What is the Cyanotype Process?
The Cyanotype process, originally created by Sir
John Herschel in 1842, is also known as a "blueprint" process. The
final print is characteristically blue in color. The print is typically has a
short-scale tonal range, making it somewhat "contrasty." The cyanotype print is also known as a "non-silver"
process, since it employs ferric (iron) salts for its photosensitivity, from a
combination of two solutions, one containing ferric ammonium citrate and the
other solution containing potassium ferricyanide. Combining these complete
solutions in equal parts creates a sensitizing solution which is then brushed
or painted onto the surface of a substrate like cloth or hot-press
watercolor paper.
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The Cyanotype process, originally created by Sir
John Herschel in 1842, is also known as a "blueprint" process. The
final print is characteristically blue in color. The print is typically has a
short-scale tonal range, making it somewhat "contrasty." The cyanotype print is also known as a "non-silver"
process, since it employs ferric (iron) salts for its photosensitivity, from a
combination of two solutions, one containing ferric ammonium citrate and the
other solution containing potassium ferricyanide. Combining these complete
solutions in equal parts creates a sensitizing solution which is then brushed
or painted onto the surface of a substrate like cloth or hot-press
watercolor paper.