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Cyanotype Printing

Cyanotype Printing

Min number of participants 1
Age 8+ yrs.
Safety support by adult Recommended
Min duration 30 min.
Cost Low
Environment Indoor / Outdoor

Coat paper with a simple iron-salt solution, lay flowers, leaves, or transparent objects on top, and expose it to sunlight — producing vivid blue-and-white photographic prints with Victorian magic.

The Essentials

  • Coat paper with the solution in dim indoor light, since the chemistry begins reacting as soon as it's exposed to UV light
  • Use flat, dry, pressed botanicals or opaque objects, since curled or wet items create blurry edges instead of sharp silhouettes
  • Expose in direct, bright sunlight for the deepest blue, since cloudy days or shade produce a much fainter print
  • Rinse the exposed print thoroughly in cool running water until the yellow tint disappears, to stop the chemical reaction
  • Let prints dry fully out of direct sunlight, since the blue continues to darken and oxidize over the following day
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