A method and implementing computer system are provided for enabling a user to determine a starting glaze color for fired tiles in processes where there is a color change from a starting glaze color to a finished or fired tile color. In an exemplary embodiment, a tile painting application is illustrated and includes a camera arranged to take an image of a fired or finished tile that has been painted, glazed and fired in a tile kiln. The color of the fired tile is determined from the image or picture of the fired tile, and a color change database is accessed to determine the starting or bisque color glaze. Related painting process information, including the pre-firing glaze color, the fired glaze color and other tile firing parameters, is accessed from the database and is selectively displayed to a user. The user is then enabled to reproduce the fired tile using the retrieved bisque glaze color and the firing parameters. In another embodiment, a fired tile is divided into smaller segments for analysis. Each segment is analyzed and the fired color for each segment is determined and used in retrieving the starting glaze color and firing parameters for each segment of the tile. The user is thereby enabled to reproduce the fired tile on a segment-by-segment basis.