Milford chronicle., 1885-08-21
TRADE CATALOGUES.
A Fortune h Sometimcs Paid for nm Edi-
tlOn Of Books to Give Away.
From the New York Sun.


american illustrated trade catalogues
1 excel all Others in the WORLD said a
printer. mo other country produces
any in comparison. With them cata-
logue printing has become a wonderful
and distinct business in itself. II is
conceded by the most distinguished Eu-
ropean art critics that Americans have
surpassed all other nations Ia 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, 600 for its edi-
ton of 1000 last year, while other sill
verware houses paid sums ranging from
$35, 900 to. $50, 600. Another house, be-
sides publishing a trade catalogue, is
sues a handbook for its customers, at a
cost of $4,000.
"The 500, 600 catalogues were of
folio size, and contained 400 pages.
They contained about 4, 900 words and
steel engravings and Photographic and
photographic sketches. Each book
weighed about fourteen pounds. The
big edition consumed fOrty-iive 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
SO, 600, and 210, 600 sheets of gold leaf
and $4,000 sheets of silver leaf were
used.
ITO 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
q 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 a page for plates. A publish
ng house up town, which makes a
speciality of issuing yearly a cooperative
catalogue, charges $500 for one-page
lesign.
"The Hoffman house has got in press
catalogue that will cost $50, 900. It
will require 100 pounds of ink, costing
80 per pound, or $4,000 in all. It will
contain sixty-eight pages, with sketches
" BOugueread, CorregiO, Chelmonski,
.tienne, Sadler, Bail, Schlcssinger, and
Vast. The design of the book IS by
'harles Sibley May. The title will be
A Cluster of Gems from the Hoffman
louise Collection, which also conveys
he idea of the book. The sketches will
c full page, and will cost not less than
200 page.
I'm the more economical catalogues,
lch as those issued by the hardware,
owe, locomotive, machinery and cutlery
ouses, there is no such expensive char
,ter of work, but they are printed in
lie best manner possible, on good sur !
ce book paper, and illustrated with
lie best wood engravings. The cost is
ten from $4,000 to $12, 1000 for an r
litiOn.n ;