Four Generations, One Family, Since 1933
Concord Photo Engraving opened when engravings were cut from photographic negatives. Ninety-three years later the shop still carries the name, and still belongs to the Ottos.
Why It Is Called Photo Engraving
Floyd Otto Sr. founded the business in 1933, and at the start it only made engravings. The negatives behind them were made by taking actual photographs, which is exactly where the name came from.
Each generation brought the next process in. The shop moved from engraving to rubber flexography, then to photopolymer, then to digital platemaking, and today it produces flexographic photopolymer and letterpress polymer out of the same building on Commercial Street.
The business cards are letterpress printed from plates made in-house, which is a fair test of the product. If the shop cannot hold fine type on its own name, it has no business selling plates to people who print for a living.
What Each Generation Brought In
First generation
Floyd Otto Sr.
Opened Concord Photo Engraving in 1933, making engravings from negatives shot on an actual camera. No computers, and the name on the door still says why.
Second generation
The next Ottos
Brought flexography into the shop by molding rubber, moving it beyond engraving alone and into printing plates for packaging.
Third generation
Peter Otto
Introduced photopolymer, which is the material the shop still builds its letterpress and flexo work on today.
Fourth generation
Max Otto
Brought in digital platemaking and letterpress polymer, and runs the shop now with Shelley as a pre-press trade shop serving printers nationwide.
Who You Deal With
It is a small shop, so you talk to the person doing the work rather than an account manager. Files go to the art department and quotes go to Shelley.
Max Otto
Owner, General Manager
Fourth generation of the Otto family, and the one who brought digital platemaking and letterpress polymer into the shop.
dave@daveacoleman.comShelley Otto
Vice President of Sales
Quotes, new accounts and billing. Sets you up after the first order and keeps the card on file until plates ship.
dave@daveacoleman.comTina Simpson
Graphic Artist
Art department. Preflights incoming files and flags anything that will not print before a plate is made.
dave@daveacoleman.comWhat Customers Say
I only have one word: WOW. That is one of the cleanest, crispest plates I have ever received. Thank you for the wonderful work, friendly service, and lightning-quick turnaround. You have a customer for life.
Just a quick note to tell you how incredibly happy we have been with your plates. They arrived to us in super condition and they have printed beautifully. We are happy to have made the switch over to you.
You guys are the masters of my heart. I could never maintain the same kind of print business without you. I am literally staring at the 9 orders I have to print this week and it is all because of you guys getting me the perfect plates so quickly.
I just wanted to say thank you for outputting perfect polymer plates for the print work. It is wonderful to be able to depend on a solid resource like Concord Engraving.
Recycling Is Not a Marketing Line Here
Every solvent used in the building is recycled on site, and the letterpress polymer is water washed and fully recyclable rather than solvent processed. The chemistry-free film the shop images cuts silver out of the process entirely.
For a printer that matters practically, not just environmentally. Water-washed plates arrive without solvent residue and go straight onto the base.
- All solvents recycled on site
- Water-washed, fully recyclable polymer
- Chemistry-free film, no silver
- Founded
- 1933
- Founder
- Floyd Otto Sr.
- Generations
- Four
- Address
- 12 Commercial Street
- Concord, NH 03301
- Phone
- 603-225-3681
- Ships
- Nationwide
Ninety-Three Years, and Still Taking Single-Card Orders
The $12.50 minimum exists so a one-off job is still worth placing. Send the file and a proof comes back before anything is made.