Enhance. The Mapei material instructions indicate that sealing is not "required" but a sealer "may be applied". I'm concerned about keeping the white grout clean, especially behind the cooktop. Has anyone used Mapei Keracolor U Unsanded Grout in a kitchen environment and NOT sealed?