A signed color proof
Printed on the real stock. Nothing goes on press until you've seen it and approved it.
About us
A print shop that shows you the color before it charges you.
Our own shop in Milwaukee, with printing, finishing and signage under one roof.
The line we hear most on a first visit: "They printed a different color, and nobody would own it."
Our approach
Color gets approved on paper, not on a screen.
Halftone grew out of a scene that plays out across the industry: the client approves a design on their monitor, the printer runs a thousand copies, and the result looks nothing like it. With a printed, signed proof, that argument never happens.
- Our own shop: we print and finish here, without outsourcing your job.
- The capacity to cover offset, digital, large format, packaging and signs.
- Predictable: paper by weight, a real turnaround and a proof before the run.
Three moments in every job
-
Proof
Printed on the job's stock and signed by the client.
-
Print
Sheets pulled on press and checked against that proof.
-
Finish
Trimming, die cutting and binding right here, with a count before it ships.
What we solve
It almost always starts with one of these.
We start from what's actually worrying the client, not from a list of presses.
Pick a situation to see how we'd handle it.
My job printed in a different color than I approved.
That's why we hand you a proof printed on the final stock. If the run doesn't match the one you signed, we reprint it at our cost.
View related serviceI only have my logo as a photo.
We redraw it as a vector once, and it works forever after: for business cards, signs, uniforms and boxes.
View related serviceShould I go digital or offset?
It depends on the quantity. We tell you which one makes sense for your run, even when the other would make us more money.
View related serviceMy last banner peeled off in two months.
That's almost always indoor material put out in the sun. We ask where it's going and how long it needs to last before choosing the material.
View related serviceI need a box for my product.
We build the dieline to the real dimensions and give you a mockup in the final board, so you can fill it and stack it before the run.
View related serviceI have an event on Friday.
We work backward from that date and mark your approval deadline. If it won't make it, we tell you up front, not on the day of.
View related serviceEvery time, they print a slightly different shade.
We keep each client's color profile on file, so your March run matches your September run.
View related service Your job, step by step
From the file to delivery.
Every stage has a point where you can review and decide.
- File
- Quote
- Proof
- Press run
- Finishing
- Delivery
How we work
Five steps on every job.
The same order for a hundred business cards and a five-thousand-catalog run.
- 01
File check
We check resolution, color mode, bleed and trim, embedded fonts and whether the blacks are built right. Most jobs that come out wrong were already wrong in the file, and you can spot it in five minutes.
- 02
Firm quote
The quote names the exact paper stock and weight, the inks, the finishing and the turnaround. Quoting "gloss paper" without a weight is the most common way a finished job ends up looking nothing like what the client pictured.
- 03
Color proof
Before the press run, we print a proof on the same stock as the job and hand it to you. Screens lie: a blue that pops on a monitor can come out dull on matte paper. Nothing goes on press without your signature.
- 04
Press run
During the run, we pull sheets and compare them against the proof you signed. If the color drifts, we correct it on press; we don't ship it and let the client discover the difference when they open the box.
- 05
Finishing and delivery
Trimming, folding, die cutting, binding or lamination as the job requires, and a count before it ships. We deliver with a packing slip and give you a heads-up the day before, so someone's there to receive it.
Why HALFTONE?
What you'll find here.
It's not just about printing cheap. It's about the printed piece being what you approved.
The paper, by name and weight
Your quote says exactly which stock it is. Never a generic "gloss" that surprises you later.
We check your file
Before we quote, we tell you whether the resolution, color or bleed is going to cause trouble.
A turnaround we actually hit
We give you a date we can keep. Promising tomorrow and delivering in four days is how this business usually works, not how we do.
If we miss, we reprint
If the job doesn't match the proof you signed, we reprint it at our cost.
Our own shop
We print and finish here. We don't send your job out to someone we can't control.
1 Color proof before the press run Printed and signed by you, not a preview on a screen.
8 Shop services Four in printing and four in design and finishing.
72 Hours for a standard job From the moment you approve the color proof.
Who we are
Who we are, in six answers.
What's worth knowing about Halftone before your first job.
What we do
Offset and digital printing, large format, packaging, design, signs and finishing.
Where we're strongest
Color control from run to run, and die-cut packaging that gets tested first.
Who we work with
Small businesses and shops, companies and institutions, and events with a fixed date.
The problem we solve
Making sure the printed piece is what was approved, arrives on the promised day and doesn't need to be redone.
How we do it
A file check, a quote with paper and weight, a signed proof and color control on press.
What sets us apart
If the job doesn't match the proof you signed, we reprint it ourselves, no arguing.
Next step
Get a quote.
We'll send you a price with the exact paper, the finishing and a real turnaround.