Photo-Engia/m 67 TO 71 Park Place, NEW • YORK. John Hastings, A. R. Hart, , Jos. Tripp,- President. General Manager. Vice President. The First Photo-Efigraving Company, incorporated, ' apd th^e largest 'establishment of its Mi kind in. the world- to-day. MONG the inventions of our progressive age, none is more wonderful in its operations, and surprising in its results, than that of photo-engraving, brought to perfection by us after years of investigation and experiment. The dream of the Artist to see his work faithfully reproduced with all its characteristic features, the desire of the Publisher to meet a growing demand for more and better illustrations without additional expense, and the hope of the Philanthropist to see the toilsome work of the hand-engraver replaced by mechanical means, all are fully realized in the products of this modern science, which is work ing a revolution in the world of art and literature. , The first to enter the field and devote their best talent and energies to the develop- ment of photo-engraving was this company, which commenced business in 1872 with the most limited facilities; to-day it is the largest establishment of the kind in the world, equipped with the most complete machiner)- and apparatus that ingenuit)- can devise, and with every department of its extensive establishment filled b)- a corps of trained and skilled workmen, under the guidance of experienced superintendents. Hunctreds of plates of all sizes and descriptions, which would take an army __^„ of wood engravers to produce in a year, are weekl)- turned out with the magical aid of light and electricity, on short notice, and at astonishingly low prices. We will enumerate some of the advantaj^es of the / /^f. photo-engraved plate as found by the experience -fy/Mr of our customers. First. They are perfect substitutes for wood- /f cuts, can be printed with type on any ordinary '|/i<% printing press, and can be stereotyped or elec- trotyped in the ordinary manner. d/-^' Second. They are more durable than wood \ cuts (being of metal), are less liable to warp, and are not affected by heat or cold. Third. Their cost is much less than wood cuts, and in most cases, particularly in intricate and complicated work, less than one-half. Fourth. Being produced by photog- raphy, they are truthful and accurate in every respect. THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS WILL FURNISH THE (Jeneral Iiiforigatioi] u^uallij de^iped in Pelafiion to Oup WopI^, Our Relief Plates are of hard type metal — in appearance like ordinary stereotypes. 'I'hey are engraved chiefly by plioto-cheniicai means, and the hnes are as deep, as even and as sharp as they could possibly be cut by hand. They are mounted on blocks type-high and arc ready for use on any ordinary printing press. On the press they reciuire no more " making ready " than wood-cuts, and with fair usage, are good for from thirty to fifty thousand impressions. These plates are offered as an excellent substitute for wood-cuts, and as superior to them, especially in the im- portant points of rapidity of production, cheapness, and the literal rendering of the work of the arti.st. Our method of producing Relief Plates differs essentially from any other in use, and its superiority is apparent on the slightest comparison of results. Not being engraved by the action of acid on zinc or other metals, they are free from that clumsiness of lines — rough and broken in appearance — which is inseperable from that method. Electrotypes. — When very large or numerous editions are to be printed, it is advisable to provide against over- wear, or injury to the plates, by the use of electrotypes, which may be made from the plates at a small additional ex- pense, in the same manner as from wood-cuts. Copy. — The engraving is done directly, either from prints, or pen-drawings. Nearly all wood-cut and copper- plate prints — and a large number of lithographic and steel-plate prints, can be re-engraved directly, and with entire success. It is essential that the copy be in clear, black lines or stipple, and on white or only slightly tinted paper. Small defects may be remedied, though generally the best we can do is to reproduce the copy with photographic accuracy. Of all photographs, pencil sketches, and designs in pale lines, drawings must be made with thoroughly black ink on Bristol board, or other smooth, white surface, before they can be engraved. The drawings should usually be made twice the length and twice the width of the plate desired. We keep a corps of artists constantly employed, trained to do this work in the best manner. Photographs or tintypes, taken in the usual manner, are suitable for our use. They may be of any convenient size, but must, of course, show all parts of the object distinctly. Copy for plates of manuscript must be written with perfectly black ink, on smooth, white paper, with a full pen, and without use of the blotter. Time. — While we can engrave a plate in a few hours that would occupy a wood engraver a month, and often do so, yet with the large amount of work constantly on hand and promised, we cannot usually engage to fill an order fot a single plate in less than from three to six days ; larger orders will of course require longer time. Prices. — Size alone seldom determines the price of a plate. A piece three inches square may sometimes cost as much time and labor as another a foot square. Hence, we cannot furnish a scale of prices by the square inch for miscellaneous engraving. "But to publishers, whose orders are regularly given, and with considerable uniformity as to the kind and amount of work, we can give an average inch rate. Estimates will be promptly furnished when desired. That these may be definite and correct, the copy to be used — whether print, photograph, sketch or drawing — should always be submitted for our examination, together with a distinct statement of the size of plate wanted, and of'any other details to be observed. Yox the greater part of