His technique relied on a copper plate roughened with a tool called a rocker. This created a surface that held ink to produce deep, velvety blacks. Sartain then scraped away these burrs to create lighter tones and smooth whites. This tonal approach allowed him to translate oil paintings by Sir Thomas Lawrence and portraits of figures like Dr. Samuel Johnson into printed form. His work avoided the harsh lines of traditional etching, preferring soft transitions of light and shadow.

Collectors today value these prints for their atmospheric quality and historical accuracy. The mezzotint process gives each portrait a weight and texture that digital or modern lithographic processes cannot replicate. Because Sartain worked directly with many of the leading figures of the nineteenth century, including Schuyler Colfax and David Paul Brown, his engravings function as primary historical documents. They offer a window into the formal portraiture of the Victorian era.