Color Under Your Lighting
Blues that look right on a monitor can read purple under warm office light and turquoise in daylight. You check the proof in the room, and we adjust the ink before production.
Proofing & Strike-Off Samples
Hold your design on the real material before a single roll is printed.
$50 per materialup to three materials
12″ × 24″production-quality sample
5–7 business daysfrom file approval
Creditedtoward your order
90-day approval windowfor reviews and lighting tests
What Is a Strike-Off?
Seeing and Feeling Is Believing
A strike-off is a trial print of your design, made on the production material with the production inks before the full run. Ours is a 12″ × 24″ press proof, printed exactly as your rolls will be.
It's the best guarantee that your design translates from screen to wall: you hold it in your hands, on the material you chose, under the lighting in the room. Once you sign off, that proof becomes the standard for production and every reorder.
How It Works
Three Steps to an Approved Proof
Step 1
Prepress Review and Panel Schematic
Before anything prints, co-founder Steven reviews your files: scale, pattern breaks that would land awkwardly, and resolution. Where artwork is soft, we enhance it.
You also get a panel schematic showing how the design breaks across 52″ panels and maps to your walls, so layout problems surface before they become reprints.
Step 2
Material Consultation
Choose up to three materials to proof. Most clients compare Type II commercial vinyl against non-woven, traditional against peel & stick, matte against textured, or a standard stock against canvas, grasscloth or metallic.
We recommend materials on two things: the look and feel you're after, and the space's requirements. A hotel corridor needs a different spec than a residential feature wall.
Step 3
Physical Proof and Sign-Off
We print your proof on the exact substrate with the exact UV-cured inks your rolls will use. Check the color under your own lighting, the texture in hand, the fine detail and the finish.
Once you approve it, the proof becomes your production standard. We keep it on file for batch consistency and reorders: what you approve is what ships.
Why Proof Every Project
What a Proof Catches
Something can look perfect on screen and still disappoint on the wall. A small, affordable print catches it first.
Texture Against Detail
An embossed Type II vinyl can soften fine linework or small type. Seeing both side by side tells you whether to simplify the pattern or switch materials.
Scale and Pattern Breaks
A 36″ repeat on a 9½-foot wall breaks awkwardly at the ceiling. The schematic shows where, and we adjust scale or alignment before printing.
Pricing
Proof Pricing & Timeline
Every proof is printed at full production quality, and its cost is credited toward your order.
Standard
Order a press proof
Press Proof
5–7 business days from file approval
A 12″ × 24″ production-quality sample on each material you're considering, up to three.
- Exact production substrate and UV-cured inks
- Panel schematic mapped to your walls
- Founder prepress review and material consultation
- Color matching to Pantone, paint or fabric
Per material$50
Custom-Size Proof
Quoted with your project
A larger proof for judging pattern scale on a big installation, priced by the square foot beyond the standard 12″ × 24″.
- Full repeats at true scale
- Same substrate and inks as production
- Useful for murals and large runs
Per square footQuoted
Approved proofs stay valid for 90 days. Production takes 7–10 business days after approval.
The Exceptions
When Clients Skip Proofs
We recommend a proof for every new design. A few projects can go without one.
Exact repeat orders
The same design on the same material: your original approved proof is the standard.
Hard deadlines
Simple designs on materials we print constantly, when an event date can't move.
Simple, low-risk designs
Solid backgrounds or basic type, with no critical color match.
Skip the proof and what prints is final: no adjustment before production and no recourse for color.
Popular Materials to Proof
Start With These
Four of the materials clients proof most, each code and safety compliant.
What Clients Say About Our Samples
Joseph was a pleasure to deal with and produced incredible samples very quickly! The quality of our final print was amazing quality, very happy with the outcome and experience.
Joseph, Steven, and team went above and beyond to make a dream wallpaper for my client. After wasting time and money at other bespoke wallpaper services, I was in a rush to print good wallpaper and fast. They gave us many options for quality, and had great communication every step of the way. I 100% recommend this service.
Joseph and Fine Print were an outstanding company to work with. Joseph took my brittle border fragment and sensitively captured the color quality of the original in a brand new run. Joseph and company were always responsive with clear communication. They provided the product in a timely manner, and my crew loved the product quality for application. I recommend Fine Print New York without reservation.
I have worked with Joseph and the team on a number of wallpaper jobs for fast moving photoshoots and they are the best in the business! Incredibly helpful with design work and the finished product is always beautiful - Joseph goes above and beyond!
Proofs & Strike-Offs, Answered
Strike-offs & proofs
What is a strike-off sample? ▾
A strike-off is a trial print of your design, made on the production material with the production inks before the full run is printed. It lets you approve color, scale and texture in hand rather than on a screen. Our standard strike-off, which we call a press proof, is 12″ × 24″.
How big is a wallpaper proof? ▾
Our standard press proof is 12″ × 24″, large enough to judge color, texture and several repeats of most patterns. Larger proofs are available, priced by the square foot, and help when you're judging scale for a big installation.
How much does a proof cost? ▾
$50 per material, for up to three materials, and the cost is credited toward your order. Each proof is printed at full production quality on the exact substrate and inks your rolls will use.
How long do proofs take? ▾
5–7 business days from file approval. Once you approve the proof, production takes 7–10 business days.
Will the proof show the exact texture of my material? ▾
Yes. Proofs are printed on your actual production substrate with the same process and UV-cured inks, so the texture, finish and sheen you see on the proof are what your rolls will deliver.
How long is a proof valid for approval? ▾
90 days from delivery, enough time for stakeholder reviews and lighting tests. After that we may reprint it if substrate or ink batches have changed, so production matches exactly what you approved.
Can I keep the proof? ▾
Yes. The physical proof is yours for reference, client presentations or installation coordination. We keep a digital record and a physical archive of your approved proof as the production standard for every reorder.
Color & files
Can you match a color from a fabric swatch or a photograph? ▾
Yes. Joseph matches physical samples (fabric, paint chips, printed materials) against our 20,000+ color library. Photos are less reliable because of lighting, but they work as a starting reference that we refine through proofs.
Why does my design look different printed than on screen? ▾
Screens glow; wallpaper reflects the light in the room. A color can also match under one light and shift under another (metamerism): blues that look right on a monitor can read purple under warm office lighting and turquoise in daylight. Checking the proof under your own lighting is how you catch it, and we adjust the ink values before production.
What files do you need for a proof? ▾
TIFF, PSD, AI, EPS or PDF, at 150 dpi minimum at final size (300 dpi recommended). Our prepress review flags resolution, color-mode and scale issues before anything is printed. See how to prepare your design files.
Skipping a proof
Do I need a proof for a repeat order? ▾
Not for an exact repeat of the same design on the same material: your original approved proof is the production standard. If you change the material or the colors, a new proof is essential.
What happens if I skip the proof? ▾
What prints is final. Without an approved proof there's no recourse for color you're unhappy with, no chance to adjust before full production, and responsibility for any mismatch between the design and the material stays with you. We recommend a proof for every new design.
More From the Guide
Getting the most from a proof, and setting up files so it prints right the first time.
Ready to See It on Your Material?
Send your artwork and the materials you're considering, and we'll set up your press proofs.