the work done by wood engravers, our method enables us to give an equal or better quality, and at lower prices. For very small plates — except where they are parts of a large order — our price is neces- sarily much higher in proportion to their size than for larger ones. Terms. — To insure attention, all orders must be accompanied by an advance of half the price charged, the balance to be paid on deliverv. HOTO-ENGRAVING is rapidly superseding the old and familiar method of wood engraving, and for the uses of the business community offers exceptional inducements. The cost of such work has been reduced more than one-half, while the quality has been greatly improved. The ad- vantages accruing from the use of illus- trations are so well known that it is not necessary for us to enumerate them, but it is a well-known fact that the most successful firms are among those who use our illustrations extensively. We mg commer- cial work, as the cost depends on the detail of the engraving and not on its size, but we are glad to give full information on receipt of photographs, sketches, or a detailed description of what is wanted. DRAW^ AND ENGRAVED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS. FROM PEU SKETCHES DRAWN AND ENGRAVED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS. DRAWN AND ENGRAVED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS. REPRODUCED FROM WOUD-CUT PRINT. REPRODUCED FROM STEEL PLATE PRINT. FROM PHOTOGRAPH FROM PHOTOGRAPH FROM PHOTOGRAPHS. FROM PHOTOGRAPHS. DESIGNED AND DRAWN BY US. REPRODUCED FROM A LETTER WRITTEN IN BLACK INK FROM PHOTOGRAPHS. FI^OM PHOTOGRAPHS. FROM PHOTOGRAPHS. THE NEW HALFTONE PROCESS, MADE DIRECT FROM PHOTOGRAPH OR WASH-DRAWING. The new art of Photp- Engraving requires I'en Dravjin^s ; and it is already apparent, that for the illustration of books, newspape/s, manufacturers' Catalogues, circulars, and adveriisements generally, the pen must soon supersede the pencil. We have observed ytith gratificatipn, ^the interest in this subject, \v;hich, within the past three or four years, has been steadily gro^-ihg among artists of every class.. Though* we employ a large force constantly we cannot keep up with the demand upon this departiiient <^f our work. . We desire, therefore, to encourage among draughtsmen everywhere a disposition to become proficient in the preparation of drawings' suited to our hiethod of engraving. Our directions to such are few and simple, but yet -wry ' . ' ' Use Good Drawing Paper.— A smooth, white surface is requisite: Fair drawings may be made upon the best quality of unruled writing paper, but good Bristol Board is much better. For son^e kinds of drawing, " Double Endmeled Scratch and Drawfng I^oard " is excellent^ as the blacks may be lain on full with a brushy and the white lines produced afterwards by scratching through the ink and enamel' with a, steel point. The ink will be improved for fhis purpose, if a little glycerine Jje added to it. "' ■ , i . " We have rfeicently imported a quantity o^ paper stampfed with a fine grain, upon which drawing^ may be made with a crayon, haying the appearance of- expensive^Stipple work, Drawings on this paper may be rapidly made by persons accustomed to the use of the pencil. When inteaded to be engraved by us they' should hot be " stumped." Suitable Ink is of the uttjlOSt importance. Use India ink tha,t will produce a perfectly black line — or, order ' \, our. Photo- Drawing Ink, the be§t article' in the market. If the lines of a drawing are pale, or brown, or gray, or bluish, they will Come out feeble and imgerfect in the plat^ All lines therefore, the -finest as well as the^ coarser, should be thoroughly BLACK. Produce your grades of color, not by vaVying degrees of paleness, but by the size and distance of your black lines. , 'f ^ Use a Pen that will make a fine, even line. Steel pens are best Gillott's No. 170 and No. 290 are excellent. Size of Drawings.— For a fine quality' of engravings, make your drawings twice the length and' twice the width of the plate desired.. Reckon 70 to 100 lines»to the inch as the firteness of the plate, and make accordingly one half as many in your drawing. But take care that the lines be not so«fine or so close as to make a plate that will fill up in printing. • ' Very good work can be done from drawings carefully made one-half or one-third larger than the. required plate; and for comic work they may be made the same size. ' ^ White Lines rnay easily be drawn over black onfes with pen or brush. - Use a highly si^ed- India jnk, adding a few drops' of prepared ox-gall. • .Apply Windsor %c N^ewtoti's Best -China White, with a quick strolfe from a full pen er brush. Mix it thick, and do not go over a line the second time till the first is quite dj^. In General. — Drawings should not be made in reverse. Make sets of drawings, whenever possible,*' to. the same scale. _ Never cross-hatch -until the first set of lines is perfectly dry. ' Erase all pencil naa.rks, taking care not to remove any of the ink. Keep a blotting pad under the hand, but do not use it to take up iftk from the drawing. Leave a margin of half an inch around each drawing, for tafcking to the Camera board. Silver Prints.— The method of making drawings upon plain photographs, was devised several years ago by us and has been found to be 'great Saving in tiine,^ besides insuring greater accuracy Hjan can be attained irr any other -manne;-." TlJese plain phqtographs are made just the size the drawing iS;intended to be, but the subjects from which they are copied may be of any size.' The outlines and 'details ^e thus laid out for th^ draughtsinan, with absolute accuracy, and the drawing having been made upon the " print," the photographic color is bleached, away by flowing — not ruh^ng — oyer the surface a solution of bi-chloride of mercary in alcohol, in the proportion of 'i oz." of the fbrmef ^to I quart of the latter. . ,V We can supply the materials referred, tf) above, at the following prices, net: — ^ /'4