A 30-year legacy of printing better
Started as Tulip Graphics in 1987, we were among the country’s early adopters of digital color imaging. Every technology bet since has chased the same two things: better work, and less waste.
We start as a prepress house with facilities in Berkeley and San Francisco, one of the first digital color prepress shops in the Bay Area. Digital imaging gives us our first taste of how technology can cut waste, not just time.
We acquire a Heidelberg 5-color GTO DI press, imaging plates by laser directly on press, followed by a Xeikon Chromapress and a Heidelberg QMDI. Going digital stops being an experiment and becomes how we work.
We bring our digital workflow to industrial offset printing, pairing Computer-to-Plate technology, color management, and digital press controls to build an offset operation far less wasteful than the traditional kind.
We hire an in-house software team and build our web-to-print portal: instant pricing, order tracking, and shipping details, anytime. It launches as the first online printing site to offer recycled paper exclusively.
We earn FSC® Chain of Custody certification, so every sheet can be traced from finished product back to the responsibly managed forests where the raw materials were harvested.
Michael Assadi, son of founder Mario Assadi, takes over the business, keeping Greenerprinter family owned and operated and carrying the same commitment into its second generation.
We install solar panels on our Richmond facility, bringing renewable energy directly into our operations instead of only offsetting it.
Carbon-neutral operations, renewable energy, and a promise we repeat often: going green is a journey. We keep looking for the next step, and we would love to have you along.
Why we went green
For us it started with paper, historically one of the most environmentally harmful industries in the world. Protecting the environment from the impact of logging, processing, and pulp manufacturing meant changing what we buy before changing anything else.
In New Leaf Paper we found a like-minded partner: US-made, FSC® certified, with post-consumer content up to 100%. We have been one of their biggest customers ever since, and in 2005 we launched as the first online printing site to offer recycled paper exclusively.
- Buy only from known sources, domestic and European
- Insist on FSC® certified paper
- Choose recycled stock with high post-consumer content
We stand behind every order
When you buy printed materials, you should feel confident you’re getting the best quality and service available. Whether your order is 100 brochures or 10,000 catalogs, every person here is devoted to making your experience the best it can be. Our Buy with Assurance promise guarantees it.
If something happens in transit
Per our terms, delays or damage during shipping are the sole responsibility of the carrier, but we make the claims process painless.
- Orders shipped via UPS or FedEx on our account are automatically insured up to $100 in product value for lost, stolen, or damaged product.
- Add insurance at checkout to cover up to 100% of your product purchase through the carrier. For orders over $500, shipping insurance is strongly recommended.
- We initiate the claim for you. Carrier investigations take 7 to 10 days, and we credit your account no later than 15 business days after receiving the results.
Read our Shopper Approved and Google reviews to see how we please our clients every day.
Talk to a real person
Questions about an order, or about the guarantee? Our team answers Monday to Friday.
Reduce, reuse, recycle… and offset
We relentlessly examine every part of our business to make it greener, from the large machinery to the seat covers in the bathroom. (Yes, even those are made from recycled paper.)
We are a pain for many of our vendors. We’re constantly asking where it’s made, what it’s made of, what are the specs?
Our ingredients
Earth friendly and people friendly, starting with what goes on the sheet.
We use New Leaf paper that is sourced credibly and created responsibly.
- High post-consumer recycled fiber, up to 100% on uncoated stock
- Biodegradable and chlorine free
- Ancient Forest Friendly, FSC® and Green-e certified
- Made in the US
Only top-of-the-line ink that is also environmentally friendly.
- Soy and vegetable based inks
- Zero VOCs and zero ozone generation
- Recycling program for unused inks
Our processes
Three places in the production line where we cut waste, in order.
For offset printing it starts with how we create the plates. (For digital, we skip this step entirely.)
- Non-toxic processing fluids
- Recyclable aluminum plates
Switching to top-of-the-line press technology cut our waste dramatically.
- 75% less wasted paper on offset
- Chemistry-free plate processor
From carbon offsets to recycled packaging, we have greened the delivery leg too.
- Recycled packaging
- Carbon credits offset shipping energy
Our workplace
Our Richmond, California facility was thoughtfully redesigned around the same idea.
Printing presses produce a lot of heat. We heat only 10% of our facility, and our breezy Richmond, CA location means no need for energy-hogging AC.
We uncovered the windows and raised the ceilings to bring in natural light and reduce overall energy usage.
We buy 100% renewable electricity from a local provider and offset the rest with renewable energy credits, making our operation carbon neutral.
Show your green stripes
Eco-audits are a convenient way to know, and show, the resources you conserved by printing with us.
Statistics are calculated per job, based on your project’s volume and the recycled content of the paper you chose, using research from Environmental Defense, the Paper Task Force, and Conservatree. Request yours once your order starts, then use it electronically or print it right on your materials.
The total resources Greenerprinter customers conserved by printing on New Leaf Paper. Your numbers depend on quantity and paper choice, preview them in the estimating window while you configure a product.
Join us in making a difference
There are so many great ideas out there about how to be greener. If you’d like to chat, we’re always open to learning more.