News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-09-03
TRADE CATALOGUES.
Fortune Ii Sometimes Paid for an Edi-
tion of Books to Give Away.
EFrom the New York Sun.

from the New York Sun.
American illustrated trade catalogues
excel all others in the world" said a
printer. ''No other country produces
any In comparison. With them Cata-
logue printing has become wonderful
and distinct business in itself It is
conceded by the most distinguished Eu-
ropean art critics that Americans have
surpassed all other nations in printing,
and have well nigh done so in wood en-
craving. The great silverware houses
of this city publish more costly and gor-
geous catalogues than any other line of
trade. They usually issue one edition
OF 1000 copies, because they have about
that many customers. One house on
Broadway paid 800, 900 for its edi-
ton of 1000 last year, while other sill
verware houses paid sums ranging from
$35, 900 to $50, 000 Another house, be-
sides publishing trade catalogue, is
sues handbook for its customers, at
cost of 5000.
"The 100000 catalogues were of
folio size, and contained 400 pages
They contained about A, 900 words and
steel engravings and Photographic and
photographic sketches. Each book
weighed about fourteen pounds. The
big edition consumed forty-five tons of
the finest and heaviest calendered pa
per, made expressly for the purpose, and
OF higher grade than used in any other
work of the bookmakers' art; twelve
tons of card board and 5000 yards of
the finest silk cloth for the covers. The
presswork alone for the 1000 copies cost
$4,000, and 100000 sheets of gold leaf
and $4,000 sheets of silver leaf were
used.
'"To print the covers of the books
three colors are used This requires the
use of three different plates. The first
prints the groundwork, and is worked
cold, while the last two, which print in
the gold and silver leaf, must be worked
hot. Now, in heating these plates they
expand one-fourth of an inch, so that
allowances must be made for the expan-
sion-a difficult job indeed, when some
of the figures are very minute, and an
imperfect register would result in great
loss,
The photographic work is the chief
point of interest, for as many as fifteen
tints are often used. In some catalogues
a one-page design of three plates costs
81, 200. One large house on Beekman
street, whose goods include wash basins
made of chinaware with colored designs,
pays $3.50 page for plates. A publish
ing house up town, which makes a
specially of issuing yearly cooperative
catalogue, charges $500 for one-page
design.
'The Hoffman house has got in press
a catalogue that will cost $4,000. 1t
will require 100 pounds of ink, costing
$50 per pound, or So, 900 in all. 1t will
contain sixty-eight pages, with sketches
by Bougueread, Corregio, Chelmonski,
Etienne, Sadler, Bail, Schlessinger, and
Mast. The design of the book Is by
Charles Sibley May. The title will be
"A Cluster of Gems from the Hoffman
House Collection which also conveys
the idea of the book. The sketches will
be full page, and will cost not less than
5000 page.
Gin the more economical catalogues,
such as those issued by the hardware,
stove, locomotive, machinery and cutlery
houses, there is no such expensive char
acter of work, but they are printed in
the best manner possible, on good sur
face book paper, and illustrated with
the best wood engravings. The cost is
often from $4,000 to $4,000 for an
edition."