Abstract: Provided are methods for the preparation and purification of alkyl tetrahalophthalate esters by the reaction of a tetrahalophthalic compound with an alkanol in the presence of a titanate catalyst. More particularly, improved methods are provided for making and recovering an ester with little contamination by catalytic metal components and color bodies, and with little acidity, in a high yield from the esterification reaction by pretreating the starting materials to reduce the acidity thereof, reacting the starting materials in the presence of a titanate catalyst, stripping excess alcohol, hydrolyzing the catalyst, and filtering out solids to yield a high purity tetrahalophthalate ester product.