Cyanotype – One of the Best Processes to Start With
Cyanotype is one of the most distinctive historical photographic processes. Its characteristic feature is the intense blue colour of the image, while the process itself requires neither a traditional photographic darkroom nor an enlarger.
This makes cyanotype an excellent choice for anyone who wants to try historical and alternative photography for the first time. It can be practised at home, and sunlight can be used as the UV source for exposure.
This does not mean, however, that cyanotype is simply a beginner’s process. It offers considerable possibilities for working with the photographic image and is a fully developed photographic technique used in contemporary artistic projects as well.
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| Cyanotype, photograph by Radosław Brzozowski |
What Do You Need to Make a Cyanotype?
You do not need a fully equipped photographic darkroom to make your first cyanotype. The basic materials are cyanotype solutions, suitable paper, a negative or an object to be copied, water and a source of UV radiation.
The simplest UV source is sunlight. To coat and dry the paper, however, you need a place protected from daylight — for example, a windowless bathroom or another room that can be darkened.
How Is a Cyanotype Made?
Cyanotype is a contact-printing process. This means that the image is created through direct contact between the sensitised paper and a photographic negative or an object.
The paper is coated with a light-sensitive solution and left to dry away from daylight. A negative or object is then placed directly on the paper and exposed to UV radiation.
After exposure, the print is washed in water. During washing, the characteristic blue image of the cyanotype becomes visible.
What Should You Choose for Your First Cyanotype?
If you are making cyanotypes for the first time, one of the easiest options is a ready-to-use starter kit containing the two solutions required to prepare the light-sensitive mixture. This allows you to start printing without having to weigh and prepare the chemicals yourself.
Paper is also important. Not every watercolour paper behaves in the same way in cyanotype. Differences in composition, sizing and pH can affect both the processing and the appearance of the finished print. For your first prints, it is therefore worth using papers that have already been tested with the process.
If you want to understand cyanotype in greater depth, a specialist manual can help you move beyond simply producing a first successful print. Good technical literature helps you understand the process, identify the causes of problems and control the appearance of the final image more consciously.
If you would like to start working with cyanotype, Alternative Photographic Supplies offers cyanotype chemistry, starter kits, papers, digital negative materials and other tools used in the process.