How to Cyanotype

This page summarizes all the cyanotype articles I’ve written to date. This is how I make my cyanotypes, how to make them darker, how to control contrast, how to tone them, etc. This reflects my working methods and so it will not cover every alternative method – only the ones that I use. If you have questions, please send me an email. Thank you!

How to Print Cyanotypes Darker - Tip 4

Mar 15, 2021(edit)

This article forms part of my “How to Make Cyanotypes Darker” series. In my experience, achieving the darkest cyanotypes requires four things:… View More

How to Create a Cyanotype Digital Negative

Jun 26, 2020(edit)

“Clogged Nozzles Detected. Cleaning Recommended.” Usually, a warning like this from my Epson 7900 inkjet printer is nothing to worry about. Run a maintenance cleaning cycle or apply the Windex method, and the clogged printheads clear right up. But after trying to fix this problem for three weeks, I realized I was in trouble. No matter what I did, the orange ink just wouldn’t flow. Why is this important? A clogged printhead will show nasty lines in the final cyanotype print, thus ruining the image. And, my digital negatives depend on orange ink! Then something occurred to me. Why not just switch to another color for my digital negatives… In this article, I share how I create my digital negatives for the cyanotype process.… View More

Nail Your Base Exposure Time for Cyanotype

Mar 10, 2020(edit)

So you coated your paper. What’s next? This article discusses one of the preparatory steps that will optimize your cyanotypes. What I mean by “optimize” is the cyanotype will as dark as it can go.… View More

How to Make Cyanotypes Darker

Mar 2, 2020(edit)

In this article, we’ll talk about the process of coating your cyanotype paper. One thing I’ve learned is that how you coat paper will affect how dark it will print. Let’s get started.… View More

Choosing Cyanotype Paper

Feb 24, 2020(edit)

While you could get precoated cyanotype paper, it’s not difficult to prepare your own. The benefit of making it yourself is the freedom to choose your paper type and paper size.… View More

What is a Cyanotype?

Feb 17, 2020(edit)

When I show my artwork to friends and people who’ve never seen antique photographs, this question is usually the first they ask: what is a cyanotype?… View More

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