Cyanotype

Cyanotype

Cyanotype is a process of printing photographs in cyan-blue print. Normally photographs are set in silver such as the black and white photographs. It uses sunlight and a few chemicals to print pictures. When  cyanotypes pictures are produced the printing medium or the paper is treated with some chemicals.

Brief background information:Sir John Herschel who was an English astronomer and a scientist discovered the process of Cyanotype in 1842.  Though this process was invented by Sir John Herschel, actually Anna Atkins brought it in the field of photography. Anna Atkins is considered to be the first female photographer and she was the one who made this process popular. Initially she printed the images in a book.The process of Cyanotypes printing became famous in the twentieth century. It is a very easy and cheap process that enables the photographers to create large prints of their works that are long-lasting and more or less permanent. They are commonly known as blueprints.

Process:This process of photography is quite simple and basic. It involves very few steps.  The process of cyanotype printing makes use of two chemicals.These are Potassium ferricyanide and Ammonium iron (III) citrate. These chemicals are made into solutions separately by mixing them with water and then they are blended in equal portions.  Cyanotypes can be created on any surface that is able to soak up the iron solutions. Any kind of textiles, paper, cards or absorbent surfaces can be used to create cyanotypes. They are treated with the solution and left for drying in a dark place. Any photograph whether taken by a regular or digital camera could be made into a negative that is turned into cyanotypes.  This negative is then kept on the material for making the print.The results are then achieved by using sunlight or any UV light.The UV light makes a positive image from a negative by chemical reaction of iron. After it is exposed the surface is rinsed in water for processing.A beautiful white print would then emerge on a blue background. This is then left to dry.

Preservation of photos:There is a downside to cyanotype prints. Prolonged or over-exposure to light could fade the images.  When this occurs, they must be stored in a dark place for a while. Cyanotypes photos must not be stored in a chemically treated museum board. These prints dislike basic environments. The image might fade if stored in this way. 

Advantages: creating cynotypes is a very economical process to create images. Not just that. It also is a good substitute to a darkroom. The only expensive item involved is the paper that needs to be bought. It is a very good medium of learning for amateurs who are interested in photography.

Tips: These prints are the best if there is good contrast in the picture. Only opaque and flat objects should be used for cyanotypes photos. You must wear proper gloves during the process as it is possible that the chemicals could stain.

Cyanotypes at present:After about a hundred and seventy years cyanotype process still exists in the field of photography.It is very much followed. There are several practitioners of this beautiful craft that create stunning images using this process. Forming the prints is not a very difficult process but one needs to master the art for creating jaw-dropping images.

cyanotype